I'd much rather have Gomes than Barkley.
So much that you’d pay a fee for him?
Barkley is doing well and is available at a free, that matters when we’ve got a lot of positions that need filling.
I'd much rather have Gomes than Barkley.
Yes I'd be more than happy to pay for him. He's heading into the last year of his contract anyway, so won't be too expensive. 7 years younger.So much that you’d pay a fee for him?
Barkley is doing well and is available at a free, that matters when we’ve got a lot of positions that need filling.
Yes I'd be more than happy to pay for him. He's heading into the last year of his contract anyway, so won't be too expensive. 7 years younger.
Oh yeah he'd be rotating with Mainoo. I do think we definitely need a player who is stylistically similar to Mainoo, so that there can be a seamless transition when Kobbie isn't available. It's a priority in my view, but one of many.I don’t know, I can’t us having the luxury in the summer of spending money on a rotational option, which is what I’d put him down as. We’ll likely have to streatch the budget just to get our priority signings aquired.
I don’t know, I can’t us having the luxury in the summer of spending money on a rotational option, which is what I’d put him down as. We’ll likely have to streatch the budget just to get our priority signings aquired.
I'd the club has any sense then it has to spend on said rotational options, Fernandes, Casemiro, Eriksen, van der Beek, all rumoured to be leaving Amrabat definitely leaving, even if Fernandes does stay its going to mean bodies are needed in midfield.
Santi Carzola was 5' 6" and made mugs of much bigger, heavier midfielders in the PL. Dennis Wise played in midfield at 5' 5" and was a menace.I've not seen many deep lying playmakers work in the prem for some time, Carrick was the last we had and he had a fair bit of physicality. Maybe I'm being harsh as I can see from a videos he has great vision, retention and first touch but I just think he's too slight - He makes Amad look huge.
3 goals & 15 assists in 90 league games - Haven't seen much of him but hardly gripping numbers
Scholes is no skyscraper, either, and he did all right.Santi Carzola was 5' 6" and made mugs of much bigger, heavier midfielders in the PL. Dennis Wise played in midfield at 5' 5" and was a menace.
Height isn't an issue in midfield if you have the vision, reflexes and mobility required to run rings around opponents who find it nightmarishly difficult to keep up due to the variance in centres of gravity. Short CM's can also shift balance so quickly, they make space in a flash.
It's how you compose your midfield and team that is more important as balance within your midfield components is going to determine what kind of football they can play.
Santi Carzola was 5' 6" and made mugs of much bigger, heavier midfielders in the PL. Dennis Wise played in midfield at 5' 5" and was a menace.
Height isn't an issue in midfield if you have the vision, reflexes and mobility required to run rings around opponents who find it nightmarishly difficult to keep up due to the variance in centres of gravity. Short CM's can also shift balance so quickly, they make space in a flash.
It's how you compose your midfield and team that is more important as balance within your midfield components is going to determine what kind of football they can play.
Scholes is no skyscraper, either, and he did all right.
Makelele, Kante, Scholes and so and so forth, but Scholes is 5' 7", which somehow has always qualified as OK whilst under that has always been seen as too short to play in the rough and tumble PL, despite it being proven time and again that if you're good enough, you'll use whatever you have to your advantage. Makelele was 5' 6" yet barely anyone or anything could get past him; Kante was 5' 6", yet he ran much bigger players off the ball with ease, and then turned so quickly, they had no prayer of catching him.Scholes is no skyscraper, either, and he did all right.
Isn't that more simply because players that short are just rare in football, not because they aren't able to play? Every team would've taken Verratti in an instance, for example, but he was never available.Fair points but my original comment was that I hadn't seen one in the PL for years and your suggestions all agree with that as they haven't been in the league for years. It has become more physical in the last few years and at the moment with the current template of top teams in the EPL height/ physicality does seem to have a say in the PL for midfield currently.
None of me is suggesting he wouldn't work though, simply pointing out a trend I have noticed for the deeper midfield players, if he was to come I'd imagine he would show his best form at the 10 position and he reminds me a lot of Amad who we already have on our books anyway.
Makelele, Kante, Scholes and so and so forth, but Scholes is 5' 7", which somehow has always qualified as OK whilst under that has always been seen as too short to play in the rough and tumble PL, despite it being proven time and again that if you're good enough, you'll use whatever you have to your advantage. Makelele was 5' 6" yet barely anyone or anything could get past him; Kante was 5' 6", yet he ran much bigger players off the ball with ease, and then turned so quickly, they had no prayer of catching him.
It's that turning circle that is the crazy asset for very short players - all the size in the world means nothing if you can't hit your mark, which is what they made an artform out of usually.
I haven't seen much so can't comment but do you think he would deal physically in our league playing in the middle?
So much that you’d pay a fee for him?
Barkley is doing well and is available at a free, that matters when we’ve got a lot of positions that need filling.
Of course he could play in the Prem.Technically great but unfortunately doesn’t have the size, strength or pace to play in the premier league.. he’ll have a cracking career in Europe though.
Certainly another academy success.
I was about to come here to post exactly this. There is no way we can line up with those three in midfield in the PL. Cup and smaller European games, perhaps. If Mainoo and Bruno are going to be two starting midfielders next season, which I think we can all assume they are, then we need an anchorman/tackling beast as the third midfielder. Someone like Palhinha.Midfield 3 of Gomes/Mainoo/Bruno would get totally over run.
If we want to persist with Mainoo and Bruno as starters, we need someone with physicality and legs to cover in behind.
The suggestion is for Gomes to compete with Mainoo, not for them to play together necessarily.Midfield 3 of Gomes/Mainoo/Bruno would get totally over run.
If we want to persist with Mainoo and Bruno as starters, we need someone with physicality and legs to cover in behind.
Of course he could play in the Prem.
Oh yeah we absolutely need a big, strong DM in there with Mainoo/Gomes.I'm sure he could, but our team is starting to look a bit on the short side. Would need a big man in there with him probably, otherwise we'll still be trying to shoehorn McTominay into the team to help defend set pieces.
Without a shadow of a doubt.Do we need a Mainoo backup?
He can play in the Prem but I think he would excel more elsewhere.. his ceiling is much higher away from it.Of course he could play in the Prem.
I don't agree.He can play in the Prem but I think he would excel more elsewhere.. his ceiling is much higher away from it.