Transfer Talk Topic

[Mark Kelly]

15 minutes ago, RDCW said:

It's perfectly normal for sports teams to use motivational psychologists to assist coaches. It doesn't mean the coach is not responsible for the broad issues of morale and team philosophy, strategy etc; the shrink should work to the imperatives defined by Potter.

We could do with a size thirteen hobnail boots ass kicking coach if you ask me.

[boratsbrother]

Even Ali, the greatest of them all, had Bundini Brown in his corner as a kind is spiritual motivator.

[RDCW]

1 minute ago, Mark Kelly said:

We could do with a size thirteen hobnail boots ass kicking coach if you ask me.

I know what you mean! I come from a generation which was routinely beaten in order to encourage it to conform. Unfortunately that isn't going to work with the modern breed of privileged footballer and while it rankles with those of us who remain instinctively unreconstructed in our views, it does represent progress! If I treated my children (not that I could even bring myself to thinking about it) the way my folks treated me, I'd be in jail 🤣. Just as we don't hit our children now, we quite rightly don't kick our footballers up the arse, although maybe the new shrink has retro ideas 😂.

[chara]

3 hours ago, RDCW said:

I know what you mean! I come from a generation which was routinely beaten in order to encourage it to conform. Unfortunately that isn't going to work with the modern breed of privileged footballer and while it rankles with those of us who remain instinctively unreconstructed in our views, it does represent progress! If I treated my children (not that I could even bring myself to thinking about it) the way my folks treated me, I'd be in jail 🤣. Just as we don't hit our children now, we quite rightly don't kick our footballers up the arse, although maybe the new shrink has retro ideas 😂.

I have a little bit of ability with working dog training...the old rolled up newspaper whack on the nose or nose rubbed in it for a puppy not trained (guided) to go outside is the same blinkered nonsense a certain generation dealt with as kids.

In football, as well as life, self-discipline is all important,simple but not easy.

It's a fine line between producing an entitled generation of adults and players and  instilling the self-awareness and self-discipline needed as an adult or pro player.

I handle my dogs with a will of iron not a rod of iron and understand that any mistakes by them usually are down to me misreading a situation.

That's the responsibility of a coach ...getting the message across...a bit convoluted but I'm sure you all get my point.

Edited February 7, 2023 by chara

[xceleryx]

7 hours ago, RDCW said:

It's perfectly normal for sports teams to use motivational psychologists to assist coaches. It doesn't mean the coach is not responsible for the broad issues of morale and team philosophy, strategy etc; the shrink should work to the imperatives defined by Potter.

I'm aware it's not an uncommon practise in various other sports, it's more that in football it's common for the mentality of a side to be an extension of the manager. Mourinho built it here during his first spell in particular, we've seen Conte across more or less all his jobs look to instil that dogged spirit, even Tuchel came in and created a mindset early of wanting to make us a difficult side to play against. You can even look beyond the top managers and sides and see this often being the case. 

The wider point is that at what point does Potter need to take onus of building that culture first? A lot of was made about Potters degree in emotional intelligence, the way he communicates with his players and looks for form bonds. For me it shouldn't be the primary responsibility of an outside source as the driving force behind creating this environment. By all means, use others to help aid these things, but the bulk of the responsibility should still rest at the managers feet, otherwise what's the point in hiring that sort of profile of manager? If the idea is to palm something like this off to others wouldn't the logical choice when selecting a manager then become more geared towards obtaining the most tactically and sporting astute option out there? 

[CarefreeMuratcan]

Sounds like Neuer has had a falling out with Bayern Munich. Firstly because of his ski accident, and secondly because they have sacked the GK coach, who has been a mentor to Neuer since his Schalke days. I suppose the relationship is like the one Tennis players have with their coaches.

So potentially he will be on the market this Summer...

[ROTG]

24 minutes ago, CarefreeMuratcan said:

Sounds like Neuer has had a falling out with Bayern Munich. Firstly because of his ski accident, and secondly because they have sacked the GK coach, who has been a mentor to Neuer since his Schalke days. I suppose the relationship is like the one Tennis players have with their coaches.

So potentially he will be on the market this Summer...

Who cares. 

More important matters to be resolved in the summer, rather than worrying about the  GK squad.  

