Warning: This thread is likely to be very long and for most, very boring. You’ve been warned. With basically all our recruitment department having left, leaves us in a bit of a predicament for the summer. I’m incredibly bored (note: this actually ended up taking weeks of dropping in when I had a few moments to update a little bit at a time) so have decided to take a big look at our squad and what we’re likely to need in the summer and who we could also potentially go for to fill those gaps.. Obviously finances are tight, we might get a little bit of money from some sales but ultimately we’re not going to be in a position to replace all of the poorer elements of our squad with replacements that we pay for a fee, nor reinvest all the money we make from sales back into those replacements. Positions Needed Before establishing our strategy, we need to evaluate our squad to work out what positions and playstyle we need to recruit for. Firstly we lose 3 loanees in Martins, Dennis and Lewis, leaving us light at LB and on the wings. We get some returning loanees in Louza, Kalu, Fletcher, Hurtado, Baah (technically already returned), Forde + Ferreira, but it’s hard to imagine Kalu + Fletcher donning a Watford shirt again. Livermore and Hamer are out of contract but are rumoured to have signed new deals despite nothing official being confirmed. If we look at the below graphic of our squad (that discounts the returning loanees - some of which can play a part next season) shows our age profile of the squad isn’t too bad. We’ll likely need a goalkeeper in the summer - possibly a youngster about to reach the sort of age to breakthrough, although we might be able to delay that until next season if we keep Hamer an extra year - but good to look at the potential options. We’re well stocked at CB, Hoedt might have some suitors, but other than that I’d be surprised if we were to make any changes at CB and with the scope of the other changes in the squad, I’d keep our current crop and delay making any upgrades here. At full-back, I’ve said above we might need a RB if a cheap option is available to us (or keep Ferreira if he stays, but probably unlikely). We apparently have a buy option available to us for Lewis, nobody knows how much that is, but unless it’s really really dirt cheap I don’t think he’s impressed enough for us to activate that. With Morris (who’s not up to scratch) as our only out and out LB (with Sema also available to play here), we’ll likely need 2 left-backs. A defensive minded midfielder is a must, we were rumoured to be heavily looking into this market in January with a few names being chucked around. Other than Sierralta there’s no real replacement for Livermore in our squad and at 34 he might only have one more season left in him. Louza/Kone/TDB/Chak/Kayembe are decent enough options for the other central midfielders. It’s likely we need a defensive monster in this role - focus on the winning the ball and then just feeding the more technical midfielders to progress the ball (similar to Choudhury last season) Sema + Ince + Chak are likely to be the only wingers remaining from our first team-squad this season. We might get Martins back on loan. We have potential options in Hurtado/Forde/Baah but there’s no guarantee as to their quality at this level, so a winger is potentially on the shopping list as well - in my opinion we’ve lacked output (in terms of goals + assists) in this area since Sarr left, Martins has shown glimpses of this but it’s been 4 months since his last goal or assist - so a proven wideman who creates or scores will help ease the pressure on the rest of the squad needing goals. Bayo + Raj both have their faults and are far too similar to each other which really doesn’t give us a plan B. I’d sell one of them (you’d think Bayo considering Raj is the newest in), keep one (along with potentially Forde/Hurtado - and loan Doumbia) as back-up and look for a main leading man that offers much more on the ball. So our shopping list looks like this: - Potentially a GK if there’s a good option (basically a young or peak age out of contract GK) - Possibly a RB - LB - a must, most likely need 2 - DM - a must - Winger - probably - Striker - a must. Strategy With our level of debt and not many sellable assets (bar Asprilla/Kone/Andrews) to help service that debt, young players that we can develop slightly and flip for a hefty profit is certainly one market we’ll need to keep an eye on. These could be from lower down the EFL pyramid or from some of the fringe markets across the world that we can get a work permit for. Free agents is likely to be another key market, as much as we'd all like to, we’re not gonna be able to fill the squad with amazing wonderkids, but free agents can be a good stop-gap whilst we reshape the squad. These can be players capable of making a step-up from lower in the EFL (or from other Championship