It's Quiet 18 - Wanna ring the bell?

[Dax777]

Valverde is the closest natural replacement i have see of Bernardo Silva.

With is speed, he just might be one of the few who can be better than Bernardo at what Bernardo does best.

 

[Gumzy97]

For those saying we are weaker with Gundo gone thats true in some way we are weaker offensively due to the goals Gundo scored, but we've improved defensively again.

Kovacic is world class in press resistance , ball carrying , keeping possession. With Rodri those two can't be pressed. You add Gvardiol that defensive structure is the best defence the prem has seen I'd say. We had an incredible defensive structure last season which teams struggled to get passed. Which contributed massively to the treble as we could just control games easily.

Now you've added one of the best press resistant midfielders in Kovacic who's also very good defensively. Then trying to add Gvardiol who's the best young cb in the world.

Defence wins you titles.

Akanji Stones Dias Gvardiol. (Ake, Walker Phillips on the bench)
Rodri. Kovacic

That defence has no weakness press resistant, playmaking ability, best 1v1 defending in the world. Break lines, pace. Its complete control.

 

[Dax777]

I tend to agree. Tchouameni, Camavinga, Bellingham & Valverdé are Real's midfield future post Modric & Kroos.

HOWEVER, the twist in the plot is Mbappé. Will Real risk waiting a season & getting him on a free? OR will they strike now so they don't lose out on him for a second time?

Only if Real decide to spunk £200m on him this summer can I see Tchouameni/Valverdé possibly being sacrificed to bring in Kylian.

I suppose we'll have to wait & see hey? \0/

If I were Real, I'd wait. There is simply no other team Mbappe will go too.

Here is the list ( And I'm being generous here)

Barca, Bayern, City, Liverpool, Chelsea, United, Arsenal.

You can dismiss Barca and Bayern, and Liverpool and Arsenal as they don't have the money to do it. You can dismiss Chelsea because they currently aren't a CL club even though they have the money.

This pretty much leaves City and United as his only options outside Madrid. He turned us down at 17. And he sure isn't gonna go to United.

So that leaves just 1 real option. Real. And that's the real of the issue.

 

[Dribble]

If I were Real, I'd wait. There is simply no other team Mbappe will go too.

Here is the list ( And I'm being generous here)

Barca, Bayern, City, Liverpool, Chelsea, United, Arsenal.

You can dismiss Barca and Bayern, and Liverpool and Arsenal as they don't have the money to do it. You can dismiss Chelsea because they currently aren't a CL club even though they have the money.

This pretty much leaves City and United as his only options outside Madrid. He turned us down at 17. And he sure isn't gonna go to United.

So that leaves just 1 real option. Real. And that's the real of the issue.

We all thought it was a done deal the last time, but PSG handed Kylian the keys to Paris to prove a point to Real.

That's one expensive lesson to learn & it hasn't advanced PSG one jot... Will Real risk waiting until next summer to get him on a free again?

 

[I'm Blue]

For the one’s that need it..

 

[Dax777]

We all thought it was a done deal the last time, but PSG handed Kylian the keys to Paris to prove a point to Real.

That's one expensive lesson to learn & it hasn't advanced PSG one jot... Will Real risk waiting until next summer to get him on a free again?

Look how that PSG lesson turned out. It was a disaster for PSG. In the meantime Real won a CL and lost a Semi to the current best team a year later.

Now they've built a stunner of a young team full of speed and Athleticism. And they are just waiting on the Crown Jewel.

Everyone and their mama know it. From the outside that looks like a 10 year dominant team if Mbappe joins that crew.

Mbappe is tailor made for that team. Everyone can see it. What they need is a manager.

PSG knows now they should have let him go for 150 three yrs ago. Keeping him was a dumb and wasteful decision. They won nothing they won't have won without him.

 

[BLUEinTheUSA]

I don't think many people were being overly negative yesterday. Just a tad disappointed and a tad confused.

I don't think there's any need to shut that down. IMO we should be encouraging people to voice their opinions and concerns on the forum cos..
1. There's nothing else to do in the summer
2. No one should be offended by what is said because this is just a forum largely made up of middle aged men with nothing more productive to do with their spare time
3. We are completely irrelevant to anyone actually involved in transfers
4. Once the season starts we can get back to normality (which is back to point 2 obviosly)

Hold up...why was I supposed to be a tad disappointed and confused yesterday?

 

[TonyM]

Hold up...why was I supposed to be a tad disappointed and confused yesterday?

...you didn't get the memo?

 

[BLUEinTheUSA]

...you didn't get the memo?

I guess not :(

 

[MafeotulBlue]

Kovacic is the Gundo style replacement. Yes Szobo and Viega are more Foden and Kev like. I think that was the whole point. You want a multidimensional attacking mid.

We don't need to put down a good player. Rice is objectively a good player. You can see this when you watch him. That said, we don't need to get him. There are more good players than there are squad positions. So clearly, lots of good players will go to other teams.

"its just how the thing go." To quote my favorite battle rapper. :) You win some you lose some. For those who loved Rice, we lost this one. It won't be the first or last. We'll lose many more. But the one we win, and how they help us achieve... Now that's where the magic is at!!!

Don't mind me. I'm in my bag today :)

It's refreshing that you're recognizing the difference between, good and top class /world class and the comparison i have seen from Twitter Twats between Rice and Busquets, Rodri, etc.

I see it like this. In a distant galaxy, take Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Ateltico. Imagine or remember their midfield.

Ask yourself this, when these were at the peak, would Rice be playing in any of the midfields. Considering that they have clamped European Championships for over a decade. And to top it all off, would any of the above teams, pay 120-130 million euros for him.