Matt Tiger

Wolves 2 - 2 Everton

Richarlison

Thank you Romey! Still figuring out the logistics of this thing.

Hello everyone,

I've posted a few times in the past couple years but haven't introduced myself here.. Been a fan for going on 10 years and just moved to NYC about 9 months ago. 

I  got into EPL when I was around 17 but got quickly fed up with the fans of the big clubs and subsequently grew a real fondness for that team - Cahill / Arteta / Fellaini / PIenaar / Baines etc etc

Been a crazy run since then and this team will test my anger management capabilities from time to time but I'm excited to be here.

Cheers!

Hank

No chance this comes off for me.

I'd be ecstatic if it does though.

I'd like the signing as long as he's not viewed as the answer to our striker need... He looks like a strong future option but isn't nearly good enough to be the immediate answer now.

As we desperately need a striker (permanently), bringing in someone for a few months is just kicking the can down the road.

Yes, but if Koeman doesn't see a target he likes who's both available and wants to come here then kicking the can is better than doing nothing. It seems clear to me that he's looking for attacking help wherever he can find it at this point.

Wouldn't associate Costa with the word class.

Wow. I majorly disagree here.

He's a pain in the ass but talent and production wise he's world class for me.

Think the subs really let us down, two big money midfielders coming on against 10 men and had zero impact.

I actually thought Siggy looked solid, all things considered. Our tactics left no room for link up play in the midfielf and he picked out some nice passes regardless. Not the impact you'd ideally want but hard to expect anymore given the situation.

Not a great effort overall but a point on the road vs City is obviously a good result.

We need to be stronger tactically and need to find a creative midfield presence in a hurry.

Can't just put it on Holgate theyve been dominating possession on our side for the last 20 minutes

Don't think there's much to this one.

Dzeko plays champions league football with Roma, not coming here. Benteke is shit, Vardy isn't going anywhere, he's Leicesters main man. Giroud? Ain't going anywhere.

 

These target man shouts aren't what i want. Barca don't have a target man, neither do Man City, neither does Liverpool. If you have skilled forwards you don't need a target man. Sandro, Rooney, Mirallas, Klaassen, Bolasie, all have the skills to be interchanging forwards in a front 3. No need to lump the ball. Barca don't. City don't.

Well, I don't mean to be a downer, but we're nowhere near as skilled as either City or Barca, and I don't want to model ourselves after Liverpool because I think they'll fall off quite a bit without coutinho and we frankly don't have a player like him...

It's not that we always need a target man. I'm in favor of pinging the ball around when we're able to, but I'm also realistic. I think that we at least need a target man available to us in the event that we need to switch things up. We need versatility.

We need a striker, a target man. I agree with Pad that we are't at the stage where we can get a 25 goals a year striker.

 

What we need is one that can get 15 - 20.

 

With Rooney, Sandro, Klaassen, Mirallas, Lookman, DCL, they should each be looking to get into the 8 - 10 goals a season mark which makes up for Lukaku's goals.

 

When we are set we will not be so one dimensional and carry multiple threats. A much better team.

To me we don't necessarily need to spend big on a striker - we just need someone who can be a target and be formidable in the air. Problem for me isn't the lack of options or scoring ability but a lack of versatility.

Massive yes.

Can't see much in this one. Not at all what we need.

 

because it will snowball if we prove to be pushovers. do you just take on extra work responsibilities without being compensated? it's helping your employer right? i don't. you want more than my job description, pay up.

I still maintain that the market is the market. A team will take what a team can get. There are better times to make a statement and strike a bargain than 2 days before the start of the season.

I'm firmly in the camp of - if the manager wants him then go and get him. If we really are 5 million off agreeing and it's his No1 taget then fuck it- just get him.

Yup. Still unclear to me why everyone is in favor of haggling over 5m when the season starts now.

That's exactly what they are saying on their forums.

Yes because it's important for everyone to get players training and into the squad.

Everyone thinks that overpaying once means teams will force us to overpay forever. The market is the market. Strike a hard bargain in January. We have an incredibly tough stretch coming now. Get your players in, get your squad ready, and don't ruin European football in the first three weeks of the season,

After paying 30 million for Pickford I don't think it'll be us being the awkward ones.

We paid 30m for pickford (as well as the fee for klaasen) knowing full well that the Lukaku sale would cover all of it.

Koeman took a shot at the money for a reason - I don't think we're ready to splash the cash the way that we've postured.

Respectfully, I strongly disagree with your assessment. For one, we have bid 40m+ which is considerably more than Everton have ever bid for any player. This alone should prove we are willing to splash the cash. The idea that because we have significantly more money we should just pay whatever clubs want is a bit misguided in my opinion. If we get a reputation for being a club who is weak in negotiation we would regularly be taken advantage of. It can be frustrating to not get a player because of a few million but those millions we save are going to add up and help improve the club in the long run. Almost everyone agrees that Sig is being priced too high so I don't quite get the criticism when our management agrees and tries to get a better deal.

Either you misunderstood my point or I did a terrible job of making it.. I'm very much in favor of us holding the line at 40m. I like Siggy a lot, and I think he'd help solidify what is currently an unproven group of options going forward, but 40m is already a hell of a fee for him.

My point about the lack of spending stands though. We haven't splurged any cash whatsoever, and we have three glaring holes that we need filled. Either this saga is about far more than 5m, or we're legitimately dragging this out over 5m. I'm leaning towards the former, but if it's the latter then I don't think it makes mumch of a case for us being big spenders.

 

 

if this article is accurate, and Swansea gives in to the 40m offer

Sorry, didn't mean that's what the article says.. I was inferring that if Swansea is feeling pressure to move him they may give in to the lower offer.

Agreed, understatement.

That said, if this article is accurate, and Swansea gives in to the 40m offer, was the ordeal worth it? We get our guy, and can use the 10m to up our offer on a striker or to continue to bolster the youth squad.

The thing that gets at me is the way this has been drawn out signals that we aren't ready to spend nearly as large as was previous indicated. If we were, we'd have gotten him in and training with the squad sooner rather than later.

 

 

I'd argue that our attackers aren't as good as last season.

Seems obvious since we've sold our best attacker for 75m and haven't yet replaced him...

I think we have lots of potential but also a good deal of risk in our attack right now.. We need proven class in the event that our riskier options don't pan out. This is why Siggy and Giroud are necessary additions imo

We need to get Gylfi, Klaasen is not in this game.

Just added to the squad, let's not write him off after 3 halves of play.

 

 

I'm looking for someone of Lukaku's or better quality

Everyone of that quality wants CL football, which we can't yet offer. Hence why we need to piece together our attack with multiple options rather than sign a world beater.