The Do-Over
- Thread starter keniget
- Start date
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Do over -
sign wirtz
sign ekitike
sign leoni
sign guhei
sign kerkez - but give him a few months (like RObbo got) before he starts
sign CM to compete with the current crop.
sell diaz
sell nunez
sell morton
keep elliot (to deputize wirtz or play 4-3-2-1 if ekitike is injured)
sign an assistant manager who can teach press - as it seems we don't do it well anymore.
shift formation to 4-3-1-2
4
rb - gomez bradley
lb - robbo kerekz
cb - vvd, guhei, konate, leoni
3
macca, jones, gravy, dom, CM
1
wirtz elliot
2
salah ekitike gakpo
sign wirtz
sign ekitike
sign leoni
sign guhei
sign kerkez - but give him a few months (like RObbo got) before he starts
sign CM to compete with the current crop.
sell diaz
sell nunez
sell morton
keep elliot (to deputize wirtz or play 4-3-2-1 if ekitike is injured)
sign an assistant manager who can teach press - as it seems we don't do it well anymore.
shift formation to 4-3-1-2
4
rb - gomez bradley
lb - robbo kerekz
cb - vvd, guhei, konate, leoni
3
macca, jones, gravy, dom, CM
1
wirtz elliot
2
salah ekitike gakpo
Move heaven and earth to get an extra CB.
Another CM, one defensively strong. A solid LB, not a 21-year old. A right winger.
Ekitike. Alvarez.
Another CM, one defensively strong. A solid LB, not a 21-year old. A right winger.
Ekitike. Alvarez.
Here's my 'out there' take.
For 120m or whatever the official number @Frogfish will accept we paid for Isak, I think we can get one of the Arsenal CBs. Imagine that statement signing. Ok back to actual reality...
I think the biggest issue for a 'do over' is that most of us probably thought "these players in their own right are great" and assumed that the person assembling this group had a plan for how they all elevate the team who won the league. Turns out he doesn't.
If I were allowed a full hindsight do-over including no sales I would not sell:
- Diaz
- Elliot
- Morton
- Quansah
I probably would sell Nunez to fund Ekitike. Even though I think Nunez with confidence wins games in enough patches to warrant being a super sub.
I would start at the back and go forwards. Do we need Isak & Wirtz over CM/DMs/other full backs. Probably not if we still have Diaz & Elliot.
I also think i'd prioritise Ibu signing - having him in contract limbo all season is another car crash. Either lock him down or sell him & replace.
For 120m or whatever the official number @Frogfish will accept we paid for Isak, I think we can get one of the Arsenal CBs. Imagine that statement signing. Ok back to actual reality...
I think the biggest issue for a 'do over' is that most of us probably thought "these players in their own right are great" and assumed that the person assembling this group had a plan for how they all elevate the team who won the league. Turns out he doesn't.
If I were allowed a full hindsight do-over including no sales I would not sell:
- Diaz
- Elliot
- Morton
- Quansah
I probably would sell Nunez to fund Ekitike. Even though I think Nunez with confidence wins games in enough patches to warrant being a super sub.
I would start at the back and go forwards. Do we need Isak & Wirtz over CM/DMs/other full backs. Probably not if we still have Diaz & Elliot.
I also think i'd prioritise Ibu signing - having him in contract limbo all season is another car crash. Either lock him down or sell him & replace.
Once Ekitike signed, I was pretty opposed to bringing in Isak. I couldn’t see the point in spending that much on a player with a similar profile who’s more injury-prone. I’d have preferred a winger like Rodrygo, or even someone like Semenyo, someone with pace, directness, and work rate. I was confident about Wirtz, though, but he’s been disappointing overall. I might have fallen for the Bundesliga hype around attacking players, as I’d mostly only seen him in the Champions League. If we were starting again, I’d prioritise signing a centre-back and a proper number six to replace Endo, followed by a physical winger who can press, work hard, and score goals. Honestly, I’d probably have just paid Diaz what he’s worth instead.
I'm not writing off any of these signings, though. Our recruitment has proven on point time and time again. Given the fall off of our established players, there's no knowing whether any players coming into the side would have fared much better.
I'm not writing off any of these signings, though. Our recruitment has proven on point time and time again. Given the fall off of our established players, there's no knowing whether any players coming into the side would have fared much better.
One thing I would say to counter myself - our management team might have decided that great attackers were available this summer (and couldn't see ones we would want next summer). And are going to overhaul the defence/spine next window. If that is the case, we would have to accept some short term pain. But this needs to be communicated somewhere.
There is a chance such spending could be a massive weight on our club, but the majority of players we signed have shown they are PL level (its only really Wirtz who hasn't IMO), either for us already (Ekitike) or at other clubs (Kerkez).
The component parts are largely coming together. We just have a baldy fraudy in charge of using them
There is a chance such spending could be a massive weight on our club, but the majority of players we signed have shown they are PL level (its only really Wirtz who hasn't IMO), either for us already (Ekitike) or at other clubs (Kerkez).
The component parts are largely coming together. We just have a baldy fraudy in charge of using them
Everything here is with hindsight and assuming the team doesn't come together - from everything I'm seeing (YT/Media)/watching/reading that's a massive SCM assumption that it doesn't - then I'd go something along these lines :
Mama - unlike most it seems I have no problem at all. He's a great shot-stopper and blah blah not going to rehash everything else. An improvement on Kelleher.
Wirtz - I agree with most pundits. He is too good a player to not come good eventually. I don't have a problem with him as a 10. He is a monster presser in the Szobo mould, they have similar sprints/kms run per game.
