Summer Transfer Window 2025 Thread

[devon_blue]

Ok, I feel weird defending Zat but why is he a plastic? He doesn't really talk down to people here or insult them, he just has a metric ton of posts about transfer stuff. If you don't like his posts, block him. That's pretty easy.

Have to disagree with pretty much everything you say there bar the metric tonne part.

Didn’t help himself either with his comments in/post the notts forest game last season.

Nothing against him per se, or you for that matter, just objectively he does all that stuff.

Not to knock his views in transfer related stuff, he’s entitled to them and makes for some interesting reading

 

[Rita_Poon]

I noticed that we had no attacking ideas on that side, yes. Not just his fault of course, we don’t have a right winger.

But full backs are integral to attacks nowadays, he’s very much a center back playing full back as soon as he has to deliver a quality ball into the box (not something I ‘blame’ him for - hes out of position and does a great job defensively).

What I noticed was his staunch ability to defend, sides would try to isolate him and we covered it, a few sides tried to rough house him, that lasted less than 30 seconds. His physicality, he's a boxer and hurler? It shows! Once his power and weight were explained to whoever was against him they usually opted out of trying and looked to our LB position. Then we had his getting forwards, his ability to get onto headers up field was invaluable. Sides struggled to deal with us, we had monsters queuing up, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Tim Iroegbunam, O'Brien, Beto, Doucoure. The little guys playing against us had no one to pass them on to. Well prepared for a ruck.

 

[Simon Buttle]

What on earth is a good watch to you then?

Arsenal under Wenger, quick, one touch stuff, comes from the training ground tbh. Look I can appreciate what Moyes has done but I won't be forced into liking him.

 

[Nymzee]

Arsenal under Wenger, quick, one touch stuff, comes from the training ground tbh. Look I can appreciate what Moyes has done but I won't be forced into liking him.

I mean we’ve never played like that, under any manager… not sure you’ll ever get that here either, under any manager.

 

[ValBlue]

What I noticed was his staunch ability to defend, sides would try to isolate him and we covered it, a few sides tried to rough house him, that lasted less than 30 seconds. His physicality, he's a boxer and hurler? It shows! Once his power and weight were explained to whoever was against him they usually opted out of trying and looked to our LB position. Then we had his getting forwards, his ability to get onto headers up field was invaluable. Sides struggled to deal with us, we had monsters queuing up, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Tim Iroegbunam, O'Brien, Beto, Doucoure. The little guys playing against us had no one to pass them on to. Well prepared for a ruck.

Fully agreed that he has been stalwart defensively.

But you can’t just ignore that fact that the crossing and attacking build up is none existent. That’s a massive part of modern attacks and what is needed from a full back , like it or not. If we get Dibling, he needs to have options to play off.

He should be playing at center back, especially with Branthwaite hurt.

 

[RichCee123]

Fair enough, that's not my idea of a good watch but neither was Martinez so I agree there, I mean I will give you Arteta he was class and probably my favourite player of that time but the likes of Cahill and Pienaar and a few others were nowhere close to being as good as our fans made out at the time. I'm well aware of what its like on this website in regards too Moyes, he could burn the new stadium down and people would make excuses for him, that's just how it is and my view is the minority.

That’s fair enough. We weren’t United or Arsenal but we couldn’t spend the money like them. This is my view on the manager then, not the club and in the main, it was better than it has been since.

I would love raw pace on the wings, a cf who scores 30 goals, 22 players who can interchange seamlessly and trophies but we are back at day 1 now.

If you offered me the original Moyes era this season, I’d snap your hand off.

That said, it wouldn’t shock me if he moves on in the summer

 

[Simon Buttle]

I mean we’ve never played like that, under any manager… not sure you’ll ever get that here either, under any manager.

I know we have never played liked that and probably won't either because of the types of managers we go for, shame really.

 

[Eggsyblueskin]

I mean we’ve never played like that, under any manager… not sure you’ll ever get that here either, under any manager.

