New defender

[UHDrive]

Just now, FoxesWalk said:

He’s not a destroyer like Ndidi basically. He’s like Mendy++ 

Precisely. He can't intercept or take the ball off of players like a natural DM in ndidi. If we stich Benko at LCB with the experience of Bertrand to keep ndidi in DM then I'd prefer to do that...

[AjcW]

We’re probably going to have to break from how we like to do business for the greater good.

 

Chances are whoever we sign we will probably be trying to sell/release this time next year, which isn’t our usual sustainable way, but needs must! 

[FoxesWalk]

2 minutes ago, AjcW said:

We’re probably going to have to break from how we like to do business for the greater good.

 

Chances are whoever we sign we will probably be trying to sell/release this time next year, which isn’t our usual sustainable way, but needs must! 

Depends on whether or not Soyuncu signs a new deal I think 

[AjcW]

2 minutes ago, FoxesWalk said:

Depends on whether or not Soyuncu signs a new deal I think 

True. I just don’t think we’ve got the time to go out and find someone we’d want to have long term, especially given they’ve said they wanted to spend this money on a winger. Definitely think it’ll be a stop gap. 

[SpacedX]

9 minutes ago, UHDrive said:

Precisely. He can't intercept or take the ball off of players like a natural DM in ndidi. If we stich Benko at LCB with the experience of Bertrand to keep ndidi in DM then I'd prefer to do that...

Actually, as I mentioned on the previous page, he is very good at recycling possession and a very efficient tackler. Not as natural as N'didi. He tends to play deep, but drive possession forward. He could fill the role, but I think it's more likely to go to Pappy by default. 

[SecretPro]

Just want Fofana back. Feel like pure shit.

[Raw Dykes]

24 minutes ago, UHDrive said:

I doubt we'll play man city in the community shield without a recognised DM. We'd get slaughtered. I'd rather play benko and cags with tielemans and soumare in CM and Bertrand/RP as full backs.

I strongly doubt we'll see Benko start on Saturday without further injuries. I think we'd be far stronger with Soumare alongside Youri and Wilf in defence than we would playing Benko.

 

 

3 minutes ago, Line-X said:

Actually, as I mentioned on the previous page, he is very good at recycling possession and a very efficient tackler. Not as natural as N'didi. He tends to play deep, but drive possession forward. He could fill the role, but I think it's more likely to go to Pappy by default. 

Pappy's injured.

[UHDrive]

1 minute ago, Raw Dykes said:

I strongly doubt we'll see Benko start on Saturday without further injuries. I think we'd be far stronger with Soumare alongside Youri and Wilf in defence than we would playing Benko.

 

 

Pappy's injured.

But if we did this then there's the danger that the whole team will become too defensive and relying on tielemans and soumare to cover their positions and ndidi's. I'd rather have choudhury in the team to cover ndidi slipping into CB at that rate.

[Shane]

Sidnei Tavares played CB for us at the Hong Kong 7's tournament 

 

Sign him up  @Ric Flair

[ScaryCarey]

Both Benkovic and Nelson have done well in preseason and will likely get minutes in cup to help development but we 100% need an experienced eader at the back until Evans and JJ return. 

[UHDrive]

Just now, pmcla26 said:

I got the impression that we signed Soumare to replace Ndidi's physical attributes and have someone decent on the ball in Wilf's absence, so don't see why Hamza would start over Soumare, or KDH as well.   

I don't think so. We got soumare as a creative partner to tielemans in CM. He can play as we've seen in a variety of areas on the ball but historically he's been a CM with defensive qualities. He was never a replacement for ndidi in any form and is now taking a position in the team similar to KDH. Soumare is vastly different to ndidi in that he can't stretch to intercept balls well off of players and his mobility isn't that of a typical DM. It's great that he can sit further back when needed and take more defensive duties, but his role when we bought him wasn't in any way based on filling in for ndidi.

[RoboFox]

28 minutes ago, SecretPro said:

Just want Fofana back. Feel like pure shit.

[Nick]

58 minutes ago, UHDrive said:

Soumare is not a DM

He can play at 6 or 8.

[Spudulike]

Shame that we let Josh Knight go. 

[UHDrive]

8 minutes ago, pmcla26 said:

I'm not saying any of that. What I was saying is he is most likely first reserve to both Youri and Ndidi. So if Ndidi is at the back then I think it's more likely we'll see a Youri-Soumare double pivot than Hamza starting in there. 

I disagree. Mendy will stay this year so I think he'll be ndidis backup if hamza doesn't move on. Tielemans doesn't play in an area of the pitch where you would have a natural pivot without a DM behind you because he already sits deep to suit his style of play within the team anyway. If that were to happen as an example then I think we'd struggle to get up the pitch against decent teams.

[Raw Dykes]

19 minutes ago, UHDrive said:

I don't think so. We got soumare as a creative partner to tielemans in CM. He can play as we've seen in a variety of areas on the ball but historically he's been a CM with defensive qualities. He was never a replacement for ndidi in any form and is now taking a position in the team similar to KDH. Soumare is vastly different to ndidi in that he can't stretch to intercept balls well off of players and his mobility isn't that of a typical DM. It's great that he can sit further back when needed and take more defensive duties, but his role when we bought him wasn't in any way based on filling in for ndidi.

