Dries Mertens

[Tron Coltrane]

I'm interested.

I don't watch enough Eredivisie to consider myself informed, and I know some might question his attitude or penchant for acting, but I'm interested. He just overshadowed Hazard against England, he looked comfortable out wide on both sides of the pitch (rather than playing more centrally, like some of our other "wingers"), his record on club level is fantastic, and he's linked with Bayern and Inter.

I hadn't really supported our search for a winger because I couldn't think of any worth buying, but can anyone tell me why this kid isn't worth a shout?

 

[Mick Head]

I prefer mine shaken not stirred.

 

[Stuuuuuu]

Please god no. We don't need to be signing diving cheats like this guy. It's just wrong for City.

 

[Tron Coltrane]

Please god no. We don't need to be signing diving cheats like this guy. It's just wrong for City.

Again, I'm the first one to admit I don't know enough about the guy, so this is a legitimate question: is this statement based on a reaction to one game (in which case you could pick out similar unfortunate incidents for a third of our team, at some points in their careers, to label them "diving cheats"), or is this an informed accusation based on watching him play throughout the past?

 

[Worst Case Ontario]

And who is he gonna replace exactly?

 

[Tron Coltrane]

And who is he gonna replace exactly?

I guess that depends on how good he is, which is what I'm asking here.

And I can't answer for the population crying out for a winger, but presumably he'd be a replacement for AJ if we sell him, a simple contingency for width if we don't, and an option to put in crosses when playing through the middle isn't working either way.

 

[Cityisland]

I did not think much of him. Looked a twat too.


In conclusion= Meh!

 

[Tron Coltrane]

For the record, my apologies... terrible timing to ask about the guy, coming off the back of an admittedly cunty game. But at the risk of anticipating how objections could derail this thread, what I wanted to know is this:

Is Dries Mertens...

A) a talented but cunty winger who always gets up to no-good (in which case, fuck him).

B) a talented winger who had a cunty game, but is predominantly a decent lad (in which case, we've forgiven worse), or...

C) not all that talented, temperament be damned.

I'm just asking because if it's B, and he's as good as his record dictates, and he's cheaper than everything else out there, plays a position we're in the market for, outshines his multi-million pound contemporaries, and can be purchased relatively cheaply under the radar (despite potential city-related mark-ups), then it's worth having a conversation about him.

That's all I'm on about here.

 

[TFC]

Thought he looked tastier today than Hazard, but dont know enough about him to say whether I think we should dip our toes in the water.

 

[tonycoleman]

Re: Doc Martens

I hear he is tough in the tackle with those boots?