Polarboy 2124 Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 (edited) 10 minutes ago, Howay said: A big signing for the right wing would be my preference. Imo we have absolutely nothing to offer in that position, I know people on Twitter get upset by this type of opinion but last season we got 5 goals and 4 assists from Fraser, Almiron, and Murphy from nearly 80 starts collectively. I think a right winger also stretches the field, it’ll stop this doubling and triple marking of ASM which will give him far more one v ones. It's a long shot, especially seeing as he appears more comfortable on the left, but Fraser in top form is capable of a lot more than we've seen. Whether Howe can get him back to something resembling that form is another matter. He's still only 28 though, so its not an impossibility. Having said all that I would happily concede that we desperately need to reinforce our right wing regardless. More generally I'd say there is an almost equal need to sign a striker given the obvious fitness concerns of Wilson, and the less than prolific record of Wood. Was it Benitez who came up with the short blanket analogy? As in if we pull up the blanket our feet will get cold and vice versa. Assuming of course that we do only have 50m left to spend. Edited July 13, 2022 by Polarboy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex 30780 Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 13 minutes ago, Howay said: A big signing for the right wing would be my preference. Imo we have absolutely nothing to offer in that position, I know people on Twitter get upset by this type of opinion but last season we got 5 goals and 4 assists from Fraser, Almiron, and Murphy from nearly 80 starts collectively. I think a right winger also stretches the field, it’ll stop this doubling and triple marking of ASM which will give him far more one v ones. Aye. Even with the level of improvement shown in the second half of the season I think there’s only Fraser I rate. And we need an upgrade on him. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howay 12496 Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 1 hour ago, Polarboy said: It's a long shot, especially seeing as he appears more comfortable on the left, but Fraser in top form is capable of a lot more than we've seen. Whether Howe can get him back to something resembling that form is another matter. He's still only 28 though, so its not an impossibility. Having said all that I would happily concede that we desperately need to reinforce our right wing regardless. More generally I'd say there is an almost equal need to sign a striker given the obvious fitness concerns of Wilson, and the less than prolific record of Wood. Was it Benitez who came up with the short blanket analogy? As in if we pull up the blanket our feet will get cold and vice versa. Assuming of course that we do only have 50m left to spend. As I say personally I think Fraser is a bottom half/relegation scrap player at this level, he had one purple patch season where Arsenal were linked and he managed 7 goals and 14 assists but outside of that season the contribution we’ve seen this year is the norm for him. Agree striker is a big need too but because we have Wilson that’s what makes me say RW, Wood had a very poor season - I think his issue is that he is better in a front two, but if he had a right winger like Diaby and a freer ASM he could be better than we’ve seen rather than the alternative of Isak receiving 9 foot high crosses out to touch from Fraser. I think we will see a big spending spree late in the window if we don’t see movement on these players soon. There’s no issue with FFP imo and I think as Gloom says it’s just all a bit of a dance at the moment where we are trying to drive the prices down as much as possible and the clubs are trying to hold firm, it’s just who blinks first. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howay 12496 Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 1 hour ago, Alex said: Aye. Even with the level of improvement shown in the second half of the season I think there’s only Fraser I rate. And we need an upgrade on him. Aye, Murphy’s finishing is appalling and Almiron is only good for harrying players at this level. Same opinion I have of the ones like Clark in that I don’t blame them for not being the level needed and I’ll remember them as working their balls off to keep us in the PL but it’s time to upgrade. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gloom 20152 Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 i still think amiron might have a role to play. i don't think he's ever going to be a prolific goal scorer or anything but his energy and pressing will be useful late in games with the new 5 sub rule and we saw him look more dangerous after bruno joined and started playing more one twos and little through balls to him to chase. he'd look even better with paqueta alongside bruno behind him 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex 30780 Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 He’s hardworking and quick (although he seems less quick than when we signed him). Nee end product is a big cross against his name though. Murphy is in a similar boat for me 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gloom 20152 Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 6 minutes ago, Alex said: He’s hardworking and quick (although he seems less quick than when we signed him). Nee end product is a big cross against his name though. Murphy is in a similar boat for me last few games of the season he looked alright. his speed and workrate put him ahead of murphy for me. i'd bin murphy if we get diaby or similar and keep almiron as cover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaser 1074 Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 I rate Fraser, he's energetic, puts in decent crosses and grafts til he can't graft no more, usually around 80 minutes. He's probably not champions League quality but he is good enough to get us into the top half. Outside of that, I have questions over Almiron and Murphy's ability and decision making under pressure. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polarboy 2124 Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 (edited) Apparently Gerrard told him to stay in Birmingham and left him off the preseason tour because he wouldn't commit to signing a new contract. He's in the final year of his contract. Don't know much about the lad, but he's very highly rated. Edited July 13, 2022 by Polarboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewerk 26803 Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 Aye but 25% of our transfer budget will have to go on getting his name printed on his shirt. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polarboy 2124 Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 15 minutes ago, ewerk said: Aye but 25% of our transfer budget will have to go on getting his name printed on his shirt. Reported. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ayatollah Hermione 12898 Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 Wait until the EDL wing of the support find out he’s English with a bloody name like that!