Saint Nicolae!

Does that mean he is cup tied for the Europa?

 

Yeah, you could easily play Stanciu, Tadic and Boufal in the same formation. At which point a top-notch striker might be somewhat less of a necessity...

Believe so, yes. Players are cup-tied if their previous club reach the group stage of one of the two competitions, and Steaua will.

 

No. Qualifiers don't count.

Edit: oh, just seen Schad's post, so now I'm not sure.

Also, if he stays on the bench, that doesn't count anyway.

 

Stanciu on vs City.

 

Didn't he play in the first leg?

 

Have checked rules...he is eligible to play for another club if he remains on the bench. If used before the group stage, he can play for another club from the group stage (but am not clear if that applies if the first club go through....so not disagreeing with Schad).

 

Stanciu getting ready to come on against City. Don't get injured please!

 

Important thing is would Steau use him and potentially lower his value unless they intend to keep him.

 

At 6-0 down you wouldn't think so....

 

He can play in the center in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 or diamond. The problem is he is not as good wide. And so we are still short on wingers.

If we go to 4-2-3-1, you can put Long back on the right, which I don't mind but other people think he is better in the center. Redmond or Tadic can play on the left. But that still leaves us a bit short. Stanciu too, seems like he is more effective in the middle as a #10 but if we sign both that would give the option of moving someone out to the wing.

 

I could be wrong. My understanding was that you can field a player who has played in the qualifying stages, but only if the team with whom they are tied fails to play in the group stages. But after reading it, the actual rule doesn't address that at all.

 

Commentators at City game saying Stanciu looks really good. Would quite like them to be quiet about that...

 

My source says Boufal is looking hopeful but doesn't expect Stanciu.....

 

That would be a real shame - for £10m he could be a bargain.

 

Indeed but they did say that there is the possibility of a different signing. Absolutely no info on who

 

This. Dont think a move for him is happening anytime soon

 

Indeed a real bargain right up our street, while unusually we seem to be significantly outbidding other suitors for Boufal. But with Claude's Lille connection I trust he's getting the player he really wants.

 

All you said above is possible. I just said that his signing wouldn't mean "sticking to the diamond" as you said. That was all.

"Fair comment" would have done

 

Personally think there's room for both. Stanciu in at 10, Boufal wing, Tadic wing. All very fluid and interchangeable.

Not sure what that would mean for Redmond, but we shouldn't ever baulk at having two quality players in each position.

 

I'm pretty sure that he would be available for another team in the group stages of the Europa League. I'm sure there was a similar thing with Van Dijk last year. He would have been eligible for us in the group stages even though he played in CL qualifiers for Celtic. Unfortunately we never made the group stages.