15 Nov 2015 13:57:02
Afternoon gents.
Just want to start my post by saying that my thoughts go out to everyone in the world who was effected by what happened on Friday night. It wasn't just Paris that had the tragedies but Paris is the one that hits home the most. I was in Paris last weekend and if that had happened a week early then what was an amazing weekend in such a beautiful city could have completely different. Rip to everyone who lost their lives and my thoughts go to the families who lost their loved ones.
After that being said I did come on to ask a quick question about martial. We all know he is a fantastic player and his assist against Germany was absolutely wonderful. My question is what do people think we should do with him? Keep him on the wing and sign a striker such as Kane or vardy? Or make him the main man through the middle and bring in a natural goalscoring winger? For me it's an obvious choice. Play him as the striker and break the bank for a top winger like robben, Sanchez, greizmann or the obvious 2 neymar or Ronaldo.
Obviously I know that the players mentioned are going to be hard if not impossible to get, just wanna know people's thoughts.
Thanks guys!
15 Nov 2015 14:12:33
Play him in the middle. Strikers like Martial are almost impossible to come by. Wingers (especially the left) are everywhere. I could list 30+ wingers that could improve us and only a handful of strikers.
15 Nov 2015 14:47:49
Agree with Beast. Play him up top, he can be whatever he wants to be. As for Vardy, no thanks.
15 Nov 2015 15:10:12
Id try for griezmann personally. Both can cover the top three positions.
Beast who would be your top winger targets?
15 Nov 2015 15:20:21
At his age its too early to pigeon hole him to one fixed position, as he develops mentally, physically, and tactically and while he is still on very Steep learning curve I think he will spend some time all 3 positions across the front. Personally I believe he will end up as a centre forward but a bit like Henry it may take a year or two to gain the 'know how' of how to lead the line effectively. Experience is vital in at position so even mess played most of his first few seasons in a wider role before assuming the central role.
15 Nov 2015 15:23:05
To move a world class talent like Martial out of the number 9 to play an average forward in a purple patch like Vardy is what I would call stupid.
15 Nov 2015 15:51:33
vardy purple patch has looked better than kane last year, and people wanted to blow 50 mil on kane.
15 Nov 2015 17:54:24
Brad. Agree with your sentiments about the atrocities in France. The people carrying out these acts don't deserve to be called human.
On Martial, I still think he's a bit young to be leading the line as you don't want burn out. However, if a goalscoring forward like greizman comes then the front three can interchange. So I would love to see greizman or robben and an all out striker to come in too, so that martial can be used sensibly.
15 Nov 2015 19:16:36
Actually agree completely schmid! That would probably be the best way to use him right now. His future is definitely as a number 9, but I suppose using him in an interchanging front 3 could help him ease into it better and help him with flexibility on where he can play. To be honest I know it's unrealistic but neymar, Sanchez or greizmann would be my top targets. They would transform our attack straight away. I also do agree with fresh that it wouldn't be the best move to sign vardy but that was just an example as he's a player being linked at the minute. If we sign a striker I would want a player like Kane or lukaku to be honest.
Thanks for your replys everyone!
15 Nov 2015 20:59:49
I actually think that Vardy and robben in January will turn us into title contenders providing they all stay fit. I think Vardy has had two good seasons. He completely dominated our defence last year in the 5-3 loss. He's got fantastic pace and his touch is very good. And he's an excellent finisher.
Put it this way, he's in a different league to Rooney.
An attack of robben martial and Vardy will be some attack.
15 Nov 2015 22:18:59
Jamie vardy is in a different league to Rooney is the best post I've ever read on this site schmid. He's had a half a great season that doesn't make him a world class player or anywhere near good enough to play for us, I'm sorry but he is not and never will be at the level Rooney was at his peak.
15 Nov 2015 23:26:00
GDS2 - "at his peak", Schmid didn't say that. I'd rather Reg Vardy than Rooney now.
No point dreaming about players that will displace him until he is sold.
16 Nov 2015 00:18:32
Agree with Gds here in that Vardy is not good enough for us. He's having a good season. That's it. We've seen many average strikers have brilliant seasons in the premiership. Vardy is one of them.
16 Nov 2015 10:43:02
Beast,
But surely we should be looking to sign players at the top level who can improve us? Rooney isn't playing well at the moment but playing at their best Rooney is on a different level to vardy, who isn't actually that much younger.
