Dennis Praet

[jeffschlupp]

9 minutes ago, volpeazzurro said:

I just mildly suspect that Rodgers, with the little bit of experience he has, might just be able to fathom this one out with a slight adjustment to formation with the playing staff available to him comensurate with the threat of the opposition at the time. Apparently he's quite good at it and has experienced such problems before without needing a man for every moment squad of 58.

But it's that attitude of 'we can make do' by changing formations or shoehorning players out of position that will be the difference between top 6 and another average season. 

 

Having 6 midfielders (Ndidi, Mendy, Choudhury, Tielemans, Maddison, Praet) for 3 positions doesn't require a squad of 58. A squad of 25, with two players per position plus a third keeper and a couple of utility players like Amartey and Perez is perfectly reasonable. Otherwise, we're going to be left searching for answers when one of our two star midfield creators pulls up injured halfway through September.

[Guest SO1]

10 hours ago, volpeazzurro said:

I just think that we have to stick to the game plan. There's always room for some experience,  what a buy Evans was for example. For me last season, you could palpably feel the excitement and togetherness by younger players such as Maddison, Chilwell, Tielemans and others when certain things they tried came off. I'm convinced that's part of the reason Tielemans has come here. Admittedly you have to suffer some inconsistency and mistakes but it's more exciting than watching the same old model taken up buy other clubs. I believe we'll have a decent season. Someone will get a spanking off us and the next week we'll probably lose by the odd goal due to an error. So be it. I  find the prospect exciting. 

For me its not a game plan but more of a vision quest. The raw energy and talent is here supplemented by a bit more creativity and cunning to score more goals.

Where this ride takes us I don't know exactly. And that's ok, Watching the unfolding and building is my enjoyment. Week by week.

[volpeazzurro]

5 hours ago, jeffschlupp said:

But it's that attitude of 'we can make do' by changing formations or shoehorning players out of position that will be the difference between top 6 and another average season. 

 

Having 6 midfielders (Ndidi, Mendy, Choudhury, Tielemans, Maddison, Praet) for 3 positions doesn't require a squad of 58. A squad of 25, with two players per position plus a third keeper and a couple of utility players like Amartey and Perez is perfectly reasonable. Otherwise, we're going to be left searching for answers when one of our two star midfield creators pulls up injured halfway through September.

I do see you're point but all these 'just in case' players cost money in transfer fees and wages. Add Praet's potential £18-20m fee to the 30-50m winger fee plus wages people want and where are you getting the money from whilst at this precise moment in time, still paying wages for Silva, Slimani, King, Diabate, Ghezzal, Iheancho and any other unwanted or on the bench standby players? How many players, particularly when you've spent money on them,  will be content to just sit on the bench and wait their turn if it ever comes. Praet is one of a number of names mentioned and would we, if on the odd chance of a game, squeeze him ahead of Choudhury who we are trying to develop who is free. For the odd game you mention if all these mishaps occur,  if fit, do we not have Armarty, James or Silva if we can't or don't want to get rid? There is the argument of course regarding the sale of Maguire, but would we really want to spend a decent chunk of that money on another 'just in case' player? If and when we manage to clear the decks of some of our surplus is perhaps the only time I think we'll see that happening. No business can keep spending without selling without eventually having problems. The club have always maintained a stance of building a sustainable squad, not throwing everything all at once regardless of consequences at a potential whoopee do 6th place finish. There's always an element of fortune regarding injuries for even the biggest of clubs, what if Salah, Mane and Firmino all get injured? It just sometimes happens. 

Edited 11 July 2019 by volpeazzurro

[st albans fox]

Kristoff doesn’t think this one has legs ....

[UniFox21]

1 hour ago, st albans fox said:

Kristoff doesn’t think this one has legs ....

 

At the moment 

 

[TaggertvsWise]

9 hours ago, SO1 said:

For me its not a game plan but more of a vision quest. The raw energy and talent is here supplemented by a bit more creativity and cunning to score more goals.

Where this ride takes us I don't know exactly. And that's ok, Watching the unfolding and building is my enjoyment. Week by week.

Love this phrase.... a great name for an 80s band

[Guest SO1]

1 hour ago, TaggertvsWise said:

Love this phrase.... a great name for an 80s band

Think they used it in for an 80s movie...... Linda Fiorentino

[Dahnsouff]

2 minutes ago, SO1 said:

Think they used it in for an 80s movie...... Linda Fiorentino

 

[Buce]

3 hours ago, st albans fox said:

Kristoff doesn’t think this one has legs ....

 

I'd have thought that was the minimum requirement for a footballer...

[turtmcfly]

On 10/07/2019 at 00:24, MrMean said:

 

 

Lovely vision for a lot of the passes in that. Great the way he's nearly always got his head up and is constantly looking around when he's got the ball at his feet #meerkat

[jimsmallman]

I don't think we need him, but this lad is really, really good.

[Guest SO1]

6 minutes ago, turtmcfly said:

 

Lovely vision for a lot of the passes in that. Great the way he's nearly always got his head up and is constantly looking around when he's got the ball at his feet #meerkat

I saw that too. Would make a great Tielemans/Maddison back up. Maybe Rodgers sees an ability to score goals in him. Scored plenty in Belgium before he went to Italy.

