Transfers, 2024-25 season

[ewerk 30368]

Aye, he looked decent when he came on against us. Fuck it, sign them both.

[tinofbeans 91]

Trossard is absolutely the level we need for our squad. my worry is lack of a controlling midfielder, outside of Bruno and a defensive midfielder or regista (think Lobotka at Napoli or the fulham central defensive midfielder)

 

 

[wykikitoon 19976]

Would this be a signing to replace ASM?

[ewerk 30368]

Pretty much how I'd see it. You can (and we have) argue about whether he's prepared to put in the work required of an Eddie Howe player but his fitness record this season has been abysmal and hasn't been much better in previous seasons.

[Holden McGroin 6543]

Think he only has 18 months left on his contract so they might be consider it.

[The Fish 10776]

Also, we need several players of good or great quality if we want to compete on multiple fronts. Trossard doesn't have to be a replacement for ASM, it might be that's he's a target to provide competition?

 

[Craig 6682]

Trossard has been pretty immense for Brighton this season. He'd be an inspired signing.

[PaddockLad 17124]

27 minutes ago, The Fish said:

Also, we need several players of good or great quality if we want to compete on multiple fronts. Trossard doesn't have to be a replacement for ASM, it might be that's he's a target to provide competition?

 

If we’re going for a Europa league place at least then it’s a sort of “self fulfilling prophecy”…if potential signings are told that this is the case, they can see our league position and how we’ve played, then we tell them the cup will be taken seriously then I think good players like him will be persuaded. Then European football looks more likely and more achievable. Which means we’ll need a bigger squad, which is literally what we’ll be doing in January, with the added bonus of 5 months bedding in at the club for the new players before next season’s assault on the top three  

 

I saw Trossard being interviewed at the weekend, he looks about 12 but he’s got grey hair  

[GrahamTaylor5 872]

On 26/09/2022 at 10:29, The Fish said:

He's no Diaby, but he's better than Almiron in that role.

I love it when Howe proves us wrong. I read this post when you first wrote it and I agreed with it. 

[ewerk 30368]

On a minor note, I see Fernandez has played just one game for bottom of the table Elche since his move. I'm not sure what the craic is with him but another call that Eddie Howe got right when some were doubting him.

[LongTimeAdmirer 1248]

Almost time for me to have a good moan again.

 

We still want a RW or lets go with until almiron until the end of the season? 

[ewerk 30368]

Given Almiron's form I think a LW is more of a priority. Murphy wasn't great yesterday, ASM's form hasn't been brilliant when fit and I'd like to see Joelinton back in the centre of the park.

[Holden McGroin 6543]

Maddison please.

[The Fish 10776]

14 hours ago, GrahamTaylor5 said:

I love it when Howe proves us wrong. I read this post when you first wrote it and I agreed with it. 

 

Yeah, I called that wrong. Have to wonder though, if Howe has managed this with Miggy, what could he do with the likes of Pedro, Diaby or Maddison?

[The Fish 10776]

55 minutes ago, ewerk said:

Given Almiron's form I think a LW is more of a priority. Murphy wasn't great yesterday, ASM's form hasn't been brilliant when fit and I'd like to see Joelinton back in the centre of the park.

I'd still like us to sign Maddison because he can play centrally and out on the right. The priority for me is the base of the midfield three though. I want Bruno closer to the business end of the pitch. It's not sexy, but someone in the Tiote mould would be great. 

[Holden McGroin 6543]

Tripper is so important to the team I'd seriously look at someone who can cover him and both full back positions.  In the ilk of Cancelo.

 

 

[toonotl 2961]

It's an interesting one on the holding midfielder because I tend to agree that getting that position nailed down couldp be transformative. But it feels like a properly world class DM is the hardest position to get right in the transfer market. There's so many intangibles that perhaps are difficult to assess analytically. Then the player also has to perhaps be on the edge of being a liability for being a bit of a mad bastard which brings the hardness to dominate and run the game from the middle. Then there's the question of whether you would want someone with more creativity, perhaps at the expense of defensive solidity. Personally, I'm always a big fan of having a proper asshole in the midfield to ruin nancy-pants AMs day on the regular.

 

Who would you go for, Dave? And what would they cost?

[Dr Gloom 21846]

i'm not sure we're desperate for a "number 6" though if one become available who would improve us then we should consider it. 

 

if we sign maddison i would keep bruno there and play maddison and joelinton as the two "number 8s", rotating with willock and longstaff, depending on form.

 

then you can rotate shelvey with bruno as the number 6 depending on form and whether you would rather play bruno further up the field in certain games.

[Dr Gloom 21846]

14 minutes ago, Holden McGroin said:

Tripper is so important to the team I'd seriously look at someone who can cover him and both full back positions.  In the ilk of Cancelo.

