Plettentwerp claims we're monitoring Brentford's Kevin Schade, with plans to sign him next summer Always fun when you can literally see the copy a player's agent has handed to them, isn't it?
Gossip circulating that Archie Gray's highly rated, striker kid brother, Harry, has decided that the club of his ancestors (Dirty Leeds) is not for him. Apparently, he's been dropped from LUFC 's recent U21 squads and has removed any mention of the club from his social media. Is lightning about to strike twice? (4 times, if you count McFadden and Boast)...and WTF is wrong at their academy?
I think it's always more difficult to see the benefits of midfielders because their work is about positioning and decisions. What I mean is that at either end of the pitch things come to a head, defensively or attacking. The midfield is where those moves mostly come from. Sorry, this is obvious stuff, but I am trying to explain why it's perhaps more difficult to assess midfielders and their worth to the team. Perhaps this is the way I look at football matches or perhaps it's a general view. I remember for example, it took some concentration on my part to see why Bryan Robson and Roy Keane were so highly rated by their fellow pros. I had to almost just follow them in a game to see what they did so well. I don't see the value of Jordan Henderson as another example, and yet a succession of top managers do. Bentancur is. for me, one of those players. I am a fan, but he often goes under the radar, on TV anyway. Of course, all of this observation is much, much easier if you are watching the game live as opposed to through a TV camera, which is how I see my football these days.
The current issue with Bentancur does tie in to things getting into the Attention Zone, though, given he misplaces passes which either snuff out our attacks or lead to our defence having to earn their weekly paycheque
Apologies if previously discussed, but... I'm going to go out there and say that Palhinha is the most important addition to the team in (at least) 3/4 years. The guy is a phenomenal talent and a really engaging, intelligent guy. We have him on a year long loan with buy option, he appears to be settling in well and is playing superbly. Should the club bite the bullet and close the deal now (can they, before the loan expires?) or wait it out in case things go south somehow between now and next summer? Not sure what his valuation is now, as opposed to when the loan deal was done. Would that figure have been agreed at that time, cos the way he is playing so far, I can imagine on an open market it would have risen significantly. I'd buy him yesterday, but it's not my money!!
Good news for January: the club is now £11m better off now that Jim Ratfink has paid a settlement to avoid us dragging him into court over the £5.5m Ineos owe us, which might be enough for a top prospect from the Norwegian league in the current market Not the first example of Man Utd paying double the going rate for something recently, either...
If you have a year long loan with an option to buy that's already perfect. All things being equal you go ahead and buy at the end of the loan, mean time you have managed finances, enabling space for other deals. On the other hand if he is still on the open market then secure the deal now.
Totally get that - and from the clubs perspective it is perfect - particularly if the purchase figure was determined at the start and, as in this case, is likely to be lower then than it would be after a successful loan period. I was coming at it more from the pov of the psychology of demonstrating the clubs commitment to the player and how that might help maintain or even increase his own sense of commitment. Most players I wouldn't have even considered it, but Palhinha seems to be a really top professional and a general top bloke!
Only thing with signing him up now is that modern day footballer disease we have all witnessed many times a permanent contract signed so they start to take it easy, lose the fire etc etc I don’t believe Paulinha is of that temperament from what I have seen but life experience just makes me ask these questions
I’d get it done today if I could. He’s made the most impact on the team since the Kulu and Bentancur signings back in 2022 that helped take us to 4th in half a season. An option to sign isn’t too concrete either. It doesn’t prevent any other team making a bid for him at the end of the season. The way he’s playing, if we don’t snap him up on 1st Jan, there’s every possibility a number of clubs will fancy trying to get him. We stole Toby from Southampton who had an option to buy from Atleti, I’d hate to be the Southampton in any situation regarding Palhinha. The guy’s so far been a 10/10 signing, in an era where we’ve signed some absolute whoppers, this is someone we can’t afford to miss out on permanently. Get him in early doors, then throw Richarlison and £30m at Everton for Ndiaye.
I honestly don’t understand why some of our fans think Everton are that stupid But that Ndiaye is some player and we are a definite step up in his career
