25 Feb 2021 19:36:26
On a lighter note what do people think of Gravenberch to replace gini.

26 Feb 2021 10:11:19
That would be a massive kick in the teeth to Clarkson and Cain!

Gini doesn't need replacing in my opinion. Jones, Ox, Keita, Milner and Thiago can all play in midfield with the main men (Hendo and Fabinho) .

But added to that i think the 3 man midfield is coming to an end. Jota, Minamino and Elliott will all be knocking on the door for a starting role so we might see a 4-2-3-1 become more common as it was at the start of this year before Jota got injured.

Only way we need a midfielder is if Ox or Keita also go (which i'm not actually against) . Our squad is so bloated though. If we did move on one of those 2 as well, then we should move for Soucek in my opinion.

We definitely don't need an 18 year old though. We have good players in our own academy. If Gini and Keita/ Ox go we should look at a player who can make an immediate impact. That is also not Bissouma by the way. We don't need more midfielders who get a nosebleed in the penalty area.

{Ed001's Note - Bissouma gets a nosebleed in the penalty area? That is an outright lie. Please check your facts on how he plays before making up nonsense. He might not score many for Brighton, but that is because of the way he is asked to play. He plays as an attacking midfielder sometimes (and as a right-back, right-mid, left-mid, defensive mid and central mid) just not for Brighton. He is certainly not averse to getting into the box when given the freedom to do so.} Become a Patron!

26 Feb 2021 10:37:10
Can only say a midfielder is not something we need atm. He would add to an already surplus midfield we have. Even if we move keita gini ox grujic and wilson, We still have thiago hendo fab milner and jones. We should only look to add a defender first and foremost then an attacking player like lautaro martinez.
Everything else can wait for a couple of seasons. Bisoumma as ed mentioned is quality addition but i would argue if he is the need of the hour. Majority of our budget has to go on defender. And whatever money sales bring in has to go on a quality attacking option.

{Ed002's Note - Obviously Lautaro Martinez will not be joining Liverpool.}

26 Feb 2021 11:31:19
MK, A nose bleed? Bissouma? I propose you go watch him play a bit more before you comment. In fact, Bissouma is lethal from about 25 yards out and gets forward when required.

I always thought he was a B2B mid cos that is the role he played when he first arrived cos I think Stevens or Kayal was playing the DM role at the time. Seems his role has changed and is asked to do the DM job now and even then, he still gets forward and has a rocket of a shot on him.

26 Feb 2021 11:29:34
It's just a light hearted joke Ed!

I was just alluding to the fact that we need more goals in midfield in my opinion. I'm pretty sure Curtis Jones is our highest scoring midfielder this season. Hendo and Fabinho are only good for about 3 each a season. Last year we had Ox score 8 but he's disintegrated and most were from the wing anyway.

Bissouma has less than 11 career goals in over 151 appearances. His best season total in his career is 3. There is absolutely no evidence to suggest he will ever become a regular goal scorer. Scores great goals when he does score though. I don't see why we need Bissouma when we already have Henderson, Fabinho and Thiago. We really need a midfielder who can get forward and take a bit of goal scoring pressure off the front 3. It's a shame it's not Grujic to be honest.

{Ed001's Note - because Henderson is reaching the point where injuries are always going to rule him out for periods of a season and Bissouma is nothing like Thiago. Plus, as I pointed out, he provides the Millie-like utility we need.}

26 Feb 2021 11:36:18
Are you freelancing for the Echo Ed001?

{Ed001's Note - Echo? No chance mate, why?}

26 Feb 2021 11:53:09
Haha, their football views or some of their contributors are very in-line with your good self.
Thiago and his “progressive passes”. Hmmm. 😃.

{Ed001's Note - no idea. I don't read it. It used to be a great paper at one time but these days is just the same trash as all the other tabloids. I don't think I have ever used the phrase progressive passes either.}

26 Feb 2021 12:14:57
We should have bought Bruno!

26 Feb 2021 12:11:37
I think they look at various fans forums and websites and develop ideas for articles from them.
It was a back-handed compliment actually, there’s some good information and insights on here and similar themes do appear in the Echo afterwards, though they’re shared themes to some degree across various fan sites.
The Thiago one was from a TIA source I think actually.
A progressive pass is a pass 10 yards (or was it metres) forwards, which Thiago’s stats show well apparently.

{Ed001's Note - I wasn't insulted mate, I was just confused. These days I have lost track of what is on other sites, when I am online I am either editing or doing research for articles. I no longer read other fan sites. Not because I have anything against them, it is just a time thing.

Ah right, I am not a fan of stats in football, there is simply not enough repeated actions to make stats anything other than a curiosity. They are presented by stats sites with absolutely no context, so are just a bit of a mess. What I have seen of him is that he always looks to play the ball forward but is often getting forced to hold onto the ball because no one shows or makes a move for him. When he first played, he would often pick the ball up and just ping it in behind for a runner, but it was constantly just running out of play or to the keeper because no one was making the run until after the ball was played. Those kind of balls need someone to be making the run as soon as the ball is moving towards him, knowing that he is going to put it into a dangerous area and all they have to do is get to that area. And yet he was the one getting criticised when the ball ran out of play because his stats showed he lost the ball. For me that is the fault of the forwards for not reading the play.}

26 Feb 2021 14:11:57
Definitely need a replacement for Gini imo. We have four very good midfielders (Hendo, Fab, Jones, Thiago) but at least six to cover injuries.
Keita has been poor, Ox hasn't recovered previous form, Milner is going downhill, Grujic can't get a game at Porto, and Clarkson and Cain are much too inexperienced to be thrown in a PL midfield for a season.
Id be worried for next season if we didn't get someone special in the middle.