Got to admit it's not a signing that would get me excited, but there is definitely some recency bias like you say.I suspect some of our supporters are falling prey to recency bias. We have had some notable players come in from smaller PL sides that haven't worked out, so people are convincing themselves MGW is more of the same. Only time will tell...
Personally, I don't know what the ceiling is for MGW. I am worried about us getting back to winning the PL and trying to win the Champions League again. I don't know if a midfield of Rodri, MGW, and Reijnders gets us there.
Got to admit it's not a signing that would get me excited, but there is definitely some recency bias like you say.
Hopefully he'd turn out to be more a Barry, Milner and Walker type signing rather than a Nunes and Philips etc type.
We don't need players who have had some useful games.Same. Although inconsistent but Grealish still had his useful games. Even this season. Not excatly what reflected his overall price tag but still very useful.
I don't think MGW and Reijnders are the only midfielders we're looking at. I think we're looking at three, to be honest.I suspect some of our supporters are falling prey to recency bias. We have had some notable players come in from smaller PL sides that haven't worked out, so people are convincing themselves MGW is more of the same. Only time will tell...
Personally, I don't know what the ceiling is for MGW. I am worried about us getting back to winning the PL and trying to win the Champions League again. I don't know if a midfield of Rodri, MGW, and Reijnders gets us there.
Bernado was a flashy player his first few uears here, its the last 2 years that he's been less flash and more gritt.Is he the flashy superstar from abroad? No, but
1. He's a quality player. Perfect Bernardo replacement. Technically very good, superb passer and grafts.
2. He's better than what we currently have. Plus you cant point to deficiencies in his game like you could with Phillips, Nunes and even Nico G
3. Phils best mate, if anyone can help pull him out of his funk and back to his POTY best, it's MGW. So that'd be a nice little bonus.
Funny how you thought Rico Lewis was better than him not long ago but suddenly you think he fits in perfectly.A backwards step? Fits in perfectly with the way we play.
On the de bruyne replacement element, we won't be able to sign someone who was as good as de bruyne 5 years ago but we need to get someone who had the potential to get relatively close pretty soon.I don't think MGW and Reijnders are the only midfielders we're looking at. I think we're looking at three, to be honest.
Another thing worth considering is that we're judging De Bruyne's replacement against the KDB of 2018 or 2023 instead of the current version, or the one we signed in 2015. Is MGW an upgrade on KDB from five years ago or two years ago? Of course not. But would he be an upgrade on the KDB we've seen this season? Good god, absolutely.
And when we signed De Bruyne he'd come very highly rated from Germany, but it took him a long time to nail down a slot in our team in a regular position. Pellegrini played him wide left, wide right, etc. It was Pep who came in and said we could have one holding midfielder and two 10s in front, with KDB next to Silva.
I think the problem for players like Savinho and Doku is that we've maybe signed too many players recently who are still going through development, just at the point when the older lads who should be overcompensating for them are beginning to head over the hill. Very few makeweights in the middle to just be... connective tissue.
We signed Doku and Savinho both at age 20. At the same age, Mahrez was playing for Le Havre's second team, Rodri had played three games for Villarreal, Ruben Dias was playing for Benfica's B-team, Sterling had only just broken through at Liverpool and still had a way to go, Leroy was just about emerging at Schalke. Gundogan was playing for Nurnberg and KDB was still at Genk!
MGW seems like one of those makeweight players we've been missing. He's about as good as he's going to be - which is pretty high quality - and he doesn't need to develop much more. He can just slot in and help the younger lads while the rest of the team ticks around him. That's what we've really, really been missing this year.
Long-term, I actually think MGW will be Bernardo's replacement rather than KDB's. Bernardo's level of effort is still there but his tenacity and intensity has vanished, but MGW still has it. I think what Pep wants is someone who can win the ball back high and scrap for everything else. That's what's gone from Bernardo's game this year.
MGW's current goal-to-game ratio isn't great (one goal every 7.4 games), but Bernardo has never been that much of a goal-scorer for us either (a goal every 5.6 games) and MGW has been playing for teams down the bottom of the league - until this year, which has seen his goal-to-game ratio pick up nicely (one goal every 5.2 games).
I think when the dust settles in about 18 months our midfield will look quite different. I don't think MGW is being signed as a creative long-term replacement for KDB, I think he's being brought in as a workhorse to let the wingers and forwards shine. He's more likely to be in a double-pivot than banging in the goals imo.
We can do better than MGW and for cheaper.
MGW doesn't strike me to be a difference maker either. We need players who can actually provide that extra spark.We don't need players who have had some useful games.
We need players who have useful games 9 times out of 10.
That is the problem with the team now.
We have gone from a team of strong mentality to team of weak mentality in many cases.
I watch the same sport as you. But I don't find MGW that type of player who can really help the current side.If you believe that you need to watch another sport.
Work ethic for one.
He’d tie it all together nicely for us in attack I think, he’s the one who makes everything tick for Forrest, he’s no KDB, but who is?I watch the same sport as you. But I don't find MGW that type of player who can really help the current side.
We can do a lot better for a lot cheaper. Not suggesting Hugo Larsson is at KDB level either but he does have some of KDB's attributes and would be a little cheaper in valuation.He’d tie it all together nicely for us in attack I think, he’s the one who makes everything tick for Forrest, he’s no KDB, but who is?
He’s the closest thing we can get.
He’s more of a box to box player, KDB and MGW are both classic 10’sWe can do a lot better for a lot cheaper. Not suggesting Hugo Larsson is at KDB level either but he does have some of KDB's attributes and would be a little cheaper in valuation.
Plus you can abbreviate both of their names into 3 letters, need I go onHe’s more of a box to box player, KDB and MGW are both classic 10’s
Not sure you got the joke here fella. Read it again.Funny how you thought Rico Lewis was better than him not long ago but suddenly you think he fits in perfectly.
I am still not convinced with the extra bit of quality. Forest will fleece us.He’s more of a box to box player, KDB and MGW are both classic 10’s
LolThere isn't a weird assumption at all.
If you want to be a serious club that is desperate to get back to winning titles, you go all out for the best you can get.
If you accept second or third best, you dont win the big prizes.
If that's what we have accepted now... let's just enjoy a top 4 battle every season ey. So much for ambition, eh.
He's not even better than Grealish for me. And Grealish is looking washed. For the money we are been quoted at spunking on him, I'd rather give Jack a run or Oscar Bobb. Now Wirtz is off the table, I don't see any point wasting money on a #10. There isn't a world class one out there for us.He's better than our washed up players.
Is he as good as them when they weren't washed? No. That's my problem with it.
I said earlier in the thread, it's not about replacing the current version of Gundo etc? That's easy to do. It's about finding players who can be as good as they used to be, if we have ambitions to be the best side again.
Lol fuck meHe's not even better than Grealish for me. And Grealish is looking washed. For the money we are been quoted at spunking on him, I'd rather give Jack a run or Oscar Bobb. Now Wirtz is off the table, I don't see any point wasting money on a #10. There isn't a world class one out there for us.
And if we are putting MGW in the #8 lol. We are better off just integrating Nico into the first team. Honestly MGW has no composure, and no quality. Please keep him away from us god