⚽ Football (Soccer)

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[blueharvest]

Liverpool To Honor Diogo Jota’s Contract by Paying Off Family in Full After Tragic Death - The Playoffs

On Saturday morning, Gondomar hosted the funeral for Jota and Andre, with Liverpool sending a delegation to pay their respects.

theplayoffs.news

 

[Hunter Rider]

Dreadful transfer window so far from United, I knew Ratcliffe was a rotten old con man, and Ineos are useless, I'm tired of them playing pauper because they never had the financial muscle to own a club like Manchester United so should have stayed away. We've spent over a month haggling for Mbeumo, he's decent but nothing special, it's pathetic how much time it's taken, and then you look at the crap we're being linked with for Striker, a bunch of has-beens and crocks who are ready for the knackers yard.

Amorim needed 6 players this window, at this rate he'll be lucky to get 2, and he'll still be stuck with the same crap strikers, trash midfield and clown of a goalkeeper, I'd walk if I was him.

 

[B]

Dreadful transfer window so far from United, I knew Ratcliffe was a rotten old con man, and Ineos are useless, I'm tired of them playing pauper because they never had the financial muscle to own a club like Manchester United so should have stayed away. We've spent over a month haggling for Mbeumo, he's decent but nothing special, it's pathetic how much time it's taken, and then you look at the crap we're being linked with for Striker, a bunch of has-beens and crocks who are ready for the knackers yard.

Amorim needed 6 players this window, at this rate he'll be lucky to get 2, and he'll still be stuck with the same crap strikers, trash midfield and clown of a goalkeeper, I'd walk if I was him.

They've played a dangerous game haggling for Mbeumo that could well have backfired given Brentford will be looking around the league at what other teams have got for some of their talented players & think that the reported £65m is quite a fair deal considering I'm certain I saw a few graphics on Sky Sports last month that painted a strong picture that Mbeumo was one of the top 3 overall forwards in the league last season.

I had a read a bit of a rumour that Manchester United have intentionally sort of cooled off the talks even though they fully plan to meet the asking price simply to try & save some money on the wages while they try to encourage Rashford/Sancho/Antony to find new homes which I actually thought sounded plausible & like Ratcliffe/INEOS given some of our other cost cutting efforts this season.

I don't mind the club taking a more hard nosed stance on transfer negotiations & not getting held to ransom, however it doesn't seem like they've immediately focused on another target, instead it seems like we're kind of lingering perhaps waiting to see if we can sell some players first.

 

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[blueharvest]

 

[Hunter Rider]

They've played a dangerous game haggling for Mbeumo that could well have backfired given Brentford will be looking around the league at what other teams have got for some of their talented players & think that the reported £65m is quite a fair deal considering I'm certain I saw a few graphics on Sky Sports last month that painted a strong picture that Mbeumo was one of the top 3 overall forwards in the league last season.

We've offered them the same as we paid for Cunha, and Chelsea just got Joao Pedro for £55M +5M in add-ons, so I don't know what Brentford want, I also don't know why we're so stuck on a guy who'll **** off to AFCON, this isn't a Wirtz or Isak level talent, we should have moved on by now.

I had a read a bit of a rumour that Manchester United have intentionally sort of cooled off the talks even though they fully plan to meet the asking price simply to try & save some money on the wages while they try to encourage Rashford/Sancho/Antony to find new homes which I actually thought sounded plausible & like Ratcliffe/INEOS given some of our other cost cutting efforts this season.

I don't mind the club taking a more hard nosed stance on transfer negotiations & not getting held to ransom, however it doesn't seem like they've immediately focused on another target, instead it seems like we're kind of lingering perhaps waiting to see if we can sell some players first.

I'll be honest mate, I said from the start that Ratcliffe and Ineos were bad for us, the bottom line was we needed the Glazers out and the type of billionaire owners that could wipe the debt they've caused. Ratcliffe is just an old, sleazy chancer who wants his name as a co-owner of Manchester United before he pops his clogs, he never had the type of wealth that would help us, and all they've done is sign loads of kids, some mediocre senior players, and cut the jobs of the ordinary, everyday working class people that worked for the club, I feel physically sick everytime I think about what's happening at my club.

