19 Aug 2024 16:40:25
What's peoples thoughts on gravenberch doing the number 6? Thought second half he was really good.
19 Aug 2024 16:58:26
I don't believe we have a great midfield but we don't have nearly as poor as many fans have portrayed. The defense left and right wing concerns me. I also think a LB to give the ageing Andy some run for his money will be great. Bar injuries of cos, we should be fine. Also, I wish we can settle the future of our soon to be free agent star players. It's disturbing January is by the corner already esp with regards to Salah.
19 Aug 2024 17:20:20
I think I will reserve judgement until we play a better team.
He’s always had a bit of quality but I think he went missing in tougher games and wasn’t reliable enough to play consistently.
I’d love to see him kick on and make the role his own.
19 Aug 2024 17:38:41
I wouldn’t rely on him personally.
19 Aug 2024 18:03:42
Gravenberch was really good. Arguably man of the match, although I’d credit that to Salah. Macca struggled a bit but we know how good he is from his time in the role for Brighton and Argentina. Jones also had a very good pre-season as a “6” if that’s what we want to call the players in Slots 2 man midfield pivot. Plus we have Endo, Morton, Bajcetic and Nyoni as squad options. Trent can even play there so I’m happy with the midfield.
After the Ipswich game i’d prioritise the LB position. Robbo was really poor and has barely been fit for a year, Tsimikas had a good pre-season but he’s not a long term solution for me, Chambers is on loan and more of a CB anyway in my opinion and Beck/ Scanlon just didn’t look up to scratch in the immediate term.
It’s going to be our biggest problem area this season in my opinion. Burns is not even an average player and he gave us no end of trouble until he tore his hamstring. If we want a Left sided CB instead of a LB, then I hope it’s someone mobile enough to play LB as well similar to how Gvardiol and Ake at Man City can.
19 Aug 2024 18:36:48
He’s growing as a player, Slot will help him.
Same for Gakpo. Cody is going to come good this season.
19 Aug 2024 18:44:57
Grav man of the match for me. He played well there against Sevilla so it would seem his position to lose at the minute. Very good in tight spaces, passing range and excellent in creating space for himself. First touch very good as is his awareness. Still only 21. Tougher challenges ahead but this is a game we might have lost two seasons ago. We didn't give up the counter like we're so used to seeing which is a welcome change under Slot.
The need for me is at CB especially if Gomez and/ or VDB are sold. As for Robbo, he's been injured so less pre-season and working on his fitness. Life in the not so old dog yet.
19 Aug 2024 18:46:51
I thought Trent had a good game. Especially second half.
19 Aug 2024 18:47:37
Think that's pretty harsh on robbo Adam, and not just because he's a fellow Scot!
Shoulder injury knackered him, and players are always likely to pick up niggles after a while out. Played every minute for Scotland at the euros, then got another niggle in pre-season, and was rushed back because tsimi is just no cope at all. Give him a couple of games and he'll be grand. He should also suit the underlapping full back role, as he does it while dovetailing with Tierney very well for Scotland.
Maybe next season think about getting someone in to share/ take over duties, but he's definitely not ready to be binned yet.
19 Aug 2024 18:54:26
Are we still interested in Julio Soler? Was we ever interested in him?
19 Aug 2024 19:02:17
Grav done v well I thought, better than I had expected of him 2bh.
In saying that I think the test will be playing likes of everton who may turn game in2 a battle, that when u want your no.6 to stand up and be counted, not sure grav would do that but love to be proved wrong.
Footballing wise I don't think it b a problem to him, its just the actual defensive part and physical part I would have my doubts.
19 Aug 2024 19:22:36
He had a good game. Given we aren’t signing anyone for midfield, he looks like the best option we have. The only caveat is that the opposition wasn’t that good so it’s easier to have good game against weaker opponents, so we’ll see how he gets on as the season goes.
19 Aug 2024 19:52:11
I didn't watch the full match, only saw the highlights on MotD and read a number of write ups of the game (albeit really looking forward to Ed001s soon! ) .
From what I have read about Grav when he was at Ajax he played in a double pivot as one of a pair of sixes. I certainly think it's worth seeing how he develops there for us.
19 Aug 2024 21:26:09
I don't think Gravenberch is good enough to play week in week out as a six. Or any position really.
I hope I'm wrong but he's a squad player. He'll never be a 'has to start' type of player, for me.
19 Aug 2024 21:46:49
Pretty big statement that rigsby, the kids got another decade plus of his career to go. If one of our academy lads at the same age had a performance like that he'd be hailed as the next big thing. Instead of putting your flag out so early in his career when he's started playing well for us, give the lad a fresh start and appreciate his good games.