I don't know where you're getting this from that Soumare can't fill in for Ndidi. I think he'll be the first choice to step in for either Youri or Wilf.

 

There aren't many players on the planet that can do what Wilf does, but I'm pretty sure Soumare will be preferred over Mendy or Hamza when Wilf isn't playing in midfield.

[An Sionnach]

1 minute ago, Spudulike said:

Shame that we let Josh Knight go. 

He was treated pretty badly by us. After a very good year in a struggling team he could do no more to convince us. I would now have put him in front of Benko. I am pretty sure he will prove us totally wrong . Before anybody starts going on about PL vs championship they should remember how QPR gave most of our best players the runaround.

[UHDrive]

5 minutes ago, Nick said:

He can play at 6 or 8.

In previous teams. This is a new team and I doubt he'd suit playing in the 6 role at prem standard, just my opinion. If that were to happen you'd need KDH in alongside tielemans or praet which throws the balance out of the team in midfield. In any case with either 1 or both of mendy/choudhury still here then by default I'd utilise them as backups and use soumares natural complements in a defensive capacity during defensive game phases.

[UHDrive]

8 minutes ago, Raw Dykes said:

I don't know where you're getting this from that Soumare can't fill in for Ndidi. I think he'll be the first choice to step in for either Youri or Wilf.

 

There aren't many players on the planet that can do what Wilf does, but I'm pretty sure Soumare will be preferred over Mendy or Hamza when Wilf isn't playing in midfield.

I think that's ludicrous to suggest they soumare can fit into Tielemans position. Yes he has flair and I'm excited to see him this season, but he's not a playmaker. If Tielemans gets injured then Maddison usually drops back to take his role. As for soumare I've never said he can't play a no.6 role, I've simply said in my opinion that we have 1 better player here already that could fill that position thus avoiding shifting the balance of our players during games and upsetting the rhythm needlessly. I've also discussed my opinion over his defensive qualities and sitting deep if necessary.

[EnderbyFox]

Jonathan Tah on loan with an obligation to buy imo, Leverkusen just got big money for Bailey so can afford to defer payment until next year 

[boosmanana]

Welcome back, Big Wes 

[SpacedX]

54 minutes ago, Raw Dykes said:

Pappy's injured.

I suspected that. Depending on how long he is out and how long N'didi may be deployed at the back, this would be the preferred option though. 

[Nick]

21 minutes ago, UHDrive said:

In previous teams. This is a new team and I doubt he'd suit playing in the 6 role at prem standard, just my opinion. If that were to happen you'd need KDH in alongside tielemans or praet which throws the balance out of the team in midfield. In any case with either 1 or both of mendy/choudhury still here then by default I'd utilise them as backups and use soumares natural complements in a defensive capacity during defensive game phases.

 He can play at 6 or 8 – of course it's been in previous teams. The President of his last club is quoted as saying so. I'd have thought we've bought him because he can be subbed in for either Tielemans or Ndidi or can play in a 3 – which is what we were missing last year and Mendy not quite being arguably up to the job. But no matter how you dress it up or down, Soumare can play as a defensive midfielder. If Ndidi has to go CB I'd be surprised not to see Youri and Soumare in the 2 of a 4231. 

[Raw Dykes]

7 minutes ago, UHDrive said:

I think that's ludicrous to suggest they soumare can fit into Tielemans position. Yes he has flair and I'm excited to see him this season, but he's not a playmaker. If Tielemans gets injured then Maddison usually drops back to take his role. As for soumare I've never said he can't play a no.6 role, I've simply said in my opinion that we have 1 better player here already that could fill that position thus avoiding shifting the balance of our players during games and upsetting the rhythm needlessly. I've also discussed my opinion over his defensive qualities and sitting deep if necessary.

I really don't see what's so ludicrous about it. I know his assisting stats are very poor, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn that his hockey assist stats are very good. I think it's been clear from his minutes in pre-season that he's got a great eye for a pass, and, while he might play in a different way, I think he could be one of the best Tielemans alternatives we could realistically expect to have on our bench.

 

What usually happens when Youri is injured is irrelevant as Soumare hasn't been an option for us before.

 

You might not have said Soumare can't play a no. 6 role, but you did say, "He was never a replacement for ndidi in any form." "Soumare is vastly different to ndidi in that he can't stretch to intercept balls well off of players and his mobility isn't that of a typical DM." "...his role when we bought him wasn't in any way based on filling in for ndidi."

 

I think it's pretty ludicrous to suggest that Mendy is ahead of Soumare in the pecking order.

 

2 minutes ago, Line-X said:

I suspected that. Depending on how long he is out and how long N'didi may be deployed at the back, this would be the preferred option though. 

I don't see why, really. I think Soumare looks streets ahead.

[sacreblueits442]

1 hour ago, Danny280995 said:

We don't have choice now, better than playing Amartey or benko in cb 

....I would like to see Benkovic in at the back....with the options we have this seems a good solution!!!

It is not three points at stake and it would be great to see him finally come to the fore, he may just be starting to feel like one of the team, after so many years in the wilderness.