Now I see us linked to ****ing Emi Martinez and Jackson from Chelsea. We needed a stable, calm pair of hands to replace Onana, not another erratic hothead with a falsely inflated rep based off his ****housery and penalty saves in the World Cup, years ago, and Jackson is bang average, all pace, no brains and mediocre finishing, all we'd be doing is subsidising Chelsea's window. Just play Cunha and Mbeumo as split strikers with Bruno behind them, and go and buy a proper midfielder.

 

[Zantera]

Cunha and Mbeumo are 2 good transfers but I agree we're moving at a snail's pace and there's so many holes in this team that needs to be filled.

Most recent rumor is that we're sniffing around Senne Lammens (goalkeeper) for 15-20m and I can't speak about his quality as I have not seen him in action but if we're going into this season with Onana (backed up by Bayindir) I have zero hope in us finishing top half. Anyone who can save a shot is a big upgrade.

Even with an addition of Cunha and Mbeumo we'll still have to rely on Hojlund and Zirkzee and I mean I hope either of them find some confidence and goals because we'll need it. I'm not super convinced by our midfield either honestly. We have good players individually but I've yet to be impressed by how they perform together out on the pitch. Doesn't seem to matter who we play or in what combo, Mainoo, Bruno, Ugarte, Casemiro or someone else, just feels like other teams run through us.

 

[Hunter Rider]

 

[Hunter Rider]

Cunha and Mbeumo are 2 good transfers but I agree we're moving at a snail's pace and there's so many holes in this team that needs to be filled.

Most recent rumor is that we're sniffing around Senne Lammens (goalkeeper) for 15-20m and I can't speak about his quality as I have not seen him in action but if we're going into this season with Onana (backed up by Bayindir) I have zero hope in us finishing top half. Anyone who can save a shot is a big upgrade.

Even with an addition of Cunha and Mbeumo we'll still have to rely on Hojlund and Zirkzee and I mean I hope either of them find some confidence and goals because we'll need it. I'm not super convinced by our midfield either honestly. We have good players individually but I've yet to be impressed by how they perform together out on the pitch. Doesn't seem to matter who we play or in what combo, Mainoo, Bruno, Ugarte, Casemiro or someone else, just feels like other teams run through us.

Yeah, we needed to be quick and efficient this window, we've bought two inside forwards which should help address the goals issue to a degree, but I'd have preferred more guile in one of the roles, it's also irritating that Mbeumo will be gone for a month in January.

I saw that about Lammens, he looks solid, not much experience but im guessing that the plan would be to bring him in as #2, with the opportunity to replace Onana across the season.

I don't think we plan on relying on Hojlund or Zirkzee, all the top journos are saying we're in for a striker next, Sesko, Jackson and Watkins are all linked, I'm not convinced any of them are the right choice, but I'm 100% certain Jackson is the wrong choice, he's got some decent attributes, but he's utterly brainless. All our midfielders have the same issue, slow, and lacking athleticism. Casemiro is finished, the greedy bastard is just bleeding a final year out of us and the stupid contract we gave him, and Bruno isn't even a midfielder, keeping him and playing him there are Amorim's biggest mistakes. Hopefully Kobbie can improve after a tough 2nd season, but I'm not convinced he's a CM, and Ugarte is just so limited.

 

[B]

I like both the Cunha & Mbeumo signings, both should give us a lot more versatility, energy & hopefully more goals this season which was something urgently needing addressed from last season.

I would be very surprised if we make anymore signings without sales. I wouldn't be unhappy if we didn't sign a striker, I'd be content starting the season with Garnacho/Cunha, Mbeumo/Hojlund, Fernandes/Zirkzee as our forward options. I think there should be enough of an improvement with Cunha/Mbeumo that we'll be able to score more than the feeble 44 goals we managed last year in the PL.

It's the CM area we're looking really thin, Ugarte/Mainoo/Casemiro are our only recognised options & all 3 have had injury/fitness problems in the past few seasons. Collyer, I'd probably send out on loan if possible to a Championship side to hopefully get some legit first team games. I'd try to break Kone into the first team this season, looks clever, athletic, well built for his age & potentially another diamond.
Even with that I'd still like someone else brought in as it seems like a major weakness & such an important position.

Goalkeeper is also another one, I realise reliable goalkeepers don't grow on trees but if we could find a semi-reliable one it's worth about 9-12 points a season. No interest in Martinez from Villa, he's a banana head. Look at the state of what he did in the final game of the season, against us of all teams, then try to tell me he's going to provide stability in goal for us.
I think he's marginally more reliable than Onana but he's equally as prone to making crazy decisions.

 

[Zantera]

Jackson is one I'm mixed on. I feel like every time I watch Chelsea I'm impressed by him and I don't get the criticism - he seems to get to chances a lot (something I can't say for Hojlund) but then their fans seem very disappointed with him and I obviously don't watch Chelsea week in week out. So seems like a bit of a hot/cold player which isn't really what we need either. I'd be OK taking a punt on him for a season if something like a loan is possible and we can invest in other areas (and go harder on a striker next summer) but if we're looking to splash cash on him then I'm hesitant. A name like Watkins doesn't get me excited. Sesko does but if a club like Arsenal thought he was too much money (cost and wages) then is he even realistic for us?

I think a Goalkeeper is honestly the most important but I also feel as long as Onana is here the club won't push for a "good enough to be starting keeper for a CL aspiring club" - level. They'll take a punt at someone in the B-tier who 'could' be great but I don't see us buying a 30-40-50 million keeper as long as Onana is here. And IF Onana is our starting keeper this season I have very little faith in us finishing top half. You need a goalkeeper who can bail you out and we don't have that sadly.

In midfield I think my dream signing would be someone like Wharton but I recognize that's not realistic. Palace just won the FA Cup and are in no need of selling at all. We are also in a dire position financially and have spent all the money available until we free up some money, and our rumored outgoings aren't for a lot of money either so I don't think we'd have funds. I also assume Bruno will be used in the CM role mostly (Cunha/Mbeumo in the 10s) and considering Bruno is never injured that means we'll have Mainoo/Ugarte/Casemiro for the other spot. Someone like Collyer possible getting some games too. There's also been rumors about Koné impressing Amorim in training and he might get some games as well. Casemiro's contract expires next summer and I expect us to go harder in CM reinforcements then.

 

[Hunter Rider]

I like both the Cunha & Mbeumo signings, both should give us a lot more versatility, energy & hopefully more goals this season which was something urgently needing addressed from last season.

I would be very surprised if we make anymore signings without sales. I wouldn't be unhappy if we didn't sign a striker, I'd be content starting the season with Garnacho/Cunha, Mbeumo/Hojlund, Fernandes/Zirkzee as our forward options. I think there should be enough of an improvement with Cunha/Mbeumo that we'll be able to score more than the feeble 44 goals we managed last year in the PL.

It's the CM area we're looking really thin, Ugarte/Mainoo/Casemiro are our only recognised options & all 3 have had injury/fitness problems in the past few seasons. Collyer, I'd probably send out on loan if possible to a Championship side to hopefully get some legit first team games. I'd try to break Kone into the first team this season, looks clever, athletic, well built for his age & potentially another diamond.
Even with that I'd still like someone else brought in as it seems like a major weakness & such an important position.

Goalkeeper is also another one, I realise reliable goalkeepers don't grow on trees but if we could find a semi-reliable one it's worth about 9-12 points a season. No interest in Martinez from Villa, he's a banana head. Look at the state of what he did in the final game of the season, against us of all teams, then try to tell me he's going to provide stability in goal for us.
I think he's marginally more reliable than Onana but he's equally as prone to making crazy decisions.

I agree with you on the goalkeeper, ideally I want Onana sold, but at least with the potential Lammens signing we would have someone who can compete with him for a reasonable price, and who has his best years in front of him, where as Emi Martinez is already past his best and is constantly a brainfart away from disaster, like Onana.

With the striker I think we'll get one, I know you've listed Bruno in the forward line but he'll be playing CM, it's a stupid move, but I guarantee that's what Amorim is going to do, Bruno isn't mobile enough and can't run with the ball, which is what Amorim wants from his inside forwards, so instead of selling him and getting 2 new CM's, he's going to shoehorn him into midfield, and I think between keeping Bruno and Onana remaining in goal, Amorim won't survive the season.

With striker I think a loan is the medium ground, Muani isn't great but PSG are open to loaning him out and as sad as it is to say, he's about our best bet this summer. Leipzig want too much for Sesko and while Watkins on a 3 year deal for £30M and 150k a week would be decent, Villa will want twice that, and he'll want a 5 year deal and 250k a week, which should automatically make him a no go.

