30 Jun 2026 12:30:18
With Tonali being linked to Spurs in the media, I ask myself if he would be an upgrade on what we have within the squad, especially if Nacca is to move on. The few times that I have watched Newcastle he has looked classy. I am no tactician and don’t know if he is the profile we need or could replace Macca?
30 Jun 2026 12:49:54
Iraola plays with two DMs. Gravenberch will probably be one of them, but we need to sign someone to play alongside him with a more defensive mindset. I like Tonali but I'm not sure he's the right profile.
Lamine Camara is the player I'm super keen for us to sign. Bouaddi would also be a great signing.
Nmecha looks good too. All 3 have been linked to us. I'd be happy with any of them.
Wharton was probably a banker, had Slot stayed, but he's not the right player in an Iraola system. If we wanted him, I think the deal would have been done by now given he's not at the World Cup!
30 Jun 2026 12:50:51
Not the ideal profile, imo, but he would be a huge improvement on Macca. I'd sign him without thinking for the right price in this crazy market. If he could be had for less than 80, sign him up.
30 Jun 2026 13:03:24
I think Tonali is a very fine player to have in the pivot, he is already the most defensive midfielder in the Newcastle midfield, with Bruno and Joelinton typically playing further forward than him. There is also the advantage that he has a quite excellent passing range, and he is also good at carrying the ball. He is, however, extremely expensive. Bouaddi is a superb player but if you play him alongside Grav, neither of them is really any good at passing the ball.
I disagree that Wharton isn't right for an Iraola system, MK, Iraola demands that the ball goes from back to front as fast as possible.
For that to happen, you need an elite progressor of the ball. For Iraola, that was one of the center backs (Huijsen or Senesi) spraying the ball from deep. For us it was somebody like Trent, and we still haven't replaced that profile. Wharton is the closest thing to Trent in the Prem presently. Of course, whether we could set the team up to cover for Wharton's off the ball deficiencies is another matter.
30 Jun 2026 13:34:06
Wharton isn't great defensively, he would need someone next to him to do the running. His range of passing, however, suits Iraola, as he is very progressive vertically rather than someone who recycles horizontally.
Personally, I think we already have enough creative/technical players in the squad and need someone with tactical awareness and discipline to hold it all together whilst everyone else gallivants forward.
Remember, if we can assume Wirtz plays as a no 10, that only gives us two midfield places, so where does that leave Szoboszlai if Gravenberch partners someone new?
30 Jun 2026 14:03:04
Threeps, I personally cannot see us wasting Dom as a sitting midfielder, but I equally cannot see us benching Wirtz as a £116m signing. Iraola will need to find a way to get them in the team together. The way I see it is Wirtz, Szoboszlai, and Isak are all going to play in that front 4, whether that means Dom plays on the right, or Wirtz plays on the left, they're both going to start more games than they don't. There's a space with those 3, though. As it stands, that will be Gakpo. If Gakpo were to leave (which looks likely), then we need a new winger. Diomande, Barcola, El Mala, Minteh etc seems to be the kind of profile we want (young, direct and fast).
I'm just using a process of elimination. Will Iraola be under pressure to get the most from Isak? Yes. Will he be under pressure to get the most from Wirtz? Yes. Are we realistically going to make the same mistake as last season by pushing Szoboszlai back into a deeper position? No. The logical conclusion is all 3 will be starting a lot of games together in attacking positions. Iraola uses lots of variations of formation, but the recurring theme is there are always 4 attacking players. 1) CF/ST 2) AM/SS 3) RM/RW and 4) LM/LW. When you break it down logically, the question for me is who plays with Dom, Wirtz, and Isak? Gakpo or A.N.other? I hope it's Barcola.
30 Jun 2026 14:05:00
MK Scouser, no he doesn't. He plays with a 6 and b2b 8.
30 Jun 2026 14:06:27
Given where the prices are now and how much we have to do, any two of Joao Gomes, Lamine Camara and Mamadou Sangare please.
