LondonLax Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 Lamberts most expensive signing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulver Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 Football is all about opinions clearly, but some of the ones shared since last night have me scratching my head 1. apparently the need for another striker (on the off chance one of the other 4, or 5 if you count Bowery get injured) is more important than adding ONE creative midfielder to a squad of 25 that has NONE. to further this apparently we can't play without Benteke, as no other striker can play his role (despite all 3 having played as central strikers before) but an unproven Czech player with a 1 in 5.8 strike rate can. Er ... ok. Apparently changing our system if Benteke got injured would be seen as a bad thing rather than a positive that would mean we'd got a plan B. bizarre!. Also it seems that some peoples plan B should the opposition shut down our wide men is to throw on another lump and launch the ball from back to front. Yes, that wonderful plan B we tried against the mighty Bradford at VP in the cup. Genius! 2. apparently Benteke, one of the most feared/valued strikers in Europe right now should be sacrificed and played as a creative link man ... 3. apparently Weimann & Agbonlahor are 'creative' players rather than strikers just playing wider to fit into a system 4. apparently playing 4 strikers would score shitloads of goals, no mention of the ones flooding in the other end due to the non existent midfield of course Yes. The mind well and truly boggles! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingfisher Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 Creative midfielders cost a decent amount of money - something Lerner obviously isn't prepared to back Lambert with. I wonder what Hellanus is thinking. Couldn't be up to much good in training.For the thousand time Hellanius was told he would be played as an attacking player either wide or behind the striker. He was not brought in to lead the line.Is this an opinion or a fact? It is Lambert and Helanius' opinion. The bit from his interview is here: He regards himself more as a ‘No.10’ support striker than an out-and-out centre forward, but insists he will gladly play anywhere to be part of Lambert’s emerging team. “They see me playing different positions rather than just as a striker,” said Helenius. “They think I’m fast enough to play on the wing and I agree. I’m also able to play in the hole behind the striker. “Personally I’ve always seen myself as a player in the hole behind the striker because of my finishing ability outside the area and Villa sees me the same way, as a flexible striker. So he wasn't told he'd be played as a wide player or behind the striker. He was told he might be used in the wide areas, and he thinks he can play the deeper. Which is a bit different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulver Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 (edited) The top goalscorer in the Europa league last season smells of Dawkins Mk2 ? Alternatively, the bottom scorer in the Seria A, might smell more like Heskey Edited September 2, 2013 by Ulver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 Creative midfielders cost a decent amount of money - something Lerner obviously isn't prepared to back Lambert with. I wonder what Hellanus is thinking. Couldn't be up to much good in training.For the thousand time Hellanius was told he would be played as an attacking player either wide or behind the striker. He was not brought in to lead the line.Is this an opinion or a fact?It is Lambert and Helanius' opinion. The bit from his interview is here: He regards himself more as a ‘No.10’ support striker than an out-and-out centre forward, but insists he will gladly play anywhere to be part of Lambert’s emerging team.“They see me playing different positions rather than just as a striker,” said Helenius. “They think I’m fast enough to play on the wing and I agree. I’m also able to play in the hole behind the striker.“Personally I’ve always seen myself as a player in the hole behind the striker because of my finishing ability outside the area and Villa sees me the same way, as a flexible striker. So he wasn't told he'd be played as a wide player or behind the striker. He was told he might be used in the wide areas, and he thinks he can play the deeper. Which is a bit different. The point was that he wasn't brought in to be back up to Benteke, Kozák was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morpheus Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 If you include Kozak and we keep playing the system which has improved our results then neither Kozak, Bowery or Helenius is going to be given much game time if our front three stay fit. That to me with limited funding available is a total waste of resources. Lambert is creating his own bomb squad for this season rather than actually using the limited finance to improve the first team. If Kozak does come in then yes it would seem likely that he will for the most part be back up to Benteke this season. Of course in certain games they could also very well play up top together. As for Bowery he came in for a few hudred thousand from Chesterfield and it may well be he will not make it at this level. I dare say he is on no more than around 5k a week so if he doesn't make it as a Prem player there will be no problem with off loading him. I also think he is seen by Lambert as more of a wide midfielder/attacker much in the same way as Gabby. As for Helenius it seems that he has been quoted as saying that he has been brought in as a wide attacker or to play just behind the main striker. With the above in mind I'd say we most definately need someone like Kozak as if Benteke gets injured we currently have no like for like replacement. It should also be remembered that Benteke will almost certainly be off at the end of the season so it is no bad thing if we can bring a potential replacement in for him now and get him up to speed this season whilst Benteke is still here. The point is though will those players immediately improve the first team considering we have limited finance and we did have Bent who is a proven goalscorer in the Premiership. We could have kept Bent until the end of this season as back up to Benteke leaving us spending whatever finance available on a AM or DM. Yes i've heard the argument about Bent's wages a million times but he is only out on loan and not sold so we could have him back again at the start of next season anyway. it just seems to me that for us to improve on last year you must improve the first team which we have with Luna and Okore in defence but improvement is also needed in midfield and our limited finance would have been better spent there than actually purchasing another forward who like Helenius and Bowery may get very limited game time this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrackpotForeigner Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 Mmmm. Let's not buy him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingfisher Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 (edited) The point was that he wasn't brought in to be back up to Benteke, Kozák was. I'd stick with Helenius and bring in an attacking midfielder if it was a black and white either or situation. Edited September 2, 2013 by Kingfisher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VILLAMARV Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 