Jackson is one I'm mixed on. I feel like every time I watch Chelsea I'm impressed by him and I don't get the criticism - he seems to get to chances a lot (something I can't say for Hojlund) but then their fans seem very disappointed with him and I obviously don't watch Chelsea week in week out. So seems like a bit of a hot/cold player which isn't really what we need either. I'd be OK taking a punt on him for a season if something like a loan is possible and we can invest in other areas (and go harder on a striker next summer) but if we're looking to splash cash on him then I'm hesitant. A name like Watkins doesn't get me excited. Sesko does but if a club like Arsenal thought he was too much money (cost and wages) then is he even realistic for us?

I think a Goalkeeper is honestly the most important but I also feel as long as Onana is here the club won't push for a "good enough to be starting keeper for a CL aspiring club" - level. They'll take a punt at someone in the B-tier who 'could' be great but I don't see us buying a 30-40-50 million keeper as long as Onana is here. And IF Onana is our starting keeper this season I have very little faith in us finishing top half. You need a goalkeeper who can bail you out and we don't have that sadly.

In midfield I think my dream signing would be someone like Wharton but I recognize that's not realistic. Palace just won the FA Cup and are in no need of selling at all. We are also in a dire position financially and have spent all the money available until we free up some money, and our rumored outgoings aren't for a lot of money either so I don't think we'd have funds. I also assume Bruno will be used in the CM role mostly (Cunha/Mbeumo in the 10s) and considering Bruno is never injured that means we'll have Mainoo/Ugarte/Casemiro for the other spot. Someone like Collyer possible getting some games too. There's also been rumors about Koné impressing Amorim in training and he might get some games as well. Casemiro's contract expires next summer and I expect us to go harder in CM reinforcements then.

Jackson is fast, has decent technique and agility, but he's dense, just a low IQ footballer, like Rashford and Garnacho, incredibly frustrating to watch as while they get into good positions, the lack of good decision making and composure will have fans tearing their hair out.

100% agreed on Onana, he's the anti Schmeichel, he'll cost us 12 points a season with his constant, costly errors.

Wharton is my ideal midfield signing as well, but him playing with Bruno won't work, in truth nobody with Bruno will work, but at the very least you need an athletic, fast ground coverer to attempt to cover his poor positional discipline.

 

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[Zantera]

Wharton is my ideal midfield signing as well, but him playing with Bruno won't work, in truth nobody with Bruno will work, but at the very least you need an athletic, fast ground coverer to attempt to cover his poor positional discipline.

This is why part of me wonders if maybe selling Bruno this summer when we got that big offer would have been the better outcome? Risky of course, with our track record we replace him with someone who just flops. Bruno has been great for us and I don't want to diminish all his contributions in terms of goals/assists/chances created. Still I feel like he's almost a luxury player we can't afford with our setup.

If we were still playing a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 we could have Bruno with 2 complimentary CMs doing the dirty work but I don't think he's really suited for the #10s that Amorim uses (as pace isn't his biggest attribute and they're expected to do work on the wings too) and whenever we use Bruno as a CM it never feels like our midfield works, regardless of who he is paired with. I have a lot of appreciation for Bruno on an individual level but I feel like we'll never dominate games like we used to with a flat 4 midfield of Bruno and another CM. It's weird.

And over the course of the season I do expect Bruno to probably play in the #10 role at times, maybe false #9 in some games (like we saw last season) as he is a flexible player who can do a job. And I also think Cunha and Mbeumo could see action as #9 depending on who we play and how we line up. Others like Mount and Amad could also play in those #10 positions and having options is good. But I really miss having a midfield capable of dominating games. I feel like I haven't seen us dominate even against the likes of Brentford or Palace in years. I miss those days when we could play teams, have 70% of the possession or something just comfortably be in control. Even games we've won 3-0 in recent years it's like the revolving doors of the wild west, chances coming at us every 3 minutes.

 

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[Hunter Rider]

 

[Hunter Rider]

This is why part of me wonders if maybe selling Bruno this summer when we got that big offer would have been the better outcome? Risky of course, with our track record we replace him with someone who just flops. Bruno has been great for us and I don't want to diminish all his contributions in terms of goals/assists/chances created. Still I feel like he's almost a luxury player we can't afford with our setup.

If we were still playing a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 we could have Bruno with 2 complimentary CMs doing the dirty work but I don't think he's really suited for the #10s that Amorim uses (as pace isn't his biggest attribute and they're expected to do work on the wings too) and whenever we use Bruno as a CM it never feels like our midfield works, regardless of who he is paired with. I have a lot of appreciation for Bruno on an individual level but I feel like we'll never dominate games like we used to with a flat 4 midfield of Bruno and another CM. It's weird.

