Football: Calling Dr. Rashford. European Cup, transfer shenanigans

[Raja]

Pepe and Auba are not proper wingers sure, but that is where they have played all season and that is why they are on that list. Of course, if Arteta wants to change the system, which I think he will, and move us to a 4 at the back with whatever variation up top then maybe there will be space for Willian.

It *is* a long season, so fair enough, but I would rather have let Nelson do whatever we think Willian is going to give us and use those wages and signing on fee elsewhere.

 

[A Horse Named Stranger]

And the Sancho saga reached an anti-climatic end.

Zorc (DoF Dortmund) confirmed, Sancho will play next season for Dortmund.

He also revealed, that they had extended the contract by another year over a year ago, to reward him for his good performances (with a higher salary obviously). So Sancho is under contract at Dortmund until the end of the 2022-2023 season.

Yeah, Dortmund is in a really comfortable negotiation position with Sancho, that also explains why they could afford to be so cocky with their put up or shut up approach, with the contract being good for three instead of two more years.

[Consigliere]

I doubt the saga is over unfortunately. Zorc made the exact same statements about Dembele as well. Zorc informing the public about the contract extension doesn't change anything since it would be pretty naive to think that United's delegation wouldn't have known about a contract extension made last year - at the very least we've been in contact with Sancho's agent so it's pretty much a given that details of his current contract would have been discussed. All reliable reports have been consistent since the beginning about Dortmund's price and that there would be no discount.

 

However, I do think that United should move on. Dortmund are in a good position financially and don't need to sell. In the current climate, and with Dortmund's demand of practically the entire €120m to be paid up front, it's just not worth it considering we need to strengthen in other areas as well as the uncertainty over a possible 2nd wave. We should make a move for Sarr as an alternative and Van Der Beek (since Villa seem to have priced Grealish out of a move with an £80m price tag). We need to sign another CB as well and try to offload Jones, Rojo, Smalling, Lingard, Mata and Pereira. 

[Soylent Brown]

One of the differences with Dembele is that he went AWOL and forced Dortmund's hand, which is not something anyone expects Sancho to do (and let's face it, a willingness to go on strike isn't really an attractive quality in a player!)

I'm sure United already knew about his contract situation so nothing's changed between the two clubs, but it does seem like there's a stalemate. Really all that's changed is the outside perception - we now know that he has 3 years left on his contract, and that Dortmund will still be in a strong position next time around if he were to stay another year.

[polishgenius]

56 minutes ago, Consigliere said:

We should make a move for Sarr as an alternative

I quite like Sarr but he is in no way ready to be an alternative option to Sancho, he's incredibly raw. It'd be an insane step down in ambition. I haven't been following non English football closely enough recently to confidently say who decent alternatives might be, but there must be players in France, Italy and Germany who are closer to ready for that kind of jump.

[ljkeane]

Liverpool have completed the Tsimikas deal. Reserve left back isn't the most exciting squad role to be filling and I've got no real idea how good he is but a left footed deputy for Robertson is a useful addition.

[AncalagonTheBlack]

3 minutes ago, ljkeane said:

Liverpool have completed the Tsimikas deal. Reserve left back isn't the most exciting squad role to be filling and I've got no real idea how good he is but a left footed deputy for Robertson is a useful addition.

Seems he is very similar to Robbo according to some sports journalists who cover the Greek league.

Quote

Themis Kessaris, Managing Editor of Sport24 joins Guy Clarke from Athens to give the lowdown on the left-back as we find out exactly why Jurgen Klopp is so keen to bring him in. From how he will be the perfect deputy to Andy Robertson, how a spell in Holland with Gini Wijnaldum's brother and Pedro Chirivella put him on Michael Edwards' radar and why he turned down other moves around Europe to seal the deal with Jurgen Klopp's Reds.

 

[ljkeane]

6 minutes ago, AncalagonTheBlack said:

Seems he is very similar to Robbo according to some sports journalists who cover the Greek league.

Based on my exhaustive scouting of him via watching a youtube highlights compilation he look like a player in a similar mould to Robertson. That doesn't necessarily mean he's going to be any good at Premier League level though. We'll have to see how it goes.

[AncalagonTheBlack]

2 minutes ago, ljkeane said:

Based on my exhaustive scouting of him via watching a youtube highlights compilation he look like a player in a similar mould to Robertson. That doesn't necessarily mean he's going to be any good at Premier League level though. We'll have to see how it goes.

At this point i trust Klopp/Edwards enough to think it will be a good signing for us.

[Consigliere]

1 hour ago, polishgenius said:

I quite like Sarr but he is in no way ready to be an alternative option to Sancho, he's incredibly raw. It'd be an insane step down in ambition. I haven't been following non English football closely enough recently to confidently say who decent alternatives might be, but there must be players in France, Italy and Germany who are closer to ready for that kind of jump.

