Our high profile (expensive) signings are always terrible. The better ones we get are always at the cheaper end and/or slightly less well known. I always use Berba for £10m-ish as an example. Even Modric was a bit like that, although more well-known to us Brits at the time than Berba was. VdV was well known, but inexplicable cheap too So i say carry on bringing in the cheaper, surprise package players.
If we sign Alderweireld then I'd say we're good in defence (provided we can ship out Kaboul and Chiriches)
Centre back is certainly his preferred position. But, I guess for Belgium, Kompany is first pick, and that leaves one of those two playing full back.
Martial's signed a new contract with Monaco - so instead we're being linked with Yannick Ferreira Carrasco who, like Martial, he was causing havoc against the Goons in the CL last season with his pace, plus he'd add to the Belgian contingent at the club. We allegedly had a £10m offer turned down, as Monaco are expecting around £18m for him.
He has. But before that, he would play Centre half ahead of Jan and Toby even when out of the Arsenal side.
I knew Jan played LB for Belgium, but hadn’t realized Alderweireld played RB. They were a CB pair at Ajax, though. Alderweireld and Dier could switch back and forth between CB and RB for us, because our defenders didn’t look confused enough last year. A connect the dots rumor has it that Timmy will take Ade, Townsend and Carroll. Ade to Villa really does make a great deal of sense, as it happens. It looks like he’s going nowhere here, and he was huge while Sherwood coached him. I wish it were true, though I’d prefer Carroll, at least, go on loan. What I’d really prefer is that we get Bentecke in return, though I’m not holding my breath.
I suspect that Martial's agent may have created the entire Spurs angle. Was anything ever confirmed from our end? Seemed to come from nowhere and then turn into contract negotiations with his own club.
If all our defenders can play CB and full back we could create a new way of defending. We could call it "total defending". All the players across the back line could switch freely throughout the game. It would cause havoc. Lloris is even well known as a "sweeper keeper". The whole back 5 could be involved. It would be a thing of beauty. The attackers wouldn't have a clue who to mark! Oh, hang on.....
I think we've already used this extensively. It explains why our whole back line is often nowhere near where you'd expect them to be.
There would then be a rational reason why we couldn’t defend. That would be a big improvement. I can just see Hugo putting in a cross.
You can? He can't pass for toffee so i don't see why he'd be able to cross. Oh! You didn't say "good" or "successful" cross. Carry on....
At the risk of derailing this thread even further what factor dictates who is the goalkeeper on the pitch at a particular time? I assume its not a named individual? Is it the shirt? Gloves? Could we pioneer the development of a quick changing glove or maybe a shirt that transforms (like a flip down velcro monstrosity) and play rush goalkeeper? With our high pressing system Hugo seems like a wasted resource for large chunks of the game.
According to the Laws of the Game on FIFA's website... Each goalkeeper must wear colours that distinguish him from the other players, the referee and the assistant referees ...and... Any of the other players may change places with the goalkeeper, provided that: • the referee is informed before the change is made • the change is made during a stoppage in the match Technically this doesn't say there's any problem with the keeper and an outfield player deciding to switch places, as long as they exchange shirts when the play has stopped and we've told the referee what we're doing. FIFA, acting decisively since 1904.
