Mahrez -> Roma / Villarreal?

[MC Prussian]

Didn't we only pay 400k because he was out of contract in the summer?

True. Plus the fact we were buying him from a mediocre Ligue 2 side.

[ealingfox]

I was genuinely thinking when he goes he will go as our record sale. £11 million isn't that much any more.

[Guest MattP]

I was genuinely thinking when he goes he will go as our record sale. £11 million isn't that much any more.

 

Moore is 21, Mahrez is 23. Both under contract to the football club until 2017.

 

People were saying Moore should be valued at 12milllion plus.

 

I don't know what that makes Mahrez but it sure isn't 4million.

[Guest Kopfkino]

Moore is 21, Mahrez is 23. Both under contract to the football club until 2017.

 

People were saying Moore should be valued at 12milllion plus.

 

I don't know what that makes Mahrez but it sure isn't 4million.

 

And that is stupid

[Guest MattP]

And that is stupid

 

Yep, it's absolutely ridiculous.

[Thracian]

How often do we ever get premium price for one of our assets? Mahrez is okay offensively but I wouldn't fret over his departure cos he's not a great defender and we can't afford the shortage of cover he leaves on occasions.

 

Three million, four million...who cares? We'll need to compete like lions to save being buried back in The Championship and I don't see Mahrez as being big enough or strong enough for the sort of sustained trench warfare where dogged 1-0.wins are greeted like cup-final triumphs

 

Get rid and bring in the footballing equivalent of the SAS. Calm but accomplished killers who can survive 89 minutes of any kind of pressure yet still deliver a fatal blow to take the points. .     

 

Support, rather than any particular system, will matter most...the ability of all our players to offer support in defence or attack - and to concentrate while they're doing it.

 

We'll need attackers who can defend and defenders who attack. We can't keep playing with fundamental handicaps like an inability to score from free-kicks or without defenders and midfielders contributing a goal or two one way or another.

 

We've nothing to lose football wise because, apart from the first few games and a cameo or two thereafter, we've not really played much. . 

 

Victories now would  be sweet in any footballing language. But first  we'll need to be tough throughout - in body and spirit. Tough enough to combat any opponent and fit enough to move back and forwards as a single unit. Mahrez won't be missed. In firework terms he's a Catherine wheel not a banger.    

[Dan]

These comments will be hilarious when he's a regular for a team in Europe like Roma.

 

I can fully see how he would be of more use to a side on the front foot to one on the back foot, mind.

[ScouseFox]

sell him because he's not a great defender! !!11!!!!!!!!!!R3mnfioewvcnhyick audbvkasndvbacuiyvbkc yueeuqobvldcn uoywebnf8239fn34bf8n23 ycb qehahfdkcxn

[The Railway Man]

Did you actually watch our team between Jan and May last season Thracian? Trench warfare?

 

The side we had with Mahrez in that time were burying the majority of the teams they played by half time, let alone having to go to war to win.

 

Imagine walking into Barcelona and demanding the sale of Messi, Neymar and Suarez as they can't defend.

[ScouseFox]

let's just sell the whole squad and buy 23 defenders and hope we never cross the ****ing half way line again

[Danno]

sell him because he's not a great defender! !!11!!!!!!!!!!R3mnfioewvcnhyick audbvkasndvbacuiyvbkc yueeuqobvldcn uoywebnf8239fn34bf8n23 ycb qehahfdkcxn

Why can't you see King is a far superior player scouse. His 3 yard passes and keeping cool under the pressure is simply sublime. i've never seen a player mark space so well in history. Step overs are simply to risky and far too exciting for any leicester player.

[MC Prussian]

How often do we ever get premium price for one of our assets? Mahrez is okay offensively but I wouldn't fret over his departure cos he's not a great defender and we can't afford the shortage of cover he leaves on occasions.

 

Three million, four million...who cares? We'll need to compete like lions to save being buried back in The Championship and I don't see Mahrez as being big enough or strong enough for the sort of sustained trench warfare where dogged 1-0.wins are greeted like cup-final triumphs

 

Get rid and bring in the footballing equivalent of the SAS. Calm but accomplished killers who can survive 89 minutes of any kind of pressure yet still deliver a fatal blow to take the points. .     

 

Support, rather than any particular system, will matter most...the ability of all our players to offer support in defence or attack - and to concentrate while they're doing it.