 

 

 

it's a shame krafth got the injury when he did because he looked a capable understudy last season - another miracle by howe - manquillo yesterday, did not. 

[Holden McGroin 6543]

That goal wouldn't have been conceded if Trippier was on the pitch. Niether would the Fulham goal

[Chaser 1207]

Just buy Bellingham.

[Howay 12496]

1 hour ago, Dr Gloom said:

 

it's a shame krafth got the injury when he did because he looked a capable understudy last season - another miracle by howe - manquillo yesterday, did not. 

Manquillo is and always was one of the worst players in our squad, his positioning is fucking laughable. He got away with it at times to a degree because others around him were unorganized so his failings didn’t stand out but now we are well drilled he’s basically cost us a goal every time he’s stepped on the pitch under Howe. 
 

I agree with Fish on the midfield need tbh, we need Bruno in that 8 role as he’s just so instrumental when he plays there - we only need to improve on Longstaff/Shelvey to improve the 6, someone like Alvarez from Ajax or Sangare from PSV. Maddison could fit in our side over Willock since he tends to operate slightly further forward of Joelinton/Bruno when they play the 8. After that I’d love to see us keep improving the forward 3 with a Trossard/Diaby type signing - while I’ve been among Almirons biggest critics he’s been in sublime form all season and rightfully keeps his spot but that LW position isn’t nailed down - ASM is so injury prone and I’m still not entirely convinced he suits Howe’s set up. 

[Dr Gloom 21846]

1 hour ago, Howay said:

Manquillo is and always was one of the worst players in our squad, his positioning is fucking laughable. He got away with it at times to a degree because others around him were unorganized so his failings didn’t stand out but now we are well drilled he’s basically cost us a goal every time he’s stepped on the pitch under Howe. 
 

I agree with Fish on the midfield need tbh, we need Bruno in that 8 role as he’s just so instrumental when he plays there - we only need to improve on Longstaff/Shelvey to improve the 6, someone like Alvarez from Ajax or Sangare from PSV. Maddison could fit in our side over Willock since he tends to operate slightly further forward of Joelinton/Bruno when they play the 8. After that I’d love to see us keep improving the forward 3 with a Trossard/Diaby type signing - while I’ve been among Almirons biggest critics he’s been in sublime form all season and rightfully keeps his spot but that LW position isn’t nailed down - ASM is so injury prone and I’m still not entirely convinced he suits Howe’s set up. 

 

i think adding another player like bruno is what we need most - another creative midfielder who can dictate play from the middle of the park, which is why i would make signing a player such as maddison the priority. he would be a dream signing as he would give us that creative spark from midfield that we miss when bruno is injured. bruno is a unique player in that he can play both the "number 6" and the "number 8" roles but to see bruno and maddison link up in the same team would just be 

 

 

the other area where we look light is CF. i've yet to see enough of isak to be convinced he can provide like for like cover for wilson and suspect he may end up playing in one of the wide forward roles more often than not. wood, we all know, isn't good enough for where we want to be. 

 

 

[Howay 12496]

52 minutes ago, Dr Gloom said:

 

i think adding another player like bruno is what we need most - another creative midfielder who can dictate play from the middle of the park, which is why i would make signing a player such as maddison the priority. he would be a dream signing as he would give us that creative spark from midfield that we miss when bruno is injured. bruno is a unique player in that he can play both the "number 6" and the "number 8" roles but to see bruno and maddison link up in the same team would just be 

 

 

the other area where we look light is CF. i've yet to see enough of isak to be convinced he can provide like for like cover for wilson and suspect he may end up playing in one of the wide forward roles more often than not. wood, we all know, isn't good enough for where we want to be. 

 

 

Aye I’ve got a feeling Isak was bought as a wide forward who can cover the CF rather than primary cover for the CF position. Wilson basically said as much in that podcast he has, as much as I like Wilson I agree we absolutely need cover especially if we do get into Europe as that means at least 6+ games onto our season. 
 

I think re CM we’re kind of at a similar point just slightly prioritizing different - I personally think we should just sign both Maddison and a 6 in January as that would give us an exceptional midfield with plenty depth overnight. Maddison is kind of a no brainer signing for us honestly which is why I really hope it happens, he’s the kind of dynamic creative force we really need and he’s not going to get a move to any of the other sides competing for the top 4 (purely out of arrogance imo as there’s no reason Liverpool shouldn’t be in for him), he also covers so many positions in that he can play wide, behind the forward, or that Willock role just advanced of Bruno. I think going forward Joelinton becomes our Milner type player in that he just covers every position from midfield up and with European football having a player like that in our squad is vital. 
 

If we could sign Diaby/Trossard, Alvarez/Sangare, and Maddison in January I think we’d be a shoe in for CL football, and I think the football world would throw their collective toys out the pram. 

[Christmas Tree 4709]

Should really be the Transfers January 2023 thread.