16 minutes ago, Argo said:

Partey yes, I think he has fantastic dribbling and passing range. Unfortunately since he's stopped getting the injuries he's proved a gamechanging signing for Arsenal and is probably the one player they really can't afford to lose.

Xhaka is having a good season but I still feel he's a ticking time bomb and will likely be the first to be upgraded on.

Ok, funny, I never rated Partey that much, even when he was playing at La Liga. But he's proving solid for Arsenal this season. Xhaka is a mistery, i've always thought he was average to bad, but since the Euro he's improved massively, imo.

17 hours ago, Argo said:

If the plan is to sit deeper, play more direct and be content with 40% possession even I think Rice would be fine.

If we want to dominate the ball most weeks then technical (and tactical) excellence is an absolute minimum requirement for that role. 

Nope. 

If you look at dm for top possesion team. Pretty much all of them are tall and athletic. Some are better on the ball rodri. Some are not so much fabinho, casemiro. 

The only exception is us and it is not a surprise that we are the only one who play with back 3.

1 hour ago, Bob stark said:

Nope. 

If you look at dm for top possesion team. Pretty much all of them are tall and athletic. Some are better on the ball rodri. Some are not so much fabinho, casemiro. 

The only exception is us and it is not a surprise that we are the only one who play with back 3.

You nailed it, let's just take back Bakayoko and we'll finally win a title!

2 hours ago, Bob stark said:

Nope. 

If you look at dm for top possesion team. Pretty much all of them are tall and athletic. Some are better on the ball rodri. Some are not so much fabinho, casemiro. 

The only exception is us and it is not a surprise that we are the only one who play with back 3.

Liverpool are the one exception to that rule mainly because they built/build around world class fullbacks, and even they went in for Thiago.

United are not a possesion based team, both Rangnick and Ten Hag scrapped trying after two games.

55 minutes ago, Gol15 said:

You nailed it, let's just take back Bakayoko and we'll finally win a title!

So all non technical dm are the same. 😂😂😂

It is like saying Lukaku n Drogba are two physical st which mean they are the same. 

1 hour ago, Bob stark said:

So all non technical dm are the same. 😂😂😂

It is like saying Lukaku n Drogba are two physical st which mean they are the same. 

That's what you said, all you need is a tall and athletic midfielder there, you just saved us a lot of money here we can get Bakayoko again!

Was a good performance today has to be said. 

11 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Was a good performance today has to be said. 

It has been the same pretty much the whole tournament. He does not look good on the ball but he has been brilliant at defending transition. 

Bang on, get him in and let the attackers attack. 

On 03/12/2022 at 10:04, Argo said:

Liverpool are the one exception to that rule mainly because they built/build around world class fullbacks, and even they went in for Thiago.

United are not a possesion based team, both Rangnick and Ten Hag scrapped trying after two games.

We have world class full backs too, i'd argue we've built our team around them as much. Whenever Liverpool play Thiago, they have Fabinho there behind him, Thiago doesn't play the 'holding mid' role.

3 hours ago, RIP Mourinho said:

Bang on, get him in and let the attackers attack. 

This is the exact same type of PR tricks being used for Maguire's benefit aswell.

3 hours ago, RIP Mourinho said:

We have world class full backs too, i'd argue we've built our team around them as much. Whenever Liverpool play Thiago, they have Fabinho there behind him, Thiago doesn't play the 'holding mid' role.

I'd argue only one, as much as Chilwell pleasantly surprised me he's not at world class level in my opinion.

18 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Was a good performance today has to be said. 

Worth 60-70m, he's still pretty young, but not 100m that would be a mockery.

And if we do sign him I hope some people stop complaining about the lack of creativity from the midfield cause Rice playing an anchor for us won't suddenly become Fabregas.

11 minutes ago, Gol15 said:

Worth 60-70m, he's still pretty young, but not 100m that would be a mockery.

And if we do sign him I hope some people stop complaining about the lack of creativity from the midfield cause Rice playing an anchor for us won't suddenly become Fabregas.

I think Rice only makes sense if we switch to a back 4 + pivot. Partner Rice with a deep lying midfielder with a tactical/distribution sense, ala Enzo Fernandez. 

We then have Nkunku playing ahead of them at CAM. 

54 minutes ago, Argo said:

This is the exact same type of PR tricks being used for Maguire's benefit aswell.

I'd argue only one, as much as Chilwell pleasantly surprised me he's not at world class level in my opinion.

Maguire? All i see is Maguire getting grief online tbh. However, Maguire always performs for England so might be different these last couple of weeks. Can only really think of Cancelo as a better LB in the league atm.

20 minutes ago, Gol15 said:

Worth 60-70m, he's still pretty young, but not 100m that would be a mockery.

And if we do sign him I hope some people stop complaining about the lack of creativity from the midfield cause Rice playing an anchor for us won't suddenly become Fabregas.

No one expects him to turn into Fabregas. Having Rice would allow us to play two creative 8's infront of him though like we see for England. Can't to that with our current options.