 

We'll need attackers who can defend and defenders who attack. We can't keep playing with fundamental handicaps like an inability to score from free-kicks or without defenders and midfielders contributing a goal or two one way or another.

 

We've nothing to lose football wise because, apart from the first few games and a cameo or two thereafter, we've not really played much. . 

 

Victories now would  be sweet in any footballing language. But first  we'll need to be tough throughout - in body and spirit. Tough enough to combat any opponent and fit enough to move back and forwards as a single unit. Mahrez won't be missed. In firework terms he's a Catherine wheel not a banger.    

That's because he's not a defender.

 

"Buried back in the Championship"? "Trench warfare"?

Something tells me the older you get, the more you choose style over substance.

 

Oh, and "We'll need attackers who can defend and defenders who attack.":

What we need more than anything else is attackers who can attack and defenders who can defend.

[ADK]

We won't sell unless someone offers silly money, at least £15 million.

[Thracian]

That's because he's not a defender.

 

"Buried back in the Championship"? "Trench warfare"?

Something tells me the older you get, the more you choose style over substance.

 

Oh, and "We'll need attackers who can defend and defenders who attack.":

What we need more than anything else is attackers who can attack and defenders who can defend.

 

 

 

Did you actually watch our team between Jan and May last season Thracian? Trench warfare?

 

The side we had with Mahrez in that time were burying the majority of the teams they played by half time, let alone having to go to war to win.

 

Imagine walking into Barcelona and demanding the sale of Messi, Neymar and Suarez as they can't defend.

 

 

 

This isn't last season although I can understand you thinking it is by the way we approached preparing for the Premiership. And i'm not talking about last season or even my hopes for the first half of this season because no-one has encouraged attacking football more than me over the years.

 

I'm talking about what's going to be required to survive now and for the rest of the season and it's not going to be sparkling football because we're not going to get the players for that and we still won't be able to afford to have a lack of cover down our right wing.

 

Pearson doesn't like forwards who don't defend at the best of times and what we're up against now is not the best of times but the opposite in a Premiership sense.

 

Even if we score first we'll likely concentrate on defending it rather than playing expansive football because we're playing catch up and I expect it'll be even more so by the time that window opens.

 

So that's what we'll need - an attritional attitude because the chance to be expansive's gone. We've wasted it, and tepidly so against the more ordinary teams who we might reasonably have had a go at.

 

The only time we might attack with gusto now is when we think we've blown it and have nothing more to lose. Unless the owners demand it, in which case good luck to them but I think they've left it too late and we won't be sufficiently re-organised as a team. 

 

As to MC P's comments we've not been scoring anything like enough goals and we've been consistently conceding more than we score.

 

Nothing in the above sentence is disputable and all of it emphasises that we need to be offering a goal threat from more positions - and offering better cover when we lose the ball, particularly in the air and against free runners. In particular we need to score from set-pieces because they should offer a worthwhile percentage of any team's goals but with us they don't.

 

Many teams have big central defenders who can make an impression at set-pieces but not us. We hardly pose a threat at all. We don't win any penalties now because we'e not getting bodies in the box often so vital aspects of survival of being wasted. They are basics to me but you see it your own way by all means.

 

We're not Barcelona. We don't have Messi, Neymar and Suarez to score lots of goals and ease the pressure on defenders. So why pretend otherwise?

[Bamba's Babes]

I find players who have the ability to get me out of my seat and win a game VERY frustrating...

[gazfox9]

In the position we're in it'd be crazy to take anything less than 10 million quid. As has been said so many times, during the transfer window, the buying club has to match the selling clubs valuation of the player, not the players value. Personally I don't think there's a cat in hells chance we would sell him for 3 or 4 million.

[MC Prussian]

This isn't last season although I can understand you thinking it is by the way we approached preparing for the Premiership. And i'm not talking about last season or even my hopes for the first half of this season because no-one has encouraged attacking football more than me over the years.

 

I'm talking about what's going to be required to survive now and for the rest of the season and it's not going to be sparkling football because we're not going to get the players for that and we still won't be able to afford to have a lack of cover down our right wing.

 

Pearson doesn't like forwards who don't defend at the best of times and what we're up against now is not the best of times but the opposite in a Premiership sense.

 

Even if we score first we'll likely concentrate on defending it rather than playing expansive football because we're playing catch up and I expect it'll be even more so by the time that window opens.

 

So that's what we'll need - an attritional attitude because the chance to be expansive's gone. We've wasted it, and tepidly so against the more ordinary teams who we might reasonably have had a go at.

 

The only time we might attack with gusto now is when we think we've blown it and have nothing more to lose. Unless the owners demand it, in which case good luck to them but I think they've left it too late and we won't be sufficiently re-organised as a team. 

 

As to MC P's comments we've not been scoring anything like enough goals and we've been consistently conceding more than we score.

 

Nothing in the above sentence is disputable and all of it emphasises that we need to be offering a goal threat from more positions - and offering better cover when we lose the ball, particularly in the air and against free runners. In particular we need to score from set-pieces because they should offer a worthwhile percentage of any team's goals but with us they don't.

 

Many teams have big central defenders who can make an impression at set-pieces but not us. We hardly pose a threat at all. We don't win any penalties now because we'e not getting bodies in the box often so vital aspects of survival of being wasted. They are basics to me but you see it your own way by all means.

 

We're not Barcelona. We don't have Messi, Neymar and Suarez to score lots of goals and ease the pressure on defenders. So why pretend otherwise?

Your essays leave me confused. You analyze so many points at once, but never come to a full conclusion. Or rather, to many different conclusions at once. That's not stringent.

 

Everyone knows we've been losing more games than winning them.

To be able to offer more goal threats from all over the pitch, you need exceptional talent at this level, and neither do our owners want to spend that much nor can we afford to sign players of that calibre.

Our chance of survival should rely on all aspects of the game and that includes defending better and creating better chances. Players need to be quicker in acting and reacting in the Premier League, they need a better awareness of what's going on around them.

 

As for set-pieces, we've known about this for years. It's been a weakness ever since Pearson took charge and up to this day, it has never been rectified. Again, I can but assume that tall, quick and agile centre-backs are bloody expensive on the market.

 

We don't win penalties because we're one of the fairest teams in the league. Maybe that is an aspect we should be focusing on, even though I'd hate to see us winning by deliberately cheating.

 

No, we're not Barcelona. And we'll never ever be like them. So why bring them up in the first place - just like Col with his Chelsea obsession?

 

In essence, you know as much as I do as far as our shortcomings are concerned. That we, in fact, have a very inexperienced, albeit young and partially very talented squad with a lot of dedication and togetherness, a team that doesn't give up and plays for the manager.

And that the January transfer market will be essential - both in terms of player arrivals as well as departures.

[Guest Basildon Fox]

Is Mahrez actually worth more than say £5m though.  I am not so sure he is.  Yes he does some brilliant things but defensively he is poor and his decision making is suspect too.  As Leicester fans we really want our players to be good so we talk them up to be better than they are.  This has happened with Schmeichel, Moore, Knockaert and Drinkwater as well but if we  were looking to buy him would we really be wanting to pay anymore than £3m for him?  I do not think so.

 

We have to accept that the squad that blew the championship apart last season was exactly that a championship team that simply got on a roll and never looked back.  A form v class argument.  Perhaps we need to sacrifice one or two to get better players in.  If Mahrez is one and we can get £5m for him then I think it would be a good bit of business as realistically that is about his value.

[Ric Flair]

Is Mahrez actually worth more than say £5m though. I am not so sure he is. Yes he does some brilliant things but defensively he is poor and his decision making is suspect too. As Leicester fans we really want our players to be good so we talk them up to be better than they are. This has happened with Schmeichel, Moore, Knockaert and Drinkwater as well but if we were looking to buy him would we really be wanting to pay anymore than £3m for him? I do not think so.

We have to accept that the squad that blew the championship apart last season was exactly that a championship team that simply got on a roll and never looked back. A form v class argument. Perhaps we need to sacrifice one or two to get better players in. If Mahrez is one and we can get £5m for him then I think it would be a good bit of business as realistically that is about his value.

You might have a point if you were using transfer value from several years ago but if the likes of Ulloa, McCormack and Deeney are worth 8 figures whom are all a lot older than Mahrez then yes he is worth more than half that.

[Guest Basildon Fox]

You might have a point if you were using transfer value from several years ago but if the likes of Ulloa, McCormack and Deeney are worth 8 figures whom are all a lot older than Mahrez then yes he is worth more than half that.

