Transfer Talk Topic

[asvaberg]

13 minutes ago, JaneB said:

Are we actually going to be able to put a team together next season?

Roll on Saturday when hopefully Poch can tell us what’s what.

                          Kepa

James - Silva - Fofana - Chilwell

         Enzo- Gallagher - Chuk

       Madueke - Felix/Broja - Mudryk

 

no Europe - we're good 🙂

Edited June 29, 2023 by asvaberg

[BMox81]

I’m delighted with our outgoings business so far.

Of course it’s disappointing that some of them didn’t work out but can’t be too sentimental at this point. Our with the old deadwood and lets move forward with a definitive squad that’s going to grow together for the next 3/4 years.

[Ham]

3 hours ago, Holymoly said:

Mate, seriously, he is good enough for now. If we construct a fully functioning team ahead of him he will be entirely adequate. I honestly believe that the only difference between an average GK and an excellent one is minimal. Also the form of keepers fluctuates from year to year, look at Mendy, deGea, Bosnich, Grobbelaar as extremes. I even remember certain people here calling for Cech to be replaced years before he went to Arsenal. There are better areas of the pitch that we can waste £80m on.

 

1 hour ago, boratsbrother said:

I might be way off the mark on this and Kepa's performances are simply down to him not being all that good, but let's see how he performs if and when we start scoring more goals.

Due to our chronic lack of goals almost all our ganes are going into the final minutes with points still up for grabs. Kepa knows that one mistake from him at anytime in a game puts us in grave danger of dropping points.

Not just Kepa, but all of our players must be playing with a higher level of nerves and tension than they would be if they were in team which scored enough goals to consistently win games without having to be at it for 90mins every game. If players aren't relaxed that will effect their touch on the ball which will obviously lead to misplaced passes etc. Playing with tension will drain them of energy at a faster rate, etc etc etc. The dire lack of goals is having a knock-on effect through the entire team.

Absolutely.  If we scored goals in games last season, nobody would be talking about Kepa.  

The very best keepers in the PL made howlers last season but if the game was won, it was a footnote. 

We'll be fine as long as he gets the protection he needs and as long as the attackers do their fecking job.  

[Bob Singleton]

33 minutes ago, JaneB said:

Are we actually going to be able to put a team together next season?

Roll on Saturday when hopefully Poch can tell us what’s what.

Potential squad based on likely current ins & outs:

Kepa,  New GK,  Bettinelli

James,  Gusto,  Chilwell,  Cucurella

W Fofana,  Chalobah,  Badiashile,  Colwill,  Silva

Enzo,  Caicedo,  New CM (Veiga?),  Gallagher

Sterling,  Mudryck,  Nkunku,  Madueke

Jackson,  Broja


That still leaves 3 spaces in a 25 man squad (max allowed in PL)  Players under 21 don't have to be registered, so in theory as well as filing those 3 spaces with "senior" players, we can also include Gabriel Slonina, Lewis Hall, Andrey Santos, Cesare Casadei and Harvey Vale

Other squad additions from within our own ranks include Ian Maatsen, Carney Chukwuemeka and - dare I say it - Romelu Lukaku

[xceleryx]

Take it and run at this point.

[Sleeping Dave]

4 hours ago, Holymoly said:

Mate, seriously, he is good enough for now. If we construct a fully functioning team ahead of him he will be entirely adequate. I honestly believe that the only difference between an average GK and an excellent one is minimal. Also the form of keepers fluctuates from year to year, look at Mendy, deGea, Bosnich, Grobbelaar as extremes. I even remember certain people here calling for Cech to be replaced years before he went to Arsenal. There are better areas of the pitch that we can waste £80m on.

How can he be adequate when he lets in goals from way outside of the box on the regular? What team are we supposed to build to mask all of his weaknesses? It’s impossible. 

[Mark Kelly]

8 minutes ago, xceleryx said:

Take it and run at this point.

However , first Chelsea must return the hand they snatched from Tricky Trees manager Steve Cooper to be reattached so he can sign the documents .

