January 2022 Transfer Window

[hammers92]

Ake is a clown. Causes problems all the time by thinking he’s Xavi. Did ok at Bournemouth but still prone to big errors.

I’d rather someone like Tarkowski if I’m honest. At least he knows how to defend.

[S-H]

Never been impressed by Ake, to be honest.

Was amazed he got a move to Man City.

[Puff Daddy]

Never been impressed by Ake, to be honest.

Was amazed he got a move to Man City.

Nor me. I was horrified when I read it. Hope Newcastle sign him

[Wilko1304]

Well done to you oh fount of football knowledge!

Oh arent we sarcy, you sycophant.

It is no "fact" he is going to be anything. The groomed to be the new Modric thing is sensationalism that means absolutely nothing.

[Wilko1304]

I'd be keen on Ake. Absolutely struggling to build from the back, and Moyes input is very different to Howe input.

Wages and fee would be a concern, but a loan might be possible.

[El brooko79]

I'd take Ake in a heart beat.
26, left footed, knows the league, playing in a moyes team where you don't often get isolated

Upgrade on Diop and Dawson.

Think financially it's a very tough deal. Man City and Chelsea set unrealistic finances. If he wants to play for us would need to be realistic

[Ironing Board]

Oh arent we sarcy, you sycophant.

It is no "fact" he is going to be anything. The groomed to be the new Modric thing is sensationalism that means absolutely nothing.

Who I am sycophantic to, oh wise one? He has long been seen as one of the top young European talents:

His real chance in the national team came in late 2018 and by the end of the following year he outshone all of his Croatia teammates from big clubs in western Europe to become a hero of the European Championship qualifying campaign. Yes, Luka Modric still reigns supreme in midfield, but it was Vlasic who scored the key goals or participated in them, giving Zlatko Dalic a dynamic, direct No 10 option that Croatia have always lacked.

Still only 23, Vlasic has had his share of trials and tribulations and is now on the verge of a big breakthrough. For all his long-built reputation as a wonderkid, he may have taken longer than expected to become a player everyone had hoped he can be. But all the hardship and missed chances have made him stronger because of his foundation – a talent supported by a thousand right decisions, as Josko would say.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... s-new-hero

[Wilko1304]

Who I am sycophantic to, oh wise one? He has long been seen as one of the top young European talents:

His real chance in the national team came in late 2018 and by the end of the following year he outshone all of his Croatia teammates from big clubs in western Europe to become a hero of the European Championship qualifying campaign. Yes, Luka Modric still reigns supreme in midfield, but it was Vlasic who scored the key goals or participated in them, giving Zlatko Dalic a dynamic, direct No 10 option that Croatia have always lacked.

Still only 23, Vlasic has had his share of trials and tribulations and is now on the verge of a big breakthrough. For all his long-built reputation as a wonderkid, he may have taken longer than expected to become a player everyone had hoped he can be. But all the hardship and missed chances have made him stronger because of his foundation – a talent supported by a thousand right decisions, as Josko would say.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... s-new-hero

That is not in any way a fact. It is an article about a player possibly being on the brink of being good. He may never reach the potential they hoped, he may not be suited to reaching that potential in English football, he may not suit our play well enough, he may not settle in London or England as a place. Let alone before we talk injuries or other things.

[Ironing Board]

That is not in any way a fact. It is an article about a player possibly being on the brink of being good. He may never reach the potential they hoped, he may not be suited to reaching that potential in English football, he may not suit our play well enough, he may not settle in London or England as a place. Let alone before we talk injuries or other things.

He is already good - he is star for Croatia and was the best player in the Russian league. Like anyone else in a new job he need some time to settle in.

[Wilko1304]

He is already good - he is star for Croatia and was the best player in the Russian league. Like anyone else in a new job he need some time to settle in.

His form for Croatia since joining is poor, performances in the Russian league are no guarantee of success.

[Ironing Board]

His form for Croatia since joining is poor, performances in the Russian league are no guarantee of success.

Blah blah blah - maybe revisit at the end of the season when he has actually played some games.

[hammer1975]

Not transfer target related but seen something online about Grant Holt joining the scouting team. I guess we can call it a team as we now have at least three scouts

Re: Ake - weren’t Newcastle’s linked a few days ago but Man City said they weren’t going to let him go in January?

[BigFatSam]

26 year old 23 capped Holland international, Manchester City and former Chelsea player Ake is not a clown.

[Vic_Watson]

Ake is a clown. Causes problems all the time by thinking he’s Xavi.

If I was him I'd think I was Ruud Gullit.

[APM]

The manager had £30 million in the summer to spend on a striker. He chose to buy Vlasic instead. The same Vlasic that's not made a PL start and been on the pitch in The PL for 126 minutes.

They also backed him nigh on £30 million for Zouma and sanctioned two other loans to buy.

The manager had money. He spent it elsewhere on the pitch.

This isn't true. He started against Man Utd in the league when Antonio suspended.

Vlasic has only been with us for 13 weeks. He had no pre season due to Euros and Russian League schedule, he's only played 90 mins once since then in any league and has barely had a chance to play with other first choice forwards. Far too early for anyone to call him a flop.

[HoustonHammer24]

Ake would be a great pickup. Pacy, left footed, decent in the air, and not bad with the ball at his feet.

Did make a few mistakes when playing it out of the back with Bournemouth and City, but as someone else mentioned Moyes doesn’t expect as much from the CBs when it comes to ball playing ability as Howe and Pep. Moyes’ priority is a defender who can do the basics and Ake does those really well.

Natural Ogbonna replacement to me. Only downside would be wages and fee, but if those are reasonable and we can get him on loan initially I say make it happen!

[bubbles1966]

The key thing with Vlasic is that he needs to be better than Benrahma because Benrahma simply isn't consistent enough to nail down a guaranteed start.

The worry is that after £60m down on the pair of them , Lanzini post injury still looks to be a better playmaker, as does Fornals who spends too much of his time being used as Cresswell's bodyguard.

Having seen Fornals' corners in recent games, I'd make a new left back a priority because Cresswell's corners are replaceable with Fornals and Bowen and we can stop employing a bodyguard if we purchase a sufficiently robust left back.

Lanzini meanwhile has the best pass accuracy in the league at the moment :shock: Rice is 5th.

[prophet:marginal]

Never been impressed by Ake, to be honest.

Was amazed he got a move to Man City.

I was amazed a club owned by Russians got such a great price for one of their assets from a foreign oil-washing interest sat centre-stage in the Prem pecking order.

Nothing remotely moody about that deal.

Nope. Not one bit.

[StevePottsGoalsReel]

I was amazed a club owned by Russians got such a great price for one of their assets from a foreign oil-washing interest sat centre-stage in the Prem pecking order.

Nothing remotely moody about that deal.

Nope. Not one bit.

At the time, I thought Van Dijk for £75m was nuts, but it pretty much transformed Liverpool into title and Champions League contenders overnight.

But the other major impact of that deal was breaking the brains of some of their rivals - I reckon the Maguire and Ake deals were both failed attempts to find new Van Dijks.

[Bubbles Fortuna]

I think Ake would do well under Moyes. He's a good age too, so Zouma and Ake would set us up for a long time.

Did they ever play together at Chelsea?