clubs), players in foreign markets that would suit the league or potentially players that could drop down from the PL. Loans are another good stop-gap for free spots, likely from Udinese or PL clubs. Would be good to look for youngsters to have been on loan lower down the EFL that could make the step-up to the Champ. Fee paying options, I mentioned above the young, flippable players will likely require a fee, but there’s likely some advantageous market situations on the domestic side that we can try to exploit, by looking at clubs that are struggling financially (QPR, Reading etc) that we could plunder as well as some of the foreign markets So I think the following markets are the most likely advantageous to target: - Udinese - PL possible loans + out of contracts - Championship out of contracts + possible sales from relegation candidates + financially troubled clubs - League 1 possible sales + current loanees from the PL - League 2 (youngsters for a permanent + current loanees from the PL) - Scotland - Other top 4 leagues (and their 2nd tiers) out of contracts and possible sales (2nd tiers) - Europe (Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria) - Eastern Europe (Croatia, Czech Republic, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia) - Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden + Norway) - Fringe South American Leagues (Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay) - Japan + South Korea Left-Back Must have a decent (doesn’t need to be exceptional, but slightly above average) defensive output, we’ll look at: - Tackles + interceptions combined (adjusted for the amount of possession his team has), - Possession adjusted clearances - Pressure regains (where the team won the ball back within 5 seconds of him pressing) - Defensive OBV (basically how his defensive actions impact the chances of the opposition scoring https://statsbomb.com/articles/soccer/introducing-on-ball-value-obv/) We also need him to very comfortable attacking so we’ll look at: - Open play key passes - Dribbles - Dribbles + Carries OBV - Successful Crosses - Open Play Passes into the box. - Deep Progressions (passes, dribbles + carries into the opposition final 3rd) - General OBV Lets compare our current full-back options with this newly created radar Good news is that most of our current options don’t flag that highly, which I think is a good sign for our criteria. Ngakia ranks highly, but probably slightly down to the sample size (although I do think he’s mostly played well when available). First up is Udinese - they have 3 LBs in their first team squad - Kamara (who is first choice and I imagine isn’t likely to come back), Masina (out on loan, would also imagine he’s unlikely to come back) and Jordan Zemura who they signed from Bournemouth in the summer. Zemura has played a good amount of minutes for a back-up, but might be tempted to come here (especially if Udinese go down) and be first choice so gets added to the list. Next is to build a shortlist, starting with a data check, looking at players who are exceptional in the data for the profile above. This returned a list of 63 players. After discounting the unaffordable, unrealistic or poor choice (like being 29 years old and playing in League 2) it left us with the following players: Abel Cruz (23 - Real Oviedo - La Liga 2) Gideon Mensah (25 - Auxerre - Ligue 2) Kevin Benitez (22 - Wanderers - Uruguyan Primera) Kristoffer Lund (22 - Palermo - Serie B) Layan Loor (22 - Universidad Catolica - Liga Pro - Ecuador) Marcelo Morales (20 - Universidad de Chile) Samuel Dahl (21 - Djurgarden - Allsvenskan) Next up is to look at the expiring contracts of LBs in both the PL + Championship which gives us the following names Charlie Taylor - 30 - Burnley Max Lowe - 26 - Sheff Utd Rhys Norrington-Davies - 24 - Sheff Utd Dan Potts - 29 - Luton Aaron Cresswell - 34 - West Ham Ashley Young - 38 - Everton Dimitris Giannoulis - 28 - Norwich Sam McCallum - 23 - Norwich Sam Byram - 30 - Leeds Jamilu Collins - 29 - Cardiff Tyler Blackett - 29 - Rotherham Jaheim Headley - 22 - Huddersfield (club option 1 year) Brendan Galloway - 27 - Plymouth Ben Jackson - 23 - Huddersfield Enda Stevens - 33 Stoke None of the PL options really profiled well in the data (even in previous seasons), however Dimitrios Giannoulis (28) at Norwichs data looks good, so gets added to the list. Nobody from the cash strapped teams looks like a particularly good option. In League 1 there were a few interesting candidates Will Ferry (23) at Cheltenham has a good data profile and is out of contract in the summer. Harrison Burrows (22) at Peterborough is another fantastic data profile but is likely to get better offers than what we can offer, but gets added anyway. Harvey Vale (20) on loan from Chelsea at Bristol Rovers also looks to be having a great season from the data. Next up I had a browse of the players