The January Transfer Window 2020

[Wilko1304]

Kante is only 4ft2, but he is also two people, so it is unfair

[Patito]

Yeah, but fmgod is 7ft..

Sign him up!

[hammer1975]

Cuellar would have completed our midfield

[Crouchend_Hammer]

Ascacibar's 5' 5".

Torreira (who has the qualities we're ltalking about) is 5' 4".

Don't to be some towering monolith to play the role and do it well.

Whilst in general I would agree, I think a towering monolith is exactly what we need at this present time

[leer34]

Biggest issue is still the same it has been for the last few years..lack of drive, energy and physicality in the middle of park, if this doesnt get sorted nothing will change.
More worrying is having such a well thought of, well paid manager who didnt address this immediately.

[Crouchend_Hammer]

To me the midfield can be fixed in one of two ways:

- a basic 'ford transit' style player whose responsibility it is to sit in front of the back four, not move about very much [except to drop into a back three when required] and make tackle, interceptions and headers. Their foremost skills would be positional discipline and reading of the game. In essence, a better Carlos Sanchez or Eric Dier-esque player

or

- a 'box to box' physical specimen who has some defensive skills but can also make an impact in attacking areas. Most importantly they need to be athletic and get up and down the pitch without looking knackered. Get ahead of the ball at times, but also have enough athleticism and stamina to get back. This could either be a player who over indexes on athleticism but is not the best 'footballer' i.e Doucore, or a player who is maybe not quite so defensive/ strong but has a bit of guile, technique and class [in essence, a better Obiang]

If we get the basic Ford Transit type then Rice can probably transition to the latter, and if we get the latter then that will help Rice protect the back four

[Universidad-de-Chile]

By the way, dor the ones who called Ascacibar, hes more or less a younger a expensiver version of Kannemann...


Thats it, not more not less..


Problem is, who can we get really?


(As I already said, its rather who can we get more than who we wish for. Carlos Sanchez was never in Pelle 1. place list, BUT a good plan B, not ore not less. )


Maybe there is a "third way" in between...




Someone like Bruno Gimaraes, 21 yeard old international with Brazil, still in Atletico Mineiro, he is in Atletico Madrid wish list and has a high buy clause 40m Euro, but we knwo with brazilian owners youll nevber know, maybe we can get him for under 20m and its WORTH a try



https://www.whoscored.com/Players/33878 ... ar%C3%A3es

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_Guimar%C3%A3es



Lucas Paquetá, now in AC MIlan, 22 years old, on loan could be also worth a try.

https://www.whoscored.com/Players/31975 ... quet%C3%A1



Marc Roca, I sadlly think, its out of our possibilities.. And Alexis Blin its just does not convince me.



@fmgod, its not imho about to have an athletic mildfield defensive player, but more to defend the team as AN UNIT. Whats mean everyone should track back the ball and not only stay in his possition, but also comes to support the CBs.

[Universidad-de-Chile]

Ahhh..... PS..... as I almost forget it:


I invest so much time in this thread now because (maybe many of you just do not know, but..) NOW END all the southamericans leagues, and NOW its the BEST TIME TO SIGN players there, NOT in the summer (as they are there in the middle of theirs cups, qualify for WM, etc. )


So, lets push for 2 good signs for WHU now..

[Universidad-de-Chile]

West Ham, Man City and Roma battle for Romanian winger Florinel Coman....


https://www.hammers.news/transfer-news/ ... nel-coman/


21 years old, international with Romania...


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florinel_Coman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJkXeDHf2DY

[Puff Daddy]

West Ham, Man City and Roma battle for Romanian winger Florinel Coman....


https://www.hammers.news/transfer-news/ ... nel-coman/


21 years old, international with Romania...


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florinel_Coman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJkXeDHf2DY

Next thing, you see, we'll be linked with yet another attacking midfield player. Everything, bar what we really need

[e17]

In essence, a better Carlos Sanchez or Eric Dier-esque player

Be worried if they were worse

[bubbles1966]

FWIW, Nico Schira - who got a fair bit of our business correct since Pellegrini turned up - tweeted that Pellegrini wants a right back and centre mid in January (ruled out Suso and Giroud specifically too)

Makes sense , presuming Antonio gets fit.

[Cuenca 'ammer]

Makes sense , presuming Antonio gets fit.

if true, makes me wonder why we never got the CM in the summer - and what ARE we going to do with Fornals ?

I think Wilshere has already run his course, injured before the last game wasn't he ?

would also suggest that he sees no immediate future for Johnson ?

[bubbles1966]

Johnson has just vanished.

I think the mid who gets replaced is Sanchez, the RB is Zabaleta.

[Cuenca 'ammer]

Johnson has just vanished.

I think the mid who gets replaced is Sanchez, the RB is Zabaleta.

if that IS the case, I again have to wonder why not take that 24M we spent on Fornals and have gotten one in the summer ? not saying he's crap or the season would have panned out much differently but loads were, and still are, clamouring for an energetic CM/DM before the season started.

another head scratcher if so

[bubbles1966]

if that IS the case, I again have to wonder why not take that 24M we spent on Fornals and have gotten one in the summer ? not saying he's crap or the season would have panned out much differently but loads were, and still are, clamouring for an energetic CM/DM before the season started.

another head scratcher if so

Yep.

Pellegrini must have really wanted the bloke.

There's the odd bit here and there where he looks like his movement is good and he gets into the right positions, but he needs to deliver something tangible.

[Cuenca 'ammer]

the only thing I can think is:

Wilshere missed most of the last season and Pellers didn't have faith in him recovering

Lanzini was only recently back from his long lay off, didn't look great and was coming into the last year of his contract.

that's the only thing that I can possibly think of that would make any sense at all in spending 24M on another CM/ACM

especially when we were crying out for something different. another RB wouldn't have gone amiss either at the time, as Zaba had fallen off a cliff at the fag end of last season and Fredericks wasn't exactly setting the world on fire.

I try to look at it all ways, but at the end of the day, I am left with more questions than answers.

[bubbles1966]

I think Fred's alright at RB. He ain't the greatest technically but he's super quick and puts his foot in - both are useful.

With Fornals, I wonder if he thinks he's better than everyone we've got? He's just waiting for it to show.

[Cuenca 'ammer]

last season though - got hurt a few times, in and out of the team......

looks much better this season tbf, but I think though he might have gotten someone else in - instead of giving Zaba another year.

you may be right about Fornals, but still we had a (large) 3 year contract with Wilshere who Pellers really went out on a limb for imvho.

IF we bring in someone else I should imagine he'd be looking to start

leaves 1 out of:

Noble
Snoddy
Lazini
Wilshere
Fornals

for that one other spot.

[Tackler]

We need an athletic and technical centre midfielder

That´s crystal clear for all to see, even Stewie Wonder can´t stop talking about it

But that has been the case for the past years.

Will they spend the 20 - 30 million needed to get the deal done? I doubt it