Keener window-cleaner

I hear you ladies and gentlemen, it was a good cut back for the assist, in an area that someone should attack. My post was in the broader sense of how Bailey is as a player, often not being careful in his passing as other players. In that moment I think Buendia or Coutinho would have assessed who was in the best position. Perhaps Bailey did as well, but looked more like his usual hit and miss style. The assist was just one example, perhaps not fully valid one. The other was the goal where he smashed it right towards the keeper, also there more hit and miss than placing it somewhere else where it was an open goal. It’s not meant as a stick to beat him with, just that imo his assist and goal isnt a proof of major improvement from him. He will get more assists and goals and will be frustrating in not taking considered decisions like others do, but more as I call hit and miss playing style, which is not the style I think we want to play now.

I can’t remember many bad games he has had at all or goals that has been his fault. I think he is a specialist left back who is solid defensively, a safe passer and good going forward with a great cross in him. Dont understand at all why we would let him go.

I thought he was perhaps man of the match today, did a super job defensively and outfought that hyped giant Onana on several occations. His passing was really good as well. I thought Tielemans would play instead of him, but I guess his defensive qualities makes him get the nod.

I’ve been supportive of him until the Newcastle game. Today doesn’t change much for me. I’m of course thrilled over the three points and very happy for him, hopefully he can build on this and gain confidence. If you take a closer look his assist and goal, it’s Bailey in a nutshell. For the assist, his first action to go past the defender was good, but then he doesn’t look up, but cuts it back blindly. Good that McGinn was there, but it was lucky and could as well have been that someone else was in a better goal scoring position. At the goal he has a free shot on the whole goal and he smashed it straight at the keeper. Luckily it went through Pickford’s legs. If it was intentional to shoot straight at the keeper from that distance and position, it was the wrong decision, albeit came good because of luck. This is one problem with Bailey, he is a bit of a headless chicken. Sometimes it comes out good, but it’s mostly hit and miss. Hopefully he kicks on from this and improves, but it takes some more for me to get convinced that he can do that.

I think he looks absolute quality, the only hesitation I have is that he seems a bit slow on the turn and sprinting back, which is a worry when we play the high line. Because of that I think he needs Konsa beside him who is the best we have at sprinting back.

Too bad, I think he would have been a great signing, quality player and just what we need at the moment. I hope it wasn't the 2-3 weeks out injury but that we have someone even better lined up that made us walk away (if we were ever in, or if it only was agent bs)

I feel sorry for him, but after that performance there are no more excuses. He is simply too weak and has problems coping with the intensity and tempo. The only time when he contributes is when he has the ball with much space in an attacking position, and even then it's 50/50 if he will do something productive. He showed some promising bursts in one of his first games (against Everton?) and was good in the first game after Gerrard got sacked. Apart from that I can't remember much he has done. He has been here for two seasons, had the whole spring and a pre season, and sorry to say, but I have now stopped hoping that he will come good. It ac be said that injuries and niggles has hampered him, but unfortunately that is ofthen the case with players who do not cope with the intensity and physicality of the Premier League.

We really missed his eager to always wanting the ball, his movement that creates spaces for others and his through-balls. It's going to be tough if we don't replace him with a creative player. We can't replace him with just some speedy winger.

I think he got it wrong playing Baily and Cash on the right. I guess the idea was to use their speed together with Diaby to cause problems for Burn, but it was a gamble and didn't work. Cash is a liability defensively and would have needed McGinn in his normal position in front of him. In the second I understand that he wanted to change things but I hope we don't play with three at the back again, it just doesn't work. I'm also not convinced by Cash. I think he is the weakest link in the team bar Bailey. The third thing I think was wrong was to play Kamara instead of Tielemans. We very much missed Buendia and his creativity, movement and always wanting the ball and most of all his through passes. Tielemans has an eye for those through passes and would compensate a bit for not having Buendia on the pitch. Tielemans is not as good defensively than Kamara, but I think he is the better player allround. What was good was that he spotted the different things early, replaced baily at half time, brought Tielemans on and I'm sure he will think twice about going 5-3-2 again.

I understand what you mean, there is a speculation source blacklist of a reason, originally for unreliable media outlets. Yet now any random social media muppet-link gets posted.

You mean Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain?