[FrankLampard8]

56 minutes ago, CarefreeMuratcan said:

Sounds like Neuer has had a falling out with Bayern Munich. Firstly because of his ski accident, and secondly because they have sacked the GK coach, who has been a mentor to Neuer since his Schalke days. I suppose the relationship is like the one Tennis players have with their coaches.

So potentially he will be on the market this Summer...

The guy is 36

[Bob Singleton]

1 hour ago, CarefreeMuratcan said:

Sounds like Neuer has had a falling out with Bayern Munich. Firstly because of his ski accident, and secondly because they have sacked the GK coach, who has been a mentor to Neuer since his Schalke days. I suppose the relationship is like the one Tennis players have with their coaches.

So potentially he will be on the market this Summer...

Kepa is OK for now. Better than Mendy, anyway, and given how much he cost and the wages he's on, he's the hardest to sell but the easiest to keep from a form perspective. If Mendy can't agree a new contract, then maybe let him go and bring in a No.2 who can really push Kepa, but someone to help out Enzo in midfield and someone to bang in the goals up top are the priorities (along with trimming the squad, of course).

[CarefreeMuratcan]

2 hours ago, ROTG said:

Who cares. 

More important matters to be resolved in the summer, rather than worrying about the  GK squad.  

True I can't argue against that.

2 hours ago, FrankLampard8 said:

The guy is 36

O honestly thought he was in his early 30s.my mistake.

1 hour ago, Bob Singleton said:

Kepa is OK for now. Better than Mendy, anyway, and given how much he cost and the wages he's on, he's the hardest to sell but the easiest to keep from a form perspective. If Mendy can't agree a new contract, then maybe let him go and bring in a No.2 who can really push Kepa, but someone to help out Enzo in midfield and someone to bang in the goals up top are the priorities (along with trimming the squad, of course).

Yes GK is not a priority but Kepa still gives us those scary moments where he gives the ball to the opposition. He even had one against Fulham. I just can't take those anymore, they are far too frequent.

[Ham]

58 minutes ago, CarefreeMuratcan said:

 

O honestly thought he was in his early 30s.my mistake.

 

Funny because I assumed he was over 40 now. Seems like he's been around forever. 

[chara]

1 hour ago, Ham said:

Funny because I assumed he was over 40 now. Seems like he's been around forever. 

No, that's me Ham!!

[Rob B]

5 hours ago, ROTG said:

Who cares. 

More important matters to be resolved in the summer, rather than worrying about the  GK squad.  

Like where?  

Other than a striker (assuming you are of the view that Nkunku, Havertz and possibly Felix isn’t enough) and CDM, we’re pretty well stocked now given all of the January activity. 

We have 2 high quality wing backs for each side, stocked at centre back,  stocked at attacking midfield, and also stocked for number 8’s. 

I’d be shocked if our summer transfer activity wasn’t very specifically a striker, a number 4 type midfielder and a GK.  

(and then a shit tonne of outgoings!!!)

[FrankLampard8]

12 hours ago, Rob B said:

Like where?  

It all depends really.

We could be looking at Losing Kante, Zakaria and Kovacic from the squad as it stands at which point we need 2 midfielders (you could even argue 3 but that won't happen). I think Mendy will be sold so we could well be looking for a keeper but I think it would be a number 2. We are lacking a striker because despite what everyone is saying, I think Nkunku needs to play off someone. There are question marks over Mount, Havertz, Pulisic and Ziyech so you could even argue for another attacker depending on what happens there. 

Then there is the centre back situation which feels a bit up in the air. Badiashile looks great, Fofana has barely played for us and can't stay fit, Thiago Silva will surely be in his last year with us, there are reports saying Koulibaly will be sold, Is Colwill ready to contribute and is Chalobah good enough? I could easily see us buying 1 more in the future.

I am not saying we will or should buy for all of these positions next window but there are question marks over a lot of the squad despite the money we have spent.

[My Blood Is Blue]

Looks like Aubameyang is going to be off to the USA, which makes much more sense as to why he wasn't included in the CL squad.

Just a really poor signing all around.

[Michael Tucker]

51 minutes ago, My Blood Is Blue said:

Looks like Aubameyang is going to be off to the USA,

Sorry txo be a nuisance, but do you have a link for that?

[Bob Singleton]

4 minutes ago, Michael Tucker said:

Sorry txo be a nuisance, but do you have a link for that?

