Mattéo Guendouzi

[Vive_La_Villa]

Just now, Delphinho123 said:

Isn’t he going back on loan?

That’s what I heard so they’ll want to keep Guendozi until end of the season. But money talks!!

[allani]

10 minutes ago, KMitch said:

 

This is how I see us lining up if he signs for us.  

A lot to like about that team.  Especially with Carlos coming back.

My problem with it is - where are the goals coming from?  We are the second lowest scorers in the top half of the table with 9 goals fewer than the third lowest scorers. Obviously the first 11 matches under SG play a significant role in that.  But even if we just aim to score as many goals as the teams in the top half we need to score about 30 goals in the next 18 matches.  It is hard to see where those 30 goals are coming from.  I do think that Ollie will score more in the second half of the season but even assuming he scores 10 - 12 goals that still needs us needing 18-20 from the rest of the team.  Unless Bailey suddenly hits a purple patch it is unlikely that he'll score more than 6.  Buendia maybe 3 or 4.  With the return of Carlos you would hope that we might get a couple of set-piece goals from the centre backs.  But it just feels like, even with much more control of the ball, we'll still be scratching around for enough goals.

For that reason I think Buendia will drop to the bench and Bailey will line up provisionally in midfield but with much more emphasis on joining the attack.  This would leave Ollie and ANO as the two up front.  At the moment the only option is Duran - although I do think we are working on trying to bring in someone else.  It just feels like that will give us more goal threat - with two recognised goalscorers we are more likely to see Bailey get into more 1 on 1 situations with opposition defenders, our midfielders will probably get more chances to get on the end of second balls from poor clearances from the opposition, blocks, etc.  We also get to bring on players like Buendia, JJ, McGinn, etc late in games when the opposition are tiring.

If we don't manage to bring in another attacking player then you might be right - but I'll be hoping that Duran makes a huge impression off the bench because I just don't see Buendia and Bailey giving Ollie enough support up top.

[gwi1890]

5 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

Isn’t he going back on loan?

Romano didn’t mention it last night

[HKP90]

13 hours ago, sne said:

Content has dried up.

Is there a blork emoji?

[allani]

10 minutes ago, The_Steve said:

Once Illic signs for Marseille I’m sure we will see things move quickly 

I thought the implication from the links from the French media yesterday suggested that a loan back was less likely.

[gwi1890]

1 minute ago, allani said:

A lot to like about that team.  Especially with Carlos coming back.

My problem with it is - where are the goals coming from?  We are the second lowest scorers in the top half of the table with 9 goals fewer than the third lowest scorers. Obviously the first 11 matches under SG play a significant role in that.  But even if we just aim to score as many goals as the teams in the top half we need to score about 30 goals in the next 18 matches.  It is hard to see where those 30 goals are coming from.  I do think that Ollie will score more in the second half of the season but even assuming he scores 10 - 12 goals that still needs us needing 18-20 from the rest of the team.  Unless Bailey suddenly hits a purple patch it is unlikely that he'll score more than 6.  Buendia maybe 3 or 4.  With the return of Carlos you would hope that we might get a couple of set-piece goals from the centre backs.  But it just feels like, even with much more control of the ball, we'll still be scratching around for enough goals.

For that reason I think Buendia will drop to the bench and Bailey will line up provisionally in midfield but with much more emphasis on joining the attack.  This would leave Ollie and ANO as the two up front.  At the moment the only option is Duran - although I do think we are working on trying to bring in someone else.  It just feels like that will give us more goal threat - with two recognised goalscorers we are more likely to see Bailey get into more 1 on 1 situations with opposition defenders, our midfielders will probably get more chances to get on the end of second balls from poor clearances from the opposition, blocks, etc.  We also get to bring on players like Buendia, JJ, McGinn, etc late in games when the opposition are tiring.

If we don't manage to bring in another attacking player then you might be right - but I'll be hoping that Duran makes a huge impression off the bench because I just don't see Buendia and Bailey giving Ollie enough support up top.

I don’t think so, it will be a winger up front out of possession then drifting wide in possession.  Emery’s system is very fluid and he won’t be making any drastic changes to it.

[The_Steve]

14 minutes ago, allani said:

I thought the implication from the links from the French media yesterday suggested that a loan back was less likely.

I’d have to double check. I’m sure if we sweeten the deal a little more they’d consider changing their minds. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was just a negotiation tactic. 

[allani]

1 minute ago, gwi1890 said:

I don’t think so, it will be a winger up front out of possession then drifting wide in possession.  Emery’s system is very fluid and he won’t be making any drastic changes to it.

Ollie naturally drifts wide at the moment anyway, Bailey tends to start wide and then look to cut it and from the limited clips I have seen from Duran he seemed to be more on lines from the edge of the box rather than the centre.  As you say - Emery's system is fluid and at different times we will have different attacking players attacking different parts of the pitch - makes it harder for the opposition too.  Whether the recognised goalscorer is a traditional CF or a wider "winger" with a knack for goal remains to be seen.  I think that is why players we have been linked to - for example, Deulofeu, Dembele and Thuram - are quite diverse in terms of their defined "starting position" but yet would all fit in (in a slightly different way) to an "Emery front three".  I'm not sold on some of those names but it is very clear that Emery knows what he wants and also that we are still running a pretty tight ship when it comes to information being leaked / getting into the public domain.

[duke313]

17 minutes ago, allani said:

A lot to like about that team.  Especially with Carlos coming back.