[xceleryx]

13 minutes ago, Sleeping Dave said:

How can he be adequate when he lets in goals from way outside of the box on the regular? What team are we supposed to build to mask all of his weaknesses? It’s impossible. 

Have you considered that we conceded a lot of goals from outside of the box because our midfield has been a dysfunctional mess? No proper holding midfielder to shield the defence or close down space, then often those who are playing aren't closing down or getting themselves back into the positions they need to be in. 

You only need to look at some of the longer range goals we conceded last season to see the midfield doing the defence or Kepa no favours. 

[Blue Moon]

1 hour ago, Bob Singleton said:

dare I say it - Romelu Lukaku

rather you didn't ...

[Morgs]

1 hour ago, Bob Singleton said:

Potential squad based on likely current ins & outs:

Kepa,  New GK,  Bettinelli

James,  Gusto,  Chilwell,  Cucurella

W Fofana,  Chalobah,  Badiashile,  Colwill,  Silva

Enzo,  Caicedo,  New CM (Veiga?),  Gallagher

Sterling,  Mudryck,  Nkunku,  Madueke

Jackson,  Broja


That still leaves 3 spaces in a 25 man squad (max allowed in PL)  Players under 21 don't have to be registered, so in theory as well as filing those 3 spaces with "senior" players, we can also include Gabriel Slonina, Lewis Hall, Andrey Santos, Cesare Casadei and Harvey Vale

Other squad additions from within our own ranks include Ian Maatsen, Carney Chukwuemeka and - dare I say it - Romelu Lukaku

Hi Bob, 

(first post here, long time lurker)

I don't actually think you are far off here. Chuck in Santos in midfield, replace Cucurella with Maatsen and put in Hall as the utility player, and I think we'd  be in business. 

I'd definitely look at this and say it sort of justifies us spending big money on a new Keeper. I suspect itll be Maignan but we'll see. 

[Ham]

15 minutes ago, Morgs said:

Hi Bob, 

(first post here, long time lurker)

I don't actually think you are far off here. Chuck in Santos in midfield, replace Cucurella with Maatsen and put in Hall as the utility player, and I think we'd  be in business. 

I'd definitely look at this and say it sort of justifies us spending big money on a new Keeper. I suspect itll be Maignan but we'll see. 

If Martin's contact is right, Mason might fill a slot in the midfield too.  

[RDCW]

48 minutes ago, xceleryx said:

Have you considered that we conceded a lot of goals from outside of the box because our midfield has been a dysfunctional mess? No proper holding midfielder to shield the defence or close down space, then often those who are playing aren't closing down or getting themselves back into the positions they need to be in. 

You only need to look at some of the longer range goals we conceded last season to see the midfield doing the defence or Kepa no favours. 

That may be true  but Kepa should still have saved many of the shots he did let in. We aren't basing our opinions on the performance of the defence because he OBSERVABLY let the side down at times with his inability to react quickly enough, judge the flight of a ball, move his feet quickly to overcome his deficiency in stature, or anticipate the intention of the shooter. These are all minimum requirements for a competent keeper. 

As such any criticism of the defence as a reason for Kepa's inadequacy is an irrelevance: We are not talking about the statistics, we are talking about the empirical evidence that he has been incapable of making saves which other keepers would have made in the circumstances in which he found  himself. 

I think we should keep looking and find someone better without spending a silly sum on a "new" superstar keeper. It does, in my opinion, represent a priority, because no side can challenge for honours without a trustworthy custodian!

Edited June 29, 2023 by RDCW

[Bob Singleton]

28 minutes ago, Ham said:

If Martin's contact is right, Mason might fill a slot in the midfield too.  

I fear Mount is off to United.  I think it was 'decided' quite some while back, too.  If anyone genuinely believes that he'll stay a final year with the intention of running down his contract, only to be convinced to extend his contract at some point and get the money he believes he deserves... well, you'll believe anything!

