According to my information, the Bayern supervisory board has taken a stand and refused to buy any more players this season. Apparently, to ensure depth, only loan players are allowed. Chiesa would unfortunately fit the bill, as he would be a very affordable alternative, which could possibly be pushed through at a lower price.
I don’t like that! But I just read that he doesn’t want to anyway.
After the last match he would not be cheap anymore.
Only Wirtz should be clearly ahead of him as an attacking midfielder. Neither Szoboszlai nor Jones seem to be better suited, despite the former spending a lot of games under Slot playing there.
If Elliott had a clearer pathway to a lot more minutes, he might want to stay. As things stand, with him no closer to more time on the pitch than last season, it’d be stupid for him to stay; which is a shame, because he could make a difference. Especially if the window closes and we have fewer options for the forward line. In fact, I’d say that if it’d be negligent to both sell Elliott and fail to recruit another forward.
It remains a CB and Forward end of the day.
Arne Slot: “I don’t think it will be a busy couple of weeks in the window. That would mean I’m unhappy with the squad but I’m very happy. Having two for each position is ideal but I’d sooner have less than more as you’d have to disappoint a lot of people. But if there are players who can really make us better then the club has shown they can bring them in. But only if things are right - the right player, fee and position.”
Nothing new as expected
Effectively Isak and Guehi.
Had the feeling that reducing the squad a little bit was something Slot wanted. He had a lot of players he barely used and I think he likes to focus on his core “best” players and less of the squad players than Klopp.
Isak of course is an immediate starter so would be part of the core group, same with Guehi, but I think their signature would also open up another one or two to leave. Slot doesn’t like the bloat.
Don’t knock the bloat baby!
Yeah people treat the max squad size of 25 as the goal, but almost all well put together squads are going to be smaller than that. The moment you are required to leave a senior player who expects to get games out of the match day 20 you have an issue to deal with. And while you want some wiggle room for injuries, most managers who are happy with their options would prefer that to come from fringe guys you can get something out of but you don’t need to defend leaving out for a given game.
Last week we had 2 kids on the bench. That did not include Bradley nor Leoni, and we still also have 2 new signings to potentially add to that. That is 2 first team players missing out of even getting kitted up on a match day if everyone is fit, plus two top youth talents as back up. You can justify one of the CBs missing, especially if its Leoni, but it still leaves one more and that is why the light is flashing over Harvey’s head. There is sense in keeping him, and hes certainly good enough to stay, but you can also see why a manager would be ok with letting him leave under those conditions.
He’s not going say anything more than this anyhow.
And we’ve lost Frimpong so no one for the rightback position. Sob is being touted, which is pretty bad.
It won’t take too many to go out injured and we’re fucked.
This seems to be the cut off for lots of managers. If all our lads are fit, Slot has to tell two they aren’t making the matchday squad. And that doesn’t include Rio or Trey.
You can probably legislate for a couple being injured at any one time, but talk of bringing in Guehi and Isak, and possibly another forward, just to keep the squad manageable and provide opportunities for the young lads, we’d probably need to move on Tsimikas, Chiesa, Elliott, and possible even Endo or Gomez.
That is literally true for every team.
As soon as you start getting past four or five injuries, squads start looking stretched.
But you can’t buy lads and just have them sitting at home twiddling their thumbs in case we get an injury crisis.
It puts the issue in perspective when you realize my numbers had already removed Tsimi from consideration.
For a fourth choice he is probably really good.
How he would react to being asked to play there, something that might reasonably be seen as a demotion, would be far more of a concern than his actual ability to do it. Just like gerard would have been the best RB who ever lived had he not been more useful further forward, Dom has everything you need to be an incredible RB.
It’s just to get us through the situation where our three RB options are all injured or unfit in some way.
I really don’t want see Endo rhere again.
Kerkez at RB, Robbo LB. VVD and Konate CB.
Gravenberch with MacAllister and Wirtz.
Gakpo, Ekitike and Salah.
Szoboszlai and Jones for MacAllister and Wirtz/Gakpo after 70 mins.
What are the chances Utd finally go all in on Rabiot now?
The French club released a statement Tuesday saying both players were available for transfer “due to unacceptable behaviour in the dressing room after the match against Stade Rennais FC, in agreement with the technical staff and in accordance with the club’s internal code of conduct.”“I wasn’t in the dressing room but the staff who were told me it was incredible, violent, aggressive and went beyond any limits,” Longoria added.
France international midfielder Rabiot, 30, and England under-21 international winger Rowe, 22, were expelled from the first-team squad by head coach Roberto De Zerbi on Monday, ESPN reported.“I think we all have enough experience to say we have never seen anything like it in a dressing room … Even in the worst punch-ups there are rules,” Longoria said. “Not in this case.”
If Isak comes in Elliott will probably go, Tsimi is probably going anyhow. I think the club needs a CB and a forward and we will be short without but yeah we don’t need 4-5 right backs in case one gets injured. Endo is a perfectly fine 4th choice right back as he is a perfectly fine 5th choice CB.