across the world whose contracts are expiring this year, and checked their data just to see if any cheaper options matched some or most of what we’re looking for that wouldn’t have flagged in the initial data check. That provided me with a few options: Gaston Benedetti (22) at Estudiantes in Argentina Emanuele Valeri (25) at Frosinone Martin Frese (26) at Nordsjaelland Raheem Edwards (28) at Montreal (although they do have an option for another year) The Shortlist That narrows our shortlist down to 16 potential options Jordan Zemura (24 - Udinese) Abel Bretones (23 - Real Oviedo) Gideon Mensah (25 - Auxerre) Kevin Rolon (22 - Wanderers) Kristoffer Lund (22 - Palermo ) Layan Loor (22 - Universidad Catolica) Marcelo Morales (20 - Universidad de Chile) Samuel Dahl (20 - Djurgarden - Allsvenskan) Dimitris Giannoulis (28 - Norwich) Will Ferry (23 - Cheltenham) Harrison Burrows (22 - Peterborough) Harvey Vale (20 - Chelsea) Gaston Benedetti (22 - Estudiantes) Emanuele Valeri (25 - Frosinone) Martin Frese (26 - Nordsjaelland) Raheem Edwards (28 - Montreal) For each player I watched the last 10 games worth of the following categories - Shots - Assists - Long Range Passes - Under Pressure - Crosses - Key Passes - Dribbling - Attacking Duels - Defending Duels - 1 vs 1 Defence - Interceptions - Tackles - Aerial Duels So, let’s get scouting (note: this is likely to be subjective, this is my opinion, your opinion on the below may differ, but that’s cool!). Jordan Zemura (24 - Udinese) Club Info: Udinese have obviously struggled this season, they’ve had a few managers in that time but have primarily played a 3-5-2 formation. They’ve been pretty direct, with lots of long-balls, not much possession amongst the defence and a good amount of wing play and crossing. Attacking: Seemed to occupy the same spaces (by the corner of the penalty spot rather than by the touchline) that Lewis does which annoys the hell outta me as gives the team little width, I went back and watched some of his time at Bournemouth and he did the same there which is a shame. This had an impact on the crosses he was able to put in - when wide enough and able to put in a ball on his preferred left he wasn’t bad at crossing, generally put into good areas. Was comfortable taking people on but tended to dribble the ball centrally rather than down the line (again what Lewis does) which does create space on the outside - but that means the winger has to stay wide rather than getting involved, which will depend on the qualities we have on the wing next season. Defensive: Defending was a mixed bag, held his own but didn’t seem to excel in much defensively. Again, dropping to a weaker league could be beneficial for him. Physical: Average in the air (0.45 HOPS) which is fine for us. I thought he was very quick and agility was good. Financial: You’d imagine this would be a loan rather than a permanent transfer so shouldn’t cost much (especially as he’s coming from Udinese). Wages are apparently around the £8k a week mark so should be easily doable for us, even if we have to pay the entirety of his wages if Udinese end up getting relegated. Pros: Offers a lot of pace. Cons: Does a lot of annoying things in attack. Summary: Showed so many similarities to the aspects of what we see in Jamal Lewis each week which really frustrates me and I wonder whether he can be coached out of it by TC and taught to stay wide. That being said he’s a good age, the finances on the deal are really good and he’s coming from a tougher league so hoping he should see a little bump to his meh data profile (although he’s only played 12.7 90s so sample size could be an issue) Zemura crosses/key passes (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2jww...sing.mp4?rlkey=aria8b874rkdj6mlwlfvxzg5w&dl=0 Zemura attacking duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/psty...king.mp4?rlkey=37x76kdkza31lxrb939fda9ar&dl=0 Zemura defensive duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/09dg...sive.mp4?rlkey=hur2gfnihijlnm187rgskv46k&dl=0 Abel Bretones (23 years old) Club Info: Bretones plays for Real Oviedo in La Liga 2 in Spain, they’re currently 8th (as of time of writing) in the league, just one point off the playoffs. They typically play a 4231 formation with Bretones used as LB. Looking at the team metrics, they’re a team who focus a lot around keeping the ball in the final 3rd and generally have a lot of possession. They also cross the ball a lot (no side in their league has played more crosses). Attacking: Looks to frequently cross the ball in early, with 32 crosses in his last 5 games (compared to 11 from Lewis), his crossing from the wide positions doesn’t look the greatest though - although does look better when he tucks inside a little bit. Looks very comfortable taking on players and generally looked good at it as well. Was no nonsense when put under pressure and preferred to