And if Diomande, Barcola and Rayan's prices are going north of 100m as they seem to be, I would go and check on the injury situations of Malick Fofana and Mohammed Kudus. Fofana is two footed, like Diomande, and a much better finisher than Barcola is.
Kudus has the potential to deliver Sadio level of physical threat to bully his fullbacks with a wand of a left foot. Yes, risky, but honestly, the prices are insane elsewhere.
People saying Minteh, but Brighton will want 70m+ for him. His goal threat is not sufficient to warrant that.
30 Jun 2026 14:47:18
Man.of.todd, I was gonna say the same thing. B'mouth had Tyler Adams at dm with Christie and Scott ahead of him.
And if you sign a Tonali, you are literally telling either Szobo or Grav that he will hold bench a bit. If you wanna improve the team with Tonali or whoever, you improve the first 11.
30 Jun 2026 14:57:10
Todd, In every game I watched, Bournemouth played 4-2-3-1. Normally, of the two sitting midfielders, one was a proper destroyer (a no.6 such as Adams/Cook) and the other was given more freedom to get forward (a no.6/8 such as Scott/Toth/Christie). Scott actually ended up playing a lot as a no.10 because he lacked the discipline to play as one of the 2 sitters, and Bournemouth were conceding too many goals.
Gravenberch suits that no.6/8 position for sure.
That would be a criminal waste of Szoboszlai's talents though. We might as well put him right back again! I implore you to watch him for Hungary when he's given more attacking freedom. You'll never want him to play as a no.6/8 ever again. Szoboszlai needs to be in the final third, scoring and creating goals, as well as pressing like a demon. He's so much better as a no.10 or a wide midfielder.
30 Jun 2026 15:09:37
Oli, that was after Scott got moved forward to replace the injured Kluivert and play as a no.10.
Christie played deeper with Adams in a 2 man midfield, in a 4-2-3-1. In some games, Scott was dropped back to play with Adams and Kroupi was even played as a ss behind Evanilson.
It is 100% a 2 man sitting midfield that Iraola played with at Bournemouth in every game of theirs that I watched. One of the sitters had more freedom to go forward for sure, but that's standard in a 2 man midfield and always has been. When you have 2 players who want to go forward (like Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Jones and Gravenberch all do), that's how you end up with a Gerrard & Lampard situation like England had, so you just lose football games because your midfield lacks structure.
The last thing I want to see next season is Dom and Gravenberch sat behind Wirtz. We'll be taken apart (again). We simply have to play with a proper no.6 if we're going to play Iraola's end to end high intensity football. I'm not sure why people even want to shackle Dom with defensive duties. He's a monster running forward, pressing high, shooting from 12-15 yards, crossing the ball into the box etc. Why do you want him in a deeper midfield position? Just so we can make space to sign 2 shiny new starters up front?
30 Jun 2026 15:27:03
Fine, MKS. I'm not gonna fight you on all this stuff about where Scott or Christie played cos I don't watch B'mouth the same way I watch other teams in terms of position occupation in and out of possession, etc.
That being said, I agree that we cannot play both Szobo and Grav in the double pivot like last season, even tho if deployed differently (in terms of space occupation and instructions), it could work, I think, but that is also a separate topic.
We need an actual DM (Tonali or whoever) to come in as the anchor of midfield from which we can go further from there with Szobo, Wirtz and whoever we hopefully sign in midfield.
30 Jun 2026 15:31:15
MK, I'm with you regarding Slobz. I'd prefer to see him operate on the right in the final third. I personally think it's where you would get the best from. He has the engine to get up and down, passing and crossing range, good in the tackle, reads the game well, and can press.
I have gone on about pace for years, but if you can get someone to replicate, say, Beckham or Stevie G on the right, I'm all for that.
30 Jun 2026 16:59:20
How do fans watch teams in terms of position occupation in and out of possession, etc. on a stream.
What do they look for when half of both teams are off the screen at any one time.
I've heard some nonsense in my time but fair play.
30 Jun 2026 17:41:26
I'd just play Szob at RAM / RW to take Salah's place and be done with all this Diomande / Barcola nonsense.
30 Jun 2026 18:34:05
Agreed, Westwood!