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Post by redcase on Aug 5, 2024 9:57:04 GMT
Season officially starts in 6 days… I'm going to the City game, was hoping to see a couple of the new lads dominate City! At least I might see Zirkzee... You're into masochism I see..
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Post by redcase on Aug 5, 2024 9:59:07 GMT
We're completely fucked. INEOS are pissing next season away by not addressing midfield and now considering the number of injuries accumulated, the defense. How the fuck are the new recruits supposed to integrate with the team in time? Absurd and stupid. This is it. We're fucked if we are going into a season reliant on fucking Casemiro or McTominay to partner Mainoo again. That said, I do think we'll see movement this week. It's glazer-esque though. We knew we needed midfielders - we haven't signed any. We know de Ligt and Mazraoui are available for a perfectly fair price given today's market - we're fucking about on this as well. Meanwhile our squad continues their march towards the hospital and we're still fucked.
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Post by viking22 on Aug 5, 2024 11:21:29 GMT
ETH has already indicated Zirzkee won't start as he needs time to be bedded in and hasn't featured in pre-season. He's also been talking up Sancho as a false 9. So I imagine similar gameplan to the FA Cup final. Although it won't work because we no longer have Amrabat to plug holes in midfield. So I fully expect us to get beaten badly and maybe that will wake INEOS up.
We finished 8th last season. Do they really think spending £100m (assuming we buy Mazrouia) will make a difference? Especially when Yoro is replacing Varane (big boots to fill!) and Zirzkee was signed as a cheap back-up option to Hojlund.
Midfield has a gaping hole because the only experienced number 6 we have is Casemiro and his legs have gone. That has to be the priority.
And with Martinez only managing 38 Premier League games over the last two seasons and Yoro only 18 and out for the rest of the year De Ligt would be a very welcome addition especially as the fee Bayern want of £40m is very reasonable for a very good defender.
We were absolutely correct to tell Everton to piss off when they wanted £70-£80m for Branthwaite who we valued at about half that amount.
But there is only a gap of £10m or so with PSG and Bayern for Ugarte and De Ligt. Better to simply pay them that amount so we can start the season with our business completed than gamble on them lowering their asking price closer to deadline day.
And we aren't being ripped off. Bayern and PSG are just looking to recoup most of the money they paid for De Ligt and Ugarte and Bayern never overpay for players and PSG took advantage of Ugarte's release clause. And they didn't flop. They just weren't the right fit and other players were preferred by the respective coaches. But I can see both players doing very well for us.
And if we can't afford both then go for De Ligt and buy a cheaper alternative to Ugarte such as Berge. You won't get a good CB these days for much less than £40m. And De Ligt is a very good CB.
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Post by Stew on Aug 5, 2024 12:04:16 GMT
ETH has already indicated Zirzkee won't start as he needs time to be bedded in and hasn't featured in pre-season. He's also been talking up Sancho as a false 9. So I imagine similar gameplan to the FA Cup final. Although it won't work because we no longer have Amrabat to plug holes in midfield. So I fully expect us to get beaten badly and maybe that will wake INEOS up. We finished 8th last season. Do they really think spending £100m (assuming we buy Mazrouia) will make a difference? Especially when Yoro is replacing Varane (big boots to fill!) and Zirzkee was signed as a cheap back-up option to Hojlund. Midfield has a gaping hole because the only experienced number 6 we have is Casemiro and his legs have gone. That has to be the priority. And with Martinez only managing 38 Premier League games over the last two seasons and Yoro only 18 and out for the rest of the year De Ligt would be a very welcome addition especially as the fee Bayern want of £40m is very reasonable for a very good defender. We were absolutely correct to tell Everton to piss off when they wanted £70-£80m for Branthwaite who we valued at about half that amount. But there is only a gap of £10m or so with PSG and Bayern for Ugarte and De Ligt. Better to simply pay them that amount so we can start the season with our business completed than gamble on them lowering their asking price closer to deadline day. And we aren't being ripped off. Bayern and PSG are just looking to recoup most of the money they paid for De Ligt and Ugarte and Bayern never overpay for players and PSG took advantage of Ugarte's release clause. And they didn't flop. They just weren't the right fit and other players were preferred by the respective coaches. But I can see both players doing very well for us. And if we can't afford both then go for De Ligt and buy a cheaper alternative to Ugarte such as Berge. You won't get a good CB these days for much less than £40m. And De Ligt is a very good CB. Excellent points. And I’ll add to it by saying we’ve made 35 million on sales already, with a presumptive 13 or so on AWB to come. So a net spend of about 52 mill. For a team that finished 8th.
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Post by seanie on Aug 5, 2024 15:02:29 GMT
We will do a deal for Mazraoui and de Ligt, but it's worth strong negotiations, if it means we are looking at midfield deals too! If they want the players gone and need to cut their wage bill and there is only one buyer, then they can't dictate the price! West Ham had agreed a fee with Bayern for Mazraoui £12.5m +2.5, but couldn't agree with him so it fell through.. That's his market and de Ligt doesn't have or want many suitors with his high wages.
I think even if we get it done for those two at the back, there are options to strengthen in midfield, without actually having to pay a lot of transfer fees this year too if it comes to that. Unless they have a surprise or bigger option that Ugarte.
If Shaw was fit enough to play a semi and a whole final of the Euros, then surely he is ready to start the season against Fulham. We will have a back 4 of Dalot, Maguire, Martinez and Shaw.
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Post by viking22 on Aug 5, 2024 17:48:02 GMT
Sun says awb wants a multimillion pound payoff to leave. So that could be the end of that.
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Post by anti_social on Aug 5, 2024 19:12:53 GMT
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Post by DedRevil on Aug 5, 2024 19:16:07 GMT
We're gonna go into the first 10 games of the season with a worse squad than last season.
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Post by DedRevil on Aug 5, 2024 19:23:29 GMT
Imagine if we don't pull off any of the 3 transfers we've promised the players we want them... Not a good look for future transfers.
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Post by seanie on Aug 5, 2024 19:27:40 GMT
We're gonna go into the first 10 games of the season with a worse squad than last season. That's the spirit
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Post by DedRevil on Aug 5, 2024 19:30:58 GMT
We're gonna go into the first 10 games of the season with a worse squad than last season. That's the spirit tell me I'm wrong...please
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Post by seanie on Aug 5, 2024 19:34:06 GMT
That's the spirit tell me I'm wrong...please I bloody hope so.. I'm just getting you back for saying that to me when I was being negative last month!
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Post by DedRevil on Aug 5, 2024 19:37:46 GMT
tell me I'm wrong...please I bloody hope so.. I'm just getting you back for saying that to me when I was being negative last month! Fair play
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Post by seanie on Aug 5, 2024 19:40:07 GMT
We're going back for Frenkie aren't we!
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Post by caino on Aug 5, 2024 19:43:30 GMT
We're going back for Frenkie aren't we! Hope not. He isn’t an out n out DM is he ?
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