Transfer Rumours Saints January Transfer Window Rumour Thread

News just breaking that Harrison Reed has signed a new 4 year deal. Would we really go for another CM if we already have 5? I'll hold my hands up and admit that I know naff all of this Ajax guy so I have no idea if he's attack minded or not.

 

We have 6, but all defensive (minded)

Reed
Prowse
Davis
Clasie
Romeu
Hojbjerg

 

I was talking really as a general idea, not specifics - certainly no conspiracy theory, and no cabal involved in my thinking: just the way the financial hierarchy is structured - with Saints close to the bottom. Something more akin to Adam Smith's Invisible Hand. A club like Barcelona or Madrid are likely to want a player they buy to already have the kind of experience they need (or be closer to it than any player at Saints will be) - to do that, they'd need to have had some years at a higher pressure club who have some experience of competing, such as Liverpool or Man U. They need to move to one of those clubs, or even Spurs, to have a chance to move anywhere bigger.

I know VVD has CL and league-winning experience, but there's no way a Spanish super club is going to splash money on him until he's done it for a few seasons at a bigger club than us. And we have leverage it seems with VVD - only time will tell how we use it.

 

It's a lot for only 3 domestic competitions (one of which will be done and dusted in Feb). So unless there is a midfielder outgoing, the Ajax dude feels a strange one.

 

Steve Davis isn't exactly a defensive midfielder, he's just not a goal scorer.

 

Yeah JWP, Davis and Höjbjerg are not defensive midfielders. They are more the type to control the game with their passing ability. It is good to have a balance of defensive midfielders, central midfielders and central attacking midfielders. At present we only have the former two.

 

Suarez has signed a new contract at Barcelona. Damn it....Les will have to look elsewhere.

 

They still stay back and don't push forward so are defensive minded. If you call them deep lying play makers, they still would be defensive minded as they don't push forward. Being defensive can mean more then just being a defender or defending midfielder.

This is a article from Veratti one of the best deep lying play makers in the game.

http://www.fourfourtwo.com/performance/training/marco-verratti-how-be-deep-lying-playmaker

 

JWP isn't a defensive midfielder.

Or an attacking one

Or a passing one

Or a set piece specialist (HE'S NOT!)

 

Not every player has to fit into one of these named positions that increased in popularity due to the extensive analysis we are force fed by Sky and people playing football manager. Players adjust their play depending on how the game is going majority of the time so it's hard to just label and categorise every player. It's more logical to say they are all centre midfielders and they excel in certain areas but perform badly in others. Neither JWP, Höjbjerg or Davis excel at their defensive or attacking duties is my point. They are there to link play, retain and recycle possession, find attacking players in space etc.

I find this need to label someone as a "False 9" "inverted full-back" "deep-lying play maker" etc rather strange.

 

Did you even read the article? Veratti says exactly what you said and he labels himself a deep lying playermaker. He is there to link up play and also help out the defence a little is in the article as well. I would rather agree with a guy that plays the role and plays it well, then some one that doesn't.

 

When I clicked reply there was no article attached! Must have posted the edit seconds after started typing.

Also the point about defining all these different positions isn't a dig at you, just an observation of the general footballing world.

 

I know it wasn't and I also agree with you (the various wing backs names fm use is mad), but I think dlp is a thing. When I say defensive I am not saying it as defensive midfielder, I am saying it as defensive minded (probably needed to be clearer in the first place). We have no attacking minded centre mid at all , well apart from Hesketh.

 

I took it as a description of how they play rather than where they play. Defensive minded, the lot of them.

We have developed a midfield of 6 wanyama's rather than 3 boufals and 3 wanyamas

 

January is such a difficult time to be trying to sign someone. Good luck trying to come up with even two realistic names in the PL who we could get (yes I know football goes beyond the realms of the PL; I'm just saying). It's another reason why we messed up in the summer.

I wouldn't even say that Benteke has played particularly well this season (and fair enough, he's joined a new team and hardly played for a year). And yet only Sanchez, Costa, Aguero, Zlatan and Lukaku have scored more than him. He's just about on course for 20 PL goals this season, in year one. 1. If you buy good players, you invariably get good outcomes (just look at how good Boufal looks). 2. Good players are usually much easier to come by over the summer.

 

If we are shopping in Holland we should bid for Davy Klaassen.

 

What ever happened to inside-left, outside right, left half? We still have goalkeeper, right back and left back.

 

Box to box midfielders.

 

We massively missed a trick in Benteke, he is quality I've been saying it for ages. Could easily have got him too. Ideal Pelle upgrade.

 

Traditionally when people have said box-to-box they have meant the player is capable of offering support both defensively and offensively. The problem of late is that I wouldnt say they do either of them particularly well!