My problem with it is - where are the goals coming from?  We are the second lowest scorers in the top half of the table with 9 goals fewer than the third lowest scorers. Obviously the first 11 matches under SG play a significant role in that.  But even if we just aim to score as many goals as the teams in the top half we need to score about 30 goals in the next 18 matches.  It is hard to see where those 30 goals are coming from.  I do think that Ollie will score more in the second half of the season but even assuming he scores 10 - 12 goals that still needs us needing 18-20 from the rest of the team.  Unless Bailey suddenly hits a purple patch it is unlikely that he'll score more than 6.  Buendia maybe 3 or 4.  With the return of Carlos you would hope that we might get a couple of set-piece goals from the centre backs.  But it just feels like, even with much more control of the ball, we'll still be scratching around for enough goals.

For that reason I think Buendia will drop to the bench and Bailey will line up provisionally in midfield but with much more emphasis on joining the attack.  This would leave Ollie and ANO as the two up front.  At the moment the only option is Duran - although I do think we are working on trying to bring in someone else.  It just feels like that will give us more goal threat - with two recognised goalscorers we are more likely to see Bailey get into more 1 on 1 situations with opposition defenders, our midfielders will probably get more chances to get on the end of second balls from poor clearances from the opposition, blocks, etc.  We also get to bring on players like Buendia, JJ, McGinn, etc late in games when the opposition are tiring.

If we don't manage to bring in another attacking player then you might be right - but I'll be hoping that Duran makes a huge impression off the bench because I just don't see Buendia and Bailey giving Ollie enough support up top.

It played more than a significant role. We are 6th highest scorers in the league since Emery came in.  Only Arsenal, Man Utd, Brighton, City and Spurs have scored more.  Goals won't be an issue.

[MotoMkali]

24 minutes ago, allani said:

A lot to like about that team.  Especially with Carlos coming back.

My problem with it is - where are the goals coming from?  We are the second lowest scorers in the top half of the table with 9 goals fewer than the third lowest scorers. Obviously the first 11 matches under SG play a significant role in that.  But even if we just aim to score as many goals as the teams in the top half we need to score about 30 goals in the next 18 matches.  It is hard to see where those 30 goals are coming from.  I do think that Ollie will score more in the second half of the season but even assuming he scores 10 - 12 goals that still needs us needing 18-20 from the rest of the team.  Unless Bailey suddenly hits a purple patch it is unlikely that he'll score more than 6.  Buendia maybe 3 or 4.  With the return of Carlos you would hope that we might get a couple of set-piece goals from the centre backs.  But it just feels like, even with much more control of the ball, we'll still be scratching around for enough goals.

For that reason I think Buendia will drop to the bench and Bailey will line up provisionally in midfield but with much more emphasis on joining the attack.  This would leave Ollie and ANO as the two up front.  At the moment the only option is Duran - although I do think we are working on trying to bring in someone else.  It just feels like that will give us more goal threat - with two recognised goalscorers we are more likely to see Bailey get into more 1 on 1 situations with opposition defenders, our midfielders will probably get more chances to get on the end of second balls from poor clearances from the opposition, blocks, etc.  We also get to bring on players like Buendia, JJ, McGinn, etc late in games when the opposition are tiring.

If we don't manage to bring in another attacking player then you might be right - but I'll be hoping that Duran makes a huge impression off the bench because I just don't see Buendia and Bailey giving Ollie enough support up top.

We've got 13 goals in 7 games under Emery. That's a fantastic hit rate. And after we play City and arsenal in our next 3 games we got a nice easy run of games until game week 34 where we play united. 

[TRO]

46 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

Isn’t he going back on loan?

that's my understanding.

[birdman]

52 pages. He better be signing!

[PaulMcGrath_5]

1 minute ago, birdman said:

52 pages. He better be signing!

Or what mate?!

[turvontour]

1 minute ago, birdman said:

52 pages. He better be signing!

I know, long thread, and without much in the way of solid link yet.

I think Rashica was ofishially the longest thread for a player that didnt end up signing. Although that wasnt all link discussion from memory.

[duke313]

He'd already have been signed if Gerrard was still the manager, him and Lange round his gaff would have sorted this out last week.

[Ponky]

3 minutes ago, PaulMcGrath_5 said:

Or what mate?!

It'll all end in tiers

[PaulMcGrath_5]

Just now, Ponky said:

It'll all end in tiers

Tiers, in a transfer thread--I see what you did there.

[birdman]

16 minutes ago, PaulMcGrath_5 said:

Or what mate?!

Or outside and we'll settle this

[duke313]

Marseille have spent roughly what it would take for us to sign Guendouzi 

[ender4]

1 hour ago, allani said:

My problem with it is - where are the goals coming from?  We are the second lowest scorers in the top half of the table with 9 goals fewer than the third lowest scorers. Obviously the first 11 matches under SG play a significant role in that.  But even if we just aim to score as many goals as the teams in the top half we need to score about 30 goals in the next 18 matches.  It is hard to see where those 30 goals are coming from.  I do think that Ollie will score more in the second half of the season but even assuming he scores 10 - 12 goals that still needs us needing 18-20 from the rest of the team.  Unless Bailey suddenly hits a purple patch it is unlikely that he'll score more than 6.  Buendia maybe 3 or 4.  With the return of Carlos you would hope that we might get a couple of set-piece goals from the centre backs.  But it just feels like, even with much more control of the ball, we'll still be scratching around for enough goals.

Maybe but maybe not. 

Under Emery we've scored 17 goals in 9 matches (including 2 cup matches). That's 1.9 goals per match and using Gerrard's team with no attacking reinforcements. 

Add a winger and/or striker and we'll surely move to 2+ goals per match.