Sounds like a great idea to me, and just what we needed for all the reasons posted in the last 17 pages. lets hope he signs Dont know what is hard to fathom about us signing a striker though......if it happens! Bent has been shipped out for this year at least and when that happened there were plenty of people wondering what the backup plan was if Benteke is suspended/injured etc. Doesn't look like Benteke's replacement to me just Bents replacement. As Nzogbia is injured and therefore not saleable in this window I reckon for everyone's attaking midfielder to be signed we'll need Bannan and Ireland gone and we all know in our hearts that aint gonna happen. However they are both out of contract in the summer and maybe the courting of kiyotake can restart then? when maybe we might have a bit of benteke cash floating around. I'd much rather hang on to spend the money wisely than go get another Ireland just coz it's deadline day. Likewise I think we'll see another RB option coming in if Hutton leaves but not before. I also hope hairy hands isnt Faulkner coz I cant imagine I'd agree much with the guy whereas Hairy Hands seems to speak a fair bit of sense imo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morley_crosses_to_Withe Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 I 100% agree with Ulver's post from the previous page. A bizarre transfer with bizarre logic being given. We need what many people have said - a creative midfielder who can unlock a defence, deliver decent set pieces, and weigh in with goals from midfield. We need that much, much more than a striker who will warm the bench and play IF Benteke gets injured; OR when we get desperate and need to lump balls into the box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliffy Biro Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 Would have been better spent on an attacking mid, he isnt displacing benteke so for me its a weird buy unless he plays helenius with either of them which i dont see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 The point was that he wasn't brought in to be back up to Benteke, Kozák was. I'd stick with Helenius and bring in an attacking midfielder if it was a black and white either or situation. Well Lambert has decided to use Helanius as the attacking midfielder and has brought in Kozák as the back up for Benteke. I guess we will just have to trust his judgment on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biskitt Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 The top goalscorer in the Europa league last season smells of Dawkins Mk2 ? Alternatively, the bottom scorer in the Seria A, might smell more like Heskey I seem to remember some people calling Benteke "Benthesky" after a few games too. Turned out alright didn't he ? I know nothing about this lad at all and he could well turn out to be useless. My gripe was the stupidity of comparing a player like Kozak who obviously some pedigree ( plays in a good league for a good side, full international, top scorer in Europa league last season ) with someone like Dawkins who is a kind of lower league journeyman who has never done anything of note Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 If we are spending the speculated €9m on this fellow to play second fiddle to Benteke, that would be a very interesting call to say the least. Could the money be better spent elsewhere to get in someone who can effectively take set pieces? Maybe? I'll trust Lambert to know what he's doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 I also struggle to see the logic behind this one. While we have no direct replacement for Benteke, we do have Gabby who can play the lone striker role perfectly well. I could see the logic in spending a couple of million on a backup striker, but not £5m (ish), when there are other areas of the team that need greater attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supermon Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 9mill Euros is far too much for this guy, alfred finnbogason is available for £5million, would have been a better buy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daggy_333 Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 9mill Euros is far too much for this guy, alfred finnbogason is available for £5million, would have been a better buy I thought Hairy Hands said the fee was around £4mil? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omariqy Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 Fee is around £4m. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 Does anyone know how many of his Serie A games last season he actually started? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SikhInTrinity Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 If you include Kozak and we keep playing the system which has improved our results then neither Kozak, Bowery or Helenius is going to be given much game time if our front three stay fit. That to me with limited funding available is a total waste of resources. Lambert is creating his own bomb squad for this season rather than actually using the limited finance to improve the first team. If Kozak does come in then yes it would seem likely that he will for the most part be back up to Benteke this season. Of course in certain games they could also very well play up top together. As for Bowery he came in for a few hudred thousand from Chesterfield and it may well be he will not make it at this level. I dare say he is on no more than around 5k a week so if he doesn't make it as a Prem player there will be no problem with off loading him. I also think he is seen by Lambert as more of a wide midfielder/attacker much in the same way as Gabby. As for Helenius it seems that he has been quoted as saying that he has been brought in as a wide attacker or to play just behind the main striker. With the above in mind I'd say we most definately need someone like Kozak as if Benteke gets injured we currently have no like for like replacement. It should also be remembered that Benteke will almost certainly be off at the end of the season so it is no bad thing if we can bring a potential replacement in for him now and get him up to speed this season whilst Benteke is still here. The point is though will those players immediately improve the first team considering we have limited finance and we did have Bent who is a proven goalscorer in the Premiership. We could have kept Bent until the end of this season as back up to Benteke leaving us spending whatever finance available on a AM or DM. Yes i've heard the argument about Bent's wages a million times but he is only out on loan and not sold so we could have him back again at the start of next season anyway. it just seems to me that for us to improve on last year you must improve the first team which we have with Luna and Okore in defence but improvement is also needed in midfield and our limited finance would have been better spent there than actually purchasing another forward who like Helenius and Bowery may get very limited game time this season. Yes that Darren Bent who was awful on Saturday. Darren Bent is not worth 80k a week for being a back-up striker. What do you not understand about that? As for this guy joining, as I did with Benteke, I will give the guy a chance. Lambert has obviously seen something in the lad to attempt to bring him in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts