We have be cautious about overplaying Grav though. I think I read until Newcastle, he hadn’t missed a PL or CL minute?
I can see Grav, Zubi, Mac and Jones rotating around the two deeper positions, Szoboslai and Elliot as the two advanced. Loads of flexibility to do other stuff as well, like playing Jones and Mac further up.
I think we don’t have to read too much into some of those details.
Different people can also use different words.
You can have Curtis Jones in pre-season saying how we’ve changed massively under Slot and then a bunch of other players and Slot himself saying that we haven’t changed that much. So…
We’ve flipped the midfield shape to more of a double pivot one.
Although I did notice when we play for example Jones a bit deeper and Szoboszlai in the #10, against quality opponents, in some phases of the game, it can still look like a 4-3-3 shape.
Gravenberch is obviously playing deeper than before, but of course, he’s not a single pivot and bang in front of the defence, “between our CB’s” all the time.
I think I’ve watched that interview where he said like even if he’s playing deeper, Slot doesn’t want him to forget about the natural skills he has to also get forward.
It also depends on the partnership in midfield, who does what and in which moment. There are rotations, opposition managers have already commented on it. Even if we’re a more “positional” side now in possession that we were (although we were always looking to add more layers).
Real countered our pressing in Kiev by simply moving Casemiro away from Firmino in their build-up phase, then Kroos dropped and took over that “orchestrating”. Modric pushed higher.
If we played Endo in midfield out of necessity with any of the other, naturally more offensive midfielders apart from Gravenberch, it’s probably that player who would drop deeper than Endo when we’re trying to build from deep.
And we really do have a few midfielders who have the ability to be a #6, #8 and #10 in a matter of seconds. Very well rounded.
Obviously transfer activity next summer depends also on what happens with the 3 players with their contracts expiring, we’ll have to decide our priorities and what can be done, but yeah I do think we might still do something in midfield.
In January though, I don’t expect anything. If we do something, it will be more opportunistic. But Zubimendi, nah, I don’t think so. Maybe not even to City in January.
Focusing on the past won’t change anything. Gravenberch stepping up is great, but signing a new player is about improving the squad.
The midfield still needs to improve, and if the club feels Zubimendi is the right player, then you go for it. Irrespective of what happened in the summer.
Have to disagree. His comments today really just reinforce my view. He’s welcome to his opinion but I’ve got to question the ambitions and motivation of a player who says it was an easy decision to turn us down.
I haven’t seen his comments, but if he is doubling down and saying it was easy to turn us down, we move on!
He is a quality player, and if he was hungry to come here in January, after getting cold feet and staying home in the summer, I was happy to forgive and welcome him.
If that isn’t the case, no problem. Plenty more fish in the sea and I can’t wait to see how Slot shapes it as we go.
Tesco condiment aisle.
Agree to disagree.
We lack numbers. We dont lack the quality. VVD is exclusively playing as a left sided CB.
One thing to bear in mind is that we currently have 15 non-homegrown players registered, of a maximum of 17 (by PL rules). Mamardashvili will make that 16 of 17 when he joins. Kelleher and/or Jaros might leave to make room for him but they are both homegrown so doesn’t help us on the squad registration side.
Bajcetic and Doak will both be homegrown players next season (and are U21 anyway so doesn’t count).
If we go out and buy someone like Kerkez then we will be at our limit of non-homegrown players - unless we loan out/sell someone. Chiesa and Endo would seem to be the most expendable.
In total we have 21 players registered. Elliott and Quansah will have to be registered next season as they are over 21 for 2025 - and both homegrown.
Surely if we get Kerkez that means Tsimikas is leaving?
Or Robertson…
Both Gomez and Quansah are able to work on both sides. Gomez may even be more comfortable on the left. I don’t want to add another with the same level as them.
The new CB I want is someone who can play both RCB and LCB and not be a left-footed LCB. Because the chance of Konate being unavailable is much higher than VVD. If the new CB is a left-footed LCB, he’d have to sit on the bench with Gomez or Quansah playing, which is a big waste and doesn’t improve anything.
Thanks for the breakdown. If I understand it correctly, I think we will be fine. Add Kerkez and Mamardashvili and we are at our limit for non-homegrown, assuming no outgoing.
We could even add Kerkez and Zubimendi in January. It would take us to our limit, and then, to make way for Mamardashvili in summer, someone would need to leave in summer, and there would be 2-3 prime candidates for an exit if we make the signings mentioned.
We operate around the limit for non-homegrown and I’m sure it is something that club officials are on top of, but it’s a fair reminder for fans, as we all start throwing out the names of players we want when the window opens, and the squad composition is an important guardrail for what is permissible.
Bradley too?
Elliott, Quansah, Trent, Jones, Bradley, Gomez, Jaros — that’s 7/8 homegrown slots filled.
I think one of Robertson or Tsimikas will leave. Endo will also leave. That still leaves us with four slots for non-homegrown players and one slot for a homegrown player.
What do we think about Jamie Gittens at Dortmund? Young English winger doing well for himself, and is probably looking at a move to an even bigger club in the near future.