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The Wish List

SA Gunner

Hates Tierney And Wants Him Sold Immediately
Moderator

Country: South Africa

Player:Nketiah
We really REALLY need a fricking DM. All the left 8 and winger links are lovely and that, but we are doing nothing next season with Elneny, Lokonga or Maitland-Niles as our deepest player.

I don't know who that player is, but we need them. Matheus Nunes gets mentioned a lot, but can he tackle and win the ball or is he just a slick dribbler?

Mentioned him a few weeks ago, thought he was off to Chelsea but it seems those rumours have died down.

Nunes is the type of player we need yes, can progress the ball and is press resistant. I’ll take Nunes or Sangare at this stage. Add a Paqueta type hybrid player and do a deadline swoop for Werner on loan or something, and we should be ok for the season.
 

Barry

Definitely Not An Old Poster
Mentioned him a few weeks ago, thought he was off to Chelsea but it seems those rumours have died down.

Nunes is the type of player we need yes, can progress the ball and is press resistant. I’ll take Nunes or Sangare at this stage. Add a Paqueta type hybrid player and do a deadline swoop for Werner on loan or something, and we should be ok for the season.
I'm just not sure that it works playing that profile player deeper - or at least it's a gamble. Sure, City or Barcelona can probably get away with it but can see us getting exposed. Personally I think we need a player who can tackle as well as play a bit. Nunes looks unbelievable in the highlight videos but his stats don't really show a deeper player.

If we're looking for a press resistant "pass and dribbler" then Juve's Arthur actually isn't a bad budget shout. My worry with him is the defensive side of his game, same with Nunes.

I think this time we should just take the hit, keep Pepe a season, use Xhaka, Zinchenko or Lokonga further up the pitch as needed and spend big on a DM/CM.
 

Bloodbather

Established Member

Country: Turkey
I'm just not sure that it works playing that profile player deeper - or at least it's a gamble. Sure, City or Barcelona can probably get away with it but can see us getting exposed. Personally I think we need a player who can tackle as well as play a bit. Nunes looks unbelievable in the highlight videos but his stats don't really show a deeper player.

If we're looking for a press resistant "pass and dribbler" then Juve's Arthur actually isn't a bad budget shout. My worry with him is the defensive side of his game, same with Nunes.

I think this time we should just take the hit, keep Pepe a season, use Xhaka, Zinchenko or Lokonga further up the pitch as needed and spend big on a DM/CM.
Maxence Caqueret is the obvious choice for the profile you're describing. We should at least try to get him.
 

The_Playmaker

Established Member
Trusted ⭐
Loads of young defensive midfielders around with potential, Caqueret, Danilo, Mohamed Camara, Zubimendi, Guillamon, Ugarte

Young defensive midfielders are the wrong profile. We need an 8 who can play 6. An 8 who can basically has the physical traits to defend.

Someone who is able to turn, beat a man and play forward. Young defensive midfielders don't tend to do that as it is a very specific role.

I'm not sold on Caqueret either. Too slight for me. I want someone who can eat up the ground and take the ball off someone even if they can't tackle very well. Someone with presence who players don't try and beat.

Partey isn't actually that good of a tackler. He is tall, strong and hangs out a long leg. It discourages the opponent.

Think of how Liverpool bought Wijnaldum as a 10 and moved him back to an 8. We need a low productivity 8, who doesn't score much, doesn't assist much, but can carry, receive, turn and be progressive. They just lack consistency in the final third, but if you move them back would be excellent in the middle and defensive third.
 

ASAP Berg

Established Member
Your 100% right. Biggest advantage Partey has is he can receive the ball and turn and get us going all by himself and doesn’t even concede fouls he just progresses. Then Ødegaard has a chance to put in an early ball.

Guys like Caqueret seem so enticing but do they have the dynamism to play on the front foot?

Then you can get guys like Lokonga or Sangare who have some dynamism but not the passing yet, or positional discipline.

I’m a bit lost as to who can replace/displace what Partey brings, genuinely feel he can play at Real/PSG any top team.
 

TornadoTed

Established Member
Young defensive midfielders are the wrong profile. We need an 8 who can play 6. An 8 who can basically has the physical traits to defend.

Someone who is able to turn, beat a man and play forward. Young defensive midfielders don't tend to do that as it is a very specific role.

I'm not sold on Caqueret either. Too slight for me. I want someone who can eat up the ground and take the ball off someone even if they can't tackle very well. Someone with presence who players don't try and beat.

Partey isn't actually that good of a tackler. He is tall, strong and hangs out a long leg. It discourages the opponent.

Think of how Liverpool bought Wijnaldum as a 10 and moved him back to an 8. We need a low productivity 8, who doesn't score much, doesn't assist much, but can carry, receive, turn and be progressive. They just lack consistency in the final third, but if you move them back would be excellent in the middle and defensive third.
I get what you are saying for the short term but I feel that we will phase Xhaka out over the next couple of seasons and play with a pair of 8/10's Ødegaard, Vieira, ESR profile. And I think with that system we need more of a traditional 'defence first' 6 than a Partey who I agree is fairly poor at the defensive side of the game.

Partey works in our current midfield but I wouldn't want a like for like player as his understudy/replacement going forward.
 

Bloodbather

Established Member

Country: Turkey
Oh definitely, would be a great signing. Not sure he's a realistic one though, renewed his contract this year.
I know but I think it's still doable. Lyon failed to qualify for Europe this season and they are a selling club in general. I'm not optimistic about it otherwise though, because we haven't been linked to him once.

