A top level striker. One that can anticipate a pass into the box and get those tap ins. One that can make clever runs that pull defenders apart that opens space for other attackers.
One transformational signing
- Thread starter Insanity
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In fairness, he gets the space because he is useless and more often than note ends up shooting at the stands.
A good one would get less space but... stretch the oppo and afford others more space.
That's why you need a proper LWB.
Korkez, Inacio and Cunha.
We need more than one signing to start to transform this team. We need another midfielder too but I don’t have anyone in mind.
We need more than one signing to start to transform this team. We need another midfielder too but I don’t have anyone in mind.
It has to be one of the forward positions.
A couple of seasons ago, we weren’t much better than we are now, but an in-form Rashford masked our lack of threat in the final third with his brilliance.
If we could sign a player of that calibre, it might similarly paper over the cracks and compensate for our shortcomings in attack. This could give Amorim the breathing room to bring in his own players and build a strong, cohesive team over time.
A couple of seasons ago, we weren’t much better than we are now, but an in-form Rashford masked our lack of threat in the final third with his brilliance.
If we could sign a player of that calibre, it might similarly paper over the cracks and compensate for our shortcomings in attack. This could give Amorim the breathing room to bring in his own players and build a strong, cohesive team over time.
Jamal Musiala.
As others have said there is no signing that makes a dramatic change, this is a deeply mediocre squad and club now, but an actual left wing back would at least add some balance. The rest of it would remain shit but mostly shit playing in roles that they at least somewhat fit.
Yeah we really do need another attacker.
Looking around Europe now, it’s clear that there aren’t many great strikers around. A lot of the best strikers now are just great finishers. Id rather we splash the cash on a new attacking midfielder and attacking left back that can create chances, instead of a striker.
Na, we miss that presence of a center forward due to Hojlund's overall game not being good enough and the other guy being a total buffoon. I am obviously exaggerating with the word "transformational", however someone who can hold the ball and help us move it up the pitch will help us a lot - both in terms of our attacking play and goal scoring. We lack that physical presence up top. We go direct almost 50% of the times with Onana punting it forward but lose out as both our strikers are useless with their heads or their hold up play. We make it so much easier for the opposition CB's to defend. They don't have do very much to win the ball back for their team as we are always second best in heading or other duels.
I think we should try to move Rashford on and a proper striker. The next priority should be to get a LWB. The other holes we can try to fill in the summer.
I think a top striker would make the difference points wise. Someone like Gyokeres would get us the goals to get a point or 3 when we dont deserve any. I dont believe any other position is going to do that. In terms of actually playing good football a number 10 and a wingback are my priority after that.
We're not in a position for fancy names or top talents. We need to get the mentality right in the squad first. We need graft. Unfashionable, thankless graft.
I would look at bringing in a couple of experienced consistent individuals , pl proven ideally , who may not be getting much of a look in at their current clubs on a consistent basis.
We need to realise where we are as a club atm. Its a humbling time for the club and we need to be open and accept it but ,by god, we need to instil that attitude, ambition and professionalism to want to do better.
I would look at bringing in a couple of experienced consistent individuals , pl proven ideally , who may not be getting much of a look in at their current clubs on a consistent basis.
We need to realise where we are as a club atm. Its a humbling time for the club and we need to be open and accept it but ,by god, we need to instil that attitude, ambition and professionalism to want to do better.
we don't even need that. any decent striker will add 10-12 points during the season regardless of whether the Amorim's coaching is working or not.
Osimhen on loan as striker.
He'd be on double figures at season's end, providing we have wingbacks who cross the ball.
He'd be on double figures at season's end, providing we have wingbacks who cross the ball.
We really need to get this out of our head, no player is going to transform us.
People go back to Cantona and, yes, he was pivotal but that team were on the cusp of something potentially good anyway. There was alot of top talent in that side before the Frenchman took us up to another level. This team doesn't have any real similar stability.
If you look at the way Amorim likes to play he does not work with a striker holding up the ball to bring others in. If it is working his system progresses the ball rapidly and the ball is played in front of the striker who is facing goal, something Rasmus at least is quite good at. The issue is our build up play from the back is so slow and labored.
LWB, LAM, ST all qualify depending on who the actual player is. The former is probably the most realistic, but if I could just sign one potential player it would be Isak
The club doesn't have stability to have a transformative player to succeed atm.
Lets build a foundation first.
Lets build a foundation first.
F@#k it all, give me Neymar 
Nico Williams
Scored 1 goal all season hasn't he?
Isak.
It's been years since we've had a top striker at the right age.
It's been years since we've had a top striker at the right age.
At this moment the only formation that makes sense in my mind is a 3412
------------------------CF---Hojlund
----------------------------AM
LW-------------CM----Ugarte-------Diallo
----------Martinez---De Ligt---Mazraoui
------------------------Onana
In theory I think that the most important role to fix is the CM next to Ugarte, a game manager that is press resistant would be a dream but I don't have anyone obvious in mind. A LW is important long term but I don't know if it's the most pressing role to fix. So I would go for the best AM or CF possible.
If you want names for each positions I would say, Théo Hernandez for LW, Vitinha for CM, Wirtz/Musiala for AM and Mbappé as CF. Pick the one you prefer.
