The French corner [non WHU]

[Misko]

OK, now, we will talk about the offensive players I find really interesting (CAMs, wingers, strikers).

- Lucas Paquetá (Lyon, 24yo, 5'10) : There is a high probability he'll go to Newcastle, to join his very close friend Bruno Guimarães. He is a special talent, mostly a CAM even though he played a bit everywhere, his ball control is divine, he is strong enough to resist the toughest challenges, he can dribble 4 or 5 players in a small perimeter. He also has an unbelievable vision for through balls. More suprisinlgy for that kind of player, his work rate is high and he really can fight for a ball like a stray dog. When he goes berserk, it is absolutely insane. However, there is a major problem with him: he is way too emotional. This can get him out of a game, or even out of form for a long period (he was crap against WHU, for instance). This made him fail at Milan and some of OL fans are not so desperate to see him go, because of his lack of consistency and his poor decision making during his bad periods.

- Lovro Majer (Rennes, 24yo, 5'9) : I am a bit afraid to praise a Croatian offesnive midfielder here. But there is something quite Modricy about this one. A lot of skills, nice touch on the ball, great passing. He is also providing good activity off the ball, and, despite his lack of power, he applies a lot of pressure to the opponents and tackles a lot during the games. Would he be able to adjust to Premier League? I think he could, like Modric did, with the same qualities and the same limits.

- Sofiane Diop (Monaco, 22yo, 5'5) : I am also afraid to mention a hot prospect named Diop on here. But this young winger is really talented. He has a very all rounded game, he can dribble, pass and shoot with great ease. His decision making is rather good for such a young player and he is also working hard on the defensive end. Of course, he is small and he can find it difficult against the most physical opponents, but they better be well organised as he has all the tools to unlock tight defenses. I really like the way he plays, he has a bit of Ludovic Giuly in him.

To be continued...

[Puff Daddy]

To be continued...

Hi mate. Firstly, may I just say, it is really smashing you have continued to post on our site. I think I speak for every 'Kumber', how much we all apprciate you and your inciteful posts. This evening, am old friend's name has re-emerged and re-kindled our interest once more. That of Mohammad Bayo. 'Son of a gun, wel'l have some fun with the Bayo'

[Misko]

I intended to talk about Bayo a bit later, but I see that there are expectations around him, so...

- Mohamed Bayo (Clermont-Ferrand, 24yo, 6'2) : He had a tremendous Ligue 2 season last year, helping the team to get promoted to Ligue 1 with 22 goals and 7 assists. He scored 3 goals and delivered 2 assists in his first 4 Ligue 1 games which brought him under the spotlight. I really thought he would find it difficult to maintain good form, but he kept on scoring a lot until the ACON during winter. It was a bit harder for him afterwards, but the whole Clermont team was strugling at the time. He finished the season well with 4 goals and 2 assists in the last 6 games. So, definitely, he is not just on fire. He is a tall and powerful striker, who was trained as a right winger during his youth. He kept from it nice footwork and the ability to dribble a player. But he mainly impressed by his instinct in the box, being where the ball falls and nick it into the net with a single touch. He may be not great in the patient building up of attacks and not the highest working forward you can imagine, but on open plays and on set pieces, he is a consistent threat. I like his story as he is a local boy (he was born in Clermont-Ferrand) who developped into a potential football star while it was never really expected from him.

- Kevin Volland (Monaco, 30yo, 5'10) : An unusual player, I think he would be best described as a secondary striker. Despite limited height, he is very good in the air and Monaco use him as an anchor to their attacks. His scoring ability is questionnable, with ugly misses and long drought periods. But he is still a real problem for the defenses who just don't know how to deal with that kind of player. I guess there is a bit of Antonio in his profile, though he doesn't have the pace and the physical strength the WHU player has. 9 goals and 9 assists this season.

- Martin Terrier (Rennes, 25yo, 6'0) : A quick striker, with clinical finishing. He really blossomed this year, especially being played wide on the left side. Smart player, he doesn't carry the ball much, he is much better in link up plays with players like Bourigeaud, Majer or Laborde. He is great on open plays but can be struggling against tighter defenses. His time in Lyon was not so great, he failed to secure a starter position and the fans consdired him lacking of mental strength. He proved them wrong on that point. I think he is a very nice fellow, very sound in mind but I reckon he needs a positive environment next to him to perform, which he didn't have here unfortunately.

- Gaëtan Laborde (Rennes, 28yo, 5'11) : One of my favorite players, I might be biased when it comes to him. He is tall (edit: not as tall as I thought in fact, his aerial skills made him look talker, I think) and rather powerful, but his main assets are vision and a soft touch. 15 goals and 8 assists in a very offensive side. He will probably never be a massive stats player, but he has an incredible stylish way to play. He is also very good in the air, which gives Rennes another dimension to their game. He can play on both wings as well where he would create danger by smart moves and cutting inside the box. He offers a lot of diffrent tools for his managers.

