Yes, but Özil has dropped off and so my expectations of him are lowered.

jones wrote:

To be fair consistency is probably the most difficult thing to achieve. Messi Neymar and Lewandowski are the only players to produce world class performances consistently for more than a year, even Cristiano has slowed down before his recent resurgence. Guys like Hazard Bale Salah Sterling Suarez or Di Maria have always had hot streaks with dry spells every now and then with minor differences in their duration.

Sure, I agree consistency is the mark of a great player, but Di Maria isn't consistent through a half, let alone a match, or anything as long as a season or a year. He is, however, consistently inconsistent. I can't fault him on that.

Pape Gueye, Saliba, Kocku, and Benrahma would be excellent youthful additions to go along with one or two established stars this summer

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Looks like a powerful and dominant midfielder in the making. Although, from that limited viewing, he looks a little slow on the turn and maybe a little heavy with his touch. Loves a switch of play with that left foot though.

He looks class.

This is the kind of smart signing we need and we have got an extremely good record from Ligue 2 purchases

Wow that's a good comp. But also looks like he's got Pepe/Wilsh's ability to get absolutely cleaned out by some idiot.

He'd need to be paired with someone comfortable on the ball. He's not great under pressure or technically strong based a tifo scouting report i read a few days ago

Chelsea have agreed a deal to take Ziyech in the summer.

Good signing that. Replaces Willian.

Still bewildered nobody activated that 25m clause in the summer.

This is such good value. Could’ve been one of the 2 behind Aubameyang for us. Ah, well.

Arsenal could still go for him surely, as he's a fan of the club. Do what Willian did to Spurs. What we cannot allow to happen is letting Dayot go to Bayern. We have got to follow through on our targets.

Good signing for them.

Here’s how our team is rumoured to shape up

——————Leno
Bellerin—Saliba—Upamecano—Tierney
——————Gueye
———Orkun——-Xhaka
Pepe—————————-Benrahma
—————Martinelli

Of all the Premier League clubs we should have been first in line for Ziyech. Disappointed he's going to Chelsea

No disrespect to Ziyech because I think he is a very good player, but this is the type of signing I expect to see from Chelsea from now on. Not Maddison or Sancho, where everyone wants them and the wages, especially in the latter's case will be astronomical, but experienced players arriving for reasonable fees and wages. I don't think they have the pull they once did and, more importantly, I think Abramovich won't cough up like he used to.

Clrnc wrote:

That's a little deceptive. It doesn't show the couple of unnecessary fouls he gave away; one, in particular, on Muller which was downright stupid. It also doesn't show any of the headers he lost to Lewandowski from goal kicks or long balls. And there were a few. But, most importantly, it doesn't show the penalty kick he gave away that was overturned by VAR because there was an offside in the build-up; Lewandowski did a little Cruyff-turn and Upemecano swiped his legs away like he was a Gabriel or Mustafi superfan performing the ultimate tribute.

He also did some very good things throughout, as the video shows; passed well, carried it well, stood strong physically, and had some vital blocks and interceptions, even if some of them were a little chaotic. On the subject of Upemcano:

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I think he has some work to do in order to become a top player, but he has strength, speed, athleticism, technical quality, and a lot of fight and confidence, even when up against Lewandowski and the like. Could become some player in the right environment.

Yep I agree, he reminds me of a very raw Sol Campbell. Not that Sol was particularly polished but yeah

Well they're not getting £50 million for an injury prone player with a year left, obviously.

Hopefully we can agree a deal with Upamecano in January instead if he's serious about coming here, which it sounds like he is. He would be a great arrival in 2021. I think integrating both Upamecano and Saliba next season will be too much for us anyway.

From what I've seen Maddison isn't in a different class than Ziyech,and definitely doesn't deserve to be mentioned with Sancho.

Quincy Abeyie wrote:

From what I've seen Maddison isn't in a different class than Ziyech,and definitely doesn't deserve to be mentioned with Sancho.

