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Transfer Rumour Discussion Thread
- Thread starter Jordinho
- Start date
Mumorn
Vic Buckingham
Schneiderlin would be a great signing. I've been very very impressed by him this year, stats wise say he's the best defensive midfielder in the Premier League. Keeps the ball well and has been a crucial part of Southamptons play under there new manager, he presses well and keeps possession, a bit like a better Parker really.
SlumDilla
Michael Brown
And only 24! i also like the look of josep illicic at palermo, best way i can describe him is a trickier left footed sigurdsson. He has a fantastic shot and really good close control. with palermo being relegated I'm sure levy could grab him for a bargain.
parker has had a very poor year but as a back up DM to Sandro he's fine. We also dont have enough cash to starting blowing it on low priorities. Would also say in parker's defence that recently he's looked weaker as he's been played out of position - ie with him getting forward and Thudd sitting
Schneiderlin has been very tidy this season, watched him obviously in the game at St Marys against us and in a few other fixtures, most notably Man United away where he looked very good. Definitely someone to keep an eye on.
Just want us to buy a couple of forwards and a creative central midfielder who keeps us ticking over and recycles the ball well. It would be nice to see this potential midfielder with someone like Dembele/Sigurdsson and Sandro behind them. If we can get those signings and get Kaboul/Sandro back fit for the next season then we can really challenge.
Just want us to buy a couple of forwards and a creative central midfielder who keeps us ticking over and recycles the ball well. It would be nice to see this potential midfielder with someone like Dembele/Sigurdsson and Sandro behind them. If we can get those signings and get Kaboul/Sandro back fit for the next season then we can really challenge.
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Rorschach
Sonny Walters
I just think time has caught up with Parker and bar the odd match, games are by and large passing him by. I don't think he is a good fit for the way we play now either and I would like to see him moved on. He has been a good buy overall and for that I thank him, but he has reached his sell by date.
Parker to join up with Harry again in the Championship might be a decent move for him.
braineclipse
Willie Hall
If we do keep Hudd though that means that he can't be an option to play alongside Huddlestone. He isn't an option to play alongside Sandro either. So he is essentially only a direct backup for Sandro, but only as long as either Dembele or some new creative midfielder is available to play next to him. And that after a "very poor year". That's enough to keep him around? I don't see it like that at all.
We need someone who can function alongside multiple players and who is either better or likely to become better. A squad player that is only useful for one position and one role in that position and only alongside some specific other players in the squad isn't really a squad option.
Compare that to what Dempsey offers as a real squad option, covers multiple positions, can play alongside most of our players, has offered some real quality when he's been starting. That's a squad option we should look to keep around. Direct and clearly inferior backup players, not so much.
A real central midfield option (or two) is far from a low priority.
They have 2-3 players that would be worth looking at to my mind. Josip Ilicic, Abel Hernandez and Paulo Dybala would all be worth a look.
He's only ever been a direct replacement for Sandro and only ever will be - thats why he's in the squad! You need two players per position - if you're Man U, you can have two top quality players per position; we're more likely to have one top quality and one lesser quality. For a defensive midfield position, Sandro is the top quality one, parker is the lower quality back-up. Parker is the back-up in teh same way as Freidel is the back-up to Lloris. He's not really a squad option; just a like for like in a key position. Its been bizarre recently that AVB has player Parker further forward and its just made him look worse as thats not his position
A creative central midfielder is a high priority; spending money on replacing our back-up defensive midfielder (Parker) isnt a priority. If Sandro stays fit next year then Parker will only play a couple league games when Sandro gets an inevitable suspension, some cup games and a few in Europe. We dont have the cash to go chasing an upgrade on Parker as there's other positions where all our money will be needed
braineclipse
Willie Hall
I don't want a starting 11 and then eleven clearly inferior backup players. The goalkeeper example is a bit contrived as it's a unique position. I want options, and I want squad options that can cover more than one role in the team. You mention United, who is their dedicated defensive midfield backup that can only play alongside a creative midfielder and can only play that position? They don't have that player, because they have a balanced squad with options, not just first choice players and backups.
If you just have a starting 11 (and a couple more for the sake of avoiding argument), but then you notice an instant drop in quality whenever just a single player is injured or suspended because the backup players are clearly inferior you will essentially go the full season waiting around for that one day where maybe you can field your first choice team.
