A good age as for a team in rebuilding stage, if it’s not too expensive.
Eberechi Eze - Crystal Palace
- Thread starter TheReligion
- Start date
Get him and Olise
Can't really have Bruno and Eze in the same XI. You'd get overrun massively in midfield.
I know Eze isn't really a 10 but he's more of an attacking number 8. With Bruno, him and 1 lone DM, you'd be asking for trouble and I don't want to see us sign any more players and play them out of position. You'd probably have to play him with a lone DM, and a more defensive minded 8 for it to work which wouldn't leave space for Bruno.
That's why Olise would probably be a better option for us, our RW options are terrible.
I know Eze isn't really a 10 but he's more of an attacking number 8. With Bruno, him and 1 lone DM, you'd be asking for trouble and I don't want to see us sign any more players and play them out of position. You'd probably have to play him with a lone DM, and a more defensive minded 8 for it to work which wouldn't leave space for Bruno.
That's why Olise would probably be a better option for us, our RW options are terrible.
I don't even care whether we buy Eze or not but if our new so called management and footballing structure doesn't realise quickly we aren't going anywhere with likes of Bruno and Rashford as starters and don't even try to move them on in Summer then our new structure would have failed already and we should brace ourselves for more disappointment and misery .
Ps They are just most high profile names who have been ever present but would add Varane and Casemiro as well to the list apart from all the obvious ones.
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He should be replacing Bruno.
You can't be serious? You want to remove Bruno and Rashford who have pretty much scored or assisted 60% of all our goals these past seasons? The problem as of now is the tactics from Ten Hag which skips the midfield to give it quick to the wingers who are going for a 1v1. Problem is the teams now know it so they just double Rashford/Garnacho at the LW and let it go to Antony who can barely get past anyone.. Stop blaming it on the players who are following the shit tactics from the coach.
Astonishing. People see a breakout season from Eze and want him to displace Bruno as though the latter isn't capable of the same.
Absolutely dead serious because I want United to compete for the biggest trophies and actually go toe to toe with other top Clubs with Bruno and Rashford as our Talisman we simply can't do that and would be just perennial top four Contender but nothing more till the time they are done .
A tactic that ‘skips out the midfield to give it quick to wingers for a 1v1’ is constructed on the strengths of Bruno and Rashford.
This isn’t his ‘breakout season’.
Fair enough, he was good last year. Still a stupid comparison to Bruno all the same.
I like him a lot, I wouldn't be against the idea of trying to cash in a bit on Bruno and moving to a different profile. Do we know if Eze has a release clause similar to Olise?
I mean... Fernandes can't do what Eze excels at (the dribbling, ball carrying, taking players on) and Eze can't do what Fernandes excels at (the chance creation, stamina levels). They occupy similar areas of the pitch but operate very differently.
Anyone who wants Eze isn't expecting him to be a like for like switch to Fernandes. Those who do want him are wishing for him to replace him in the XI to provide different strengths and tweak the way we play.
I think Eze is decent, but wouldn't opt for him - I'd rather we sign some proper central midfielders to replace what we have in there.
They are both #10s, they should be compared. Unless we need to wait until Eze is 30.
This.
One is far more established than the other.
Indeed. The age difference has a lot to do with that. Just like McTominay or Eriksen are far more established than Mainoo, but people may still have a differing view on who they want to line up for us tonight.
I'd want to add him to Bruno. Not replace Bruno.
Pure fantasia stuff right there. Definitely a number 10 and shouldn’t be restricted by playing wide. Should be in the England squad too.
Haha to be honest I didn’t know that he was that old. Statement still stands though even if not applied to him. Maybe extend to hungry players looking to step up a level!
He should be at AFCON in the Nigeria squad! He would transform that team!
True story
Apologies, Jay Jay Mark2 it is then! I would like to see a strong Nigeria team again though.
Eze, Ndidi, Onyeka, Iwobi, Yusuf, Onyedika would be solid MF for Nigeria.
