We’ve lost Matip who was a regular starter in between his many injuries. If Quansah is his replacement, that asks a lot of the young man, no?
Preaching to the choir, bud, a new CB would definitely top my summer shopping list, but if the man wants to fully assess the squad before making those kind of decisions, I think we’ll run out of time before the season starts.
Running out of time could also involve the players we would have liked to sign either already moving on or signing new contracts where they are etc… so we’d then have to restart the process of identifying and scouting targets.
It’s partly why I wouldn’t be surprised to see Sepp VdB stay at least until January.
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It is the obvious move, but it’s also a move to address the depth needed to get you through a season rather than a move than needs to be made because our existing players aren’t good enough. That is the sort of role you can take a bit more time over, and you can see the logic of wanting to give Slot time with his players to determine what level we look for - look for someone who can supplement the existing options, or, if concerns are raised about any of the main 3, then we go a level higher.
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We also need to consider that, while Slot’s football won’t be completely alien to the players, it sounds like there will be some tactical differences, particularly at the back it seems… so he might want to see them in competitive games as well before deciding if the current guys are capable of doing what he wants.
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And in the meantime, all the available quality players are being snapped up and we end up with Gravenberch equivalents - non-starting squad players.
It’s the age old story of a new manager coming in and assessing what he’s got before deciding on additions/improvements to his squad.
Unless you are a Mourinho c2004 with a sugar daddy super criminal paying the bills, you’re going to be in severe time trouble in the last month of a transfer window, and having to make do with 4th or 5th choice targets because the better ones are no longer available.
Shops are shut. Only yogurts that go off at midnight tonight are left on the shelves.
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It’s not that it asks a lot of the young man, he’s 21 and has already had a very good season. He’s earned his way into the squad.
The issue is that Quansah already replaced Matip as the 3rd CB. With Matip gone that now means there’s no depth behind Quansah unless Gomez or van den Berg are seen as realistic CB options.
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VdB could be a good defensive option
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VdB is a dutch player. I wouldn’t be surprised if Arne can convince him to stay for half a season promising him some game time.
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I think we will be fine.
As for targets, there are plenty of times when an initial move for a Brandt has turned into a secondary move for a Salah.
There are more good players out there than we could possibly sign.
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Keep Sepp van den Berg, he had a fantastic season in Germany. He is progressing and upgrading season after season - Preston, Schalke 04, Mainz. Definitely Mainz’s player of the season. I warched at least 10 matches of them and every time Sepp was impressive. He was in top 10 of the best defenders in the Bundesliga in my opinion. Miles better than Hincapie / a player that is a transfer target for the club according to reports/.
Sepp, Quansah, Virgil and Konate will be a solid group. For me Ibou will be 4th option as the season goes on, injury prone and need too much time to gain his best form.
TAA and Bradley as right full backs, Robbo and Tsimikas as left backs and Gomez ready to step up as CD, LB and RB if needed. Ait Nouri will be a drem signing, he has the potential to be a world class, but left back is well covered.
We need DM and a versitalie forward /someone who could play on the right side of the attack, compete with Salah and at the same time a player who can regularly reach double number of goals and assists per season/, if the club wants to make the next step and fight for the biggest trophies.
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But, does he want to stay?
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Richard Hughes will not be disagreed with
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As far as I know he has a contract with the club and he will definitely get chances. Virgil will be 33 years old next season and still no news on his contract, expiring next summer.
Quansah looks like a real prospect and a future top player, but he will need time and I guess that Slot will have to manage carefully his game time.
While Konate’s fitness record is not very solid, only 45 starts in 3 full seasons in the league. For example Virgil has started 102 league games for the last 3 seasons.
Something is happening.
Sooner or later.
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Watching Van Dijk struggle so much last night was jarring. He’s starting to show his age and we have to start planning for life without him.
He’s a legend and I’d like him to get a new contract, but his days as an automatic starter should be coming to an end. We need to find a successor, but that’s easier said than done.
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I think he has had a huge season and just needs a break. At his age and being the only regular starter for over a year is telling. Then straight into the Euros. He must be buggered.
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While his age is showing, we have to consider that he has played around 60 games since August.
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That’s the point, he can’t sustain so many games as well as he used to.
No player can, the guy needs a break plus the Dutch team did not play as a team ie did not defend as a team like in their previous match where his midfield protected him well.
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