get rid rather than to play his way out of danger. Was generally comfortable in possession, liked to try and make things happen with a lot of “give and go” passes, overall very positive offensively. Defensive: His defensive numbers were quite good, but his defensive ability didn’t pass the eye test to me. Too often he was too easily bypassed and his usual trick of trying to win the ball was to just to push his opponent, which usually didn’t work. Can’t fault his effort as he did try and did put good pressure on and his positioning looked good, but ultimately was just too ineffective. Physical: With a HOPS rating (a metric used to rank aerial ability) of 0.49 he’s basically average in the air and is a decent height at 6”1. Showed good agility + pace. Seemed to lack strength, regularly bounced off players making no impact when going to shoulder to shoulder with wingers. Financial: Has a €3.5m (£3m) release clause which might be possible for us. Is on €4k a week (according to FM24!) at Oviedo, tripling or even quadrupling his wages shouldn’t be much of an issue for us and make us an attractive option for him financially. Overall should be an affordable option, however if Real Oviedo manage to get promoted then it’ll likely push him out of our range. Pros: Likes to get the ball in early. Looks good offensively in 1 vs 1s. Good pace. Should be affordable Cons: Crossing isn’t the greatest. Poor defensively. Will probably struggle for a work permit (I make it that it goes to the exceptions panel, but doesn’t have much in the way of youth NT apps etc that usually form the basis of a successful case), but could use an ESC slot. Summary: Reminds me a bit like a taller Kiko which isn’t really a bad thing, but our squad isn’t as dominant or good as when we had Kiko and I think his flaws will be too easily exposed in the Champ. Don’t think it’d be a good fit. Bretones crosses/key passes (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/a9so...sing.mp4?rlkey=2ult8y07e5k50rb17kbivx18q&dl=0 Bretones attacking duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/4vm9...uels.mp4?rlkey=6pwj0p0nnodag9o5p9mkfdda5&dl=0 Bretones defensive duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/4vm9...uels.mp4?rlkey=6pwj0p0nnodag9o5p9mkfdda5&dl=0 Gideon Mensah (25 years old) Club Info: Auxerre are currently of Ligue 2, they typically play a 4231 formation with Mensah used a LB (although has only started 60% of games this season). They have plenty of the ball (2nd highest amount of possession in the league and press quickly, although drop into a low block when they’ve lost the ball, they don’t use the wings much when attacking. Attacking: Didn’t play a huge amount of crosses every game and most crosses were either played low or landed low (aka not high enough for a header) which could be good if we have a striker with good movement + finishing next season, crosses generally landed in good locations though and his positioning looked good, often finding himself with plenty of time + space to cross. Was very capable of beating an opponent 1 vs 1 and was often eager to try and do so, had quick feet that got him out of danger a few times. Defensive: Really liked lots of his defensive game, applied lots of pressure, stood his man up well and often had great timing on when to put a foot in. Physical: Good enough in the air (around the same as our current FB options), decent strength, incredibly quick Financial: I estimate he should be available for about £4m-£4.5m and he’s estimated to be on around £6k a week wages so we’d be able to give him a hefty payrise. However if Auxerre get promoted we might not be able to compete Pros: Think he’d be a really good fit for the league technically + physically. Cons: Didn’t cross as much as hoped, crosses weren’t ideal for a targetman which might not fit our squad next season. Has been injured since mid February. Would be a significant amount of any transfer budget. Summary: Mixed one really, I liked lots of his skillset and think he’d be a great fit in the Championship, but think his overall potential is limited (meaning we might not be able to make much of a profit on him in future seasons) and he’d cost a big chunk (if not all) of our transfer budget. Mensah crosses/key passes (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/v4n6...sing.mp4?rlkey=dhnkrpzdt2aaj9go81gjn13b2&dl=0 Mensah attacking duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/d1nc...king.mp4?rlkey=ictl0ccd9novmofvkfuea2f8d&dl=0 Mensah defensive duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/teiq...sive.mp4?rlkey=mowlw216zez7ihmtu690wn9nz&dl=0 Kevin Rolon (22 - Wanderers) Club Info: Wanderers are a club in Uruguay, they’re currently (as of time of writing) 7 games into their season, finishing 5th out of 16 teams last season. Last season they typically played a 4231 formation with Rolon mostly used as a LB, although