09 Apr 2024 16:25:02
Think Willy Kambala can be just as good if not better that Bratwaith, him and Licha have speed and bit of aggression about them. Hopefully Maguire, Lindelof, Varane will be sold, Evans released, so another young CB, maybe the lad from Nice. More money for a top midfielder, when Casemero, Ericsen Sancho, DVB are sold on. Then we had
Get rid of Martial too, plenty to leave, freeing lots of wages.

{Ed025's Note - i may be biased Recon but i dont think Kambala is anywhere near the standard of Branthwaite at this point but he certainly has potential mate..

1.) 09 Apr 2024
09 Apr 2024 17:22:26
Kambwala looked assured and cleanly has all the tools to be a great CB, but it's far too soon to be measuring him up against someone like Branthwaite who has spent a year abroad and was one of the best CB's in the Eredivisie last season. He then came back to Everton this season and has been one of the best CB's in the EPL this season, certainly the best CB aged 21 or younger.

He has everything you'd want in a CB and he's putting it together and performing every week. Strong, quick, mobile, intelligent, great reading of the game, technically sound, great in the air.

I'd genuinely struggle to find a significant weakness in his game, obviously there is room for improvement, but there is nothing he really struggles with.

Give him a couple of years and he'll easily be the best English CB around. He's also left footed, which is a rare commodity for a CB.

I'd easily have him as our top CB target this summer, he'd nail down a starting spot with us probably for the next decade.

I think Kambwala will be a very good CB, and I'd either keep him as our 4th choice option next season or send him out on loan to play regularly.

For me Branthwaite and another (probably Todibo) should be the first two signings we make this summer. Sort the defence out and have something to build on for the next 3-5 years at least.

{Ed025's Note - he would be a great signing for Utd Shappy, the guy is class mate and with us having to sell before the 30th of June because of our commitment to PSR he may be a bit cheaper than you think..

2.) 09 Apr 2024
09 Apr 2024 18:53:21
Ed025, you have a real gem of a player in Branthwaite, it's a shame you probably won't be able to keep hold of him for as long as most Toffees would like. Also that he'll probably go for less than he should given Everton's financial issues.

I think he should be United's first signing this summer, I can see a deal for something like 45m originally with 10-15m in add-ons. It won't be anywhere near the 70m being banded about in the press as I don't think there will be a massive amount of competition for him.

Liverpool can't really buy a player from Everton. Arsenal have no need with Saliba and Gabriel clearly first choice. City have the funds, but don't really have a need to spend big on a left footed CB having bought Gvardiol and Ake over the last few summers. Chelsea have bought Badiashile, Fofana and Disasi over the past couple of years, while also having Colwill and Chalobah. Which really just leaves us and Newcastle. Newcastle also have a few PSR issues and might need to sell to buy anyone for a significant fee. Which barring City just going crazy and buying a third left footed CB (which I wouldn't totally rule out) means United will have a fairly clear run at Branthwaite.

Which is utterly crazy given the talent and the potential of the lad.

Him, Mainoo and Højlund would give United a solid spine for the next decade. Get another CB and a top class CDM (both in their early to mid twenties with a few years top level experience) and United will have the base of a potentially great side.

We also have some really talented young academy lads who if nurtured well could become really top class players. It's been a pretty tough decade as a United supporter, but green shoots are starting to spring up. We aren't back yet, but we do seem to be starting to put the building blocks in place for a return to the top.

{Ed025's Note - i think he will go Shappy and possibly to United, but i feel it will be around £60m mate, we need to get £80-90m in sales before the end of june to satisfy PSR but i hope we dont get railroaded to sell on the cheap, you do have some fine young players and Jarrad would certainly enhance the United side but i still think you need to get rid of some dross you have before you can become competitive i feel..

3.) 09 Apr 2024
09 Apr 2024 19:09:42
I'm really struggling to see what others are seeing in Branthwaite. Each time I've watched him I've seen a defender constantly on the floor. The last time being the fixture against Newcastle when he made a feeble attempt to tackle Isak, ended up on the floor again, and at fault for the goal.

I think he's had a poor season. Likely I'm in the minority here, and happy to be proved wrong, I just haven't caught him on a good day and Everton fans are far better positioned then me to pass judgement.

As for being one of the best CBs in the PL this season, not from what I've seen. Struggling to find a weakness? Going to ground too easily is certainly one.

{Ed025's Note - maybe you have not seen the best of him Wazza, yes he got done by Isak but hes young and bound to make the odd mistake, but let me tell you this mate the guy is excellent and whoever gets him will be getting a top top player who will improve even further and become a top international imo..

4.) 09 Apr 2024
09 Apr 2024 19:42:48
Fair enough Ed like I say I haven't seen much of him, but when I have, he spent too much time on the floor for my liking. I'm sure I'm in the minority and will come round eventually, perhaps I've caught him on a couple of off days.

I'm not sure if the figures in the newspapers are true as they rarely are, but it sounds like there's a deal to be done for interested parties. I would assume if he's got that much potential we won't be the only club after his signature either.

{Ed025's Note - you certainly wont Wazza, but as Shappy pointed out you seem the right fit because most of the teams who can afford him already have decent options already on their books mate..

5.) 09 Apr 2024
09 Apr 2024 20:35:16
One game. I remember Tuanzebe having a stormer against PSG and looked what happened to him. Willy had a great game, but it's just 1 game.

6.) 09 Apr 2024
09 Apr 2024 21:10:54
He may well turn out to be a top top player but he is some way off that right now. Positional awareness not always that good and can be turned fairly easily. He is young and playing in a position where traditionally late 20s and early 30s is when defenders are really mature. Can Utd afford to wait for two or three years whilst he progresses?