Yes indeed, and I would have thought that our priority now is a striker or a no 10, though I obviously want us to sign him and take the gamble :- )

The comparision I made was the feeling when I saw a player for the first time, and the few players you instantly think wow what is this. Ronaldinho, the first time I saw him did these amazing tricks, Adama Traore when I saw him against CP made some incredible bursts. Doku, the first time I saw him did both the Ronaldinho tricks and the Traore bursts. Can’t remember many other players that have had that instant wow-factor on me. Saint-Maximan perhaps, but he instantly also looked a bit of a clown. If you think I compared Doku, Ronaldinho and Traore as players in general you have misunderstood.

Yes! For us in Sweden and for ppl who can watch Viaplay they show the game tonight! Happy times! Same with the Fulham game later in the week. edit: sorry now I saw there was another thread for this.

Defensively I would say he is. We are playing with a very high line which requires our back four to be very careful in holding the line, you could see Cash not coping so well with this at several times last season. I think it was the game against Arsenal at home where they ran through several times and often it was Cash who didn't hold the line. Also in other games I have noticed that. Also defensively he is not 100%, a bit clumsy and rash in his tackles and sometimes gives away cheap free kicks. His passing is allthough not bad, not top class either. I think all this contributed to Emery preferring Young as RB last season. Cash has got a really good engine, running up and down the pitch and gets himself into dangerous positions, creating space for our attacking players. A good lad and a good buy, but not good enough to be our first choice for where we are now imo.

Please say this link is credible! For me this is one of the most exciting links in many years. i remember him breaking through coming on as a substitute in the 2020 Euros, and he is one of those players where you just think wow! A bit like the first time I saw Ronaldinho or Adama Traoré. They way Doku bursts past defenders and his dribbling and trickery is among the most eye catching I've seen. And in contrast to Adama Traoré, Doku seems to be a fairly good passer and a team player. Then of course the flip-side is his injuries, as often is with these extremely explosive players. Seemes like he missed a third of last season or something like that. Regardless of that, if we could get him for around 20M I wouldn't hesitate one second, even if he only is available for half a season every year he would contribute and give us that x-factor we love to see. Him, Diaby, Watkins and Bailey would give us quite some speed up front!

I'm pretty sure Saudi wont kill football, it will be the same as with China, the first year or two some players will be turned by the money and move there. But quite soon most of them will find out what shithole of a country it is and will want to leave. If they have wife and kids they will be out of there even quicker. No need to worry.

I was so happy when we signed Unsworth, thought he would be perfect for us! Equally gutted and confused when he left (if he even arrived). Really keeping my fingers crossed for Pau Torres, feels like a super signing.

I think we have made one of the best signing so far of the PL clubs, getting Tielemans for free being a club not playing in the CL is a real coup!

Fully agree! I has the same bad feeling when we signed Olsen as when we signed Allbäck Mellberg was good though!

I think we are talking about different things here. Slow when crawling on the ground as in the Brentford mistake yes. Fumbling with the ball yes. Moving slowly across the line, perhaps yes. But - one of his best features is that he goes to ground quickly, especially with his foot-parades, and that he is quite agile in that sense, not at least for being so tall, also means he has good range with his long legs and arms. Many on here judge him on the few games for villa (and yes he has been woeful and shouldnt have been signed in the first place). But for ppl who have followed his career in the Swedish National team the picture is a bit more nuanced. Just as an example the Swedish manager (whom I’d like to be dismissed btw) said there is no GK in the world he’d rather have than Robin Olsen, or something like that. I hugely disagree, but it says quite much about Olsen nevertheless compared to some of the adolecent comments about him on here (not aimed at you or MaVilla)

I think Olsen is too dodgy with his feet tbh, as much faith as I have in Emery I dont think he can improve on that to a sufficient level.

Seems like something you have made up in your head there, I could list many things Olsen is not good at and not suited to the PL for, but if it is one thing he is good at it’s getting to the ground quickly, especially for such a tall GK. Lovre Kalinic on the other hand was slow getting to the ground.

Not really, more of a good allround team, dont know their players that well. They have Arnautovic, and the one famous in the Grealish thread - the Grillitsch guy

He played really well for Sweden yesterday, Austria would have been 3-4 goals up if it wasn't for him in the first half. And continued to make some top class saves in the second. Could have done a bit better on the first goal. Austria is not a bad team either, leading the group. PL still seems to physical for him and too high tempo, and he is not at all suited to Emery's tactics where the GK need to be comfortable on the ball. But it's no question that he is a good international class GK.