And over the course of the season I do expect Bruno to probably play in the #10 role at times, maybe false #9 in some games (like we saw last season) as he is a flexible player who can do a job. And I also think Cunha and Mbeumo could see action as #9 depending on who we play and how we line up. Others like Mount and Amad could also play in those #10 positions and having options is good. But I really miss having a midfield capable of dominating games. I feel like I haven't seen us dominate even against the likes of Brentford or Palace in years. I miss those days when we could play teams, have 70% of the possession or something just comfortably be in control. Even games we've won 3-0 in recent years it's like the revolving doors of the wild west, chances coming at us every 3 minutes.

I said from the start we should have sold Bruno. He's way too careless and erratic for my taste, I think the bar for talent has gotten so low at United that it's distorted how he's perceived, but regardless you only use Bruno as a #10, as you say he doesn't have the tools for a midfield or inside forward role, and £120M for a 30 year old was a gold mine given the clubs current financial woes.

If we were playing the standard 4-2-3-1 where he was at his best under Ole I could see keeping him, even though I'd personally look for a more skillful and composed upgrade, but Amorim isn't going to switch from his 3-4-3 so keeping Bruno was frankly stupid, there is no CM out there that can compensate for his weaknesses, even Rodri would struggle, it reminds me of when LVG tried to shoehorn Rooney into a midfield role.

I'd have sold him and gotten Wharton and Larsson in, and totally revamped our midfield. Now we're stumbling around looking at cheap junk like Ndidi and Douglas Luiz. Today there's been a story out of Spain that we're in for Javi Guerra, he's turned down a new contract at Valencia and he'd cost £22M. I've seen a bit of him, not enough for a truly fair judgment, but he has enough potential to be worth a punt at that price, as he's young enough to sell on easily if he doesn't work out, as he won't be on silly wages.

 

[B]

I said from the start we should have sold Bruno. He's way too careless and erratic for my taste, I think the bar for talent has gotten so low at United that it's distorted how he's perceived, but regardless you only use Bruno as a #10, as you say he doesn't have the tools for a midfield or inside forward role, and £120M for a 30 year old was a gold mine given the clubs current financial woes.

If we were playing the standard 4-2-3-1 where he was at his best under Ole I could see keeping him, even though I'd personally look for a more skillful and composed upgrade, but Amorim isn't going to switch from his 3-4-3 so keeping Bruno was frankly stupid, there is no CM out there that can compensate for his weaknesses, even Rodri would struggle, it reminds me of when LVG tried to shoehorn Rooney into a midfield role.

I'd have sold him and gotten Wharton and Larsson in, and totally revamped our midfield. Now we're stumbling around looking at cheap junk like Ndidi and Douglas Luiz. Today there's been a story out of Spain that we're in for Javi Guerra, he's turned down a new contract at Valencia and he'd cost £22M. I've seen a bit of him, not enough for a truly fair judgment, but he has enough potential to be worth a punt at that price, as he's young enough to sell on easily if he doesn't work out, as he won't be on silly wages.

Bruno's only future in Amorim's system is if he's playing as part of that forward trio IMO, which is pretty much the only portion of the 3-4-3 that can have it's positional dynamic & personnel altered depending on what exactly he wants from the trio in any particular game. There are countless combinations & possibilities some of which Bruno definitely would have the profile to play.
Whether it would work in conjunction with the rest of the team as well as Cunha/Mbeumo is another question however.

Truth be told I'm actually most intrigued in seeing Cunha/Mbeumo operate as inside forwards with Fernandes or Zirkzee operating as a deep lying forward/false 9 & if that could work. I'd watched some tactical videos in the past, probably while trying to come up with a football manager tactic to try out & I did like the sort of potential confusion that sort of a role creates for centre backs.

I knew I recognised that name, we were connected with him last season also;



Don't know anything about him, with La Liga being on different channels I hardly get to see anywhere near as much of it as I used to. That sort of tactical look at him is a year old, however again, he does sound promising & worth a punt if we could afford it.
Heck if they were looking £25m for him, I'd make an agreement to sort of cook the books & see if they'd take Antony for £25m, which last I read is the fee we need for him to offset a financial lose. Would get rid of an excess forward while at the same time gaining at bare minimum some CM depth.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Bruno's only future in Amorim's system is if he's playing as part of that forward trio IMO, which is pretty much the only portion of the 3-4-3 that can have it's positional dynamic & personnel altered depending on what exactly he wants from the trio in any particular game. There are countless combinations & possibilities some of which Bruno definitely would have the profile to play.
Whether it would work in conjunction with the rest of the team as well as Cunha/Mbeumo is another question however.