[Dale86]

46 minutes ago, xceleryx said:

Have you considered that we conceded a lot of goals from outside of the box because our midfield has been a dysfunctional mess? No proper holding midfielder to shield the defence or close down space, then often those who are playing aren't closing down or getting themselves back into the positions they need to be in. 

You only need to look at some of the longer range goals we conceded last season to see the midfield doing the defence or Kepa no favours. 

I don't play at any high level, pretty much 8-a-side on a half pitch in goals that are about 4 foot tall, we change keeper regularly so everyone gets a go (and a rest!) 

It's amazing how many shots from distance you can stop when you close people down and when I'm in goal (partly cos I'm rubbish in goal, but also cos I try my best to close people down when I'm not) I make it clear that's what I want my team to do! Obviously the odd wonder strike makes it's way in but being well disciplined as a team helps a lot.

[xceleryx]

38 minutes ago, RDCW said:

That may be true  but Kepa should still have saved many of the shots he did let in. We aren't basing our opinions on the performance of the defence because he OBSERVABLY let the side down at times with his inability to react quickly enough, judge the flight of a ball, move his feet quickly to overcome his deficiency in stature, or anticipate the intention of the shooter. These are all minimum requirements for a competent keeper. 

As such any criticism of the defence as a reason for Kepa's inadequacy is an irrelevance: We are not talking about the statistics, we are talking about the empirical evidence that he has been incapable of making saves which other keepers would have made in the circumstances in which he found  himself. 

I think we should keep looking and find someone better without spending a silly sum on a "new" superstar keeper. It does, in my opinion, represent a priority, because no side can challenge for honours without a trustworthy custodian!

There's certainly shots Kepa should've done better with if not saved, however the defence and the midfield also play a role in a keepers ability to react, move their feet, and make general judgement calls when attempting to make a save, etc. While these things may not be applicable on every occasion, I do believe it's an aspect that goes overlooked more than it probably should be due to the camera angle in which games are broadcasted on tv, or if you aren't to sit directly behind the goal on match days. 

It's a little bit like wicketkeeping in cricket, something I have some personal experience with, you don't quite realise how much of an impact not being able to track the ball on its entire journey can have - especially when keeping up close to the wickets. Even a millisecond or so can be enough for weight disruption, footwork or vision to be impacted enough to make you that fraction late. Now amplify that and you begin to acknowledge the impact external influences can have on a goalkeeper trying to protect the goal. 

I do agree that we should still continue to explore our options, but unless we're replacing Kepa with someone who is am improvement across the board and elevates the quality of the position (and team), then making do for now is adequate enough in my view.

[RDCW]

1 minute ago, xceleryx said:

There's certainly shots Kepa should've done better with if not saved, however the defence and the midfield also play a role in a keepers ability to react, move their feet, and make general judgement calls when attempting to make a save, etc. While these things may not be applicable on every occasion, I do believe it's an aspect that goes overlooked more than it probably should be due to the camera angle in which games are broadcasted on tv, or if you aren't to sit directly behind the goal on match days. 

It's a little bit like wicketkeeping in cricket, something I have some personal experience with, you don't quite realise how much of an impact not being able to track the ball on its entire journey can have - especially when keeping up close to the wickets. Even a millisecond or so can be enough for weight disruption, footwork or vision to be impacted enough to make you that fraction late. Now amplify that and you begin to acknowledge the impact external influences can have on a goalkeeper trying to protect the goal. 

I do agree that we should still continue to explore our options, but unless we're replacing Kepa with someone who is am improvement across the board and elevates the quality of the position (and team), then making do for now is adequate enough in my view.

Of course! He is not so bad that we can't possible go on with him, but if we do want to build excellence in every position (in order to win the title) we will need to find someone better.

[xceleryx]

55 minutes ago, Dale86 said:

I don't play at any high level, pretty much 8-a-side on a half pitch in goals that are about 4 foot tall, we change keeper regularly so everyone gets a go (and a rest!) 