[S-H]

- Gaëtan Laborde (Rennes, ) : One of my favorite players, I might be biased when it comes to him. He is tall and rather powerful, but his main assets are vision and a soft touch. 15 goals and 8 assists in a very offensive side. He will probably never be a massive stats player, but he has an incredible stylish way to play. He is also very good in the air, which gives Rennes another dimension to their game. He can play on both wings as well where he would create danger by smart moves and cutting inside the box. He offers a lot of diffrent tools for his managers.

I've been an admirer of his for a few seasons now.

I'd love for West Ham to sign him.

[Puff Daddy]

Cheers mate

[Aceface]

Doucoure has been in Palace’s sights for the last six months as their Gallagher replacement. The way he gets discussed by that lot you’d assume it must have been as good as agreed some time ago.

[Misko]

Doucoure has been in Palace’s sights for the last six months as their Gallagher replacement. The way he gets discussed by that lot you’d assume it must have been as good as agreed some time ago.

I really think he is a good player, who can still improve a lot. I wouldn't mind him joining OL, he is all what we are lacking of.

[fjthegrey]

I like Terrier a lot.

Got an air of composure about him.

[YorksHammer]

Bayo and Laborde have definitely been linked with us, probably as recently as last summer. I could certainly see Bayo signing up for us, if we wanted to go after him.

Cheers, as ever, Misko!

[Bubbles Fortuna]

Terrier and Aguerd double deal?

[ChzMff]

- Alberth Ellis (Bordeaux, 26yo, 6'0, RW) : on loan from the portuguese side, Boavista. The Hondurian winger is aggresive and fast. He scored 9 goals, which is very decent. But he is really poor technically and lacks of almost everything a modern winger should have.

- Jean Onana (Bordeaux, 22yo, 6'2, CDM) : A strong and yet skillful defensive midfielder, he would probably be the most interesting player of the list. He is still very unexperienced and commits a lot of fouls and mistakes. He might become something very interesting, but Bordeaux was so woeful that it is hard to tell.

- Anel Ahmedhodzic (Bordeaux, 23yo, 6'2, CB) : A good surprise, the Bosnian international from Sweden played in UCL with Malmö and joined Bordeaux during the winter. Very useful on set pieces, he is a classic down to earth right-footed CB, not too fast but strong in the duels. I can see him developping in a dependable starter in Ligue 1.

Thanks Misko for taking the time to respond to my questions.

These three sound like our next Antonio, Noble and Dawson.

[iLoveLasagne]

Just adding my thanks for Misko. Just so that I can judge your critique, I think you should do a write up of our team!

[Alf Garnett's (Ex) Missus]

Wonderful reading....we're being link to a few with French links (probably rubbish tbh)

Amadou Onana - Lille £20m
Former PSG winger - Moussa Diaby - £60m

[Misko]

Just adding my thanks for Misko. Just so that I can judge your critique, I think you should do a write up of our team!

Haha, that's a good test! I already feel the stage fright kicking in. I am not sure I saw enough games and over a long enough period to be able to provide any feedback about the players other than first impressions.

Disclaimer: I like Soucek a lot.

Wonderful reading....we're being link to a few with French links (probably rubbish tbh)

Amadou Onana - Lille £20m
Former PSG winger - Moussa Diaby - £60m

Onana didn't impress me much so far, but it was not an easy season for Lille. I reckon he has potential, though, which could account for the fee you mention.

I can't give any opinion about Diaby, I barely saw him play.

[Misko]

A few names from Lyon, they may be all available this summer, due to their contract expiring next year:



- Moussa Dembélé (Lyon, 26yo, 6'0) : Well, I know how bad an impression he made to WHU fans but he is a prolific goal scorer (among the best ones in Europe in 2022). Many Lyon fans don't like him for his lack of ability in layoffs and link ups in small perimeters, which they consider the way OL have to play. He is not well suited for a team playing high with high possession rates and patient build up. On the contrary, he is particularly efficient on transitions, turning around defenders and making a difference from 25 yards, resisting to challenges with his power and nicking it any way possible in the net. He is also blamed for big misses, but when you look at the stats, he creates himself a fair amount of chances and his conversion rate is not bad at all. He had a woeful 2020-2021 season but he managed to resurrect this year (21 goals, 16 without penalties, in 30 games) which tells me he is well committed to his job now. I can see him coming back and thriving in English football.



- Karl Toko-Ekambi (Lyon, 30yo, 6'0) : In my initial message on the forum, I think I described him as 100% ugly, 100% hard boiled, 20% efficient. I still stick to this statement, I see him giving hard times to the defenses on a regular basis even if he is not an academic player. Cutting in the box from the left wing, dribbling oddly his way to the goal, he creates a lot of troubles. He has a major quality the rest of OL squad lacks, he loves to run, offering a lot of solutions for deep passes and thus stretching defenses. However, he tends to be a bit selfish, taking a difficult shot when an open teammate was easily reachable. If decision making was better, he would probably never play for OL, anyway. At the end of the season, there were great tensions between him and the hardcore fans and I wouldn't be surprised he asks to go. Being 30yo, it is probably his last chance for a big contract in a big league, and Wolverhampton is said to be interested.