Truth be told I'm actually most intrigued in seeing Cunha/Mbeumo operate as inside forwards with Fernandes or Zirkzee operating as a deep lying forward/false 9 & if that could work. I'd watched some tactical videos in the past, probably while trying to come up with a football manager tactic to try out & I did like the sort of potential confusion that sort of a role creates for centre backs.

The thing is you can see that, I can see that, but every indicator is that Amorim can't, he's planning to play Bruno as part of the midfield 2, with Cunha and Mbeumo in behind a striker, as he doesn't like false 9's who drop in, he wants the inside forwards to drop and drive with the ball, with a focal point #9 ahead of term, and one thing we've seen with Amorim, perhaps the most concerning thing, is he's inflexible when it comes to how he sets his team up.

The only thing that might force his hand is that we don't appear to be able to afford a striker, the only one still being linked is Watkins because he's £20M cheaper than the others, and Villa are interested in Garnacho, even though they're still saying Watkins isn't for sale. Honestly I think Watkins would be the wrong signing for multiple reasons, but he seems to be the only half possible option left.

I knew I recognised that name, we were connected with him last season also;



Don't know anything about him, with La Liga being on different channels I hardly get to see anywhere near as much of it as I used to. That sort of tactical look at him is a year old, however again, he does sound promising & worth a punt if we could afford it.
Heck if they were looking £25m for him, I'd make an agreement to sort of cook the books & see if they'd take Antony for £25m, which last I read is the fee we need for him to offset a financial lose. Would get rid of an excess forward while at the same time gaining at bare minimum some CM depth.

Yeah, he's one we've been linked to before, from what I've read he'd not be paired with Bruno, he'd be a rotation option with him as he's seen as more of a #8, which means we'd still be using Ugarte or that selfish prick Casemiro with Bruno. Speaking of Antony, apparently Saudi are interested in him and he's open to the move.

 

[Zantera]

Maybe it's a hot take but I feel like maybe we shouldn't sign a striker this summer if there's no good options. I think Sesko could be great but too expensive for us. Chelsea would rinse us with Jackson and that's the kind of signing that would only be good if we got a good price or a loan (and even then doubtful). Not a big fan of the Watkins links at all. The reported figures are too high for someone about to turn 30. I think we have other problem areas that might be more important to fix this summer (with more options to sign) and we can focus more on the striker position next year.

I think Zirkzee could work. Like I can imagine him as the 'dropping down' #9 opening up space for Cunha and Mbeumo to run into the channels and in my mind at least that could work. I would say I'm more out than in on Rasmus Hojlund but if we're being honest he's had 1 good season and 1 bad season for us. Best case he finds some confidence and form next season that is closer to his first for us but regardless I think him getting 1 more season to gage if we sell or keep is fine. If he improves he might have a future but if it's more of last season then we move on.

But yeah I also think because we have Bruno, Mount and Amad who could play further up the pitch, there's still a chance we could see Cunha/Mbeumo/Bruno employed in the #9 role depending on opposition. Like I would not be surprised if we played a big team (Liverpool or City) to see Bruno as a false #9.

 

[B]

The thing is you can see that, I can see that, but every indicator is that Amorim can't, he's planning to play Bruno as part of the midfield 2, with Cunha and Mbeumo in behind a striker, as he doesn't like false 9's who drop in, he wants the inside forwards to drop and drive with the ball, with a focal point #9 ahead of term, and one thing we've seen with Amorim, perhaps the most concerning thing, is he's inflexible when it comes to how he sets his team up.

The only thing that might force his hand is that we don't appear to be able to afford a striker, the only one still being linked is Watkins because he's £20M cheaper than the others, and Villa are interested in Garnacho, even though they're still saying Watkins isn't for sale. Honestly I think Watkins would be the wrong signing for multiple reasons, but he seems to be the only half possible option left.

I don't mind him being firmly fixed on playing 3 at the back with 2 wingbacks, however his midfield & forward line preferences should... or should I say will, need to be more flexible. Which I do think he is sort of willing to do as there was a few times he had alternative selection options & instead he did try a few different role combinations with the rest of the formation outside of the back 3 & 2 wingbacks.
Not obviously counting the desperado formation/player tweaks which aren't sustainable.