It's amazing how many shots from distance you can stop when you close people down and when I'm in goal (partly cos I'm rubbish in goal, but also cos I try my best to close people down when I'm not) I make it clear that's what I want my team to do! Obviously the odd wonder strike makes it's way in but being well disciplined as a team helps a lot.

Yeah, I've had a similar experience when I used to play indoor/futsal and do a little keeping from time to time. As someone that also played 11 aside in both defence and midfield, there was always a huge emphasis on getting body between the ball and closing down. When you let attackers set themselves and  get a good sight on goal, it's a much harder proposition to deal with for your keeper.

Also, how much does it suck getting your fingers bent back with those rock hard mini-balls. 

[xceleryx]

5 minutes ago, RDCW said:

Of course! He is not so bad that we can't possible go on with him, but if we do want to build excellence in every position (in order to win the title) we will need to find someone better.

No doubt. We've got time though to be fair, it's not as if we're challenging for a title in the immediate future. We'll see what happens, maybe Slonina ends up being the solution in a few years time,

[chara]

I still have two pages on this topic to catch up on but have to leave in a short while to go to the Trading Post to barter pelts for next weeks groceries etc (and b/fast at a local cafe) so may have missed some points..BUT BUT

Enough of the endless,circular, argument about Kepa..PLEASE..

Consensus is he is not the greatest but certainly not the disaster made out to be at all times.

Find a better keeper and I'm all for it but no point in bringing in a slightly better..whatever that means...keeper...and who is out there worth a big purchase?...

The days of ..(OG) bringing in a class keeper like Stepney to gee up a great keeper like "The Cat" are long long gone.

So...lets just move on ...far more interesting player debates abound...the Kepa argument has been done to death.

 

[Dale86]

25 minutes ago, xceleryx said:

Also, how much does it suck getting your fingers bent back with those rock hard mini-balls. 

Oh yeah, it's absolutely awful! We've had a fair few hand/finger injuries to keepers. Thankfully I rarely get my hands near the shots so have avoided anything too bad.

[Bob Singleton]

15 minutes ago, chara said:

I still have two pages on this topic to catch up on but have to leave in a short while to go to the Trading Post to barter pelts for next weeks groceries etc (and b/fast at a local cafe) so may have missed some points..BUT BUT

Enough of the endless,circular, argument about Kepa..PLEASE..

[SNIP]

 

The problem is that when nothing else is happening, some people will obsess on certain subjects. I just wish the club would pull their finger out and start to get rid of all the players we need to get rid... oh, hang on...

[RDCW]

27 minutes ago, chara said:

I still have two pages on this topic to catch up on but have to leave in a short while to go to the Trading Post to barter pelts for next weeks groceries etc (and b/fast at a local cafe) so may have missed some points..BUT BUT

Enough of the endless,circular, argument about Kepa..PLEASE..

Consensus is he is not the greatest but certainly not the disaster made out to be at all times.

Find a better keeper and I'm all for it but no point in bringing in a slightly better..whatever that means...keeper...and who is out there worth a big purchase?...

The days of ..(OG) bringing in a class keeper like Stepney to gee up a great keeper like "The Cat" are long long gone.

So...lets just move on ...far more interesting player debates abound...the Kepa argument has been done to death.

 

Wind yer neck in Chara, you old fart 😅! We have to put up with your meanderings, so you have to put up with our pointless dissection of Kepa's inadequacies. And another thing............

[boratsbrother]

41 minutes ago, chara said:

 

So...lets just move on ...far more interesting player debates abound...the Kepa argument has been done to death.

 

Yes, let's all Shut That Door and talk about Larry Grayson, instead.

[JaneB]

17 minutes ago, RDCW said:

Wind yer neck in Chara, you old fart 😅! We have to put up with your meanderings, so you have to put up with our pointless dissection of Kepa's inadequacies. And another thing............

Richard!!!

I do draw the line at you calling our Chara an old f*** 😮

[RDCW]

30 minutes ago, JaneB said:

Richard!!!

I do draw the line at you calling our Chara an old f*** 😮

We are old farty friends, Jane! 🤣