Maybe I didn't make myself clear, but I was talking specifically about the level of interest in a player rather than exactly how good they are. Although that is usually a good indicator of their quality.

Ziyech was available for €25m in the summer, Overmars talked publicly about the release clause and actively encouraged bids for him, and yet nobody bit. If it was revealed that Maddison had a €50m release clause this summer, there would be clubs clamouring to get his signature. Rightly or wrongly, he is a far more sought after player than Ziyech.

Sancho is another level all together, but the point is these two players have both been heavily linked to Chelsea in recent times, and lots of their fans, and rival fans for that matter, seem to think it could happen: I don't think there's a chance.

Ricky1985 wrote:
Quincy Abeyie wrote:

From what I've seen Maddison isn't in a different class than Ziyech,and definitely doesn't deserve to be mentioned with Sancho.

Maybe I didn't make myself clear, but I was talking specifically about the level of interest in a player rather than exactly how good they are. Although that is usually a good indicator of their quality.

Ziyech was available for €25m in the summer, Overmars talked publically about the release clause and actively encouraged bids for him, and yet nobody bit. If it was revealed that Maddison had a €50m release clause this summer, there would be clubs clamouring to get his signature. Rightly or wrongly, he is a far more sought after player than Ziyech.

Wrongly

I can't see Maddison doing what Ziyech did in the CL in a million years

If anyone could guarantee me that Upamecano will be a third of the player Sol was I'd be down with spending all our money on him. Can't believe how underrated Campbell is these days. Best defender to ever set a foot in the Premiership bar none.

Not by me. Sol is my favourite ever centre back. As a teenager, the signing was magical. Remember it like it was last week.

Don’t think I’ve ever been more buzzed about a signing as I was with Sol.

Arshavin and Reyes come close but Sol’s signing was such a statement

jones wrote:
Ricky1985 wrote:

Maybe I didn't make myself clear, but I was talking specifically about the level of interest in a player rather than exactly how good they are. Although that is usually a good indicator of their quality.

Ziyech was available for €25m in the summer, Overmars talked publically about the release clause and actively encouraged bids for him, and yet nobody bit. If it was revealed that Maddison had a €50m release clause this summer, there would be clubs clamouring to get his signature. Rightly or wrongly, he is a far more sought after player than Ziyech.

Wrongly

I can't see Maddison doing what Ziyech did in the CL in a million years

I like Maddison but I don't see him becoming a difference maker at the highest level either. But then I also think Ziyech is a step below that level too. He was very good last season, but some times it just clicks when the team is set up right and the team is better than the sum of its parts. Similar with Tadic. Or most Liverpool players.

Klaus wrote:

If anyone could guarantee me that Upamecano will be a third of the player Sol was I'd be down with spending all our money on him. Can't believe how underrated Campbell is these days. Best defender to ever set a foot in the Premiership bar none.

I would say it's a close run thing with Rio Ferdinand. No one else in my time watching PL football comes close to those two, in my view.

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Better get that pay rise sorted quickly!

Meanwhile, Liverpool's trying to stack their attack:

Ricky1985 wrote:

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Better get that pay rise sorted quickly!

I don't like this. How did we not give him an improved contract the minute he started getting first team games? He's been a regular match-day fixture for six months now.

Gunner89 wrote:

I am a bit too young to really say how Campbell and Adams matched up to one another. That's why I said "in my time watching the PL". My first real memory of Adams was his goal against Everton to clinch the double in 1998, and I was 12 at the time. He was already 32 by then and perhaps past his best?

I struggle to remember Sol. Strongest memories are of that final season where he came back in

Those we the days eh - rely on Henry and Campbell in their mid fifties on short term deals

Ricky1985 wrote:

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Better get that pay rise sorted quickly!

I’m not worried. We’re giving him loads of mins, would be mad to go elsewhere at this stage of his career.

Don’t see what the concern is. They’ll be interested in him and Martinelli. That’s natural. And the papers will play it up. Because those fools have to type their 200 words every few hours. Not stressed. Give the man his £30k in the summer and keep it moving.