Danilo from Palmeiras is one player that we have been linked to that seems to fit the bill, but I've barely seen him play. Just a couple Libertadores matches and not even those in full.
 

Harry Hunter

Active Member
Milinkovic-savic. Complete midfielder and absolutely baller that will take us to the next level also he’s massive. Tielemans is decent but this guy is unreal, idc if he isn’t “prem proven” luiz and willian were prem proven and look how that turned out. May be expensive but just pay the money he is a beast and adds goals from midfield something we lack.
 

chessygoal

Well-Known Member
Young defensive midfielders are the wrong profile. We need an 8 who can play 6. An 8 who can basically has the physical traits to defend.

Someone who is able to turn, beat a man and play forward. Young defensive midfielders don't tend to do that as it is a very specific role.

I'm not sold on Caqueret either. Too slight for me. I want someone who can eat up the ground and take the ball off someone even if they can't tackle very well. Someone with presence who players don't try and beat.

Partey isn't actually that good of a tackler. He is tall, strong and hangs out a long leg. It discourages the opponent.

Think of how Liverpool bought Wijnaldum as a 10 and moved him back to an 8. We need a low productivity 8, who doesn't score much, doesn't assist much, but can carry, receive, turn and be progressive. They just lack consistency in the final third, but if you move them back would be excellent in the middle and defensive third.
Not sure if I read you correctly. Imho we need someone to secure our defensive line. Ideal profile would be a Rodri / Fabinho type player. Is that what you had in mind as an 8 who can play 6? Because for me both players are actually typical 6. They are there to to bring balance to the team and make it as much press-resistant as possible.
I agree that Caqueret isn't a top priority right now, but I see him as the most promising CM in France right now. But in our team, he'd be better playing the Xhaka role, not Partey's role.
 

sykesy69

Active Member
Not sure if I read you correctly. Imho we need someone to secure our defensive line. Ideal profile would be a Rodri / Fabinho type player. Is that what you had in mind as an 8 who can play 6? Because for me both players are actually typical 6. They are there to to bring balance to the team and make it as much press-resistant as possible.
I agree that Caqueret isn't a top priority right now, but I see him as the most promising CM in France right now. But in our team, he'd be better playing the Xhaka role, not Partey's role.
Yeah sounds like what he's describing is a competent 6 with ball playing abilities, rather than an 8 that can defend.

For me it's more a 6 we need more than any 8 types for the squad. We have a number players that can fulfil that left 8 position, even if none of them are 100% ideal for the role. I feel we're sorely lacking cover for Partey.

I don't know if we're doing Sambi a disservice, looking at his Prem numbers in the role he posted some decent numbers for his first season. Obviously there are some intangibles the numbers don't tell you. When he gave the ball away at times, it was a lot more damaging than when Partey was giving the ball away for example. Then his elegant, languid playing style (which is a bit similiar to AMN), where at times you feel he needs to wake up, be more decisive and assertive.

I think he has some of those similiar traits to Partey in his ability to turn in midfield and look for forward passes, but if he's to succeed he needs to beef up a bit and gain in confidence so that he can be the assertive player the position needs.

DM Comp Matrix.png

Just a couple of names been bandied about this summer in Sanagre and Onana. Onana may still be a bit of a pup similiar to Sambi, having only started a similiar number of games as him and in a lower quality league and in most metrics not matching him. Sanagre's numbers look good, probably need to be adjusted for the Eredivisie League, but the other issue with him is he plays for Ivory Coast. Come AFCON we would lose both Partey and Sangare which is not ideal.

DM Comp Matrix 2.png
DM Comp Matrix 3.png

I can't confess to have seen any of these other players much, but as they were mentioned above, so I thought I'd add them all in for context.

(Apologies for the long response, hadn't intended it to be... 😌)
 

Bloodbather

Established Member

Country: Turkey
Yeah sounds like what he's describing is a competent 6 with ball playing abilities, rather than an 8 that can defend.

For me it's more a 6 we need more than any 8 types for the squad. We have a number players that can fulfil that left 8 position, even if none of them are 100% ideal for the role. I feel we're sorely lacking cover for Partey.

I don't know if we're doing Sambi a disservice, looking at his Prem numbers in the role he posted some decent numbers for his first season. Obviously there are some intangibles the numbers don't tell you. When he gave the ball away at times, it was a lot more damaging than when Partey was giving the ball away for example. Then his elegant, languid playing style (which is a bit similiar to AMN), where at times you feel he needs to wake up, be more decisive and assertive.

I think he has some of those similiar traits to Partey in his ability to turn in midfield and look for forward passes, but if he's to succeed he needs to beef up a bit and gain in confidence so that he can be the assertive player the position needs.

View attachment 8210

Just a couple of names been bandied about this summer in Sanagre and Onana. Onana may still be a bit of a pup similiar to Sambi, having only started a similiar number of games as him and in a lower quality league and in most metrics not matching him. Sanagre's numbers look good, probably need to be adjusted for the Eredivisie League, but the other issue with him is he plays for Ivory Coast. Come AFCON we would lose both Partey and Sangare which is not ideal.

View attachment 8211
View attachment 8212

I can't confess to have seen any of these other players much, but as they were mentioned above, so I thought I'd add them all in for context.

(Apologies for the long response, hadn't intended it to be... 😌)
Really like Manuel Ugarte's profile from that compilation of stats.
 
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