 

While I understand the sentiment all I would ask is why is he worth more than that?  You have used 2 strikers in your comparison and they are the ones that cost the big bucks.  Deeney for instance has scored 5 goals in his last 2 games.  How many assists and goals has Mahrez got in say the last 10 games?    All I will say is there are better players than him that could be available in January.  If we have to lose him to facilitate getting these guys in then so be it.  £5m seems like a very good price to me.

[ScouseFox]

While I understand the sentiment all I would ask is why is he worth more than that?  You have used 2 strikers in your comparison and they are the ones that cost the big bucks.  Deeney for instance has scored 5 goals in his last 2 games.  How many assists and goals has Mahrez got in say the last 10 games?    All I will say is there are better players than him that could be available in January.  If we have to lose him to facilitate getting these guys in then so be it.  £5m seems like a very good price to me.

 

who on earth could we possibly sign for less than 5 million (and presumably pretty low wages) in the next month who would offer as much to our team immediately as mahrez does right now? really? all we could do is take a wild punt on "another mahrez" and hope he someone adapts immediately and helps keep us up. 

 

he's worth 4 or 5 million based on his ability. correct. based on the fact he'll play a huge part if we somehow stay up earning us multi millions and it's january and we have no reason to sell, he's worth at least double that, to us, right now. 

[Guest Basildon Fox]

who on earth could we possibly sign for less than 5 million (and presumably pretty low wages) in the next month who would offer as much to our team immediately as mahrez does right now? really? all we could do is take a wild punt on "another mahrez" and hope he someone adapts immediately and helps keep us up. 

 

he's worth 4 or 5 million based on his ability. correct. based on the fact he'll play a huge part if we somehow stay up earning us multi millions and it's january and we have no reason to sell, he's worth at least double that, to us, right now. 

 

But what do wages have to do with it?  If we are to stay in the division then we need better quality players.  Better quality players cost more. It is not rocket science.  If selling him helps get someone better in then £5m seems like a good deal for someone who is pretty average with the odd flash of genius.  Will he become a better player over time? quite possibly but time and games left are not on our side at the moment and we need proven quality above raw potential if we are going to get out of the bottom 3.

[ScouseFox]

But what do wages have to do with it?  If we are to stay in the division then we need better quality players.  Better quality players cost more. It is not rocket science.  If selling him helps get someone better in then £5m seems like a good deal for someone who is pretty average with the odd flash of genius.  Will he become a better player over time? quite possibly but time and games left are not on our side at the moment and we need proven quality above raw potential if we are going to get out of the bottom 3.

 

well i'd personally be amazed if anyone keeps us up, and it would be an absolute disaster if we gave someone stupid wages and then went down... 

 

mahrez is our best attacking player. if you think we can get a proven premier league winger who will give us a better chance of staying up for less than five million in january, he'll adapt to our squad and the situation immediately and then we'll finish 17th you've lost the plot imo. but each to their own. 

[Guest Basildon Fox]

well i'd personally be amazed if anyone keeps us up, and it would be an absolute disaster if we gave someone stupid wages and then went down... 

 

mahrez is our best attacking player. if you think we can get a proven premier league winger who will give us a better chance of staying up for less than five million in january, he'll adapt to our squad and the situation immediately and then we'll finish 17th you've lost the plot imo. but each to their own. 

 

So you are saying that we have no chance and should just give up.  And you say I have lost the plot...  At least we will have competitive Championship team next season eh?

 

As I have said previously,  You shop in Lidl and there are one or two great bargains to be had.  Unfortunately the rest is cheap imitation crap.  Still you get what you pay for,,,

 

Oh and edited to say £5m will not get us the quality required, however if the sale of Mahrez went toward a better quality player then surely it would be a good thing.  As it stands we are 5 points from safety.  Not insurmountable with a bit of added quality.

[filbertway]

I can just see the thread in April "Why did we sell Mahrez?". Everyone who has been saying he's inconsistent and barely worth £5 million will be wondering what possessed Nigel to make such a stupid decision.

 

He is literally our only player who consistently can beat a man and find a decent ball. He seems to know what the defender is going to do before they do. Given his age and the fact he will more than likely continue to improve for the next 3 or 4 years it's absolute lunacy to talk about giving him away for such a measly price.