volpeazzurro

Mavidivi, Fatawu, Mcateer, Akgun, Wanya and Albrighton make 6 wingers currently on our books at least until the end of the season. Wouldn't Clarke be just a little bit like collecting shiny things? Is he really that much better than our two first choice one's? Even if we're thinking ahead optimistically about next season, aren't there more pressing priorities? 🤔

Would we?

Absolutely agree with the final point yes, but I thought your initial judgement was strangely pessimistic in relation to the two particular players concerned under the current circumstances. Both have just played their first games for Maresca and both have duly scored, what more could they have possibly done? In particular you stated 'Cannon is nothing like as good as the happy-clappers on here have suggested in recent weeks'. Whilst I think many on here have been encouraged by the early signs, I don't think anyone has gone unrealistically over the top about him and I certainly wouldn't refer to them as 'happy-clappers' either. All strikers of all ages will have barren patches and all will have occasional poor games. Also, even Harlaand can't score if he's not given the ball in the right areas at the right time. But, the initial signs in Cannon, making his debut games, not fully match fit and in particular, the way on which he's taken his goals, should surely give more reasons for optimism than pessimism.

Why would he want to accept a 'couple of hundred grand' as you put it, would you 🤔. If you times his weekly wage between now and the end of the season would you be willing to be that much out of pocket. I'd personally want every last penny then leave on a free. It's his job, it's business, he's not a supporter.

It has to be a particular kind of striker or player to fit in with Enzo's system of play. Vardy and Iheanacho aren't necessarily suited to that. Daka, whatever you might think, came into the team having hardly any game time whatsoever for a long time and managed to score goals. He also appeared to adapt the best of those three to the new system. There's time for him yet and time for Enzo to address any weaknesses. Your disparaging remarks about Cannon are quite bizarre. He's a very young player essentially learning his trade and, having had no pre-season and on the back of a difficult injury, has come into the team and scored, with the method and coolness of how he took those goals being extremely promising. Yet you with your expert eye have written him off already? Seems strange therefore that notwithstanding them having the knowledge that Cannon had fractured vertebrae, our recruiting team/manager still wanted to push the deal through? It suggests they may have a little bit more knowledge of him than yourself? What was your view on Vardy in his first season here, would you have dumped him despite not seeing and analysing his abilities on the training ground every day? Bearing in mind we need a particular type of striker for Enzo's system, who is it you could suggest that could fulfil that role in our realistic price range? I think thus far that Enzo and his team have shown good insight into what we currently have and what we need. By the end of this season don't be too surprised if, like certain other players, both Daka and Cannon have come on somewhat for their experience and adapted somewhat. If not, I feel fairly confident that they will know and buy accordingly.

His ability, when he feels like it, has never been in doubt. It's the rest of the baggage ie temperament that goes with him. We're rebuilding in the main with hungry young players busting a gut to compete to try and get better. The last thing we need is another player of doubtful character in the dressing room. Wouldn't touch him with a barge pole.

Why do we need to buy an Armadillo, they sleep for up to 16 hours? Is it to keep Praet company in the sick bay?

By leaving on a free he'd possibly lose money, who's going to pay him what we're paying him? Where's his incentive to leave?

You can't shift those that refuse to go but also, with some of them, would you want your club to buy them?

Think you missed the point. Whatever he 'was' capable of was unlikely to show itself to it's best capabilites when he'd been injured for quite some time and not even match fit! Iversen had just come off a full pre-season including practice games let alone a very good full season as first choice goalkeeper in the Championship. Neither did I ever get the impression that Rodgers Style of football mirrored Enzo's wish for the more current 'comfortable with the ball at their feet' type player, certainly Schmeichel wouldn't be classed as in that catagory. We were after all discussing the first 20 games of last season.

That choice was always bizarre from the outset. Firstly, Iversen had just played a full season and won player of the season with Preston. He'd also done a full pre-season. Ward on the other hand had been injured throughout pre-season training and only had around one or possibly two weeks before the first match! Even a keeper has to be 'match fit' surely, not just in terms of injury free but also mentally and up to speed game wise. If you then start of poorly it's surely got to knock a goalkeeper's confidence. Not making excuses for him too much but Rodgers did hang him out to dry somewhat I think.

Hair injuries can be nasty if your a fringe player!