I'd seen that stuff about Watkins, he's another sort of Cunha/Mbeumo like target in that he is PL proven. I do like him as a player but £60m seems a bit on the high side for a player who's going to be 30 before the end of the season. In this era were most players look after themselves better, you could get another 5 or 6 years out of him, but we've not had a good track record of signing players touching 30 or older these last 10+ years. If I was in the recruitment meetings I'd be trying to steer away from him & towards someone in that 24-27 sort of age bracket unless you can get him for cheaper than £60m.

It seems even even worse when you think I believe we're looking £60m for Garnacho who's only 21 & he himself is PL proven. He's less consistent than Watkins, but he's got a hell of a bigger upside & growth potential.

Yeah, he's one we've been linked to before, from what I've read he'd not be paired with Bruno, he'd be a rotation option with him as he's seen as more of a #8, which means we'd still be using Ugarte or that selfish prick Casemiro with Bruno. Speaking of Antony, apparently Saudi are interested in him and he's open to the move.

Another more recent video from Statman Dave talking about some of Guerra's improvements this season, as well as Hayden Hackney as another potential option who I did read good things about last season. Lucien Agoume is another option he mentions who I've never heard of, likely because he plays for Sevilla & as I said, don't really get to see much La Liga because it's not on Sky Sports anymore.

The stumbling block for Antony seems to be a fee, the reports were he was very interested in returning to Betis or I think Sevilla or a few other Spanish teams were interested but couldn't meet the asking price. It seems like he'll take a wage cut to make a move happen if possible, he'll not need to though if a Saudi club comes in for him but the question is does he really want to go play in Saudi at his age.

 

[B]

Maybe it's a hot take but I feel like maybe we shouldn't sign a striker this summer if there's no good options. I think Sesko could be great but too expensive for us. Chelsea would rinse us with Jackson and that's the kind of signing that would only be good if we got a good price or a loan (and even then doubtful). Not a big fan of the Watkins links at all. The reported figures are too high for someone about to turn 30. I think we have other problem areas that might be more important to fix this summer (with more options to sign) and we can focus more on the striker position next year.

I think Zirkzee could work. Like I can imagine him as the 'dropping down' #9 opening up space for Cunha and Mbeumo to run into the channels and in my mind at least that could work. I would say I'm more out than in on Rasmus Hojlund but if we're being honest he's had 1 good season and 1 bad season for us. Best case he finds some confidence and form next season that is closer to his first for us but regardless I think him getting 1 more season to gage if we sell or keep is fine. If he improves he might have a future but if it's more of last season then we move on.

But yeah I also think because we have Bruno, Mount and Amad who could play further up the pitch, there's still a chance we could see Cunha/Mbeumo/Bruno employed in the #9 role depending on opposition. Like I would not be surprised if we played a big team (Liverpool or City) to see Bruno as a false #9.

I'm like this as well, I wouldn't sign a striker just for the sake of signing one. I think with Cunha/Mbeumo we've added a good enough goalscoring & creative threat that will see us by for this season.

Give Zirkzee/Hojlund another season to see what's what & how they can work with those new additions, we aren't going to be challenging anyway so really I'd try to just aim for European qualification, 4th & a return to Champions League should be like winning the league for us next season considering just how bad we were last season.

Hojlund IMO needs to add some muscle & upper body strength to his frame IF he intends on playing to contact the way he does. I forget who it was, Carragher perhaps mentioned it during a game & it had been something I was thinking about for a while. He tries too much to play with his back to & wrestle defenders that are just bigger than him & that's why we constantly see him on the deck feeling like he's been manhandled. He kinda plays a little like Lukaku in that respect, except Lukaku actually has the size & strength to hold defenders off or overpower them more consistently.
He'll have to get more physically imposing anyway but that's just something I think that's holding him back a little, less wrestling, more movement is what I'd like to see from him.

Zirkzee I think can work as part of a trio, he's got good size, mobility & technical skill to make it work. I think he's very much a confidence player. When he's playing well, it looks like we struck gold signing him, but when he plays badly it looks like we'd been sold magic beans. I am really interested to see if Mbeumo, Cunha & he can form any sort of partnership.

