How is that not getting eased in? Otherwise, they would barely ever get a sniff of game time, since there will always be another squad player who needs minutes as well.
They’re there to play a role as a squad player to be called on, so they had better be ready to do it. The moment they get into the first team, they have to realise that they’re not kids anymore, and that they have to be ready to play.
What, 5 centre-backs isn’t good enough? Is there a team out there with more than 5?
3 of them are crocked. Matip was struggling after an hour last week.
We have one right back, so Gomez is going to have to cover there.
Light on quality, for sure, with a good chance on being light on numbers throughout the season.
What, centre-backs who got us to record points hauls twice aren’t good enough?
That’s debatable though. Gomez hasn’t had as many fitness issues in recent seasons, more so just being benched all the time. Histrionics aside, Matip is mostly okay when he doesn’t get overplayed, and he has also managed to go through an entire season fit, so it’s not like he’s actually permanently injured. Konaté picks up injuries here and there, but he does tend to be fit more often than not.
Just consider how Phillips only got 232 minutes last season, and our fitness concerns at centre-back were so problematic that Joe Gomez had to play right back repeatedly just to get game time.
I think if the club have identified Quansah as ready to take a step forward, I have absolutely no qualms about not signing any new defender. I have no interest in any stop-gap solutions, or any big fancy name.
Sounds a bit like last year when there were “8 midfielders for 3 positions”. That went well.
Mabaya is fit again, and Bradley is kept intentionally (unfortunately he got injured). At leastbfor Europa League I’d hope they can be used at RB so Gomez can stay in the middle.
Haha, come off it.
No, elaborate? Responses like that are really annoying from someone who normally posts considered, intelligent stuff. The posts from you in the last couple of weeks have joined the ranks of the whining, knee-jerk crew, and it’s really grating.
Because it’s disingenous rubbish. None of those 3 are anywhere near as good as they were 4 years ago.
Being dropped in to play away at Newcastle because the captain has been sent off, Konate isn’t fit and Gomez and Matip can’t do 90 twice a week without one of them then being injured for a month is hardly being eased in.
For me being eased in would be him starting games in the early rounds of the League and FA Cup, maybe the occasional appearance off the bench in a league game when we’re cruising to victory.
He’s 20, got about 1,000 minutes at league one level under his belt and it’s entirely possible he could start at the weekend if Joel gets one of his niggles. He may be someone the club has high hopes for but we’re in a position where he’s going to be chucked in the deep end.
Joe Gomez was 18 with about 1500 minutes of experience at Championship level, when he got dropped in at left-back by Rodgers. Trent Alexander-Arnold had around 600 minutes in various Premier League, FA Cup, and League Cup games right before he got pushed into playing more than half our minutes.
Quansah is not some mentally fragile teenager, at least not from what we’ve seen. He should know that his role this season was to be a member of the squad who would need to play.
Joe Gomez has had one injury in the last 2 seasons, despite playing a substantial amount of time, including your whole “90 twice a week” through September and October last year.
Joel Matip literally played 31 full Premier League games week in week out in 2021-22, with his absences coming from illness or just being on the bench. During this time he also played “90 twice a week” very often, playing our Champions League matches except when he was on the bench. As far as I can tell, he was available for most of last season, just never made it off the bench.
People need to get over their PTSD and stop whining to hell about it.
They were fine just two seasons ago.
Konaté only got 11 Premier League games, so between the 3 of them, someone must have contributed to a 92 point season with only 26 goals conceded. Not far off 2018-19’s 22 goals conceded or 2019-20’s 33 goals conceded (with 12 of those coming from the post-title win hangover).
It is still a little light… given that Matip will be leaving in a year (we could have incorporated someone without much difficulty). I’m not saying that we must do something this window but there was no reason not to buy a bit of insurance.
Perhaps it is the reason that Phillips only has a loan until January. If we don’t get anyone in though… I would be reluctant to send Chambers out on loan without a chance of a recall.
I’m with those who feel we are playing with fire by not brining in an extra defender… but I don’t think it is critical levels either.
I think given the links to Colwell and Theate, the club have been looking to do something, we just don’t know yet exactly what they have in mind - presumably it is younger talents they are looking to deals with rather than older players that many fans are probably hoping for?
Look at the business we’ve done this window, assuming Gravenberch signs. 30, 24, 22, 20. Additionally alleged approaches for players aged 21 and 19.
It certainly fits in with what I think used to be reported about FSG and the Red Sox, where they go big on emerging talents, and use those players to carry them over for a few seasons of lying low then going big again.
But more importantly, it speaks to building Jürgen’s second steamroller, rather than buying for the here and now. I think we’re essentially back to 2017 again, or if we’re lucky, 2018.
Wouldn’t the ‘right airport’ for Palace be Gatwick?
£150M bid for Mo from Al Ittihad and they’ve been told to fuck off!
Mo not going anywhere
How many CM’s do we need
Click bait. We arent signing him this season for sure. Lets see whether some news regarding CB comes out of the blue.