look, it's more about what do you want to achieve next season. if you want us to win the league then nothing that's happened so far is going to make you happy. if youve more modest hopes you might have hope that this change can pay off in the longer term
All are a year older and we have 2 more (soon to be 3 by sounds of it) coming in to replace 2 others leaving who 1 was first team and 1 was squad player. Midfield is in much better shape this year
Depends on the game. I doubt we’ll start the same 3 in every game Dm - Lavia Bajcetic LCM - Mac Jones Thiago RCM - Szobo Eliott albeit a Mac and Thiago able to cover DM in certain type of games where don’t need a true DM and the lcm/rcm are pretty interchangeable.
maybe. the only question is if trent is seen as a 6 or as the right fully who stands at 6. if trent stands there and thiago doesn't go there's a case to be made for a balance of passing verses mobility on a game by game basis. but I does look line we have a very young 3 in reserve and a quite young first choice midfield
Lavia is 19, Mac is quality but he played alongside a very very good midfielder last season and Szob is an unknown quantity (we all want him to rip it up but we all know it may take some time). Now look at the reserves: Elliott is inconsistent, Baj a little lightweight and just back for a big injury (was quality on the ball mind), Jones was very good for the last 10 games last year imo, Thiago is so slow it’s painful to watch him sprint. i think we’re one quality player short in midfield even if Lavia is signed. It will allow us to ease some of the youngsters into the team rather than expect them to be superstars on day one. Just my opinion.
Possibly. Or Jones carries on his good form and we have 6 midfielders all under age of 24 who can form the engine of the team for next few years. All risk isn’t it. What’s more important, another CM to have 8 for 3 spots (plus TAA, plus gakpo). Or getting a CB/RB to cover or push the current players where we are short?
I generally agree that we could do with one more midfielder (after Lavia if we get him) but there is another way of looking at it. If we have Macca, Zobo, Lavia, Thiago and A.N.Other, would that potentially hamper the development of Jones, Bajetic and Elliott? (I think Thiago well leave too though)
yeah, my sister sent it to me. The latest I heard on Colwill last week was that no matter what else happens, Chelsea won't sell to us.
I'd assumed thiago is on his way, in my earlier post, that's 6 midfielders gone. 2 signed, hopeful of another, with 2 kids and a bang average jones to cover. How people think this is enough is beyond me. That's without talking about the defence, we need at least 1 cb to cover virgil and konate, gomez or matip should be 4th choice one should be gone. If we want to constantly wait until we absolutely certain for a player, we must be willing to spend more. If we arnt willing to spend more, we must be willing to take a risk. Or we can just stay as we are, limping along from one injury hit season to the next.
playing the kids too much will hamper them just as much. The PL is a tough league, It broke Baj in no time at all last season. However, to your point, I think Jones benefitted from getting a run in the team - it’s a fine balance I guess but my preference is one more midfielder. Not in place of a defender(s), as well as. reality is that we’ll buy Lavia plus one defender if we are lucky.
I don't disagree with your argument, but want to point out that what we'd like in a ideal world and what we get in the real one are usually very different things. Assuming Lavia comes, I really don't see us getting another mid in addition to say, a RB and a CB - both of which we need. Not the finished article at least, we might get a couple of unknowns from the bargain shelves.
It’s important psychologically too I think, if van dijk pulls up day one we’d likely fold, are we even linked to a defender outside of Colwill?
