January 2019 window

[Deleted member 81382]

A lot I disagree with:

"Delph can't be relied on to stay fit"- except for how he did for most of last sessse

"Zinchenko is not going to be our long term left back" - Why? Has he been average? Bad? Terrible? No, No, and No. So why would you conclude he can't be something he has yet to fail at?

"We obviously managed last season". - Nah brah, we did not manage. We thrived. To the time of more points than antoua has ever scored. No matter who you get, they can only hope to match that.

We are unlikely to buy a new left back. Unlikely.

Last season yes but overall Delph's injury record is not great. Not knocking him, he did an invaluable job in an unfamiliar role.

Never said Zinchenko has been average, he's a very technically gifted footballer but I just think his future will lie elsewhere, ideally in a team where he can play more in midfield.

I'm not talking about the season as a whole when I say we managed, I'm specifically talking about that position.

Agree to disagree, I just don't think one natural left back and two midfielders, one of whom has injury problems is enough if we want to be successful on all fronts season in season out.

 

[Dax777]

Last season yes but overall Delph's injury record is not great. Not knocking him, he did an invaluable job in an unfamiliar role.

Never said Zinchenko has been average, he's a very technically gifted footballer but I just think his future will lie elsewhere, ideally in a team where he can play more in midfield.

I'm not talking about the season as a whole when I say we managed, I'm specifically talking about that position.

Agree to disagree, I just don't think one natural left back and two midfielders, one of whom has injury problems is enough if we want to be successful on all fronts season in season out.

I wasn't particularly disagreeing. Was just pointing out flaws in how you reached your conclusion.

When you say '1 natural defender and 2 Midfielders' I think you're missing an elementary point here: in a Pep team it matters little what your historical positional designation is: rather what matters are your technical ability, aptitude for learning, and your experience in the system.

Thus, even though Delph and Zee are not traditional leftbacks, it will take a world class leftback (of which I see none on the horizon so far) to do as good a job as they both are currently doing.Talk less a better job.

Perhaps you are right that Zee and Delph will be moved on, but until they are. There isn't that much nbette out there

 

[Deleted member 81382]

I wasn't particularly disagreeing. Was just pointing out flaws in how you reached your conclusion.

When you say '1 natural defender and 2 Midfielders' I think you're missing an elementary point here: in a Pep team it matters little what your historical positional designation is: rather what matters are your technical ability, aptitude for learning, and your experience in the system.

Thus, even though Delph and Zee are not traditional leftbacks, it will take a world class leftback (of which I see none on the horizon so far) to do as good a job as they both are currently doing.Talk less a better job.

Perhaps you are right that Zee and Delph will be moved on, but until they are. There isn't that much nbette out there

You make some very good points.

 

[salfordbluetrue]

Raneiri is now the Manager at Fulham and as all Italians do he is going to bring in experience that will cost, not in fee`s as they will probably all be freebies or loans,but in wages it will cost, so there is a good chance of buying Sessengon as he will probably get squeezed out anyway but also sending Mangala out on loan till his contract finishes

 

[blueballs84]

With the threat of a possible transfer ban looming, I wonder if we need to bring forward some spending to January. If it looks like we'll get a 12 month ban then I think we absolutely need to get in another CM/DM and a left back before that happens.

 

[blueballs84]

I wasn't particularly disagreeing. Was just pointing out flaws in how you reached your conclusion.

When you say '1 natural defender and 2 Midfielders' I think you're missing an elementary point here: in a Pep team it matters little what your historical positional designation is: rather what matters are your technical ability, aptitude for learning, and your experience in the system.

Thus, even though Delph and Zee are not traditional leftbacks, it will take a world class leftback (of which I see none on the horizon so far) to do as good a job as they both are currently doing.Talk less a better job.

Perhaps you are right that Zee and Delph will be moved on, but until they are. There isn't that much nbette out there

I disagree with your conclusion that there isn't better than Zinchenko or Delph out there as a fill-in fullback but I absolutely think it bears saying over and over again that Pep builds his teams in a unique way, and it isnt so much about buying players who have played in a certain position and more about buying for a specific set of attributes.

 

[Dax777]

I disagree with your conclusion that there isn't better than Zinchenko or Delph out there as a fill-in fullback but I absolutely think it bears saying over and over again that Pep builds his teams in a unique way, and it isnt so much about buying players who have played in a certain position and more about buying for a specific set of attributes.

Agreed. I'm.sure there is a hypothetical player somewhere who could do a better job. But I don't think it's as readily available as most think?

 

[Daz_Blue]

With the threat of a possible transfer ban looming, I wonder if we need to bring forward some spending to January. If it looks like we'll get a 12 month ban then I think we absolutely need to get in another CM/DM and a left back before that happens.

Sign 4 in January and let them stay on loan until Summer ...that will fuck up FIFA

 

[blueballs84]

Agreed. I'm.sure there is a hypothetical player somewhere who could do a better job. But I don't think it's as readily available as most think?

Yeah I would probably agree with that. If we want a step up from delph or Zinchenko then we will have to spend for it. My problem with Delph and Zinchenko isn't so much that they aren't capable of doing the job in a pinch, they generally have done pretty well for backups, it's more that Mendy knows neither of them are good enough to dislodge him from the team when he is fit and he is the kind of player I think that needs some competition to keep him focused.

The first player that comes to mind for me is Ben Chilwell, looks a real prospect for the future. Lucas Hernandez is one who can play both CB and LB but he would probably be difficult to get across from Atletico. Then you have maybe Ake or Bertrand but it's arguable I suppose if they would be an upgrade. I do think Bertrand would offer more than Delph at LB but again, I don't think he'd be genuine competition for Mendy, and the money we'd have to spend (unless soton go down) would mean he isn't likely to be worth it.

 

[birchwoodgingerste]

Yeah I would probably agree with that. If we want a step up from delph or Zinchenko then we will have to spend for it. My problem with Delph and Zinchenko isn't so much that they aren't capable of doing the job in a pinch, they generally have done pretty well for backups, it's more that Mendy knows neither of them are good enough to dislodge him from the team when he is fit and he is the kind of player I think that needs some competition to keep him focused.

The first player that comes to mind for me is Ben Chilwell, looks a real prospect for the future. Lucas Hernandez is one who can play both CB and LB but he would probably be difficult to get across from Atletico. Then you have maybe Ake or Bertrand but it's arguable I suppose if they would be an upgrade. I do think Bertrand would offer more than Delph at LB but again, I don't think he'd be genuine competition for Mendy, and the money we'd have to spend (unless soton go down) would mean he isn't likely to be worth it.

Chillwell would be a great signing absolute fantastic player and will only improve under pep.