Can't really think of alternatives who would be gettable. Carlos Soler maybe but he's a Valencia boy through and through and is unlikely to come to us. On the off chance he is, Valencia are likely to demand his buyout clause or something close to it which would also be €120-150m. Sarr is raw but the talent is there to develop. He doesn't need to be Sancho's level; he just needs to be an upgrade on the RW compared to James, Lingard and Mata. It'd be worth it if we can get him for a cut price. 

[Soylent Brown]

If you were to miss out on Sancho that would likely mean more minutes for Greenwood, and that could end up being a positive thing.

 

[A Horse Named Stranger]

Meanwhile Inter-Leverkusen is entertaining.

And on Free TV.

LOL VAR saves Leverkusen.

[polishgenius]

23 minutes ago, Soylent Brown said:

If you were to miss out on Sancho that would likely mean more minutes for Greenwood, and that could end up being a positive thing.

 

 

 

We're currently struggling to break down Copenhagen with a first choice team so I posit that mine and Consigliere's insistence that we need more options and creativity is not coming from nowhere.

[A Horse Named Stranger]

And Leverkusen's out.

Inter vs. winner of Basel-Donetsk

[Soylent Brown]

Fernandes, Pogba, Rashford, Martial, Greenwood, all on the pitch. If they can't do it, is Sancho really going to magically make all the difference?

Or is the issue that the coaching side of things is letting you down a bit? If all OGS does is pat his players on the bum as they run out and tell them to shoot some goals, perhaps that's the problem.

[polishgenius]

There's undoubtedly some issues to be sorted on the coaching side but as we've both complained about repeatedly, all the actual creativity bar the odd pass from Rashford comes down the middle, which means we find it really hard to create solid chances if teams pack the middle and press high. So yes, adding one of the best wide creative players in the world and someone who's got a decent chance of being the best player in the world soon would make a significant impact.

Solskjaer's improved general play and a lot of individuals quite a lot while he's being in charge so the continued accusation that he's just there to make players feel good and doesn't do any coaching is unfair and getting a touch ridiclous.

[Soylent Brown]

Meh, I just feel there are similarities with the Chelsea situation, where Lampard has come in and the same defence has leaked a ton more goals and suddenly everyone is rubbish and they just need good defenders and then everything will be okay.

I'm not saying that Sancho won't improve you, but those players are more than enough to create lots. If you win stuff it'll more likely be despite OGS than because of him.

He's definitely improved the atmosphere around the club, and some previously unhappy players are playing better, but considering how bad it got toward the end under Mourinho, Pretty much any manager could have achieved that.

[Consigliere]

Fuck me, that was a frustrating game to watch. We fluffed so many great chances there. Had to go through extra time in a game which was one way traffic. 

 

Re: a right winger. We need a proper winger to give us width. Greenwood and Rashford are forwards who like to cut inside and our fullbacks aren't good enough creatively in the wide areas although Shaw and Rashford had started to link well down the left after the restart. So we either need to upgrade at fullback or on the wing otherwise we will struggle to stretch teams that defend deep and narrow. 

Liverpool cope better against this kind of defending because of your fullbacks so having inside forwards instead of wingers still allows you to stretch teams. TAA is the most creative player in the squad and practically plays as a right winger anyway. And while Robertson doesn't have his vision or passing range, he is capable of whipping in dangerous crosses. 

[Daemon the Leaner]

25 minutes ago, Soylent Brown said:

I'm not saying that Sancho won't improve you, but those players are more than enough to create lots. If you win stuff it'll more likely be despite OGS than because of him.

How difficult is it to reckon that the guy just has us playing better this season than the previous one ? and that's partly because of 1) his tactical choices 2) his signings and how he integrate them into the team 3) the way he makes individuals progress ? 

I'm not saying he's a very good manager, like the Pep-Klopp tier. But it's an outrageous assertion to pretend that the guy is an obstacle to success, especially when you reckon in the same post that he "improved the club environment", which is kinda the basis to build something solid.

And no, those players aren't more than enough to create lots. We are one injury away from seeing Lingard or James in the starting XI. Would Pep have succeeded with one decent XI, rather than signing Mahrez & B.Silva ? I don't think so. Same story with Klopp & Salah. 

[Iskaral Pust]

3 hours ago, ljkeane said:

Liverpool have completed the Tsimikas deal. Reserve left back isn't the most exciting squad role to be filling and I've got no real idea how good he is but a left footed deputy for Robertson is a useful addition.

Welcome to Tsimikas.  Robertson noticeably loses his edge when tired, so hopefully this will allow him some rest here and there.

I have some sympathy for Jamal Lewis though.  Norwich are absolutely entitled to set the asking price for their players, but Lewis must be disappointed by this opportunity slipping past him.  Imagine him watching Tsimikas over the next few years and wondering what might have been.