------------------------CF---Hojlund
----------------------------AM
LW-------------CM----Ugarte-------Diallo
----------Martinez---De Ligt---Mazraoui
------------------------Onana
In theory I think that the most important role to fix is the CM next to Ugarte, a game manager that is press resistant would be a dream but I don't have anyone obvious in mind. A LW is important long term but I don't know if it's the most pressing role to fix. So I would go for the best AM or CF possible.
If you want names for each positions I would say, Théo Hernandez for LW, Vitinha for CM, Wirtz/Musiala for AM and Mbappé as CF. Pick the one you prefer.
Pace would make a huge difference
Even Neymar of 2 years ago would thrive in this set up. Cumulatively I think the injuries have finished him at the highest level however. But god it would be a dream.F@#k it all, give me Neymar
A striker doesn’t just finish chances we’re creating. He would make better runs than Hojlund, creating space for the 10s and runners from midfield. He would pull CBs wide allowing the wingbacks to underlap. He would hold up play better (think Suarez for Uruguay or hell, Rondon for a lot of terrible teams he played for). He would take more shots from more situations, something Hojlund is hesitant to do, which means that the opposition’s defence will have more scenarios to worry about. The impact is beyond going from, as an example, 0.3 goals per 90 to 0.5 per 90 for the striker position.
For a club that used to sit the likes of Ole, Teddy, Berbatov and Saha on the bench, our striker options are pitiful. Hojlund is promising and all would be good if we bought him for 30m and play him as a sub in most games, and starter in cup games. Zirkzee almost doesn’t count (no offence). Neither can right now be our starting striker.
For a club that used to sit the likes of Ole, Teddy, Berbatov and Saha on the bench, our striker options are pitiful. Hojlund is promising and all would be good if we bought him for 30m and play him as a sub in most games, and starter in cup games. Zirkzee almost doesn’t count (no offence). Neither can right now be our starting striker.
Finally some sense in the thread.
Sporting had four players who when they receive the ball in the final third would travel with the ball, commiting players and making space.
Gyorkores role was to be in the middle to get into those spaces for the high XG chances.
The only player we have who tries to do this is Amad and he's starting to get heavily marked since teams know he's our only threat.
Striker unquestionably. We need a striker in january along with a decent lwb.
Then in the summer go for a 10 and a mf and a goaly.
Then in the summer go for a 10 and a mf and a goaly.
DADDY DADDY DADDY WANT WANT WANT
Oh ye, it would be a disaster. But at least we'd have someone to entertain us a few games a season
I think the system allows for the wingbacks to get more space than other positions, but yeah, teams probably aren't prioritizing him either.
I didn't add him here since I didn't think he'd be available to us at all but the recent link from a somewhat credible source has prompted me to add Nuno Mendes to this list. He falls very much in the same category as Davies - one of the best attacking full-backs in Europe with elite athleticism to boot. I think we should be all over this if the deal looks like it can be done.
Has to be a creative midfielder, type Odegaard or better yet Dani Olmo.
Pointless to pine for a striker with wingbacks who can't cross and midfielders who don't create.
A creative number 10 that also as an eye for goal. Would help ease the pressure on the ST. Very hard to sign a goal machine in January, who’s letting go of someone that’s banging in all their goals? A LWB is also crucial
Everyone good team works with a striker that can hold the ball, has good touch, can link up play & has goal scoring nous. The striker has a very important role in build-up play. Rasmus & Zirkzee constantly feck that up & it is one of the major issues with our attack.
There's no reason why one signing wouldn't be enough to transform the season - it'd just need to be a match winner with goals&assists worth a good 10-12 points. That would give the team a lift to performances around the pitch. Obviously we'd need to recruit smartly around that later to stop that marquee player being little more than a sticking plaster in the long run (see Bruno), but as a concept to salvage the season I see going big now and sorting the rest in the summer as sound, if done right.
Florian Wirtz would be the standout player, but a world class striker who doesn't need his dinner fed to him would maybe work too.
Florian Wirtz would be the standout player, but a world class striker who doesn't need his dinner fed to him would maybe work too.
Trent Virgil-Salah
Not sure why people keep saying this. THAT Suarez that Liverpool signed definitely takes us to another level. A player who can make his own goals, help with assisting and a general hard worker.
I am not disputing that we need an experienced striker, I mentioned that very thing in a different thread. If we are limited to one transformational signing though, which is the topic you created, it needs to be a deeper position to actually initiate attacking phases of play in the way that Amorim wants the system to work. Right now our XG has dropped from 1.7 under ETH to 1.2 under RA. This is directly linked to the fact that the build up play in the 3-4-3 system we are operating relies heavily on specific role players in the wing back positions and we do not have anyone capable of playing this position on the left in our existing squad. If you are looking for the biggest bang for your buck in one signing then it is LWB. If you want to debate what else we need then we are probably looking at a minimum of 8 or 9 new players over time.
A playmaking midfielder, a leader on the pitch.
Dictating the game, setting up attacks and meanwhile inspiring the team
Dictating the game, setting up attacks and meanwhile inspiring the team
I said NO! Go to your room!