Football Transfers Thread

[Dr. Pepper]

Are you being sarcastic? You can't compare Mourinho's Inter to the average Premier League team. Inter were incredibly well drilled and disciplined and counter attacked ruthlessly. The average Premier League team will have the ball and get it up as quick as possible at all costs. And not concise counter attacks, just getting the ball forward no matter what.

It would be a travesty to the Premiership if Robinho doesn't play this season.

 

[War]

Are you being sarcastic? You can't compare Mourinho's Inter to the average Premier League team. Inter were incredibly well drilled and disciplined and counter attacked ruthlessly. The average Premier League team will have the ball and get it up as quick as possible at all costs. And not concise counter attacks, just getting the ball forward no matter what.

Well no i wasn't being sarcastic. I was agreeing with you, since the good counter-attacking football & high pace premiership style football that the average PL side plays is very different.

But intially i wasn't refering to the average "PL Side". I was talking more about the top 4 PL teams when i said:

I tell ya if England could play 100 miles per hour football more consistently, that is done in premiership. It would be very uncomfortable for other nations to face us.

Basically suggesitng if England could play more like Chelsea, United, Liverpool, Arsenal do on the Champions League stage (which they did @ times in the 2010 WCQs), we could upset international sides.

But i also did conceed as you rightfully said, ATM England lack a few players in key area's (defensive midfield & right-back & stable centre-backs). To play that good counter-attacking - but defensively disciplined football - that could be beat tika-taka football @ international level.

It would be a travesty to the Premiership if Robinho doesn't play this season.

I dont see why. I dont think he is suited to premiership TBF. Which is no shame, he is still a top player. Forlan wasn't suited to this league, but still won the WC golden boot.

 

[JBlues08]

I doubt Mancini has any idea of how to play this team. Forget all those nonsense about the team has no time to gel. Most of the players are from last year on Saturday. Only 2-3 new players were in the starting XI. They should be able to blend nicely and fast enough.

With the Balotelli and possibly Milner coming in, I really have no idea how Mancini is going setup his team. Yes, a good team will have strength in-depth in their squad but in City's case, it's beyond ridiculous! Good luck to him in trying to keep everyone happy. And if Mancini is going to play for a draw against the other big teams, they should forget about the title challenge!

 

[Ollie_H]

City's case isn't really strength in depth, it's having strength in depth in 2 positions. The only place they really have good depth is at defensive midfield and up front. Otherwise they don't have much quality cover. And goalkeeper I forgot.

 

[shravi]

Wouldn't communication be a massive problem with all these foreign players as well? I would imagine so. Managers so often overlook this when entering the transfer market. A team of world class players don't make a world class team. A tam of world class players who have team chemistry with each other do.

 

[m_vaughan]

To play that good counter-attacking - but defensively disciplined football - that could be beat tika-taka football @ international level.

Defensively disciplined football is what they used to play in Italy a few seasons back. In England its more about brut strength right now.

And fast paced beating tika-taka, well we saw what happened between Arsenal and Barca last season. Where as Inter played a perfect game to choke the Catalans out of their own style.

 

[Dr. Pepper]

Well no i wasn't being sarcastic. I was agreeing with you, since the good counter-attacking football & high pace premiership style football that the average PL side plays is very different.

But intially i wasn't refering to the average "PL Side". I was talking more about the top 4 PL teams when i said:



Basically suggesitng if England could play more like Chelsea, United, Liverpool, Arsenal do on the Champions League stage (which they did @ times in the 2010 WCQs), we could upset international sides.

But i also did conceed as you rightfully said, ATM England lack a few players in key area's (defensive midfield & right-back & stable centre-backs). To play that good counter-attacking - but defensively disciplined football - that could be beat tika-taka football @ international level.




I dont see why. I dont think he is suited to premiership TBF. Which is no shame, he is still a top player. Forlan wasn't suited to this league, but still won the WC golden boot.

Ah I see, sounded like you were being sarcastic .