We need a player that can function alongside several other players in the squad. Ideally I want someone solid enough to function alongside Dembele, attacking enough to function alongside Sandro and dynamic enough to function alongside Huddlestone. At the very least the first two of those, that would also give us the option of playing a 3 man midfield with all 3 of them and the option to actually change games with players from the bench with real quality.
It's what we've seen at the back this season. Naughton can cover both full backs, Vertonghen can cover at left back, it has given us options when we've needed them. It's also kind of what we've seen in the attacking midfielders. Sig and Dempsey can cover multiple positions, as can Bale, Lennon is best on the right, but that's all right. We at least have some options, not enough, but it's something.
In short, as tired as I am of that whole "one man team" thing with Bale, it's a lot more frustrating that in a way we've been a 5 men team this season. Not as in 5 men that can all step up and make the difference, but as in we need all those 5 (Sandro, Dembele, Lennon, Bale and Defoe) for our team to function. One injury to any of those 5 (ignoring Lloris, Walker and Vertonghen just to avoid derailing even further) and we're back to someone who's "acceptable as a backup" and a massive setback for the team as a unit. That's not the way forward. That's not United, since you chose to compare us to them. Apart perhaps from Carrick and van Persie they've suffered various injuries throughout as well as some rotation and coped well, because the players that have come in haven't been "acceptable backups" or backups at all, but rather real options.
In certain positions you need like for like replacements rather than 'options' and mainly these like for likes are needed in defensive positions - GK, back 4 and a holding midfielder. Unless you go for a back 3, there arent many different ways of swiching these positions around whereas there are a variety of different ways of lining up in front of these back 6 - different formations, different types of players, different tactics etc. Therefore, just as you need 4 CBs and 3 or 4 full backs (depending on whether they can cover both sides and whether CBs can cover full back positions etc) I think you do need a like for like back-up for Sandro and clearly that replacement is oging to be inferior as we're not in a position to have two Sandros in our squad.
Parker will be a decent squad member who can play a few league games when sandro is out plus the cup games. We just need to play him in his right position ie providing a screen for the back 4, similar to how Sandro does, rather than in the ridiculous marauding position which he's played in recently and which he's not suited to.
superspurs
Chris Armstrong
Gutter Boy
Tim Sherwood
He looks like the type of player we should be all over - quick, strong, good finisher, versatile - would seem the ideal third choice forward for us.
Mumorn
Vic Buckingham
Never even heard of the guy before we were linked with him and i never claimed to have any knowledge.
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Parker has not been any worse this than last season. It's just that what he does we don't need in a lot of games. Some games this season he has been nearly MOTM but on Sunday he was like a spare prick at a wedding.
AVB ain't about to experiment so close to the end so Scotty is a safe bet but I would rather have Livermore. Would Adam have been kicking our players if Jake was up against him? Clint tried to get stuck in but Adam done him as well.
AVB ain't about to experiment so close to the end so Scotty is a safe bet but I would rather have Livermore. Would Adam have been kicking our players if Jake was up against him? Clint tried to get stuck in but Adam done him as well.
braineclipse
Willie Hall
If that is the case what would you say are the like for like dedicated defensive/holding midfielder options for the other top teams in England. I see you didn't come up with one for United. Any others? How about top clubs around Europe? As an added bonus how about naming those players in that situation that are as limited on the ball as Parker is. There should be plenty of examples if "you need like for like replacements rather than 'options' [...] (for) a holding midfielder" holds water. I struggle to think of many even just for the first criteria, add the "being as limited on the ball" criteria and I honestly can't think of a single one, but that could just be my memory or footballing knowledge failing me.
We can't ask Parker to just sit and screen if he's playing alongside Huddlestone or Sandro, that's part of the point I'm trying to make. He doesn't fit alongside those players, making the number potential functional partnerships, and thus our options, limited.
Sandro has had two severe and long lasting injuries already in his three years at the club. His 22 league games this season will his highest so far. I hope that this is just a coincidence and that he will be available for as much of next season as you seem to believe. I think we need to make sure we're not as dependent on that as we would be if a direct backup in Parker is our main option if he does get injured though.