11 hours ago, thebluekid said:

I’m sorry but Neymar is not a world class player. Maybe, MAYBE, he was when he was at Barca alongside that team; now though, no chance. He is an absolute bottler of the highest caliber. Add to that a very weak personality that gets petulant when he loses; an insatiable desire to cheat and dive; the perfect package for someone that most certainly isn’t world class. Don’t let his FIFA rating fool you. 

If Neymar is not wc, then I don't know who is

1 hour ago, Bob stark said:

If Neymar is not wc, then I don't know who is

Mount is, & so is James

3 hours ago, ducavis said:

Mount is, & so is James

Mount is very close, James as wb not even close. 

 

 

I’m a big fan of having a young player as a back up. So let’s back Livramento. Then you have Azpi as even more experienced back up if we need it.

Lots of reports saying that PSG is pretty much a done deal now. Reports also saying we didn’t actually make an offer and we were only in talks with agents. 

1 hour ago, JM7 said:

Lots of reports saying that PSG is pretty much a done deal now. Reports also saying we didn’t actually make an offer and we were only in talks with agents. 

Can't say I am going to be too distraught if we end up not signing a player I'd never heard of until a couple of weeks ago 🙂

4 hours ago, Bob stark said:

Mount is very close, James as wb not even close. 

 

 

No! & No! Can we stop branding good players as world class.

12 minutes ago, ducavis said:

No! & No! Can we stop branding good players as world class.

Mount is very close imo.

Looks like Hakimi is off to Paris 

1. Neymar is world class, anyone who disagrees pays too much attention to Neymar the man and not Neymar the player.

2. Hakimi going to PSG makes 0 difference to us, we won the ucl without him and can win the league without him. He would have been an upgrade to an already world class squad but that's it. 

3. The important thing is we now save the money we would have spent on this transfer and can put it towards a striker or dm. 

Nothing lost here, perhaps a blessing in disguise.

4 hours ago, ducavis said:

No! & No! Can we stop branding good players as world class.

Don’t want to derail the hakami thread but agreed. We have some amazing young players but let’s not call them world class. There’s a very good chance they will be in a few years. The only world class player we have in my opinion is Kante. He would walk into any team on the planet. Others wouldn’t. We have a team full of potential. 

Adama Traoré rumors in 3,,2,,1,,,

6 hours ago, Bob stark said:

Mount is very close imo.

I mean killer passes to win CL finals he isn’t far but not yet a world class player, world class players effect games pretty much every time they play he could be WC in a couple of years if he keeps going at this trajectory. 
 

Kante is our only world class player with Havertz having world class ability. There’s probably only 20-25 world class players in football today 

3 hours ago, SFL82 said:

I mean killer passes to win CL finals he isn’t far but not yet a world class player, world class players effect games pretty much every time they play he could be WC in a couple of years if he keeps going at this trajectory. 
 

Kante is our only world class player with Havertz having world class ability. There’s probably only 20-25 world class players in football today 

For me it is more of Mount total performance for the entire last season. He was given responsibility to be the main creator and connector between midfield and forward and he did these double jobs very2 well against many top flight competitors. He isn't wc but he is getting closer. 

Havertz isn't wc, potential for sure, but not right now. Like you said in our team right now Kante is the only one who is wc, silva was one but he clearly has lost two steps.

Just a couple years ago we had 5. Costa, Hazard, cesc (maybe a bit too old when we got Kante), Kante and one gk. You can argue whether Diego is wc or not but he was damn good. 

 

 

 

Pretty ambivalent on Hakimi. He's a speed merchant who has done very well in a defensively atrocious Serie A, but at the price quoted we have much more pressing needs. The main reason is that it is based on the assumption that Tuchel is going to stick with 3-at-the-back formations; historically, he is a notorious formation tweaker. I'm not sold on his ability on the ball either; Reece James is one of the best crossers/passers in the team already, and is able to hit hard, first-time crosses, whereas Hakimi has spent a season with all the time in the world on the ball to pick out the towering Lukaku.

In saying that, Hakimi is one of the fastest players in the world and in the EPL where teams need to counter-attack quickly, that means a lot. James and especially Chilwell are fast, but Hakimi's speed is a notch above and maybe Tuchel's thinking is that he could be developed into a 2-in-1 player who is reliably able to support counter-attacks and defense. In 3-at-the-back he's a wingback, and in a 4-at-the-back he's an orthodox winger.

