20 Jul 2024 16:39:45
There is a lot of excitent and optimism on here, so where are we, and does it look good?
Positives
1. Greenwood has gone and Willy has also brought a fee in, as has Donny and Alvaro.
2. Wages have been reduced with a few leaving at the end of their contracts.
3. Yoro looks a real talent.
4. Our focus appears to be on young potential which is better than recent years when we brought ageing pros in.
5. Transfer business seems to be more efficient, a lot less drawn out deals and public haggling.
6. Sancho is back.
Negatives
1. We still need a proven goalscorer and haven't signed one.
2. Signing potential is all well and good, but potential doesn't always translate into quality.
3. We still have a lot of players to move out, particularly if we want to bring more in.
4. Personal view, not convinced about Zirkzree. (or Hojlund) .
5. Sancho is back.
Lots of activity, but still much to do. On the plus side, surely we can't have as many injuries next year which will have a real impact.
Potato, potarto, time will tell, but currently I am not sharing the excitement of others.
20 Jul 2024 19:31:35
Sancho is back, when did he arrive?
20 Jul 2024 20:07:16
A complete transition will not be accomplished in the first summer window. If we end up in the top 4 and win any cup we should all be delighted. We're looking for right direction and right attitude, rather than the finished article.
20 Jul 2024 20:46:32
I agree Shaw, I'd like to see progress, a better team culture and club approach.
20 Jul 2024 21:12:46
While I’m not getting my knickers in a twist about the signings (young and need time) I am very optimistic about the structure above EtH and his new coaching team.
Less injuries, a settled back line and some better coaching should see us competing for top 4.
Zirkzee and Hojlund will be getting coach by Ruud this season. Not many better to learn from.
20 Jul 2024 23:29:58
How many goals do you think a young rasmus should have scored in his first prem season? His chance to goal ratio is excellent. He needs to keep improving, and we desperately need to start looking for him is a1 position. Too often he was in the right place and our wingers ignored him, cut back to option 2 or 3, shot from stupid positions or lost the ball.
We had 1 striker. It is not enough. Now we will have 2 plus youth, that is a good start.
Looking forward to seeing this new squad come together.
21 Jul 2024 00:00:50
Totally agree Dodgy, his goal to chance record was second only to Haaland. Even with a supposedly proven goalscorer, how are are they going to score more goals unless the service dramatically improves.
If the service to a striker dramatically improves, given the high conversion rate of Rasmus, then by definition Rasmus will become a proven goalscorer!
It's not a proven goalscorer we need, it's just someone who can get the ball, consistently and accurately, into the striker.
21 Jul 2024 09:22:52
Exactly. Now he also has to make the movements to be in the right place, and later in the season he had been ignored so much he stopped making as many sharp movements - probably also tired from overplaying. Sure the new coaching set up will take him to a new level.
21 Jul 2024 09:33:11
Agree Dodgy.
Our lack of creativity and chances created is well documented. Common sense says our strikers won’t be scoring many.
I think Rasmus did very well last season under the circumstances, and also considering our spoiled brat hasn’t let him into his inner circle.
21 Jul 2024 10:04:27
Will bet my left nut Rasmus scores atleast 20 goals all comps this season barring any lengthy injury.
21 Jul 2024 10:18:54
We have two inexperienced strikers, but interesting Wheatley is now at an age where he may step up a level, some do some don’t, we will see. The club are actively and allegedly trying to sign the lad from Arsenal youth who seemed to be a goalscorer and that is a positive if it happens.
Two things for me. Not seen Zirkzee but he is untried when we already have little experience of goal scoring in the club. I would probably have looked for a more experienced striker. Secondly, we buy these tall strikers but don’t cross the ball. That’s a negative for me. Other teams cross it a lot, City create by manouvering fullbacks, overload and cross. We just pass it back. More emphasis needs to be using a crossed ball, then winning it back if not successful. We are playing chess on a football field. What’s the point in having strikers if they don’t get service. That must change this season.
21 Jul 2024 12:17:20
Ruud thrived on crosses. There is a reason eth was told the coaching needed changing.
I'm sure we will see a different approach. Eth's job depends on big improvement.
22 Jul 2024 11:15:03
Ken, to be fair football was played differently back then, while Ruud also had two of the best crossers in EPL history in Beckham and Giggs whipping inch perfect crosses for him.
Changes in the game mean crosses are less impactful in terms of creating a scoring chance then they used to be. That might well change in the future, football goes in circles as they say.
Personally I think the lack of crosses, cuts backs or even passes from our wide forwards has far more to do with their natural instincts as players and less to do with the tactics.
Rashford, Antony and Garnacho all prefer to play on the opposite side to their dominant foot. They naturally don't want to go round the outside and cross, but to cut back inside and shoot off their stronger foot.
When attacking in the final third instinct plays a much bigger role than in other areas of the pitch where you get a little more time and space to think about your options.
We saw the change in Garnacho's game when he switched from the left to the right. His game went from being one dimensional and predictable, to suddenly him seemingly having more options. Because his instincts to cut in were no longer the overriding decider in his actions.
I've said previously that I think Garnacho needs to play more regularly on the right while he's developing and growing as a player to help round out his development and make him a better player.
This natural instinct for most of our wide players to cut in and attack the space on the inside channels is one of the reasons I believe Zirkzee could be an inspired signing (if he adapts and steps up to the EPL) . His skillset to drop deep pulling a CB with him then to link up the play with the wide forwards could be transformational for our attack. It would both create more space for our wide forwards to attack centrally, creating both more and higher quality chances.
Potentially Zirkzee could see one or even both Rashford and Garnacho go up a level or two in their goalscoring output.
Looking at the skills of the players at our disposal, Zirkzee would work well with Rashford, Garnacho and Antony in those wide positions.
While Højlund probably needs one or Mount or Amad to be playing in those wide positions for him to thrive. Having someone whose natural instincts is to create for others rather than looking to score themselves.
Either way, I actually really like our current attacking options going into this season. In an ideal world we'd replace Antony with someone like Olise or similar. Obviously Olise isn't an option now, while finding someone to sign Antony probably requires a blind sporting director.