Isak - I was in the Rodygo boat when he was touted, over Isak, however we hadn't lost poor Diogo at that stage (or signed Ekitike). That said we needed two strikers. Most people are wantonly disregarding that, regardless of whether we signed a winger or not. I'm not 100% sold on Isak but he is a class striker and he'll do well here. The price was a shocker but that's on the market and the club. If they think he was the best option out there then so be it.
CBs - I've consistently stated over months/years that we need 5xCBs. This forum has just as often looked at pretty much every CB from Spain to the Scilly Islands and come up with no-one we could agree on, everyone was a gamble. The most consensus I've seen was on Guehi. I don't think we could have got him, no matter how early we went in, unless we put in an unrefusable offer. If we had have got him then that gave us the 5xCBs I think we need. I hope we can get him in January. Hence I would have kept Quansah (good business though) until Guehi was bagged.
LB options. It was Kerkez or Robinson and Robinson is sadly too old. He would have been my first choice (height and defensive stability).
RB. I was surprised we went for Frimpong so whilst I'm happy with Bradley, I think we could have done better than Frimpong. Is he also an option to replace Salah during December's AFCON though? I'd love to know the thinking behind that transfer.
I would have wanted to replace Endo as I don't rate him any more. Wharton perhaps.
Diaz - As stated many times I thought he was grossly underrated on here. However even I can agree the offer was too much to refuse for a 28 yr old.
Rodrygo is two footed and can play anywhere across the front line. A ready made replacement for both Diaz and Salah as required.
We didn't need Morton & Elliott. Good business to sell them.
What does that look like in £ terms? Too bloody much for one transfer window by far!
Mama - unlike most it seems I have no problem at all. He's a great shot-stopper and blah blah not going to rehash everything else. An improvement on Kelleher.
Wirtz - I agree with most pundits. He is too good a player to not come good eventually. I don't have a problem with him as a 10. He is a monster presser in the Szobo mould, they have similar sprints/kms run per game.
Isak - I was in the Rodygo boat when he was touted, over Isak, however we hadn't lost poor Diogo at that stage (or signed Ekitike). That said we needed two strikers. Most people are wantonly disregarding that, regardless of whether we signed a winger or not. I'm not 100% sold on Isak but he is a class striker and he'll do well here. The price was a shocker but that's on the market and the club. If they think he was the best option out there then so be it.
CBs - I've consistently stated over months/years that we need 5xCBs. This forum has just as often looked at pretty much every CB from Spain to the Scilly Islands and come up with no-one we could agree on, everyone was a gamble. The most consensus I've seen was on Guehi. I don't think we could have got him, no matter how early we went in, unless we put in an unrefusable offer. If we had have got him then that gave us the 5xCBs I think we need. I hope we can get him in January. Hence I would have kept Quansah (good business though) until Guehi was bagged.
LB options. It was Kerkez or Robinson and Robinson is sadly too old. He would have been my first choice (height and defensive stability).
RB. I was surprised we went for Frimpong so whilst I'm happy with Bradley, I think we could have done better than Frimpong. Is he also an option to replace Salah during December's AFCON though? I'd love to know the thinking behind that transfer.
I would have wanted to replace Endo as I don't rate him any more. Wharton perhaps.
Diaz - As stated many times I thought he was grossly underrated on here. However even I can agree the offer was too much to refuse for a 28 yr old.
Rodrygo is two footed and can play anywhere across the front line. A ready made replacement for both Diaz and Salah as required.
We didn't need Morton & Elliott. Good business to sell them.
What does that look like in £ terms? Too bloody much for one transfer window by far!
Too early to judge any of them but I’d definitely sign the Palace CB.
Would have gotten Guehi over the line early in the window. Rodrygo, if he was actually available, over Isak.
Kerkez looked perfect for what we needed, I can't fault that purchase even though it hasn't worked out so far.
We got too much money for Diaz and Bayern gave him too much money for us to match. We miss him though.
Our outbounds were all fine. Let's not kid ourselves and think Harvey or Morton would have actually played much for us.
Kerkez looked perfect for what we needed, I can't fault that purchase even though it hasn't worked out so far.
We got too much money for Diaz and Bayern gave him too much money for us to match. We miss him though.
Our outbounds were all fine. Let's not kid ourselves and think Harvey or Morton would have actually played much for us.
Only one I did not want was Kerkez, whom I labelled the Hungarian Riise.
I thought Wirtz would settle quicker, but I also think it is a bit due to Slot.
I thought Frimpong could also defend ok'ish. If I knew, I would have gotten someone more solid, not a wingback/winger.
I also wanted a CB, like everyone.
I thought Wirtz would settle quicker, but I also think it is a bit due to Slot.
I thought Frimpong could also defend ok'ish. If I knew, I would have gotten someone more solid, not a wingback/winger.
I also wanted a CB, like everyone.
I wanted a CM above all else, preferred Endo sold ASAP with a specalist DCM in who can contribute rather sit on bench and bigger concern was Gravy’s drop off 2nd half of last season. Even if that meant Guehi could play there a bit.
Was ok with Diaz going as well as long as we got a young and strong winger ar LW or RW.
Thought Kerkez would have been good at something so had no worries.
Didn’t want Isak, saw no value in his style for us in current system once Hugo was onboard.
Was ok with Diaz going as well as long as we got a young and strong winger ar LW or RW.
Thought Kerkez would have been good at something so had no worries.
Didn’t want Isak, saw no value in his style for us in current system once Hugo was onboard.
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