 

[Zantera]

I wonder if Amorim will introduce any flexibility into his formation and tactics at all. I know we're building for the 3-4-2-1 but you could possibly flip the front trio and have Bruno as a #10 with Cunha/Mbeumo in front. Just a thought. I feel like in order to be successful you do need some cards up your sleeve and maybe that could be one, depending on opposition.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Maybe it's a hot take but I feel like maybe we shouldn't sign a striker this summer if there's no good options. I think Sesko could be great but too expensive for us. Chelsea would rinse us with Jackson and that's the kind of signing that would only be good if we got a good price or a loan (and even then doubtful). Not a big fan of the Watkins links at all. The reported figures are too high for someone about to turn 30. I think we have other problem areas that might be more important to fix this summer (with more options to sign) and we can focus more on the striker position next year.

I think Zirkzee could work. Like I can imagine him as the 'dropping down' #9 opening up space for Cunha and Mbeumo to run into the channels and in my mind at least that could work. I would say I'm more out than in on Rasmus Hojlund but if we're being honest he's had 1 good season and 1 bad season for us. Best case he finds some confidence and form next season that is closer to his first for us but regardless I think him getting 1 more season to gage if we sell or keep is fine. If he improves he might have a future but if it's more of last season then we move on.

But yeah I also think because we have Bruno, Mount and Amad who could play further up the pitch, there's still a chance we could see Cunha/Mbeumo/Bruno employed in the #9 role depending on opposition. Like I would not be surprised if we played a big team (Liverpool or City) to see Bruno as a false #9.

I'm like this as well, I wouldn't sign a striker just for the sake of signing one. I think with Cunha/Mbeumo we've added a good enough goalscoring & creative threat that will see us by for this season.

Give Zirkzee/Hojlund another season to see what's what & how they can work with those new additions, we aren't going to be challenging anyway so really I'd try to just aim for European qualification, 4th & a return to Champions League should be like winning the league for us next season considering just how bad we were last season.

Hojlund IMO needs to add some muscle & upper body strength to his frame IF he intends on playing to contact the way he does. I forget who it was, Carragher perhaps mentioned it during a game & it had been something I was thinking about for a while. He tries too much to play with his back to & wrestle defenders that are just bigger than him & that's why we constantly see him on the deck feeling like he's been manhandled. He kinda plays a little like Lukaku in that respect, except Lukaku actually has the size & strength to hold defenders off or overpower them more consistently.
He'll have to get more physically imposing anyway but that's just something I think that's holding him back a little, less wrestling, more movement is what I'd like to see from him.

Zirkzee I think can work as part of a trio, he's got good size, mobility & technical skill to make it work. I think he's very much a confidence player. When he's playing well, it looks like we struck gold signing him, but when he plays badly it looks like we'd been sold magic beans. I am really interested to see if Mbeumo, Cunha & he can form any sort of partnership.

I wonder if Amorim will introduce any flexibility into his formation and tactics at all. I know we're building for the 3-4-2-1 but you could possibly flip the front trio and have Bruno as a #10 with Cunha/Mbeumo in front. Just a thought. I feel like in order to be successful you do need some cards up your sleeve and maybe that could be one, depending on opposition.

I get where you guys are coming from but I see 3 issues.

1 - I think a bit of space has perhaps foggy'd the memory on just how bad Hojlund was last season, he looked like someone that won a ticket in a kellogs packet to get the chance to play with Manchester United in a charity match, he was beyond horrendous.

2 - Zirkzee or Bruno as a false 9 is something I've thought is worth trying, given the dearth of good strikers available and how much of a liability Bruno is as a CM, but every piece of evidence has shown Amorim likes a focal point #9 with the #10's driving from behind, that's why he started using Zirkzee there, he doesn't want a false 9.

3 - If he was willing to be flexible in this area, why have we wasted so much time trying to get a striker? Instead we could have used that time to get a midfielder, then we'd have had someone to partner Kobbie or Ugarte, not ideal as we need 2, but keeping Bruno and that selfish **** Casemiro refusing to leave screwed us up from fully fixing midfield, but one would be better than none and the stupid idea of playing Bruno as a CM.

Truth is we needed Casemiro and Onana to go, and Amorim was foolish to keep Bruno, if we'd gotten rid of those 3 on top of the 4 problem child wingers, and added 2 midfielders and a striker to Cunha and Mbeumo, we'd be looking in decent shape for a top 7 push, as it is we'll be lucky to finish top 10, we've added 2 decent forwards to a garbage midfield, with suspect wingbacks and no striker.