Transfer Rumours transfer thread fact and fiction

He plays best off Harry Kane....a fit Harry Kane....and getting on crosses to the far post. Kane wasn't fit and crossing from the right pretty much dried up. He got injured a couple of times, had some upheaval in his private life and got played in different positions.

For me, he starts next season with a clean slate, as does everyone else. Last season, despite seeing us achieve a great feati n making the CL final, wasn't a great one for many. So low was the mood at Wembley, our press on the stadium and no signings and the collective performance that I'm reading zero into it. Our future starts in August.

Next season we'll be millionaires, Rodney..

 

It does worry me a bit that Kane is the only attacker he appears to enjoy that link with. We saw a bit of it with Lucas but largely in the CL and a bit less of it with Eriksen and even less of it with Son. And that's where and why the comparisons with Eriksen are way off for the time being.

 

I've said a couple times before that I think Dele needs to get back to being fully focused on his football. He's not unprofessional by any means but I think his head's been a bit all over the place these past 18 or so months. His profile and brand has grown massively, he's got his own BooHoo collection line, he recently launched his own clothing brand called Leo Fortis, he's had problems with his girlfriend/ ex-girlfriend and add that to some of the injuries it's probably culminated in a really poor season by his standards.

There's no doubting he's one of the most exceptionally gifted players of his generation but he really does need to get back to fully focussing on football, the brand will take care of itself when his footballing reputation grows.

 

Harry Kane....a fit Harry Kane, is probably the best centre forward in the world, he makes space for others. He frightens defenders and allows Dele to do what he does best.

The Harry Kane we put out last season just wasn't that player. He played inured, deep and within himself. We need to pack that **** in, play him up top, when he's fit and capable or not play him at all. Dele can play with Lucas and Sonny but we need to create more when Kane's not on the pitch. Our deep midfield has lacked invention and that's what we're out to resolve.

Sure, Dele's not a kid anymore and he needs to play at a level befitting his status at the club but he'll learn and with a rest, a pre-season and better, fitter players around him, he has what it takes to play at a top level. He needs to look to de Bruyne's desire to influence games and get nasty again. No more balanced meals,raw meat only for him from now on.

He's got it in him to be so much more. We all need to drive him on to find that inner **** house, bastard of a couple of years ago.

 

Which is why I added 'most have done' I don't think you have traded a personal insult RCL but the whole debate was moving in that direction and one poster was starting to feel the heat. I did not have to delete any comments but I felt it was time just to point out the limits of the board BEFORE that happened.

 

^^This to an absolute tee!

He needs to be a prick again, that's when he's at his best. When he has zero respect for the opposition he humiliates them, needs to find that "I'm a ****, so what?!" attitude, if it means he has to pick up a few yellows again or even a red once in a while, so be it, he'll still be better off for it in the long run.

 

My bad...guess I misunderstood your post...may I suggest you be more clear next time?

 

So where are we today then ??

1. No Tielemans.

2. Eriksen realising he is not top draw for the Euro big fish no matter
how he touts himself this summer, and having to ponder what wage
increase Levy will offer him vs attempting to run his contract down next
summer.

 

My French isn't any good, my Spanish is half decent but if you skip to about 58 seconds in this video, you can tell he does indeed say what's translated in the above tweet:

 

Sometimes it's good to be slightly obscure when you are talking to two sides.

 

I think the whole Eriksen, Dele, Kane conundrum is fairly straightforward to solve...

They're flat because we need fresh blood and fresh ideas at the club. That will come with new acquisitions who will give everyone a lift with the introduction of new personalities in the dressing room, fresh abilities, fresh skill and alternative offensive and defensive options.

It will also create greater competition for places. Nothing quite like having another hungrier, motivated player breathing down your neck to make you up your game.

If quality signings come in, you'll see improved performances from this trio. I'm convinced of it.

 

There have been rumours of him being in London whilst we were in Madrid...

He's pretty obviously our No 1 target...

I've got a nagging feeling that we're going to need to offer Lyon something more than just bags of cash and Moussa Sissoko might play some part in this?

 

Been calling for the ****housery to return for a while now. We used to be a nasty team to play against and I think that it’s not just Dele who has lost the fire in the last year or so.

Fitting all of the DESK into a coherent starting lineup has proved difficult and has only been made worse by the fact that we lost the ability to break a press or break down a team sitting deep when Dembele declined and was sold. As such even when we’ve spanked teams this last season it has felt more like a collection of brilliant moments from one or more of the DESK (Moura played his part too as well in certain games of course) rather than a plan or a system coming good, as has been the case in previous years.

It’s why I’m not entirely opposed to one of Dele or Eriksen leaving if it’s a big fee (and of course preferably not strengthening a PL rival), I feel it could be our moment to reinvest the fee into areas of the squad to improve how we play overall. After all a team isn’t picked of the best 11 players in the squad, there have to be combinations and sensible ways of fitting players together.

I think this is a summer where Poch has a surprising amount to prove. He not only has to show he can motivate established international professionals not just up and coming youngsters, but also we know, regardless of who we buy and sell this summer, we can’t keep playing the way we have been and expect it to work, so he has to develop that too.

 

2.5 bags of cheesy wotsits? Come on Daniel, be a devil.

 

Last season felt like we were on hold as a team, support and club. MP talked about being brave in the summer and due to various factors we looked lost and cowardly. MP reintroduced Toby and Danny Rose and finally got a tune out of Sissoko and Llorente but we repeated old mistakes as well, with Harry Kane playing injured and three at the back.

England's surprising WC didn't help but decisions were put off and a very slow transfer window for everyone really did for us. Matters are now even more pressing - Toby, Christian Eriksen and properly replacing Mousa and Big Vic are now at critical.

There's nowhere to hide now....we either grasp the nettle or we'll be ****ed next summer. We need an injection of youth, pace and invention. Time for MP to bang his shoe on DL's desk and demand the players he wants because if he stays or if he goes, we are at a crossroads.

Over to you Daniel....

 

The thing that bothers me is...when I had a pop at Levy for not buying it makes me the villain...stadium etc etc

Seems like zero player needs to take a long hard look at themselves and all their bad form is due to circumstance or the lack of transfers therefore back to Levy again.

Give me a ****in door to walk through.

 

Paul Pogba and Lucas Torreira both confirm this morning that they are looking to move on from United and Arsenal respectively. The former echoed Eriksen's angle of wanting "a new challenge". The latter was far more critical, saying "I don't think there are many things I enjoy in England". Our rivals are in turmoil. Keep calm everyone.

 

I think it's more that the lack of signings wasn't just down to Daniel Levy. We went out to buy De Jong, Martial, Ndombele, Mata and Grealish. We got nobody. MP didn't want the alternatives and we didn't have the cash to bully clubs into selling

United wouldn't sell to us on point of principle, well Woodward wouldn't, anyway.

De Jong decided to stay at Ajax.

Villa backed out of a deal.

Lyon wouldn't sell.

Blaming Levy for all those things isn't realistic. Collectively the management of the club failed...I'd go with that. We just about got away with it. That won't happen again, if we come up empty again.

 

Subtlety ain't for me ... unless you club me round the head I tend to miss the point!

 

I'll take that because at least it suggests something went wrong instead of us acting like we know our place and anything above and beyond is just a bonus for us to enjoy.