Cisk

Iwobi runny around like a headless thing I'd imagine up top.

Perhaps its time for us to try the false 9 approach

Digne - LW, James RW?

9 hours ago, London Blue said:

Hey, given the number of sex parties he reportedly attends that bus is going to be a fun place to be!!

Lol...

2 minutes ago, Shukes said:

So the options are:

1: take a risk on an unknown with potential.

2: spend the money on a proven premier league average at best. 
 

Option 1 please Bob!

For me a player like King, is consolidating our position as a mid table team. Taking a gamble on a potentially better player, is showing ambition.

Great.....I want to be on that bus with 11 Moise Keans playing for us each week in the league

39 minutes ago, Zoo 2.0 said:

I've said from the beginning that you could head to the continent to find a more suitable option. How about Luis Diaz at FC Porto for example? Only 23 years old and has a league record of 1 in every 4 games - would come for a similar price and has his career ahead, rather than behind him. Obviously with the Portuguese league being what I would class as the ''B Tier'' I'd expect that he would jump at the chance to come to the Premier League - even in a rotation role. If you're not bothered about age, Moussa Maraga (at Porto) has a goal record of 1 in 2 and is built like a beast. With the pandemic all Portuguese clubs bar Benfica are struggling financially, so it's the perfect time to scout these kind of markets. 

Sporting who are top of the league have Sporar, a lad that joined this summer and has a record of 1 in 3 - Luis Phellype his partner boasts the same record. If you look hard enough (and all top flight clubs have extensive scouting networks) then good purchases can be found. People need to realise that football is played across the entire world, not just England - just because Josh King is a name people are familiar with doesn't mean that he's the best option we've got.

Lassina Traore (Ajax) & Paul Onuachu (Genk) two other names off the top of my head... There's much better options IMO.

But how many continental strikers actually do very well here - other than the big international names already. The youngster at Wolves from Portugal is not exactly doing it is he - yet cost around £30-40m.

None of the ones you've mentioned are likely to do it here. Also, not sure the Portuguese league is a good yard stick to compare the Prem to.

10 minutes ago, London Blue said:

His goal stats for this season show he has not scored so far this season. 

We are aiming higher now, their must be better options out there we can use.

King averages about 10 prem goals a season..more than happy with that as a back-up / sub

7 minutes ago, London Blue said:

To quote Gordon Gecko re Josh King and Cenk "Different dog, same fleas". No disrespect to him, he's just not good enough for what we need now. Under Moyes he would have been a great signing, not now.

Who is available with Prem experience and a proven goal scorer in that league and is happy to be no.2 to DCL, who rarely gets injured?

So you buy someone who's better than DCl, DCL gets dropped and moves on to Man U, we are still stuck in the same position - just rotating money around. New player who replaces DCL could be shite - stuck with said player and an unhappy DCL or  a DCL who is now on fire at Man U because we have moved him along.

I understand your argument but this only really works in positions where there are more than 1 playing each game. We can't afford 50m+ strikers to use as backup or swapsies with DCL.

Gomes....seemed to be everywhere and made himself available 

4 minutes ago, Zoo 2.0 said:

King hasn't scored a single goal this season, bar a brace against Oldham in the FA Cup. 

I'll be honest I don't know know why everyone is so crazy about signing Josh - he's 28, so much older than I would like and was OK, if a bit forgettable at a Bournemouth side that was fighting relegation. 

Signing average players just creates more averageness, and is exactly what we don't want if we want to get into the Champions League and beyond - why waste the time on King when we could sign someone for half the price, who's half the age on the continent? Malik for example is two years younger?

@Formby is bang on IMO.

Honestly can't see Milik coming here to play second fiddle to DCL. This is our problem now - we've become Spurs of the past 2-3 seasons with Kane. DCL is first choice and we have no real backup of quality if he's out for any reason and ayers will know they will only play in this situation. Its a player on the come down who is happy to get some game time or a player who has bee  relegated for any crack/chance to play in Prem still. I think King is a good bet for this back up role and prob knows he's not going to be 1st choice in  top 10 Prem team anymore

51 minutes ago, Bill said:

Moise would also be better than Tosun but for some reason he got shut and kept hold of Tosun.

The situation with Moise is fantastic for the club - if he stayed on our bench this season his value would plummet and we would get naff all for him when selling, now he's playing well at PSG his value is preserved if not increased and we have the high ground to decide his future on our terms.

Hes no loss to us this season as he didn't do anything for us last season. Honestly not fussed if he stays or gets sold - we get stronger either way

Everton 2 - 1 West Ham

Richarlison

26 minutes ago, markjazzbassist said:

Love seeing Bernard rewarded with a spot and James on the bench.  Looks like iwobi and keane being rested.

 

COYB

Hope James stays on the bench tonight too - Means we are winning the game and also gives him more time to rest. Really hope he is fit and Carlo was playing a trick - don't want him rushed back and played to chase a result vs Hammers and then injury strikes again (the Everton way)

If we can move Delph on - I'd happily take him. He's more like a Barry type than Delph will ever be.

How/Why the hell did we sign him!!?!!.!.!?

We should be, and hopefully are, all over this - properly sorts our RB position out for a good few seasons and allows Holgate to move back across to CB

Kenny will move on I'm sure

Think we are all wasting alot of energy / thumb movements on this topic!!

I can see us dipping into the loan market for 2 or 3 players this Jan - Striker, RW and extra CM

31 minutes ago, Bill said:

I suppose this satisfys both sides of the debate, but will we rest players when the game finally comes around.   

Depends when it is rearranged for Bill....if 2 days after another league game then yes. If mid week in a normal week then no

29 minutes ago, Romey 1878 said:

I'm happy about it to be honest.

Blessing in disguise...much needed rest for the team. No worries about resting players now

Players I expect to be rested are: Keane & DCL (only players o play all league games this season), Doucoure (looks knackered).

Maybes: Godfrey (although Niels coming in for league debut against City is scary - talk about sink or swim. Wonder if Kenny is an option at LB) & Iwobi (long run of games).

Potential XI if so...

                         Olsen

Coleman  Holgate Mina  Godfrey(Kenny)

                        Davies

                 Gomes     Siggy

Gordon/Kenny                  Bernard

                         Tosun

Although Tosun up top on his own is a scary thought too - maybe Gordon can play alongside him for movement in more of a front 2.

Can also see Gordon on left and Bernard through middle to rest Siggy

Good composure of his got us that goal 

Sheffield 0 - 1 Everton

Keane

Happy with that. Although I do worry for Dacoure constantly playing...

I'd say Doucoure and DCL need a rest but neither can be as there are no valid replacements for them. Doucoure due to injuries and DCL has made his position his own. Tosun really offers nothing and his style does not fit our game.

Really highlights a problem we have in needing a DCL back-up who will be like a reserve keeper and not expect to play (the spurs issue with Kane originally until he changed his game). Maybe Richarlison has to lead the line here vs Sheffield.

Rest of current starters should be fine starting these games again.

I think Cup game is priority with best XI selected - then look to rest DCl , Doucoure for Sheffield

2 hours ago, Palfy said:

Went for Mina defensively he had as good a game as anyone, and the goal to win the game was the icing on the cake. 

Same for me, defensively sound today and got the winning goal.

Honestly don't think any of the starters today had a bad game. Davies unlucky for the pen, maybe went to sleep for an instant

Everton 1 - 0 Arsenal

Siggy