Summer 2024 Transfer Thread

[Anubis]

52 minutes ago, The wanderer said:

Nice area that

 

Yes. Harry Redknapp used to live there but he sold up. 

[Bobby Hundreds]

We don't need a rebuild but we do need work. We hold onto players for too long. We should of been topping up the side with a quality additions every year rather than go windows thinking we can't be improved until eventually the side looked tired and expensive to fix. 

 

I don't think we've played well many times at all this season and barely any at all last season. We have moments good and bad  and everything inbetween is recycling the ball looking for options.

[TD_LFC]

1 minute ago, Anubis said:

 

Yes. Harry Redknapp used to live there but he sold up. 

 

Hope Rosie paid her capital gains tax.

[Vincent Vega]

Our midfield of Henderson, Wijnaldum and Fabinho, ably supported by Milner wasn't especially creative, but nobody ever outworked or out-muscled us, and our defensive record with those three paying was vastly superior. I hope we're looking at a couple of players with the qualities of Fab and Gini, and then maybe we can get the best out of Macca in a more forward creative role.

 

One player I'd love us to sign but is likely an impossibility, is Florian Wurtz. There are strong rumours that Real Madrid want him, but want him to wait until summer 2025, and City have also been linked, so we will walk a million miles from that deal even if we had identified him.

[joe_fishfish]

Yeah feels like Wirtz will go to Madrid with Xabi in summer 25

[TD_LFC]

People wanted a more attacking goal scoring midfield and demanded it summer after summer even when Gini, Henderson and Fabinho were in their pomp ignoring the fact that our attacking power came from the fullback and the front three.

 

Sounds like buyers remorse.

[TheHowieLama]

3 minutes ago, Vincent Vega said:

One player I'd love us to sign but is likely an impossibility, is Florian Wurtz. 

 

Without a marked system change where would you play him - he certainly doesn't bring any of the stuff you are asking for in the midfield.

[Vincent Vega]

33 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

 

Without a marked system change where would you play him - he certainly doesn't bring any of the stuff you are asking for in the midfield.

He could play as part of a front three, or as the advanced player in a midfield three. He can also play on the wing if you want to change the system. Great players can play multiple positions, it would be a great problem for any manager to have. 

[TheHowieLama]

Just now, Vincent Vega said:

He could play as part of a front three, or as the advanced player in a midfield three. He can also play on the wing if you want to change the system. Great players can play multiple positions, it would be a great problem for any manager to have. 

 

This is what I disagree with. Don't see him able to deliver those goods on the right of our current midfield as an example.

The worry would be that it is the system he is in right now that makes him so effective.

Similar to Trent or Salah in our top team, they will never reach those heights again in any other set up.

 

 

[Scott_M]

I assume next week will be all about Slot.
 

I’d hope the week after we pull a Fabinho rabbit out our hat & get some sort of feel good factor back. 

[Barrington Womble]

52 minutes ago, Vincent Vega said:

Our midfield of Henderson, Wijnaldum and Fabinho, ably supported by Milner wasn't especially creative, but nobody ever outworked or out-muscled us, and our defensive record with those three paying was vastly superior. I hope we're looking at a couple of players with the qualities of Fab and Gini, and then maybe we can get the best out of Macca in a more forward creative role.

 

One player I'd love us to sign but is likely an impossibility, is Florian Wurtz. There are strong rumours that Real Madrid want him, but want him to wait until summer 2025, and City have also been linked, so we will walk a million miles from that deal even if we had identified him.

the midfield can often be quite small. look at the 3 last night, harvey, macca and elliot. none of them are big and while they're not shrinking violets, it can mean they can often lose their 1 on 1 physical battles, which is not great when we're a team the leans heavily on winning those battles to maintain defensive solidity. 

[TD_LFC]

7 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

 

This is what I disagree with. Don't see him able to deliver those goods on the right of our current midfield as an example.

The worry would be that it is the system he is in right now that makes him so effective.

Similar to Trent or Salah in our top team, they will never reach those heights again in any other set up.

 

 

Think we have to forget the notion of what a player looks like in our current system going forward as everything changes.

 

I think Wirtz as the #10 in Slot's 4231 would be great especially when you look at some of the area's he appears in for Leverkusen where he drops much deeper to receive the ball while nominally playing from the left, no chance we sign him so it's largely irrelevant but nice to dream.

[Scott_M]

6 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

 

This is what I disagree with. Don't see him able to deliver those goods on the right of our current midfield as an example.

The worry would be that it is the system he is in right now that makes him so effective.

Similar to Trent or Salah in our top team, they will never reach those heights again in any other set up.

 

 

 

Even though I can’t actually say I’ve ever seen Wirtz play, my Dad raves about him and he obviously has a great reputation.

 

IMO, he’s not the type of profile player we need in midfield. Elliott, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai & Jones all offer that #8/#10 role. Even Mac Allister verges on that role. 
 

I’ve said previously, failed bids for Tchouameni, Caicedo & Lavia… we can’t be happy with options we currently for that role. We simply cannot be. 
 

Bajectic might be the answer but after over a season out, he cannot be relied up. 
 

As well as Endo has done this season, and he has done well, when you look at Rice & Rodri, he’s simply not at their level. That drop in quality is currently sticking out like a sore thumb. 

[Scott_M]

59 minutes ago, Vincent Vega said:

Our midfield of Henderson, Wijnaldum and Fabinho, ably supported by Milner wasn't especially creative, but nobody ever outworked or out-muscled us, and our defensive record with those three paying was vastly superior. I hope we're looking at a couple of players with the qualities of Fab and Gini, and then maybe we can get the best out of Macca in a more forward creative role.