5 minutes ago, RIP Mourinho said:

Maguire? All i see is Maguire getting grief online tbh. However, Maguire always performs for England so might be different these last couple of weeks. Can only really think of Cancelo as a better LB in the league atm.

No one expects him to turn into Fabregas. Having Rice would allow us to play two creative 8's infront of him though like we see for England. Can't to that with our current options.

I was talking more the media, every time he has a good game regardless of who against and in what context we get articles like this shoved down our throats.

It worries me a bit for the France game if I'm honest, everytime his PR machine goes into overdrive a disasterclass tends to follow shortly after.

7 minutes ago, RIP Mourinho said:

Having Rice would allow us to play two creative 8's infront of him though like we see for England. 

Still have yet to see Rice can do this solely. 

Found him struggling to create space for himself in England's build up. His best came off the ball rather on it, which goes to my point why I think he would fail here as our holding midfielder. He needs a partner. 

23 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

I think Rice only makes sense if we switch to a back 4 + pivot. Partner Rice with a deep lying midfielder with a tactical/distribution sense, ala Enzo Fernandez. 

We then have Nkunku playing ahead of them at CAM. 

It would be the irony of all ironys if signing Rice is what puts Mount's position in the team under threat.

But it's potentially a reality as I don't think both can co exist in a midfield. Mount can perfectly compliment two highly technical midfielders (as we saw multiple times with the him/Jorgi/Kova axis) but I don't think he can carry a technical/creative burden which he'll have too if Rice is one of the other two midfielders.

4 minutes ago, Argo said:

It would be the irony of all ironys if signing Rice is what puts Mount's position in the team under threat.

But it's potentially a reality as I don't think both can co exist in a midfield. Mount can perfectly compliment two highly technical midfielders (as we saw multiple times with the him/Jorgi/Kova axis) but I don't think he can carry a technical/creative burden which he'll have too if Rice is one of the other two midfielders.

It's an incredibly balanced midfield, (Enzo, Rice and Nkuku) and Mount still has a role to play as a rotation option for Nkunku or when we need to play aggressively in a 433. 

 

 

 

5 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

I think Rice only makes sense if we switch to a back 4 + pivot. Partner Rice with a deep lying midfielder with a tactical/distribution sense, ala Enzo Fernandez. 

We then have Nkunku playing ahead of them at CAM. 

That would be a completely new team though and we still wouldn't have a striker (part from Broja).

I imagine there are higher chances of Potter trying to turn Nkunku into a new Anelka cutting inside than seeing that starting lineup.

Maybe it sounds silly but I would be happy seeing some kind of a 4-2-2-2 formation with Nkunku + another striker like Sterling for example:

James Fofana Gvardiol Cucurella

         Fernandez Kovacic

Bellingham                     Mount

           Nkunku Sterling

Everyone happy there!

 

3 hours ago, Gol15 said:

That would be a completely new team though and we still wouldn't have a striker (part from Broja).

I imagine there are higher chances of Potter trying to turn Nkunku into a new Anelka cutting inside than seeing that starting lineup.

Maybe it sounds silly but I would be happy seeing some kind of a 4-2-2-2 formation with Nkunku + another striker like Sterling for example:

James Fofana Gvardiol Cucurella

         Fernandez Kovacic

Bellingham                     Mount

           Nkunku Sterling

Everyone happy there!

 

8 hours ago, axman2526 said:

Having Jude there in a more free role is what he'll be doing if Pep buys him though.

12 hours ago, Gol15 said:

That would be a completely new team though and we still wouldn't have a striker (part from Broja).

I imagine there are higher chances of Potter trying to turn Nkunku into a new Anelka cutting inside than seeing that starting lineup.

Maybe it sounds silly but I would be happy seeing some kind of a 4-2-2-2 formation with Nkunku + another striker like Sterling for example:

James Fofana Gvardiol Cucurella

         Fernandez Kovacic

Bellingham                     Mount

           Nkunku Sterling

Everyone happy there!

 

This team works only if we have a lot of the ball. Can't rely on Kova to carry a whole season with his legs

12 hours ago, Gol15 said:

That would be a completely new team though and we still wouldn't have a striker (part from Broja).

I imagine there are higher chances of Potter trying to turn Nkunku into a new Anelka cutting inside than seeing that starting lineup.

Maybe it sounds silly but I would be happy seeing some kind of a 4-2-2-2 formation with Nkunku + another striker like Sterling for example:

James Fofana Gvardiol Cucurella

         Fernandez Kovacic

Bellingham                     Mount

           Nkunku Sterling

Everyone happy there!

 

I mean, you've spent about £450m there and barely improved us which is impressive in itself.

2 hours ago, RIP Mourinho said:

I mean, you've spent about £450m there and barely improved us which is impressive in itself.

Enzo and Bellingham would absolutely transform us. 

28 minutes ago, Argo said:

Enzo and Bellingham would absolutely transform us. 

Bellingham wasted that high and wide, no actual striker in the team either. It's sh*te.