Oddly, I've seen Deki's name come up as a player to cash in on quite often of late Mainly due to the belief Ange said he was preparing to kill a few darlings, rather than jettison players who just didn't fit (i.e. Hojbjerg, Emerson, probably Bissouma), but it;s interesting how that was the go-to assumption
26 goal contributions in 34 league games. His (perceived) decline would be about 85% of forwards best ever season. Sometimes I think we as fans set unnecessary high bars for our best players and extremely low ones for our worst. What we need to do, what we’ve needed to do for years too, is add players who further compliment Son, not sell him and almost certainly sign someone inferior.
I appreciate that we do have other areas to cover, and I know there have been other factors impacting his performances, but this has been week week out for months. We won't find another Kane and I don't see him regaining the spark with a new partner. On that basis I see the +£50m we should still get for him as decent money to help fund a new striker. He won't be sold however as the club still see him as too valuable a marketing investment to the Far East market.
How many goals though? He's not looked confident of scoring for months. As I said, there are reasons impacting on him, but it's just that this 'dry spell' has looked more permanent.
Lol. I’ll always defend the players that have given this club so much - and he continues to do so! Sell the **** ****s like Emerson and co, they’re who need replacing, not Sonny.
17, so he’s averaged a goal every other game. This being played in his secondary role for the most part too and for the first time without Kane.
No but I’m just pointing out that **** players should be sold and great players should be kept and added too. Give Son better players to work with, not sell him and almost certainly sign someone worse.
Yeah I think that's the main issue. We're seeing what Son looks like without a proper striker alongside him. His weaknesses and limitations have been far more exposed this year. The solution is to upgrade the Pigeon, not sell Son.
It’s why I’d argue Son deserves more praise than anything. He’s had to step up in Kane’s absence, even play in Kane’s position for about 2/3s of the season and despite some poor performances - where he’s always blown hot and cold throughout the years - he’s more than delivered for us.
I think your point about high expectations is also important. We've always known he was a more limited player than Kane, but had never really seen it in reality long enough for the truth to set in: Kane is simply miles clear as a footballer. That isn't a criticism of Son, it's more a praise of Kane that even one of the best attackers in PL history is nowhere near him in terms of overall quality.
He has “more than delivered for us” but I think those times are diminishing. We can’t keep players because they have served us well in the past.
I’d say 26 goal contributions in 34 games is serving us well in the present too. He’s done that largely playing his secondary position too.
For me the huge tattoo of Neymar was the big red flag. At the start of the season I predicted he would score no more than 12 league goals. I was off by one. The guy scored 11.
Son isn't the problem. Richarlison isn't the problem. Having one striker is the problem. We even loaned one out after he scored, FFS. Our squad depth is lacking in several areas and we've got some players that don't suit the system. Paratici appears to have done a good job so far with his signings, though. There's always work to be done in the transfer market and we need to do a lot.
