January 2018 transfer window thread.

[Kenshin]

It's started lads! The club are identifying where we need to improve

• Arsenal's hopes of signing Besiktas midfielder Oguzhan Ozyakup have been hit by a rival bid from Everton.

Some attacking midfielder who can probably play the number 10 role

 

[CRIMHEAD]

We don't need an elite centre back mate, we just need a choice of three who are at worst solid and none of whom have a massive flaw such as pace or not being able to pass a ball five yards

United for example look solid when they have smalling and Jones play, because they're well coached 'decent' players.

We do however need a quality left back as Baines just looks done at this level now, we also as you say need to completely scrap playing two defensive mids, but can and will only do that when we sort out the centre back problems.

Two def mids for me allows both to neglect their roles and go wandering or worse hiding. Because they can always put blame onto the other, play one, it's their job and its clear as day when they fail that it's their area they failed in.

We have to be elite SOMEWHERE. Smalling and Jones are miles better than everyone we have with the possible exception of Keane, and even that is a stretch. it just seems like the most obvious area that we need a great player at.

I'm fine with playing with two center mids, but we better not concede anything if that's the case. Right now, they have no idea how to play. None. But you are right. A great CB allows us to not need two DMs.

 

[Eggs]

..any updates on Dolberg this season @bluestevon?

 

[bluestevon]

We have to be elite SOMEWHERE. Smalling and Jones are miles better than everyone we have with the possible exception of Keane, and even that is a stretch. it just seems like the most obvious area that we need a great player at.

I'm fine with playing with two center mids, but we better not concede anything if that's the case. Right now, they have no idea how to play. None. But you are right. A great CB allows us to not need two DMs.

The game is all about partnerships around the pitch mate, and the bare bones of it is this, we completely lack any of those. On paper we have 4-5 good central mids, yet none of them have formed any partnership that doesn't make the individuals game look worse. We have no centre back pairing, and no partnership on either flank between fullbacks and wide players. And none between any of the host of attacking mids and striker.

So we just look utterly disjointed everywhere with no rhythm balance or cohesion , we lack what Baines famously called chemistry all over.

 

[Zatara]

I was at Sat game and there is no way we will be 8-10 at the years end
Palace who are bottom of the table were the better side

Wait and see...we'll be 8-10th no problem.

That lad will end up at spurs nailed on.

Unless we get Silva in and he wants to follow him.

We don't need an elite centre back mate, we just need a choice of three who are at worst solid and none of whom have a massive flaw such as pace or not being able to pass a ball five yards

United for example look solid when they have smalling and Jones play, because they're well coached 'decent' players.

We do however need a quality left back as Baines just looks done at this level now, we also as you say need to completely scrap playing two defensive mids, but can and will only do that when we sort out the centre back problems.

Two def mids for me allows both to neglect their roles and go wandering or worse hiding. Because they can always put blame onto the other, play one, it's their job and its clear as day when they fail that it's their area they failed in.

I'm with @CRIMHEAD on this, I think centre back is a key position and we need a top player there.

If we have a star centre back the others around him will up their game. Left back we need another u21 player who can improve massively.

 

[Zatara]

..any updates on Dolberg this season @bluestevon?

Rubbish and benched until October..then turned in a fantastic performance against feyenoord with a double and was their best player last game against heerenveen.

 

[bluestevon]

..any updates on Dolberg this season @bluestevon?

Been poor mate, think he's only scored 2 in the league, Ajax tbf look to have suffered without klassen and traore there.

Still looks quality. But definitely looks like second season syndrome atm.

Could argue that this would be a good time to try get him though.

 

[Markydys]

What strikers are available that would be considered a decent signing?
Any one fancy Sturridge? Or his links with the reds mean he's a definite no go? He'd get regular first team action which will boost his chances of going to the World Cup.

 

[MACCA75]

What strikers are available that would be considered a decent signing?
Any one fancy Sturridge? Or his links with the reds mean he's a definite no go? He'd get regular first team action which will boost his chances of going to the World Cup.

Can’t see them selling him, but i’d definitely take him. You’ll get people on here saying they don’t want him and he’s crap of course. They must love DCL up front.

 

[dano195]

We need a striker who is proven and get 10 goals minimum from Feb onwards. A decent winger who will occupy one flank and hopefully we will have a fully fit Bolasie on the other. Left back cover for Baines, if not Baines replacement! Still dying out for a centre back too, a left sided one. For me we need someone like Brooks from Wolfsburg.

 

[Kenshin]

Been poor mate, think he's only scored 2 in the league, Ajax tbf look to have suffered without klassen and traore there.

Still looks quality. But definitely looks like second season syndrome atm.

Could argue that this would be a good time to try get him though.

Is it not counter productive that ?

Going after a striker struggling because he was good last year ? Surely we need strikers who are good now especially as dolberg would have to adapt to the league also making it twice as hard to get the supposed talent out?

Just asking , thinking out loud even.

 

[royalblue66]

What strikers are available that would be considered a decent signing?
Any one fancy Sturridge? Or his links with the reds mean he's a definite no go? He'd get regular first team action which will boost his chances of going to the World Cup.

In a heart beat.

 

[bluestevon]

Is it not counter productive that ?

Going after a striker struggling because he was good last year ? Surely we need strikers who are good now especially as dolberg would have to adapt to the league also making it twice as hard to get the supposed talent out?

Just asking , thinking out loud even.

Depends really mate, he was replicating last years form this and the likes of United, Dortmund, Monaco etc would be after him so we wouldn't have a chance, buying a player whose going through a poor patch isn't the worst idea, pienaar and arteta where both bought in those circumstances.

The flip side to buying rated players in bad form is buying players who are in the best form of their careers at crappy clubs, and then you can end up with players who struggle to play at that level once bought, sigurdsson, Williams, klassen etc.

 

[bluestevon]

Is it not counter productive that ?

Going after a striker struggling because he was good last year ? Surely we need strikers who are good now especially as dolberg would have to adapt to the league also making it twice as hard to get the supposed talent out?

Just asking , thinking out loud even.

Having said that, I'd just go and throw enough at Celtic to get both Dembele and Tierney, lesser league, but neither would have the problems associated with a new country obviously, both young enough to improve a huge amount, and both look the real deal.

 

[yakublue]

Having said that, I'd just go and throw enough at Celtic to get both Dembele and Tierney, lesser league, but neither would have the problems associated with a new country obviously, both young enough to improve a huge amount, and both look the real deal.

I'd be made up if we did this