Summer transfer thread, AvB window wrap up pg 1527

[Mumorn]

If we signed Dembele and sold Modric, this team would be more than capable of challenging for fourth place:

..................Sandro.........Dembele...........
..van der Vaart.....Sigurdsson............Bale..
...........................Adebayor.....................

 

[Mumorn]

That site is 2 letters away from wikipedia - a glorified blog by fanboys, nothing more

yeah weren't taking it gospel or anything

 

[Rossi22]

Sorry I watched quite a bit of Fulham but I really don't remember Dembele ever dropping that deep in midfield when I saw him they usually lined up one of two ways:

Dembele-----Pogbeyniak------Dempsey

Duff-------Murphy----Etuhu/Diarra---

or

--------------Dempsey-----------------

-------------Dembele----------------

Duff--------Murphy-----Diarra------Frei-

I never saw that 2nd one. Move Dempsey back a space, move Dembele back one(in place of Murphy or Diarra) and add a striker. That's how they lined up for a fair few games(Ruiz played quite a lot on the right). Actually, I never saw that first lineup either.

 

[braineclipse]

In case people still doubt, some quotes from news articles etc:

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1128850/fulham-laugh-off-%27ludicrous%27-moussa-dembele-talk?cc=5739

"The Belgium international featured in a deep-lying midfield role under Dutch manager Martin Jol and won over many of his previous critics as he inspired Fulham to some impressive results in the second-half of the season."

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2012/February/MousasJoy.aspx (Official Fulham site)

"Mousa Dembele played a pivotal role in Fulham’s 2-1 victory over Stoke this afternoon at Craven Cottage."

"... with Mousa taking on a deeper than expected central midfield role alongside Danny Murphy. The Belgian combined his usual technical flair with a dogged resilience to track back and was able to dictate the pace of the game at his pleasure."

“I like this position as well,” Mousa told fulhamfc.com. “I’m a player who wants to get the ball as much as possible so that’s why, for me, I hope I can do a good job for the team in that role.”

http://hammyend.com/index.php/2012/02/fulhams-forward-fluidity/

"...if guile is required, the decision to drop Moussa Dembele into a deeper role seems inspired. I’ve pondered where the Belgian should play at length before – because he’s not a natural striker or wide player, but since being asked to play in central midfield at Chelsea, Dembele has shone in that position. His ability to drift past opponents comes to fore when he can carry the ball forward and, for an essentially offensive player, Dembele’s deceptively strong in the tackle."

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

Are Pompey really on the brink of extintion?

Even if they do magic up a new buyer and 15 players from thin air they are still set to tumble down the leagues IMO.

Could just be delaying the inevitable

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

According to this: http://www.whoscored.com/Players/12187/ and what I saw of him last season he played about as much in a central midfield role as an attacking midfielder.

From what I remember seeing at least some of those central midfield games were not as part of a 3 man central midfield where he was the most attacking player, but rather games where he was one of the deeper two.

Im not certain but Im quite sure if you plotted the games you would find that the attacking deployments were early in the season with the CM ones taking over for the rest of the year.

There seemed to me to be a consistent trend of him moving back through the season

 

[metalgear]

why the obsession with a like-for-like modric replacement?
we'll bring a player and develop a new playing style and hopefully overall we can still do better.

 

[Jordinho]

Even if they do magic up a new buyer and 15 players from thin air they are still set to tumble down the leagues IMO.

Could just be delaying the inevitable

According to wikipedia they must sell their last senior players by Friday to make it. They still have 7 players in their development squad and about 20 youth players.

 

[clevelandspur]

From what I saw (and read) he started the season as a second striker/forward. Often played either side or behind the main man - much like previous seasons.

As you say though, he doesnt produce the goods in those positions enough.

Throughout the season Jol pushed him further and further back, with Dempsey taking the "behind the striker" role with relish.

In the final few months Dembele played alonsgside Murhpy in CM. Almost identikit to how Modric played alongside Huddlestone for us. He has fantastic ability to ghost past players/dribble, he excelled as the architect of their possession play and bossed many a midfield. He also had surprisingly impressive tackling statistics.

It is a role he played very well, in a very similar style to Modric. Including Modrics lack of end product when in dangerous positions in front of goal!

He was surprisingly good there. Prior to that period I could never decide if he was a genius or headless chicken, since being that position he has really come into his own. At the rumoured £10m-£15m he could be a steal

I will have to agree to disagree because when watching them I really don't remember him playing deep but I didn't see all of their games especially late in the season so you may be right. I listed above the formations I saw when watching Fulham and if he came here I was thinking he would slot into one of those roles. That being said I still don't think I would splash that much money on him over the course of what he did over 5-10 games or so. I do think he is a decent player but too similar to what we have already imo.

 

[AdamB]

If we signed Dembele and sold Modric, this team would be more than capable of challenging for fourth place:

..................Sandro.........Dembele...........
..van der Vaart.....Sigurdsson............Bale..
...........................Adebayor.....................