Original story comes out of USA, then picked up by French publication Le10Sport, and then by The Mirror here in the UK

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/pierre-emerick-aubameyang-transfer-lafc-29169865

 

 

[xceleryx]

1 hour ago, My Blood Is Blue said:

Looks like Aubameyang is going to be off to the USA, which makes much more sense as to why he wasn't included in the CL squad.

Just a really poor signing all around.

Bit of a victim of circumstance really. 

Late minute budget purchase to help somewhat remedy an issue hand. Quite clearly no longer in his prime and is far more reliant on service, something we've notoriously struggled with as a side. Then see's the manager he signed under sacked more or less immediately afterwards. 

I do think he'd have done a bit better under Tuchel as a whole, but end of the day it's just not been something that's really worked for either party so leaving is for the best. 

[My Blood Is Blue]

26 minutes ago, xceleryx said:

Bit of a victim of circumstance really. 

Late minute budget purchase to help somewhat remedy an issue hand. Quite clearly no longer in his prime and is far more reliant on service, something we've notoriously struggled with as a side. Then see's the manager he signed under sacked more or less immediately afterwards. 

I do think he'd have done a bit better under Tuchel as a whole, but end of the day it's just not been something that's really worked for either party so leaving is for the best. 

Completely agree, I wasn't having a dig at Aumameyang as such, just more around the circumstances and the situation for all involved. A really odd one in the end.

[Mark Kelly]

9 minutes ago, My Blood Is Blue said:

Completely agree, I wasn't having a dig at Aumameyang as such, just more around the circumstances and the situation for all involved. A really odd one in the end.

And , he's barely had a chance to kick a ball in anger for us .

[Ham]

I read that we were loaning him out and paying all of his wages.

Surely that cannot be true. What's the motivation for us? 

[FrankLampard8]

18 minutes ago, Ham said:

I read that we were loaning him out and paying all of his wages.

Surely that cannot be true. What's the motivation for us? 

Probably a combination of not having him around the training ground and potentially causing a bad atmosphere, and also maybe even a bit of a moral obligation - the manager he signed for was sacked like a day after he arrived and has barely been given a look in really. 

Edited February 9, 2023 by FrankLampard8

[thevelourfog]

10 hours ago, My Blood Is Blue said:

Looks like Aubameyang is going to be off to the USA, which makes much more sense as to why he wasn't included in the CL squad.

Just a really poor signing all around.

And it is worth repeating, a clear indication that the briefing around the Tuchel sacking being something Boehly and Co. had been considering for some time was a pack of lies. I really doubt Aubameyang was going to set the world alight for us under any circumstances, but he was clearly bought because of his relationship with Tuchel.

3 hours ago, Ham said:

I read that we were loaning him out and paying all of his wages.

Surely that cannot be true. What's the motivation for us? 

Just not having him here. A bloated squad with multiple players not getting a look in is asking for trouble.

[Thiago97]

9 hours ago, thevelourfog said:

And it is worth repeating, a clear indication that the briefing around the Tuchel sacking being something Boehly and Co. had been considering for some time was a pack of lies. I really doubt Aubameyang was going to set the world alight for us under any circumstances, but he was clearly bought because of his relationship with Tuchel.

Just not having him here. A bloated squad with multiple players not getting a look in is asking for trouble.

I don't know, not sure on this . I caught a disagreement between Simon Jordan and that prat Keown on talksport recently, when I say caught I mean a Youtube video of their disagreement. I was left with the impression that Jordan has heard stories from the Boehly camp about the Tuchel sacking. He certainly implies during that discussion that he has been presented with a chain of events, not specifically football related , as to the reasons why Tuchel was sacked.

I don't believe Jordan to come up with BS like that, its not his style. I suspect we will never really know in the public. He has clearly spent some time with the new ownership, I believe they were mixing in the same circles when out in Qatar for the WC. Of course, the narrative he has been fed may not be 100% accurate. 

[Thiago97]

Question on the DM role moving forward. Whilst it looks like price tag is not such an issue under the current regime and I think may of us would delighted with Rice.

Thoughts on Tyler Adams as a cheaper alternative? Something about this player that catches my eye every game I watch him. He generally keeps it simple and has good technical ability, his pace and energy levels remind me of prime Kante. He breaks up play in a similar way to how Kante does, by getting there before opposition players in many 50/50's. The downside is I still think we need some size in the team in midfield. He does not have the physical attributes of Rice or maybe Paulinha at Fulham for comparison.