Happy is not nearly enough of a sexual term to describe where I am.
People think of City as Team Pep Cutbacks and that is not inaccurate, but they will also throw crosses in there, especially from the top of the box when they are being frustrated in their preferred game plan (a thing that I, a Spurs fan, have seen more often recently than we should really deserve). I am always happy when that happens, because they're heading towards players like Jesus, Silva, Sterling or Gundogan who certainly won't challenge defenders for them in the air and also don't have the preternatural sense of movement to make some of them work anyways that Aguero had.
This is true but I think his size and speed means teams have to respect the option more which may make more space for others. But I wouldn’t expect him to become a huge aerial threat. He’s just not someone you can leave alone and know you can still win the header like Sterling or Jesus or Foden.
Yeah, just being a problem for CBs that has to occupy a lot of their attention is very important and he is definitely that.
Hmmmmm…we’ll have to see what the deal looks like, but I would be very leery of tying up a lot of the wage bill in Countinho as he ages.
This is exactly the kind of signing that a club like Villa should steer clear of. He will provide some fabulous moments but he will break down and other sides will exploit him physically as he ages. He will pull out a piece of magic every three or four games, just enough to stoke the debate of whether his subpar defensive contribution is worth it, he will block exciting youngsters from making their way into the first team, and he will eat up the wage bill. He is Tantalus’ grapes. Avoid. #evertonfan #seenthismovie
Isn't this really a 2-year deal before he moves to the MLS, South America or Ligue 1?
Agree with all of this. Buendia is also four years younger, plays the same position, and they just signed him last year for a big fee.
I suppose that, after 8 straight years winning the league, Lewa wants -- or needs -- a new challenge.
I’m pretty sure it is - but you know the Liverpool press never pass up a chance to pump the tires on any rumour - regardless of likelihood.
Read it and hope every word of it comes true.
Giving up on de Jong (just turned 25), Fati (19), and Gavi (will turn 18 soon) to spend 40m+ to sign an-about-to-turn-34 Lewandowski is a terrible long-term strategic move. I'm not even sure Lewa makes them better next year. Strikers have a long history of hitting the wall in their early-to-mid-30s.
Tried linking the table at the bottom of the article comparing Haaland to City’s current “strikers” - they are superior in virtually every aspect accept , of course scoring goals. Looks like Pep had a busy summer ahead figuring out how to best utilize their new striker.
Yeah, truly unbelievable that Haaland is joining City. How do they manage to do it?
“Hello. Would you like to play for the best manager in the world, lift trophies every season, and be paid am absurd amount of money to do it?”
Is Mbappe considered to be a striker? Like, is he Benzema's replacement in two or three years? In the meantime, will Mbpappe be competing with Rodrygo and Vinicius for playing time? Maybe Ancelloti will use Mbpappe to have a better rotation with Benzema, Rodrygo, Vinicius, and Mbappe.
In recent years at PSG he has mainly played as a wide forward on the left, sort of like Ronaldo when he was at Real Madrid, although sometimes as a CF with freedom to roam around. The problem is that Benzema is ensconsced at CF and LW is also where Vinicius plays.
I don't think this is true, really. Harry Kane has outscored his xG in the EPL in four of the last five seasons (this season being the difference), including some pretty big gaps 30 goals on 25 xG in 2017-2018, 18 goals on 10 xG in 2018-2019, etc. Son has also outscored his xG for all five seasons we have data for it, including 21 on 14 xG this season. Tottenham's offense over the years has been pretty much counting on Kane and Son converting higher chances than expected.
I know Lewandowski is aging; but I don't really understand the logic in transfer fees that much if someone who has scored 76 league goals over the past two seasons is only worth 40 million, or around that mark. I know paying for youth is what leads to the bigger transfer deals, but Lewandowski is still so clearly at the top of his game, you would think 2-3 more seasons of that kind of performance would be worth more than that.
I tend to undervalue transfers, but TM has him at (E)$50M and I just don't think Barca can pay market rates right now, hence why I guess (E)$40M. That said, I agree with you and I'd peg his value closer to (E)$60M--i.e. worth more to Bayern than Barca at that number, and I ultimately think he stays unless Lewa shoots his way out.
There are very few players who have ever been sold for more than 30m over age 30 its basically a list of poor transfers. Lewa is a total monster and famous for his conditioning and work ethic but you're still taking a pretty huge risk with a nearly 34-year-old player who is also changing teams and leagues.
Do you think PSG's owners care or even know that the club has fans, let alone that they feel they have to placate them somehow?
The counterpoint is that they are Qatar sovereign wealth owned and they could care less what they spend. They want to have him referred to as "PSG star Kylian Mbappe" at their lavish spectacle World Cup this winter. It's silly money so impossible to know their real motivation.Do you think PSG's owners care or even know that the club has fans, let alone that they feel they have to placate them somehow?
Fair point. But the Sheik is going to want to occasionally take in a game and be worshipped by the masses.
Misread this....apologies. I think the outcome is still random. If Mbappe leaves, it will be fun to see where the money cannon is aimed next (I fear it's Salah).
I would take all that data with a grain of salt. Player salaries aren't officially publicly reported, and depending on sourcing you can get a lot of inaccurate data.
My sense of things from the Bundesliga at least, is that is mostly right - at least judging by the transfer fees that the second tier teams pay. After Bayern/Dortmund/Leipzig, €10 million is considered a reasonably big sum, €20 million is definitely newsworthy. Those numbers are not even on the radar in the EPL.