Very harsh on Lennon. I would play lennon ahead of Sigurdsson (and with rafa moved inside) as he's more proven and would give us better balance. I know you would say that Walker will be overlapping I think coming from deep as Walker does is much harder unless on the counter as you have to beat more than 1 player to get in. Lennon beats his man and he's clear

 

[indianspur]

How though would you get Dembele, bale, Lennon, VdV and Sigurdsson into a team? Based on AVB playing 4-2-3-1 in friendlies, I expect us to start hte season:

--------------def and GK--------------

--------Sandro-----[Modric/other]-----

--Lennon-------VdV-------------Bale

---------------Ade--------------------

I cant see how Sigurdsson gets into the team and, unless you play Dembele as one of a 2 man CM (which I dont think he'ssuited to), then he wouldnt either.

Would prefer to see us get a more like for like replacement for Modric if he leaves. Preferably Moutinho......

VDV will get less game time imo, and Lennon's place isnt so secure either

 

[Mumorn]

Very harsh on Lennon. I would play lennon ahead of Sigurdsson (and with rafa moved inside) as he's more proven and would give us better balance. I know you would say that Walker will be overlapping I think coming from deep as Walker does is much harder unless on the counter as you have to beat more than 1 player to get in. Lennon beats his man and he's clear

I agree. Lennon is our most important player (in my opinion) and would get in my team any day but for some reason I could easily see AVB preferring that line up to having Lennon in for some reason

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

If we signed Dembele and sold Modric, this team would be more than capable of challenging for fourth place:

..................Sandro.........Dembele...........
..van der Vaart.....Sigurdsson............Bale..
...........................Adebayor.....................

Looks about spot on to me.

As it stands I see VDV/Lennon in competition for the right attacking spot and VDV/Sigurdsson as competition for the central one.

I would personally prefer Moutinho in the Modric position, but certainly wouldnt mind Dembele there and considering the disparity in cost wouldnt be surprised if it was a preferable move for many.

 

[indianspur]

why the obsession with a like-for-like modric replacement?
we'll bring a player and develop a new playing style and hopefully overall we can still do better.

=D>

we are not going to find another Modric

 

[superspurs]

According to wikipedia they must sell their last senior players by Friday to make it. They still have 7 players in their development squad and about 20 youth players.

Wasn't so long ago they unveiled this :

 

[braineclipse]

Im not certain but Im quite sure if you plotted the games you would find that the attacking deployments were early in the season with the CM ones taking over for the rest of the year.

There seemed to me to be a consistent trend of him moving back through the season

That was my impression as well.

why the obsession with a like-for-like modric replacement?
we'll bring a player and develop a new playing style and hopefully overall we can still do better.

We don't necessarily need a completely like for like replacement, but it seems likely that we will try to (still) play a fairly high possession game and we will try to not rely on long balls forward much.

To play like that you need good passers, creative players with great close control in central midfield. Playing any two out of Sandro, Parker, Jenas and Livermore makes us look extremely ordinary. If Modric leaves we need another player that can be a "deep playmaker" as the only one left in our senior squad would be Huddlestone.

So yes, it is an obsession, cause I will fudging cry if we sell Modric and don't bring in someone with plenty of skill that can play in that central role.

 

[harr1984]

Without being rude, please read what I said. I said their positions are similar not their playing styles. All play either off the front man or as the attacking player from a 3 man CM. None are either CFs, wide men or CMs. Would be tough to get VdV and Sigurddson in the same team let alone all 3 of them!

Good player but not what we need

Sorry, I didn't mention positions but I was referring to that aswell as playing style. Dembele is a deeper lying midfielder than VDV or Sig although VDV does his best to come as deep as possible!

Anyway like someone else said, I really don't think he's an actual target of ours - but who knows....

 

[Rossi22]

That team is weaker than last season whilst Arsenal and Chelsea have strengthened. Hopefully AVB does his best to win us a cup or two(or three).

 

[indianspur]

If we signed Dembele and sold Modric, this team would be more than capable of challenging for fourth place:

..................Sandro.........Dembele...........
..van der Vaart.....Sigurdsson............Bale..
...........................Adebayor.....................

VDV and Sig in the same team?? slowing down our attacks too much for me

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

I will have to agree to disagree because when watching them I really don't remember him playing deep but I didn't see all of their games especially late in the season so you may be right. I listed above the formations I saw when watching Fulham and if he came here I was thinking he would slot into one of those roles. That being said I still don't think I would splash that much money on him over the course of what he did over 5-10 games or so. I do think he is a decent player but too similar to what we have already imo.

Thats the key - it was a trend through the season toward him playing there and by the end he had made it his own.

Put it this way, if he stays at Fulham I dont expect him anywhere but CM on 16/08.

Of course if thats not what you saw its not what you saw, but I would suggest the amount of people supporting this view should be enough for you to consider looking into it a bit.