100%. 

[Megadrive Man]

59 minutes ago, Vincent Vega said:

One player I'd love us to sign but is likely an impossibility, is Florian Wurtz. There are strong rumours that Real Madrid want him, but want him to wait until summer 2025, and City have also been linked, so we will walk a million miles from that deal even if we had identified him.

 

A key part of the reason that Alonso stayed at Leverkusen is that he has been given guarantees by the club and players like Wirtz that they will stay for at least one more season.

[The wanderer]

1 hour ago, Anubis said:

 

Yes. Harry Redknapp used to live there but he sold up. 

I think Souness lives that way doesn’t he?

[3 Stacks]

37 minutes ago, Barrington Womble said:

the midfield can often be quite small. look at the 3 last night, harvey, macca and elliot. none of them are big and while they're not shrinking violets, it can mean they can often lose their 1 on 1 physical battles, which is not great when we're a team the leans heavily on winning those battles to maintain defensive solidity. 

We did a good job of building a midfield of players who can produce. You look at Szobo, Mac, Elliott, Gravenberch, those players can all make something happen. But we have the same problem as the attack; there is no elite trio that has demarked itself yet, that can do everything we need.

[Scott_M]

37 minutes ago, Barrington Womble said:

the midfield can often be quite small. look at the 3 last night, harvey, macca and elliot. none of them are big and while they're not shrinking violets, it can mean they can often lose their 1 on 1 physical battles, which is not great when we're a team the leans heavily on winning those battles to maintain defensive solidity. 

Then you have Jones, Gravenberch & Szoboszlai, all around 6ft or more, who don’t use their height or strength to their advantage. 
 

None of the current crop would out work somebody like Hendo or Wijnaldum would, none of the current crop would out muscle somebody like Fabinho or Wijnaldum out, none of the current crop would leave a leveller on somebody like Milner would etc etc etc…

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

1 hour ago, TD_LFC said:

People wanted a more attacking goal scoring midfield and demanded it summer after summer even when Gini, Henderson and Fabinho were in their pomp ignoring the fact that our attacking power came from the fullback and the front three.

 

Sounds like buyers remorse.

The system was made for TAA, this system suited Bradley more. Hopefully it will change as TAA doesn’t look arsed, like a few others.

[Barrington Womble]

10 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

We did a good job of building a midfield of players who can produce. You look at Szobo, Mac, Elliott, Gravenberch, those players can all make something happen. But we have the same problem as the attack; there is no elite trio that has demarked itself yet, that can do everything we need.

 

It's about finding balance though. I don't think we've found it yet. And this is all over the team, including how we use different players. 

 

9 minutes ago, Scott_M said:

Then you have Jones, Gravenberch & Szoboszlai, all around 6ft or more, who don’t use their height or strength to their advantage. 
 

None of the current crop would out work somebody like Hendo or Wijnaldum would, none of the current crop would out muscle somebody like Fabinho or Wijnaldum out, none of the current crop would leave a leveller on somebody like Milner would etc etc etc…

 

Yeah, I agree with that. I think Dom might not be the pussy he's looked since his injury. He did look strong and up for the fight early on. Gravenberch seems to lack balanced, so he can't use his size. And Curtis uses the ball well and presses well, but he's not a fighter - but that's back to the balance thing for me. They don't all have to be tough workers, but you need some of that. 

[Barrington Womble]

4 minutes ago, VERBAL DIARRHEA said:

The system was made for TAA, this system suited Bradley more. Hopefully it will change as TAA doesn’t look arsed, like a few others.

 

I heard an interesting stat last night after the match, apparently Trent has had more ball regains per 90 than anyone in the league or something. They were doing that MNF team of the year thing and it came up as part of that. It brings some interesting context to the idea he's not arsed defensively. 

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

2 minutes ago, Barrington Womble said:

 

I heard an interesting stat last night after the match, apparently Trent has had more ball regains per 90 than anyone in the league or something. They were doing that MNF team of the year thing and it came up as part of that. It brings some interesting context to the idea he's not arsed defensively. 

His actual body language always looks that way but some of his defending is awful yet he is not incapable of it. His defending for the DCL header was plan shithousery in my opinion.

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

1 hour ago, Scott_M said:

I assume next week will be all about Slot.
 

I’d hope the week after we pull a Fabinho rabbit out our hat & get some sort of feel good factor back. 

Knowing us well give Thiago a contract extension.

[3 Stacks]

5 minutes ago, Barrington Womble said:

 

It's about finding balance though. I don't think we've found it yet. And this is all over the team, including how we use different players. 

 

As currently constituted, we probably won't find a balance. Again, it's like the attack discussion. People take turns liking and disliking the players based on their form but ultimately there aren't 3 of them good enough to do what we need.

[Barrington Womble]

1 minute ago, VERBAL DIARRHEA said:

His actual body language always looks that way but some of his defending is awful yet he is not incapable of it. His defending for the DCL header was plan shithousery in my opinion.

 

Some of his defending is awful. But you can say that about most players in the team. And plenty called vvd not arsed and that's not true either. I think Trent's biggest problem is defending doesn't come naturally to him and he's not got the art (or perhaps understanding) that sometimes you've just got to make things hard or get in the way. We're going to have to wait and see how he slot uses him, because as a team we've been a mess defensively for 2 years, which happens to be the same 2 years people have mostly criticised Trent's defending.