🤣 he's just flirting with me, I think he's just after a plaything though!

Not a Soumare lover at all, I recognised his early faults, some perhaps down to his wrong deployment and lack of consistent game time, but gave what I thought were fair assessments of his latter performances. Bearing in mind that to players it's a job and they're not supporters, I could also understand why Soumare and certain others couldn't wait to leave. I also can't think of many, if any at all of the one's that have left that, for the betterment of the club on the whole, we're not actually better off without! It's a new dawn under Maresca and there's a more organised, disciplined, but also importantly, a keen and happy atmosphere back around the place. I get the impression that there's only one boss now and no cliques.

Do you actually go to watch? On several occasions under Smith he was the only one busting a gut to get from the opposition half to his own to defend, his efforts probably made to look a bit more spectacular by the total lack of effort by lazy boy Tielemans, Maddison the wimp who did nothing once he'd bust a gut to get to the World Cup and few others. It wasn't just my eyes, it was the commentary team also backed this up. As for wanting to leave. If as a young man you've just left a top of the league side, taken on a different culture and probably a bit home sick, only to be played sporadically out of position by a complete dunderhead and fraud of a manager who consistently blamed his players without bearing any responsibility, then yes, I can see why such a young guy would want to cut and run. The same with Kristensen tbh. I think Seagrave had become quite toxic and not a happy place to be from the snippets of information that leaked out.

Under Smith towards the end of the season, I thought he showed a lot more passion and commitment on the field compared to others. He was vying for man of the match with a couple of others on more than one occasion! Not only did I see and think it so did the radio commentary team. I think too often when a player bandwagon gets rolling, some supporters can't wait to leap on and refuse to notice when performances change. When played out of position sporadically by Rodgers he was poor, however under Smith in a more suitable role I feel he flourished. Whether Enzo could get a tune out of him I have no idea. However, I get the impression that he just wanted out of the club and like Kristiansen, I can understand why. I really do believe that there was some toxicity going on behind the scenes and that Enzo has addressed this ie conform, get fit, fight for the team or get out. Rodgers was a complete lemon 🍋.

I think that would be repeating the same big mistake that Rodgers made. Soumare is a particular type of player with stats before he came here that were very good. Rodgers ignored that and also decided he wanted him to be more attacking and score goals, he said so. In the odd chances he was given to try, he couldn't do it. Rodgers then tried him as a defensive midfielder, again ignoring his previous published strengths, more round pegs square holes treatment. Again, on limited showing, it didn't work. The only time we saw his value was under Smith who used him in his most natural position, as suggested by his stats and that was in between the defence and midfield. Already written off by many on here I would argue that during that fateful fight towards the end (or lack of it by certain players), Soumare was arguably one of our better performers. I'm still of the belief that under the right manager, if played to his strengths, he'll come good.

I think you're right but also he'd merely be playing second fiddle with only sporadic appearances. At his age you can't blame him for wanting more.

I'd heard that too. Think he got that spot on.

Like most of Rodgers signings 🤣

Doyle, first game back after a nasty injury. Nelson first game ever, yet some can predict the future already? Think I'll trust the man that knows and watches them every day. Both decent prospects.

From what I'd heard that wouldn't be too difficult apparently. If it's true, I saw in the media that after the World Cup, the Belgian press had Tielemans down as their worst performer with one outlet giving him a 3 out of 10?

Whilst it would be a struggle perhaps, certainly this season there have been some quite poor Premiership teams imo. Three things spring to mind though. 1. We have another half a system for some of our younger players to improve both physically and tactically. 2. As you rightly mention, Maresca will no doubt be allowed to add to the squad as we rid ourselves of others. 3. Let's not forget that last year was not necessarily all down to the players some of which we retain. A much larger problem was an inept manager who employed poor tactics, consistently played round pegs in square holes, made bizarre substitutions and refused to budge because it was all down to the players, owners, supporters and even the weather.

I agree but also, outside of a top few teams, you could argue that quite a number of players in the other teams fall into the catagory of Premiership/Championship standard.

Absolutely. They've still got half a season to progress and fully integrate into a Maresca system. Both are young and capable of a lot of improvement. It would make a change next time in the Premiership to have a potential threat from both wings. We may also recruit further individuals that will complement them also.