16 Nov 2015 11:42:22
GDS2 - I don't want us to sign Vardy. I agree we need better than him if we expect to win things. My point is more along the lines that Rooney is not contributing and hasn't for quite some time, Vardy would offer more and that isn't enough.
PSG, Bayern, Chelsea, City, Madrid, Barcelona all have 3+ players better than Rooney. We need to be at that level attacking wise, Vardy playing over Rooney would improve us, but not by enough.
16 Nov 2015 11:52:56
vardy is playing great at the moment, 12 goals so far is a big improvement on the 5 he got last season .
but he will be 29 in jan, i'm impressed with how he has played the last couple of month but he is not a player i would sign.
16 Nov 2015 13:47:24
In reply to the original post too. I agree with Beast, a striker like Martial is rare and he has to be played as one. Pace either side of him will help - that is why I am advocating Robben in January for the right and hopefully Neymar or Ronaldo in the summer for the left. We would then also have Memphis and Mata on the bench to offer something difference. Many would say it would block the development of Memphis, I actually think that it would enhance it.
16 Nov 2015 14:02:29
Vardy is in great form atm but isn't a player we should be looking at. He's nearly 29 and it's taken all his career to hit this form which has lasted 6 months.
In another team in another set up he wouldn't be half as effective. Many players have managed one great season, Vardy hasn't even managed that yet.
Like wise Robben should be steered clear of. He has caused trouble at previous clubs and it a player who relies on pace, something he won't have forever. He'd be good for a season or two at most and his wages would be through the roof. I'd rather we look for better long term options. I suspect if Robben was German or Danish we wouldn't have even been linked with him. Although in saying that we are linked with practically every person who has ever kicked a ball in anger. Maybe I should say people have a tendency to put more belief in the rumours when the player either shares a nationality or has previously been managed by our current manager. Both of which are tedious links at best.
As for the OP's question of where should Martial play? I think he should be rotated between all of the forward positions and even spend some time on the bench. He is 19 years old and is learning his trade, he will more than likely end up as a central striker. But spending time on the wing will help round off his skill set and help him learn while also taking him out of the main spotlight at times when things aren't going so well, which will inevitably happen.
In order to do this we will need to sign BOTH a top level striker and a wide forward with pace. In a perfect world we would sign both Griezmann and Mane.
Then we would have options of Griezmann, Mane, Martial, Rooney, Mata, Memphis, Young, Lingard, Wilson, Pereira and Januzaj.
Although I doubt Lingard, Wilson and Januzaj will make it in the long run. Pereira looks most likely of the young lads. All will be good players, but Januzaj and Wilson haven't kicked on since they made great debuts. And although Lingard has had a few good games he doesn't have that one defining ability that raises him above the rest. He is good at many things great at none. That will be enough to be a squad player but I expect him to move on within two years looking for first team football.
16 Nov 2015 14:03:04
ronaldo plays more as a striker these days.
16 Nov 2015 15:21:37
Ronaldo doesn't appear to want to play as a striker though jred.
And Shappy, Robben has not slowed down and he is 31? This is impressive despite all of his injuries. He would not be part of a long term view, but as an impact signing in January to help us make a push a player like him can be the difference between 3 points and 1 point.
16 Nov 2015 15:30:56
fresh i watched an interview with him and he said he saw that as his position .
what makes you say he doesn't want to play as a striker.
16 Nov 2015 15:32:28
robben, ronaldo have been great players but we need to be building for the future and buying the next great players .
16 Nov 2015 17:01:13
We can't just keep buying young players though jred. Is that not what we have done with Memphis and Martial anyway? We need consistency as well as hope for the future and players that have been there and done that are key - look at what Cantona did for us.
Ronaldo throughout his career has preferred to play off of the left and come centrally. Most people say that he doesn't enjoy the physical battle with the centre backs and he likes to have the space to move. He is far more effective from the left, however Rafa plays him up front.
16 Nov 2015 18:13:31
fresh
you don't have to buy kids there is a middle ground .
robben and ronaldo are both past 30 but there are good few proven players out there at a good age that are only going to get better.
16 Nov 2015 19:49:37
Why buy a 30 year old ronaldo when we could go for Bale instead and get an extra 3/4 years?
{Ed025's Note - because ronaldo is 10 times better?..