Would be an embarrassment of riches for passing ability in our midfield.

[dan_fox]

Mark Albrighton’s brother?

[Dahnsouff]

Phone call from Leicester to Dennis Praet. As Il Secolo XIX explains the offer is good, around 20 million euros plus bonuses. Sampdoria's request is set at 26.

 

source : https://www.tuttomercatoweb.com/serie-a/sampdoria-telefonata-del-leicester-per-praet-offerta-da-piu-di-20-milioni-1267656

[Alex_LCFC]

Was at oh Leuven as a youth for abit

[Ric Flair]

2 hours ago, jimsmallman said:

I don't think we need him, but this lad is really, really good.

If goals and assists are your thing from attacking midfielders, then no he really isn't.

[Guest SO1]

20 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

Phone call from Leicester to Dennis Praet. As Il Secolo XIX explains the offer is good, around 20 million euros plus bonuses. Sampdoria's request is set at 26.

 

source : https://www.tuttomercatoweb.com/serie-a/sampdoria-telefonata-del-leicester-per-praet-offerta-da-piu-di-20-milioni-1267656

Ha! Sampdoria can pound it. Go to Valencia and ask for that. Idiots.

[Grebfromgrebland]

With his tackling, dribbling and passing quality he's probably the guy who assists the assister.

[Deeg67]

Reminds me a bit of Rodolfo Pizzaro, the Mexican midfielder.  If you happened to catch the Gold Cup final Pizarro didn't get the assist on the only goal, but he created it almost single-handedly.  And he was clearly the best player on the pitch.  He's a master of what we call the "hockey assist" in U.S. soccer parlance - the guy who unlocks the defense and sets the table for the assist and the goal.  Some people can only see what shows up on the score sheet, but if you actually watch a guy like that play, you know how many goals they create.

[Ric Flair]

20 minutes ago, Deeg67 said:

Reminds me a bit of Rodolfo Pizzaro, the Mexican midfielder.  If you happened to catch the Gold Cup final Pizarro didn't get the assist on the only goal, but he created it almost single-handedly.  And he was clearly the best player on the pitch.  He's a master of what we call the "hockey assist" in U.S. soccer parlance - the guy who unlocks the defense and sets the table for the assist and the goal.  Some people can only see what shows up on the score sheet, but if you actually watch a guy like that play, you know how many goals they create.

You have a point, but Praet plays either as an 8 or a 10 and not a deep lying CM. If he can't score more than 2-3 goals a season it's not good enough. Just like Gray, Barnes, Albrighton etc if they can't bring 10-15 goals a season then they won't play. Praet hasn't done well at Sampdoria, I thought he was going to be a star as well.

[Guest SO1]

2 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

You have a point, but Praet plays either as an 8 or a 10 and not a deep lying CM. If he can't score more than 2-3 goals a season it's not good enough. Just like Gray, Barnes, Albrighton etc if they can't bring 10-15 goals a season then they won't play. Praet hasn't done well at Sampdoria, I thought he was going to be a star as well.

Do you think his lack of goals might be his environment or the way the team plays? Always heard that Serie A is very defense oriented.

[Ric Flair]

5 minutes ago, SO1 said:

Do you think his lack of goals might be his environment or the way the team plays? Always heard that Serie A is very defense oriented.

Possibly but 4 goals in 100+ games is a disgrace however way you cut it up. He's actually more of an attack minded midfielder than Tielemans as well, he's more of a Maddison type player and hopefully any move here would see him get back to his numbers he got at Anderlecht where he scored more like 5-8 goals a season. If we are looking for another central midfielder who can play various roles then surely Callum McGregor is our man?

[North Leeds Fox]

Think his game is all about knitting the attack together. Reminds me very much of the 'Joe allen' role in a BR system. He would usually be used for depth more than an automatic starter. If we were to get him or mcgregor and a winger, our squad would look absolutely brilliant. 

Edited 11 July 2019 by North Leeds Fox

[Dahnsouff]

Cannot quite work out WHAT he is if I am honest. Don`t say Belgian 

[KingsX]

21 minutes ago, North Leeds Fox said:

Think his game is all about knitting the attack together. Reminds me very much of the 'Joe allen' role in a BR system. He would usually be used for depth more than an automatic starter. If we were to get him or mcgregor and a winger, our squad would look absolutely brilliant. 

 

I suspect it's about developing our attack to be more about pressing.

 

Folks are talking up Praet’s intelligent passing.  But while he shows great passing success for an AM (partly from being in Serie A?), he is “meh” in the other stats.  If he was making great hockey assists consistently and productively, it would show up in long and through balls.  Add in negligible goals and assists, and -- well, Barnes can play 10, Ghezzal is a passable reserve 10.  Are we building a Cup squad to load up for next year’s CL campaign?!

 

BUT: whether or not we sign Praets, this may be a very telling link.  His defensive stats are identical to Albrighton’s but with more tackles and interceptions.  Now consider the “surprise” of Ayoze.  We have a new direction here: a strong “defending from the front” flavor, with numbers to rotate to allow it over a 38 game season.

 

It’s so much the right thing to do, to shape a squad for a playing style both it and your manager excel at.  My only misgiving, we are signing guys to four and five year contracts, likely longer than BR will be here.  Best be keeping a close eye on up-and-coming managers who will fit this style.