kingfox

Soumare last minute winner incoming!

Did I just see Soumare make a sprint 😲

The 🐐

The team is so unbalanced, you’ve got all the pace down the right and nothing on the left. If you’re going to sit back and try to grab something on the counter, you simply need better ball carriers. Mavididi needs to come on for Reid.

This is like watching a Championship team vs a Premier League team in the 3rd round of the Carabao Cup.

He has sprinkled a bit of positivity with that line up by starting Buonanotte and Vardy, then just doused it in shit by benching Ricardo and Mavididi. The Ricardo conundrum has baffled me all pre season, if he is persisting with three at the back when in possession, I don’t see Ricardo starting, unless he swaps Justin over to the left and has him tuck in as a LCB. He seems adamant at this moment in time not to play Ricardo in CM, I just think he’s scared shitless that we’ll get dicked on transition time and time again if he plays Ricardo in that position.

Sees Jamie Vardy starting but Ricardo and Mavididi on the bench

He is a ST/LW, could easily be competition for Mavididi too 👍🏻

Was contemplating mentioning him to Ric last night as a one to watch. Then I read he has interest from Germany and supposedly rejected Southampton so thought he’d be a non starter. He produced 9 G/A in 10 games at the back end of the 23/24 Jupiler season. While he also scored his first league goal of the new campaign last night.

If he was French and named Olivier Skipp, fans would be raving tbf.

Fee aside, I’m glad we’ve added another body to central midfield, the thought of having Soumare and Choudhury as back up options was too much of a depressing thought, hopefully this signing also means we’ll be saying cheerio to Soumare soon. Also from a negative standpoint, if we do get relegated, Skipp will probably be a magnificent asset to have in the Championship.

I hope we’ve got enough money to spend on all three of those departments, I feel one could be a loan though, maybe at left-back or striker. If the idea is to have a more industrious midfield, then Puertas is the missing ingredient for me, I’ll keep on praying

It’s not just his creativity that catches my eye, his defensive numbers are excellent too, to produce 9 successful defensive actions and 9 defensive duels per90, for a player who can play as a 10 is ridiculous numbers, looking around at other attacking midfielders, nobody comes close to him in the defensive department.

Was just about to post myself, but nobody beats your speedy fingers My head says we’ll turn to David Datro Fofana

Did his ACL in pre season unfortunately

There’s some promising strikers coming through across the lesser European leagues, both Dju and Oskarsson as @LVFox just mentioned are two players I’ve looked at. In terms of a similar profile of what we’ve supposedly looked at, I’m starting to warm to your Thierno Barry shout, he has pretty much identical statistics to Ioannidis in terms of progressive runs and dribbles.

Received a standing ovation from Rennes fans...PAIN!

All depends what type of profile we’re looking for, but going off the basis of wanting Ioannidis and Hlozek, it seems we want someone who can be that link, but also have the ability to carry the ball so we can threaten on the counter, but as I’ve said a few times, you’re not gifted with an endless list in that department. A list of strikers who come in similar proximity to Ioannidis and Hlozek in terms of ball carrying... Karim Konate Michail Antonio Zeki Amdouni Haji Wright Evann Guessand Jonathan Burkardt Cristo Gonzalez Thierno Barry That’s your lot in terms of realism imo, unless we go for a Plan B and get in a big lump of a striker, someone like Weghorst for example.

Another one bites the dust. Looking like a toss up between spending big on Fotis or getting the poor man’s Ade Akinbiyi in on loan. Unless a name crops up out of thin air which I’m kind of hoping, even though I rate Fotis highly.

Wasn’t keen on him a few weeks ago because his lack of experience. But looking around the leagues at strikers who fit a similar mould to Ioannidis and Hlozek, especially in terms of progressive running ability, there’s not a lot of them, but Thierno Barry shows up quite well in that regard, a player that I’m becoming more keen on tbh.

Posted this before, this is from his time at Norwich https://breakingthelines.com/player-analysis/player-analysis-oliver-skipp/ I see him as another Winks but with a bit more defensive bite.

4 assists in 5 games so far this season. Creative, versatile and takes set pieces. Gerrimin!

My post came before I saw the £20 million valuation rumour, I don’t mind Skipp, but surely we haven’t banged £20 million on him outright, he’s a player I’d probably value at between £10-15 million. Anything higher then Levy has done a proper number on us.

Said it all summer that we needed an alternative for Winks, we needed one last season too, hence why we tried to sign Sensi. Do fans really want Soumare and Choudhury as viable midfield options this season, because I certainly don’t. Other positions should be priority, but we also lack depth in central midfield, Skipp is the type of signing you expect a newly promoted club to make. If Cooper starts Winks and Skipp together though, then he’s off his rocker.