✍ Welcome Jean-Clair Todibo

[mumbles87]

It's nearly May!

The fitness under j-lo was shocking. You can't up fitness mid season without risking injuries

He's getting fitter and fitter . Latest 90 at the weekend

Next season will be the real todibo

[Ironing Board]

What about all three playing together,reckon that would be better than the present defence .

Three central defenders is overkill for me, except in special circumstances.

[Sticky]

Saw an image of him the other day and it looked like he had a concave chest and a beer belly.

If he isn't fit by now then what is he doing all day every day?
Looks like a good player ~ but you can't get away with not being fit, as most of our lot are finding out. It's unprofessional at the least.

[Ironing Board]

Saw an image of him the other day and it looked like he had a concave chest and a beer belly.

I salute him!

[GeeGee78]

Looks overweight to me and while he looks skillfull and his play can be easy on the eye, he is painfully slow and that is an issue in a back 3 with Killman and Mavro. Actually looks like he is running through treacle.

Juve dodged a bullet for me.

Im with you in that. He has good explosiveness in a small radius, but he isnt fast at all.

The issue is our midfield isnt great and leaves wide open spaces and that is where he struggles. Where all our CBs struggle actually. All of them are different but each struggle to defend in lots of space for various reasons. They dont quite have the overall athleticism, hip flexibility, pace, recovery speed or cant turn quickly etc.

I like.him, hes a good player, but we need a healthy Zouma type, tall, physical but athletic and fast that would be next to him as well.

Again it is about fit - you can say similar re Kilman if we are going back three. Personally, id love Aguerd back but he seems to be a player that needs to be emotionally in, not sure he wants to be in England.

Our recruitment and retention strategy will be vital this off- season.

Todibo would be far better in Italy btw, more tactical, stop start league,

[Wessex]

Todibo would be far better in Italy btw, more tactical, stop start league,

100%. He'd look a world-beater at Juve. Not sure it'll work out for him in England

[Marky]

We have to continue with him and develop him for me thats his fitness.

[DusseldorfHammer]

One of the worst parts of Todibo's game. He doesn't go into defensive aerial battles. Such a fr eaking low number. And when he does, he loses half of them; which for a defender is bad; really bad. Really struggling to see him playing as a centre back in a back four because of that. Could make us a bit extra hamstrung from a tactical perspective, if we have to find ways to hide the glaring deficiencies of a 26-year-old 40m centre-back, who also struggles to stay on the pitch for the whole 90 minute. 9 fully completeled PL games all season.

At no point would the club make that sort of deal again right now. No signs at all show in the direction of, yeah THAT is a clear PL centre back you'll be able rely on for the next 3-5 years.

[Ozza]

Yeah, to me all of our CBs are more suited to a 3 rather than a 2

[Colne Dynamo]

I would imagine then that sticking with 3 at the back then and buying Walker-Peters so we can actually play the wing-back system properly would be far more cost effective than trying to bring in 2 expensive centre backs who can play in a 2.

[Believer]

I would imagine then that sticking with 3 at the back then and buying Walker-Peters so we can actually play the wing-back system properly would be far more cost effective than trying to bring in 2 expensive centre backs who can play in a 2.

It’s a sad state of affairs when you drop £100m on 3 CHs and none of them can actually do the job description. A professional CH should be able to play in a 2 or a 3.

[Phil Parkes' Gloves]

It’s a sad state of affairs when you drop £100m on 3 CHs and none of them can actually do the job description. A professional CH should be able to play in a 2 or a 3.

I was thinking this the other day; we've spent £80m on two CBs and yet still need to buy two more this summer. It's staggering how bad we've been in the transfer window.

[DublinDave]

Whenever I hear the line, "he looks better in a 3", about a CB, I immediately think, "he's not very good then, is he..? ".
Of course it's easier to play in a 3 at the back system for a defender, you've an extra body.
The fact our 100 mil CB trio are still as shaky as a shaky thing in a 3 is worrying, that none of them show a modicum of leadership amongst them even more so.
Add in 30 mil Aguerd & that's 130 mil spent on a backline severely lacking in the cojones department.

A more functional midfield & a strong goalkeeper behind them may well help but won't change their personalities.
A starting CB still needs to be signed, a Fulle at the back. No problem if they're 30+, Harry Maguire would be perfect.

[jabbaglob123]

Whenever I hear the line, "he looks better in a 3", about a CB, I immediately think, "he's not very good then, is he..? ".
Of course it's easier to play in a 3 at the back system for a defender, you've an extra body.
The fact our 100 mil CB trio are still as shaky as a shaky thing in a 3 is worrying, that none of them show a modicum of leadership amongst them even more so.
Add in 30 mil Aguerd & that's 130 mil spent on a backline severely lacking in the cojones department.

A more functional midfield & a strong goalkeeper behind them may well help but won't change their personalities.
A starting CB still needs to be signed, a Fulle at the back. No problem if they're 30+, Harry Maguire would be perfect.

Imo what about if we had a back three of Todibo, Kilman and Aguerd BUT we sort out our midfield.

Then I think they perform and look much better.

Imo the midfield is absolutely crucial and we must sort it this window

[DublinDave]

Imo what about if we had a back three of Todibo, Kilman and Aguerd BUT we sort out our midfield.

Then I think they perform and look much better.

Imo the midfield is absolutely crucial and we must sort it this window

Midfield needs sorting regardless.
We need someone to take some responsibility at the back just as much though.
Todibo, Kilman & Aguerd, who's the leader in that group..? Who would you put money on to put his body on the line if required.?
Who's the organiser of the defence.?
Sheep leading sheep is all we have right now.

[DusseldorfHammer]

If you plan to play a three, you're more or less a functional side, that relies super heavily on the output of the wing backs.

And, if he doesn't get banned, not a system to get the best out of Paqueta, as well as Füllkrug.

Plus, not seen much so far if anything that tells me that Todibo is that special to plan your system around him. Not at all.

[Phil Parkes' Gloves]

I have a strong suspicion that we'll flip him in the summer, probably at a loss.

If Egan-Riley comes in early, I expect Todibo to go quite soon after.

[DublinDave]

I have a strong suspicion that we'll flip him in the summer, probably at a loss.

If Egan-Riley comes in early, I expect Todibo to go quite soon after.

I think we'll flip him for a profit, purely because Man Utd may come in for him. (They couldn't buy from Nice due to ineos being involved in both clubs if memory serves).

[MB]

Yeah, to me all of our CBs are more suited to a 3 rather than a 2

Which makes it all the more bizarre we went into the season with only three of them suggesting it was never the intention to play three at the back.

To then plan to have the worldest slowest DM in front of them just bizarre.

I can see real benefits in Todibo in a three. Being somewhere between a full back and a centre back allows you to push the wingback higher. Does dictate other moves though

[The hayfield]

I reckon we'd get more from the Saudis . I'm not convinced by him in this league. Excellent on the ground but utterly woeful aerially.