7.) 09 Apr 2024
09 Apr 2024 23:29:51
Salford I think that's exactly the sort of player we need to be looking at. Players that can peak in 2 years time.
Of course we can't ignore the here and now but when you look back at our cb signing over the years lots of huge fees at the time but very rarely the finished article.
Pallister stam Ronnie Johnson, rio vidic. We did spend big money on some flops too I'll grant you.
But in the main I would like to see younger hungry players that can grow together and a cb like him could be a regular fot the next 10 years.

8.) 10 Apr 2024
10 Apr 2024 00:10:33
Not seeing the Branthwaite love-in myself. I admit I haven't watched Everton a huge amount but on a few occasions I have he's been well done more than once. But I get that his profile ie age, nationality make him appealing to a side looking to the future.
Common sense suggests we are not going to go nuts and simply clear out all of Maguire, Varane, Evans and Lindelof. We need at least 5 CBs. The debate for me should be which of Maguire or Varane go. There's this misconception that Varane is always injured, yet he's started more Prem games than any of those names. But he'll be earning more too and command a reasonable fee, and would be in demand.
I still get the shivers from SFA waxing lyrical over Phil Jones upon signing him from Blackburn. A future England and Utd captain, he said.

9.) 10 Apr 2024
10 Apr 2024 02:10:41
Branthwaite would be decent. He poses the qualities of Maguire and Stone without their weaknesses.

{Ed001's Note - that is not quite true, he does have some weaknesses. He can be rash, his positioning can be suspect at times and he lacks a burst of pace to keep up with quick forwards. I don't mean he is slow, he is no slouch, but he can't accelerate as quickly as the forwards he faces most weeks. Very good player, but he needs a guiding hand alongside him still.}

10.) 10 Apr 2024
10 Apr 2024 02:31:38
Is varane put of contract at the end of the year? If so I think we have option to extend, but not for a sale value, only to use him. So if he goes I think we get no fee, but save $300k a week in wages. McGuire is on over $200k a week, but would have a sales value. McGuire also doesn't fit the style of football we want to play. Maybe everton could take McGuire and give us braithwait?! ?.

11.) 10 Apr 2024
10 Apr 2024 08:22:18
Where and why has this fashion come from? "Top top player". It's nonsense speak. Much like starting a sentence with, "So". Or ordering in a bar or restaurant, "Can I get. ".
Meh. I'm old, leave me alone. ?.

12.) 10 Apr 2024
10 Apr 2024 08:22:22
Braithwaite has a really high ceiling he is really highly regarded by a lot of people and I totally agree that his season abroad accelerated his development. Still not the finished article but well ahead of the curve for a young cb.

@ ajh,
I'd like to see willy play from now till the end of the season. Varane is on his way so use if we need to but I'd like to see will given the opportunity to play his way into next season squad as cb no 3 or 4 or a game or 2 at rb to see how he gets on. I liked a lot of what I've seen so far from him. Strong in the tackle, brave on the ball, quick and eager to give everything he has in the tank. Confidence is not lacking in him either. Tuanzebe your right never quite made it always injured and perhaps struggled to deal with the mental side of the game.

Martinez is one of my favourite players out of the current squad but he can't stay fit for one reason or another and with the way he plays he and be missing games so it's essential that we have better cover at cb. 2 in 3 (varane Evans maguire) out ideally for me . Lindelof might hang around as we have taken the option of next season so he will leave for free at the end of next season. Martinez 2 new guys willy and lindelof would be deep enough.

New guys? I see names linked all the time and I know little about most of them but Braithwaite is one I'd love to see come in. Hard to see where the money will come from to get the fixes done.
Outside of mainoo we have no midfield at all. Cas erikson vdb hannibal amrabat all likely to leave. Leaving mainoo mount Bruno and mctom. 2 cm needed there.
200m for 2 cb and 2 cm that's brie you get to the attack or address the full back spots.

If Greenwood maguire cas vdb fernandez ericksen hannibal pellistri bring in 100m between them all be doing well. AWB mctom Bruno rashford are all players that could be sold generating profit on their book values (Greenwood and maguire fall into that category too) I would not be surprised to see one or more of those 4 sold.

Varane Evans amrabat Heaton all out of contract 500k pw saved on wages there it will take some time to get the hideous costs under control. I see credit cards and chauffeur cars withdrawn from the execs in 18 months time the running of the football side of the club will be unrecognisable and I mean that in a good way.
The holiday camp is closing down we are starting on the road to excellence we are at the bottom of the hill however with some really good youth players coming through I feel very confident for the future. Immediate term will be rocky perhaps but that's OK as long as we are making ground. I'm very confident that once we build some good momentum we will make big strides.

13.) 10 Apr 2024
10 Apr 2024 13:03:59
I would love to see Kambwala get a proper run of games until the end of the season. We won't know just how good he is until he's given a chance, just like Braithwaite got at Everton.
Just look how Mainoo has evolved just because he was given a chance due to our injuries in midfield. Now he's the first name on the team sheet every week.
He's exactly what we need at the moment, fast, aggressive, 100% commitment in every thing he does and so what if he makes the odd mistake. Your learn from your mistakes.
On his last performance he should start at Bournemouth on Saturday.

14.) 10 Apr 2024
10 Apr 2024 17:29:12
Fizz, I feel you, mate. Especially the 'so' thing ?.

15.) 11 Apr 2024
11 Apr 2024 08:03:46
It is very irritating Noucamp.

16.) 11 Apr 2024
11 Apr 2024 12:07:59
Nonsense speak? What does that mean I think there is a grammatical error there in that phrase. Particularly when referring to a written word.
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