KangarooVillan

I actually think the most confusing thing is that both Watkins and Ings would be looking at the World Cup. As strange as this might sound, it sorta seems easier for either of them to get in that squad as a ST as opposed to a winger. Not even HWMNBN could get a look in on a wing in the Euros. Will be interesting to see - but to me that says they have to play centrally in a weird kind of rotating ST and second ST arrangement. If Ollie or Ings want to play for England it won’t be off the left or right IMO.

His stats are pretty weird considering that - fairly poor defensive numbers considering the above, and those passing numbers are shocking. I’m assuming the assists are from dead balls?

@Steero113 welcome to VT, you must be new here...

The reason the differentiation between live SCA and dead ball SCA is important, is because we have Bailey and Young now. They’re not JWP level but they’re not far off either - so I don’t see the point in getting another midfielder who is statistically similar to what we currently have just for set pieces. Especially for anything over £30 million. There’s enough complaints on here as it stands that our mids are too one dimensional - JWP is a good player but he’s more of the same (set pieces aside).

In my opinion it’s more a positional flexibility thing, which again Smith likes. Ings is agile and creative enough on the ball to cut in from the left, to drop deep into more of a 10 roll and dynamically swap and change with Ollie. Tammy isn’t. Tammy is a good ST, but is a square peg in a round hole at just about everything else. That’s why he didn’t end up here, and also why he would wasn’t getting a look in at Chelsea despite them no signing Lukaku.

Please, go on, because you’ve listed is mostly garbage. You haven’t excluded dead ball shot creating actions (as per my original point), you’ve made a bad statistical comparison on interceptions, and you’ve literally just chosen stats where he’s slightly higher. Shot creating actions pass live per 90: Luiz: 1.36 JWP: 1.03 Interceptions per 90: Luiz: 1.07 JWP: 1.16 Dribbles per 90: Luiz: 0.78 JWP: 0.39 Dribble success %: Luiz: 72.7 JWP: 65.2 Pass completion %: Luiz: 84.8 JWP: 80.8 Long pass completion %: Luiz: 74.8 JWP: 43.0 I could go on...

Is Koopmeiners even a CDM? He seems more like an 8?

It helps when there’s money on the table to sign an NDA!

Goals and assists are much better, yes. But everything else is Luiz level. With Bailey and young in the lineup, I don’t see the point in getting another midfielder just like Luiz for his set piece contribution.

@Czarnikjak does a pretty awesome breakdown here:

JWP stats are basically the same as Luiz, why would you sell one and buy the other for more??

Tbh I think the blocks thing is how our game plan is designed - a lot of our players have a decent amount of blocks and it’s one thing I noticed last year, we’d be hemmed in the box and block like our lives depended on it. I don’t think the DM is a myth - I am wary though of people using Rodri’s defensive game as an example of what we need as those articles did. Rodri is the better player, but defensively they’re similar. RE Luiz, I don’t think he had his best season last year - we still conceded the 6th fewest goals though so we must be doing something right. Additionally, there’s some good posts on the Luiz thread about the Barkley impact on the overall team defence. I do think Smith is looking more at the overall team’s ability to press and pressure, which DM or not is the blueprint with Man City and Liverpool. And re Kante, when he was Dougie’s age he was playing in Ligue 2 - Doug has all the tools to be a similar player and re capture his form post lockdown 19/20.

100% - directive probably needs to come from FIFA though - can’t see any league taking the initiative for fear of weakening their league and strengthening others.

I like the way you operate

Luiz’s stats Rodri’s stats: I wouldn’t exactly say Rodri is a crushing DM, they’re very similar, so what’s your point??

Bit of a stretch - he’s made like 23 appearances in the first team and half of those were as a sub.

I’m sorry, but if dwells on it too long doesn’t imply he gets dispossessed too often, I don’t know what does. So did your initial comment. I’m all for differing opinion, what I’m less in to is people just making s*** up to criticise a Villa player.

Based on Alavarez, most people would tear off the selling clubs arm to sign him now if he played for a different club. People forget that without him we would have been playing Championship last year.

Maybe explain what you meant by ‘ He also has a horrible habit of thinking he has all the time in the world on the ball. ‘ then?

He gets dispossessed f*** all, but okay.

Something stinks re Anguissa - stats are good but no ones bought. Is it attitude? He was the Fulham player that refused to play Championship right and went out on loan?

I can’t really understand why people want to do away with Dougie? A 23 year old Brazilian international who has truly sparkled for us at times and was pivotal in keeping us up the season before last? But then would be keen on signing Alvarez who’s a 21 year old Argentinian national who’s never played outside the Argentine league is an exciting signing? Mind boggling - people’s memories are so f****** short. When city may have wanted him we were desperate to keep him, but now that clause has expired we’re keen to sell? Literal baby with the rattle kind of stuff.

I don’t disagree on the practicalities with the numbers, but the way I see it is more Kamada, Ings, Watkins, Bundia, Bailey and Traore would be the core. 4 starting, 2 off the bench and JPB playing a bit part role. Ings will need to be rested semi frequently - as he was at Southampton, the rest are rotated based on form. Zero links doesn’t mean anything after Ings IMO - additionally Kamada has all the attitude qualities we would rate - defensive contribution for an attacking player, disciplined, and fills the void of a component of Jack’s game. In saying all that though, it’s probably why the Ings signing has me a bit confused, to play both him and Watkins youre essentially playing one out of position.

25M Euros is the quote price.

I don’t understand the hype about Cantwell at all. Decent striker of the football, but his technique and passing at times seems wild and gangly. what’s the sales pitch?