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Dynamite 6088 Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 46 minutes ago, Polarboy said: Apparently Gerrard told him to stay in Birmingham and left him off the preseason tour because he wouldn't commit to signing a new contract. He's in the final year of his contract. Don't know much about the lad, but he's very highly rated. Punishing a young lad for daring to have a year left on his contract. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wykikitoon 17071 Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 1 hour ago, Howay said: As I say personally I think Fraser is a bottom half/relegation scrap player at this level, he had one purple patch season where Arsenal were linked and he managed 7 goals and 14 assists but outside of that season the contribution we’ve seen this year is the norm for him. Agree striker is a big need too but because we have Wilson that’s what makes me say RW, Wood had a very poor season - I think his issue is that he is better in a front two, but if he had a right winger like Diaby and a freer ASM he could be better than we’ve seen rather than the alternative of Isak receiving 9 foot high crosses out to touch from Fraser. I think we will see a big spending spree late in the window if we don’t see movement on these players soon. There’s no issue with FFP imo and I think as Gloom says it’s just all a bit of a dance at the moment where we are trying to drive the prices down as much as possible and the clubs are trying to hold firm, it’s just who blinks first. Totally this. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewerk 26803 Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 13 minutes ago, Kid Dynamite said: Punishing a young lad for daring to have a year left on his contract. It’s Gerrard still thinking he’s at Liverpool. If he’s good enough then he’ll have bigger clubs such as ourselves sniffing around. The smart thing would be to bring him into the fold and show him he has a future there rather than treating him as a leper. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wykikitoon 17071 Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gloom 20152 Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 lots of chat on twitter linking paqueta with arsenal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougle 2898 Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 I vaguely remember there being a load of chat on twitter about Bruno joining Arsenal a few months ago 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Dynamite 6088 Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 Gives us a free run at Tielemens 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polarboy 2124 Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 (edited) Just thinking that the report about us lodging a bid of 20m euro for Kalimuendo the young PSG striker, 5 of which would be paid on a bonus related basis, could make a fair bit of sense given we're also said to not want to pay over 40m pound for Diaby. Diaby and Kalimuendo together would cost an initial £52.6m, assuming we'd have to pay the entirety of the 40m up front for Diaby, and obviously 50m is supposedly all we have left for this window. I know people on here would dispute the logic of us being that restricted in how much we can spend of course. But maybe it's a case of how much we want to spend for this window, as opposed to how much can actually afford. Edited July 13, 2022 by Polarboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howay 12496 Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 (edited) If we have £50m left to spend to improve our biggest glaring needs from last season when we spent pretty much that on a CB and a GK, two positions we could have easily left this window, then our lot are mental tbh. Since they’ve shown they know the areas needed to improve, and have brought in Howe and the highly rated Ashworth I’ve got far more faith that someone like Luke Edwards is the mental one. Remember Edwards started the window saying £60m, then changed his mind and said £80m after the Botman & Ekitike links, now he’s saying another £50m on top of what we’ve spent. Edwards also claims the club have been shocked at the quoted prices, it’s something else that I simply do not believe. They’re supposedly after Diaby, a 23 year old French international who had 17 goals and 11 assists in the Bundesliga last year - Leon Bailey cost around the quoted price with half those goal involvements. The other target is Paqueta who is a 24 year old Brazilian international with 33 caps in a Brazil side that have a great opportunity to win the World Cup. If you take Luke’s claims as true that they basically spent half the budget on nice to have players rather than immediate needs, and that they’re baffled those two players have asking prices in the £40m-£60m range then we shouldn’t have much faith in Ashworth and the rest as that’s all fucking mental. The more likely case is they’re feeding Edwards and others this in an attempt to strengthen their position in negotiations. Edited July 13, 2022 by Howay 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polarboy 2124 Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 Bailey cost Villa 28m, and Leverkusen supposedly want 50m plus for Diaby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougle 2898 Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 ouch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howay 12496 Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 (edited) 24 minutes ago, Polarboy said: Bailey cost Villa 28m, and Leverkusen supposedly want 50m plus for Diaby. I’d seen £35-40m at the time but it’s undisclosed from the looks of it. Feel free to only focus on one throw away comparison, regardless all of my points still stand, a player of Diaby’s caliber is comfortably worth £50m in the current market if Bailey was £30m and Buendia around £38m. It’s true that we may only spend that due to the owners, but the FFP argument is bollocks by Edwards. The same bloke said we’d spend fuck all in January while we were trying to pay ~£100m for Botman, Ekitike, and Carlos Edited July 13, 2022 by Howay 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polarboy 2124 Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 (edited) 17 minutes ago, Howay said: I’d seen £35-40m at the time but it’s undisclosed from the looks of it. Regardless all of my points still stand, a player of Diaby’s caliber is comfortably worth £50m in the current market if Bailey was £30m and Buendia around £38m. Transfermarkt have Bailey's fee to Villa down as 28.80m. As far as I know Transfermarkt are pretty reliable, and that seems to be a very exact number for a guess. But yeah in today's market 50m is probably the price you'd pay, but it's hard to quantify the difference in quality that an extra ten million will supposedly get you. Players are worth how much people are wiling to pay at the end of the day. Edited July 13, 2022 by Polarboy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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