 

 

For me James is better at RCB, though he can hit a decent cross normally they don't have enough pace or accuracy to trouble the opposition defence.

Whether Hakimi is right for us not sure though obviously we see a need as before Hakimi we were being linked with Traore.

3 hours ago, SydneyChelsea said:

Pretty ambivalent on Hakimi. He's a speed merchant who has done very well in a defensively atrocious Serie A, but at the price quoted we have much more pressing needs. The main reason is that it is based on the assumption that Tuchel is going to stick with 3-at-the-back formations; historically, he is a notorious formation tweaker. I'm not sold on his ability on the ball either; Reece James is one of the best crossers/passers in the team already, and is able to hit hard, first-time crosses, whereas Hakimi has spent a season with all the time in the world on the ball to pick out the towering Lukaku.

In saying that, Hakimi is one of the fastest players in the world and in the EPL where teams need to counter-attack quickly, that means a lot. James and especially Chilwell are fast, but Hakimi's speed is a notch above and maybe Tuchel's thinking is that he could be developed into a 2-in-1 player who is reliably able to support counter-attacks and defense. In 3-at-the-back he's a wingback, and in a 4-at-the-back he's an orthodox winger.

 

 

Can he actually hit a good cross? I don’t think hitting the byline and lofting the ball into the box qualifies as a good cross. 4 assists in 41 PL starts supports this, and I don’t think it’s a lack of 20 goal forward issue. Worth remembering he also takes a large chunk of our dead balls. 
 

Personally feel his attacking game needs serious work, and he needs solid competition. 

Little disappointed we didn't get him, one of the best in the world in his position and only 22. But also not the end of the world when we have James and Hudson Odoi did well their last season too. I honestly rather buy Tariq Lamptey back though if i had the choice between Hakimi and Lamptey.

4 hours ago, jack_super_class said:

Little disappointed we didn't get him, one of the best in the world in his position and only 22. But also not the end of the world when we have James and Hudson Odoi did well their last season too. I honestly rather buy Tariq Lamptey back though if i had the choice between Hakimi and Lamptey.

I wouldn't, far too injury phrone and most of his plaudits came from people wanting to use his form as a stick to beat James with as much as anyone else.

I am pretty gutted about this tbh but I'll get over it if a negative is turned into a positive and Livramento is given a shot and/or CHO is given significant game time there, if not we may have to revert to a back four. James and Chilwell simply do not offer enough in the attack for both to start there in games were we need to break bus park teams down (although it's very effective in the big games).

1 hour ago, Argo said:

I wouldn't, far too injury phrone and most of his plaudits came from people wanting to use his form as a stick to beat James with as much as anyone else.

I am pretty gutted about this tbh but I'll get over it if a negative is turned into a positive and Livramento is given a shot and/or CHO is given significant game time there, if not we may have to revert to a back four. James and Chilwell simply do not offer enough in the attack for both to start there in games were we need to break bus park teams down (although it's very effective in the big games).

Bit harsh to say he is injury prone based on one season. He was getting plaudits for his performances, He was fantastic at the start of the season, the wingback position suits him.

 

Nothing lost really. Maybe the board can now focus on getting someone who doesn't cost the GDP of a small country

On 22/06/2021 at 14:55, weetee said:

No need to downplay PSG. They have as many chances to win the CL as we have - with absolute world-class players in the mix. Do people think little of Kimmich or Lewandowski or Neuer because they are playing for one of the biggest one-club leagues in Europe? Paris ain't a shabby town either.

 

Anyway, I guess PSG will do everything to win the CL right before the WorldCup in Qatar starts and Hakimi is the perfect fit for them. But £80m is crazy money.

Kimmich is bang average in my book.. easy defending when you are bayern.. 

The only way we lose Hakimi is if PSG actually bids over 65m euros for him. I don't think he's worth 70m but if PSG thinks that then congratulations.

CHO can do what Hakimi does if given the same gametime in Serie A.

1 hour ago, Gol15 said:

The only way we lose Hakimi is if PSG actually bids over 65m euros for him. I don't think he's worth 70m but if PSG thinks that then congratulations.

CHO can do what Hakimi does if given the same gametime in Serie A.

On what I’ve seen cho is less two footed and not as cool in front of goal. Otherwise I agree. Except Hakimi is so quick.