Olise would be icing the cake, but Olise is likely not happening.
Feel bad because I don’t think Eze will actually travel with England for Euro24. Just feature for a few qualifiers and that’s it.
If you look at all the goal contributors across the PL on Wednesday, we had:
Adebayo x3
Awoniyi x1
Ogbene x1
Eze x2
Olise x1 (2xA)
Saka x1
and another from Solanke on Thursday.
We have a lot of talent, many of whom won’t get a proper look in with England anyway who could be in the squad. I see no reason why someone like Aderabioyo is not playing for Nigeria for example. Eze is the one though, we really lack that craft in midfield so he would be the most transformative. We’ll probably win AFCON anyway tbh.
Edit - pretty sure Udogie scored this week too!
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Aderabioyo really should be integrated into the squad once this AFCON is finished. Having Iwobi, Bassey and Ade all play for all Fulham would bode well for us. Build chemistry at the club level and have it translate to the NT.
If we qualified for WC’22 I’m certain we would have gotten Eze on our NT
I met an uncle of Eze’s a few years ago and he did say that his dad wanted him to play for Nigeria. It’s just that from a personal perspective, I imagine the profile of playing for England is just more beneficial.
Carney Chukwuemeka is another one. We really need a midfielder who can get on the ball and show some class and composure.
We need players like Lookman, Aina and Iwobi to recruit him for us. Get him early so we know we can plan with him in the future.
They never take these decisions too early, not while they still have the England option. Even the Aina and Lookman previously had England ambitions. I suspect Carney will wait a couple of years at least.
All Super Eagles misses currently is top playmakers like Jay Jay, Kanu, Oruma and Obi Mikel were.
Out for three weeks. Starting to think signing him or Olise would be a bad idea, they can't seem to keep fit, which is a shame.
This is why Eze would have been so great. That is our weakest area by far. A player who can get on the ball in the middle of the park and make the right decisions is all we lack.
I’d settle for Chukwuemeka though.
But he is more of a wide player. I'd say Kelechi Nwakali is literally the ONLY attacking midfield playmaker in the current generation of Super Eagles and he doesn't even make the squads often...
Yes, he used to make the squad a few years ago but has fallen off a bit of late. Nwakali is certainly that profile though. I also really liked Onazi a few years back, thought he would become that kind of playmaker but tbh, very few African players make it to the very top with that sort of profile.
Nwakwali needs to get his club career back on track. Can’t be in the basement club in Portugal. He’s good enough for a top Championship side or even lower mid Table prem club.
But they don't need to be at the top though. They just need to be constant starters at a competitive level. For my money Nigeria plaim stopped producing play makers. Its now Box to box players or DMs. That's how only Iwobi is the only natural in the role for the senior side yet he isn't even a true play maker of the Okocha ilk
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Correct. In tournament football, you need players with qualities to deliver over a short span of time
Thing is though. Folks overlook the fact a tournmsnt is a group of final games. Qualification takes a year at least. That why for roles like playmaker at the very least you need a consistent starter at a competitive level to build a playing system on.
My boy is back.
Great great player.
26 in the summer so it's a bit similar to Grealish with us, coming to the stage of his career where he needs to be playing European football if he wants to be established in England squad over next two seasons as there's just too many infront of him playing at higher levels.
I could see him at Spurs 100% if they didn't have Maddison. Chelsea and Man. United seem more focused on Olise if he becomes available. Would Arsenal take him if they unload likes of Smith Rowe? Him and Odegaard in the same midfield....
26 in the summer so it's a bit similar to Grealish with us, coming to the stage of his career where he needs to be playing European football if he wants to be established in England squad over next two seasons as there's just too many infront of him playing at higher levels.
I could see him at Spurs 100% if they didn't have Maddison. Chelsea and Man. United seem more focused on Olise if he becomes available. Would Arsenal take him if they unload likes of Smith Rowe? Him and Odegaard in the same midfield....