billyblue80
Player Valuation: £70m
At least that suggests we are looking still wager we end up with Barkley especially if Lamps is the manager.
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Dele Ali is a very talented boy, but you get the impression that football isnt his focus these days, sadly.
Hopefully if motivated he could do well here.
The issue with Ali was always that he wasn't really that good at anything apart from finding space. Now, that in itself is a talent, but it means the system a team plays has to be pretty exact for it to be any good.
I always think he was a bit like Cahil in that sense. Lampard is another one but Lampard had genuinely brilliant ability too.
I think Ali is gifted, like Cahill was, but when you look at him as a player he doesn't really excel at anything. He's not a great passer, he hasn't got amazing vision, he's not going to regularly pop one in from 30 yards or from a free-kick like Lampard could.
He's average to decent at most things but he hasn't really got a position. He isn't a number 10 , he's not a midfielder and he isn't a striker. If he's anything, it's a second striker and not many teams play with those now. Ironically enough, Everton under Benitez very much did, even if fans seemed to think it was 4231, it was much more like a 4411.
Another player I think is similar is Kai Havertz. He's got a bit more technical ability but in terms of where he fits in on the pitch, he's basically a player in between three positions.
Now Cahill was always extremely hard working and had such a long, brilliant career. But those types of players definitely need a manager to play to their strengths, to play them right and find the right way to get that talent to the fore. I will say I think Ali has more natural talent than Cahill and then since he was bombed by Mourinho his confidence is completely shot.
That being said, he is a player who feels like he needs that shot in the arm and if we did get a Lampard or Rooney in, I think he's exactly the type of player who would thrive under a manager like that - Lampard especially just because I think Ali would learn so much from him. Not saying that any of them are the definite answer, but just that I could see it happening.
also @MikelsGoat and @Nymzee - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/24/...nsfer-rumors.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytsports
Might be worth reading this about Fab if you've got a spare few mins after our convos yesterday
Might be worth reading this about Fab if you've got a spare few mins after our convos yesterday
Paywall.
greener
Player Valuation: £950k
I think the last thing EFC need at present is a sulky, over-entitled barsteward lifting morale in the club.
So nailed on then.
Really? I'm on it and don't have a sub.
weltonblue
Player Valuation: £1.5m
He's also a Red.
@Nymzee basically says that he's now content with being the one to put the 'seal of approval' on things and that he's realised that's where the value is. But does also explain that his first break came about because he happened to help the agent who would go on to manage Icardi and Deulofeu.
He's a professional footballer.
Clear talent there with Alli. Whether we can bring the best out of him... I doubt it.
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