- Rayan Cherki (Lyon, 19yo, 5'9) : Now, this is one player I would normally not mention here according to his actual performances. But the thing is that he has only one year left in his contract and seems reluctant to renew it which means the club could be selling him this summer. And as he had been tagged as a very hot prospect since he was 14yo, he still could attract big teams. He is a pure talent, his dribbling skills are amazing and he is way too good for the youth categories. The problem is that he fails at becoming a real pro. The defensive contribution is erratic whereas the decision making appalling most of the times. On top of that, he suffered a major injury in February at the very moment he was finally getting some regular playing time. Now, he reaches a turning point in his career: will he grow up and stop believing the point of the game is to buzz on the net or keep on being a useless trick freak?

[Joyeux Marteau]

Salut Misko!

Tu es un homme bon et merci pour ta perspicacité! I hope that makes sense, I’m a bit rusty!

Which French club would you say is closest to West Ham?

I’ve always had an interest in OGC Nice as I have some family there so I always keep an eye on their results. They seem to have had a great start to the season but dropped off in the last few games.

Also I’d love to have a chat about the national squad, what are the thoughts for the World Cup?

[Misko]

Salut Misko!

Tu es un homme bon et merci pour ta perspicacité! I hope that makes sense, I’m a bit rusty!

Which French club would you say is closest to West Ham?

I’ve always had an interest in OGC Nice as I have some family there so I always keep an eye on their results. They seem to have had a great start to the season but dropped off in the last few games.

Also I’d love to have a chat about the national squad, what are the thoughts for the World Cup?

It makes sense, don't worry! Thank you

I think for the way to play, Rennes would be the closest thing to WHU currently, even if there are of course big differences.
As a club, it is a bit harder to say. Saint-Etienne and Lens are the first names that would come to mind if you consider the "working class" factor. I am not sure I can find an equivalent for the "missed chances/lack of luck". Metz is a regular in the top flight (though a bit less lately) but never won a league title, finishing second in 1998, they won 2 cups and one League cup and many good players (like Robert Pires, Emmanuel Adebayor, Sadio Mané...) come from their academy. It could be seen as a bit similar to WHU history in some extent.


For the national squad, I am not sure I can be of any help, I actually have close to no interest for it, especially with the WC being played in Qatar. With M'Bappé and Benzema in front, the potential seems big, but I think the midfield and the defense, especially on the right side, are less dominant than before. Not mentioning Lloris not getting younger. The unusual dates for the WC will also have an impact. Deschamps style of play requires powerful and tireless midfielders, so it will probably all come down to the form of Pogba, Kanté and so on.

[Misko]

Time to close the list :

- Hugo Ekitike (Reims, 20yo, 6'2) : this kid is attracting a lot of attention, more than his actual perfomances should normally do. Why? Because the potential seems almost limitless, in the meaning that he is tall, athletic, dynamic, very skilled with a correct left foot for a right-footed player and a good instinct. He is also working hard defensively. He still has to improve his decision making and, this season, he was sometimes better out of the bench against tired defenses than when he started games. But he improved a lot and fast.

- Jonhatan David (Lille, 22yo, 5'10) : I honestly am underwhelmed by the player. The €45m value for him seems crazy to me. I understand that he is young, fast, quite a good finisher with both feet and capable of nice footwork in the box. But he really blows hot and cold, he needed 6 months to adapt to Ligue 1 and was again goalless for a long period of time in 2022. He needs to be paired with another forward who will have to be in charge for holding the ball up and create space for him. On the defensive side, he is hard working and rather committed, which of course is positive. I am very curious to see how his career will go.

- Elye Wahi (Montpellier, 19yo, 6'0) : a young striker who impressed by his quckiness when turning around a defender. He has the power, the balance and the acceleration to create himself space when he receives a ball with a defender guarding him closely. He also has nice finishing skills with many different ways to score a goal. Of course, he is still very unexperieced and he lacks of some of the tools a confirmed pro needs, but I really like the impact he can make in the game.


Among the other promising strikers, it is worth mentioning Amine Gouiri who had an exceptional season last year but failed to confirm with Nice, Mohamed-Ali Cho from Angers who is a super explosive striker who needs to refine his game and Arnaud Kalimuendo, the PSG youngster who had a good season on loan to Lens with 12 goals.

A quick note also about Rhys Healey, the English striker of Toulouse who is the best goal scorer in Ligue 2. At 27yo, he just had the best season of his life. He is a good finisher, able to eliminate defenders in the box to make his way to the goal. True grit and hard work despite average technical skills. I like him but I am not sure he can make it at a higher level. His next season will be interesting to follow.


I also realise that I listed very few players from Marseille whereas they finished second this year. A quick note about it : first of all, it is a compliment to their Manager, Jorge Sampaoli, who managed to get good results with some limited players. But it also resides in the fact that their best players are for different reasons not available for any move soon : Arsenal counts on Saliba, Guendouzi doesn't want to move this summer, Kamara already signed to Villa (weird move when we llok at it from here), Payet is 35...

[fjthegrey]

Payet is 35...

I hear he's quite good.

[Bond Holder 59]

Really interesting and informative Misko. Thanks for taking the time to consider and respond. Sets a good example for some kumb members, including me.
Always good to have informed input on kumb……..