Catterick , Kendall , Martinez and Silva .
All coached excellent football .
We were nicknamed the ‘School of Science ‘
Not the ‘ Academy of Hoof! ‘
This is why I hate him most , his long tenure
has altered our DNA , not just how other teams perceive us , but even how we perceive ourselves. A team of Grafters grinding out wins , while always playing underdog football , rarely proactive always reactive .

 

[Neiler]

I know we have never played liked that and probably won't either because of the types of managers we go for, shame really.

Arsenal never did until Wenger came in to be fair..they were renowned for being boring in fact.

Wenger was a genius of his time.

 

[Simon Buttle]

That’s fair enough. We weren’t United or Arsenal but we couldn’t spend the money like them. This is my view on the manager then, not the club and in the main, it was better than it has been since.

I would love raw pace on the wings, a cf who scores 30 goals, 22 players who can interchange seamlessly and trophies but we are back at day 1 now.

If you offered me the original Moyes era this season, I’d snap your hand off.

That said, it wouldn’t shock me if he moves on in the summer

Oh I agree but we are supposed to be under a new era where its all change (even got a plush new stadium to go with it) and we still have the same issues with recruitment and not filling key spots and bringing in players who don't appear ready to go and we have gone back to an old manager from years ago. Nothing ever changes with us, I guess we just need to see how it plays out but I'm not getting too excited atm.

 

[HalfTimeSayers]

Fully agreed that he has been stalwart defensively.

But you can’t just ignore that fact that the crossing and attacking build up is none existent. That’s a massive part of modern attacks and what is needed from a full back , like it or not. If we get Dibling, he needs to have options to play off.

He should be playing at center back, especially with Branthwaite hurt.

Has he had a game at CB as good as his best games at RB? Very small sample, but it’s not like he is inexperienced there given what he was doing before we bought him. Has looked a fair way off Tarks and JB as a PL CB. And to be clear, I think he has been a fantastic acquisition. But I’m not in a massive rush to move him to CB.

 

[Neiler]

I know we have never played liked that and probably won't either because of the types of managers we go for, shame really.

Arsenal never did either until Wenger came in to be fair..they were renowned for being boring in fact.

Wenger was a genius of his time.

 

[Rita_Poon]

Fully agreed that he has been stalwart defensively.

But you can’t just ignore that fact that the crossing and attacking build up is none existent. That’s a massive part of modern attacks and what is needed from a full back , like it or not. If we get Dibling, he needs to have options to play off.

He should be playing at center back, especially with Branthwaite hurt.

Needs must at the minute, Moyes tried for Tete straight away and had him sold to join. That tells me he's aware he needs some first team cover asap.
I'm wondering what we're expecting at RB? Hibbert? Neville? Oviedo? Sidibe? Whoever it is will need to watch and protect Dibling. Finding Cafu on a free might be a bit of a stretch.
I like how confident I am if a side gets jumpy having some handy lads on the pitch to regulate is in our favour.

"Mount up!"

 

[Simon Buttle]

Arsenal never did until Wenger came in to be fair..they were renowned for being boring in fact.

Wenger was a genius of his time.

Oh I know that, George Graham and his 1-0 wins

 

[Brisan123]

Only such a unique mindset could pinpoint an injury prone 30 year old Nathan Ake as the defensive lynchpin needed on a massive salary.

As for Kovacic, he's class but;

Mateo Kovacic - Injury history

This is the injury history of Mateo Kovacic from Manchester City. On this page injuries as well as suspensions.

www.transfermarkt.com

Perhaps they could share a bed in hospital?

I don’t know where you got defensive lynchpin from , certainly not from my post
Oh I know maybe you pulled it out of your ass like all the young kids you recommend we sign
Players don’t fall off a cliff once they reach 21
I said cover / starter for Kovacic but maybe once you realised he was old enough to shave you lost interest
When starting Kovacic would be far and away our best midfielder if we signed him , not that we will