19 Aug 2024 22:12:12
I was surprised Robbo started. felt like he needed another couple stints off the bench. and he didn't look sharp, looked like he was in pre-season mode.
I think he will be fine as he gets minutes into his legs and plays more. I really don't have any concerns at all with him.
gravenberch can absolutely play this position. But I was a bit surprised to see us set-up with macca as far forward as he was. i was expecting Grav and Macca to play a lot more closely together not only for build-up purposes but to help each other defensively.
I would be worried for any player we have in that position if we're set up in a way that isolates them in the middlle of the pitch. It's an impossible job.
19 Aug 2024 22:21:08
Rigsby, not like we have a better option given we aren’t active in the market for that kind of player. He’s a better option than Jones.
19 Aug 2024 22:25:42
He's 22, Kopite.
I appreciate him and said he did well in the second half on Saturday.
I'm not rubbishing the lad and a squad player at Liverpool isn't bad.
I am hard to please though and comparing him to midfielders at City and Arsenal which could be unfair.
I should also mention that there are very few players that I see as 'have to start' for us at the moment. They are Alisson, TAA, Salah and possibly Mac.
If Grav nails down a starting role and has a good career with us, I will eat humble pie but he's a long way off that so far.
19 Aug 2024 22:33:49
Grav can do a job going off his second half performance on Saturday, Vik. I wouldn't want him as a six against City, Arsenal, United etc though. I wouldn't be confident of him anywhere in midfield against the better sides but he could prove me wrong and I hope he does.
I'd still sooner have Endo against those teams and I have described him as a stop gap and one we need to improve on which does illustrate our lack of options.
19 Aug 2024 22:37:11
Like I say Rigsby, we don’t really have a choice. If slot can get a tune out of him he’ll have succeeded where others failed.
19 Aug 2024 23:20:02
@Navy, good man, first use of the ‘wait until we play a good team’ card for the season. I’m eagerly awaiting the arrival of the ‘we can only play what’s in front if us’ card in the very near future. There’s a very reassuring element of Groundhog Day on this site.
20 Aug 2024 00:02:56
I’ve always been someone who has seen the qualities of Gravenberch and I actually have high hopes for him.
That being said it would be a mistake to say he’s turned a corner after one game against Ipswich. I think it was a tough game and he did very well but there are sterner test ahead.
I have a really good feeling about him and I always have had. He just needs to keep improving and we could have a proper player on our hands.
20 Aug 2024 02:06:43
Hey, here’s a thought …. Perhaps Slot took the pre-season to assess RG and came to the conclusion that he (RG) has the capability to play in the role. I’m pretty sure I read somewhere that Slot was going to do something like that before deciding if we should shell out tens of millions. Just imagine a coach who knows what he is doing! Even scarier it also implies that FSG might have exercised some thought before offering the role to Slot. Probably a bit far fetched, I know, but as an apt I mist and a fan of the club, sometimes I trust that they all know what they are doing.
I still await a breakdown of what the number 6 is expected to do and what the outcomes of him doing it are going to be based on existing factual evidence. I asked the question yesterday and the only taker said we need a number 6 to win the league.
20 Aug 2024 02:17:56
Jeez based on how people talk about players you'd think we just scraped relegation last year.
These players finished 3rd and they were playing bad tactics and massively demotivated. People should give it more time.
20 Aug 2024 07:14:49
WDW you should know by now coaches know absolutely nothing and regularly scour these very pages like the Oracle for tips on how to blag it.
20 Aug 2024 08:29:04
@Flash, the club says it’s going to do something for about three months and people - believers eh? - still sound surprised (or in this case blithely unaware) when the club actually provides evidence of doing what it said it was going to do.
20 Aug 2024 09:16:03
WDW, the number 6 thing is lazy posting on my behalf.
I think we need a midfielder that is athletic, can pass and head the ball, defensively disciplined, willing to tackle and be strong in it and maybe chip in with the odd goal. I don't think any of the ones we have can do all that well enough.
A good number 6 is one that plays in the middle of midfield and can help protect the back four but be reasonably comfortable in possession and not give the ball away.
Me doubting Grav doesn't mean he can't do it and we might not even need a 'good number 6' but I'm willing to be converted.
20 Aug 2024 09:53:36
Wow ‘Apt I mist’. That one started out as ‘optimist’ before I mistyped and autocorrect sorted it out ?. Strange one even by my poor standard of checking what I wrote before hitting enter.
21 Aug 2024 03:15:16
really think we need to shift our mentality about the CDM role. people still talking about that role as if they are going to be on their own trying to do all the defensive work themselves. we're really not going to play that way under Slot.