Robinho is actually a world class player. Watching him play for Brazil is just amazing. Over the past few years, the Robinho-Kaka-Fabiano triangle was just immense. Hughes didn't understand how to play him before. He's not a winger, and he's not a striker so Hughes was baffled how to play him. I think Mancini will understand it better, or at least look how he's played for Brazil for the past few years.

I doubt Mancini has any idea of how to play this team. Forget all those nonsense about the team has no time to gel. Most of the players are from last year on Saturday. Only 2-3 new players were in the starting XI. They should be able to blend nicely and fast enough.

With the Balotelli and possibly Milner coming in, I really have no idea how Mancini is going setup his team. Yes, a good team will have strength in-depth in their squad but in City's case, it's beyond ridiculous! Good luck to him in trying to keep everyone happy. And if Mancini is going to play for a draw against the other big teams, they should forget about the title challenge!

I agree totally. Mancini clearly played for the draw, but even then his tactics could've so easily conceded goals galore. Mancini has said that he wants a top 4 finish.

 

[blake]

blah blah blah

Btw, how feminine does Modric look hey? At first I was like why is there a woman on the pitch but then I realised it was only Modric. Fooled me good. :laugh

 

[m_vaughan]

Ozil's signing has just been confirmed on the website. A great player, but one midfielder too many in the squad now? I know Kaka is out for 4 months but what happens when he returns?

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Its going happen like what happened to Sneijder. Ozil will leave Madrid next season. Wrong move by the German. Could have been better at Bremen or at United. Madrid have - Van der Vaart, Ozil, Gago, Diarra, Lass, Kaka, Xabi Alonso, Granero, Canales, Pedro Leon, Khedira and Cristiano Ronaldo for 4 spots in midfield.

Anyways City agree fee for Milner while Bellamy joins Cardiff on loan.

 

[m_vaughan]

Diarra and Lass are out of the picture while Ronaldo has been used more as a forward. Mourinho usually wants atleast two players for every position so right now its something like

Winger - Pedro Leon/Angel Di Maria
Attacking Midfielder - Sergio Canales/Kaka/Mesut Ozil
Central Midfielder - Xabi Alonso/Esteban Granero/Rafael van der Vaart
Defensive Midfielder - Sami Khedira/Fernando Gago

Sneijder was a failure at Real Madrid, like it or not. I know he has done well at Inter and for the Dutch, but for us he never put in consistent performances despite getting several opportunities.

 

[War]

United should definately look to get one of the Diarra's by january if Hargreaves doesn't come back.

 

[Ollie_H]

Going by the press conference just given by Bellamy and Cardiff about the loan move from Man City, my guess would be that there is a possibly an option at the end of it for Cardiff to sign him probably based on a few things. Also, the fact that he 'didn't have to take a cut in his pay packet' if that is true, I would imagine City are paying his wages. These sheiks really have more money than they know what to do with.

 

[Dr. Pepper]

Diarra and Lass are out of the picture while Ronaldo has been used more as a forward. Mourinho usually wants atleast two players for every position so right now its something like

Winger - Pedro Leon/Angel Di Maria
Attacking Midfielder - Sergio Canales/Kaka/Mesut Ozil
Central Midfielder - Xabi Alonso/Esteban Granero/Rafael van der Vaart
Defensive Midfielder - Sami Khedira/Fernando Gago

Sneijder was a failure at Real Madrid, like it or not. I know he has done well at Inter and for the Dutch, but for us he never put in consistent performances despite getting several opportunities.

Canales looks a quality player but I can't see him getting too many games this season tbh. Are both Diarra's gone for definite? I'd have thought that Mourinho would keep at least one for the Champions League. The Khedira/Alonso partnership would probably be awesome against weaker teams, but it seems kind of ambitious versus bigger sides.

 

[m_vaughan]

I am pretty sure Lass will leave. He has already hinted at that. One between him and Mahamadou has to leave because Mourinho did say he liked Gago. I won't be surprised with both the Diarras were offloaded.

Both VdV and Granero are also being linked with moves out following the arrival of Ozil. VdV made a sensational comeback last season and it will be sad to see him go, if it did happen. Granero had a good start but then faded away. Being a cantera I would want him to stay.