also spent a good amount of minutes as the left-winger. Wanderers generally defended in a pretty low block and didn’t really cross a lot, although did utilize a lot of wing play. Attacking: Was too eager to cross, often playing crosses very early and before any team-mate was in a suitable position inside the area to get on the end of them technically seemed to snatch at the crosses as well - could possibly be coached to slow down to be more effective. Really confident in taking opponents on, success rate was a bit mixed though and I'm not sure the jump in quality would translate well. Defensive: Was eager to hassle the opponent and to press, seemed good enough for the Uruguayan league but I'm not sure defensively he’d be a good enough option for the Championship. Seemed to struggle against dribblers. Physical: Looked quick and had great acceleration and agility, but strength and aerial ability was lacking and will likely be exposed in the Championship. Financial: Wages won’t be an issue at all. Transfer fee shouldn’t be more than £2m. Pros: Decent enough in attack and financials should be good. Cons: Don’t think his skillset will translate well to English football. Summary: Meh. Rolon crosses/key passes (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/zon6...sing.mp4?rlkey=01exzvmh4r8sfbv6em37ldalg&dl=0 Rolon attacking duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9k9h...king.mp4?rlkey=6sylkc1q8qk3zmc746jl1bpdl&dl=0 Rolon defensive duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/q1tk...ence.mp4?rlkey=wy5fz4od9jmg15qiqyqc8lau9&dl=0 Kristoffer Lund (22 - Palermo) Club Info: Palermo are 6th in Serie B (as of time of writing), they typically play a 4231 formation. They like a lot of the ball, keeping the ball well in both the final third (where they like to cross a lot when possible). as well as the defenders being comfortable on the ball (to be expected since they’re a CFG side). Attacking: Really liked his crossing ability, chose the types and weight of his crosses really well and were often put into good areas and really plays the types of crosses I wish Lewis would play. Really comfortable with the ball at his feet and under pressure, would definitely suit the high intensity of the championship. Didn’t feel he was an amazing dribbler, but used his strength well to keep hold of the ball when dribbling. Defensive: Good reading of the game, more than held his own defensively and was very tough to beat in 1 vs 1 duels and rarely let anything get past him (and was willing to commit the foul if they did!). Pressed well but knew when to drop back into shape, felt his game was very developed for a 22 year old. Physical: Nothing special aerially but definitely good enough. Had good strength. Wasn’t amazingly quick, but good enough but offensively and defensively. Financial: He only joined Palermo last summer (for £2.3m) so isn’t likely to be a cheap option, especially since they’re a CFG team who might go up into Serie A this season. If they get promoted it’s likely he’s completely unobtainable, however if they stay in Serie B we’d possibly stand a chance, but hard to imagine they’d part with him for anything less than £5m which is probably out of budget. Pros: Would be a good fit for the league, both technically and physically. Cons: Most likely out of budget. Summary: Would definitely be worth an enquiry if Palermo don’t reach Serie A (personally I don’t think they will), as his skillset is one that would be great for a team like us and he’s a great age to develop further, potentially leading to a good sale later on down the line, however it’s still likely he’ll be out of budget. Lund crosses/key passes (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/jp8w...sing.mp4?rlkey=6ryiqo9ooxo5vtplrpz0fc2o9&dl=0 Lund attacking duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/qo3m...king.mp4?rlkey=8y01ouqbdydi7c264kdelvnd2&dl=0 Lund defensive duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/g2of...sive.mp4?rlkey=ixaju4q7yqhw0teu3sza1ecrk&dl=0 Layan Loor (22 - Universidad Catolica) (taken from my scout report done on him last year) Tactical role + team details: Universidad Catolica are one the better team in Ecuador, finishing 2nd in the aggregate table for the 2022 season, 3rd in the aggregate table in 2021 and 4th in 2020. They typically played a 4-3-3 system in the 2022 season with Loor usually deployed a left-back. Loor joined the Universidad Catolica U20 side aged 18 back in 2019 and spent 2 years on loan at Liga Pro Serie B side America De Quito before moving up to the Universidad Catolica first team for the 2022 season. He played 2394 minutes in the league during the 2022 season scoring 2 goals and getting 3 assists. Attacking Phase: Often struggled to get much power behind his shots and his long-range shots lacked accuracy, although he did look comfortable shooting with either foot. Was eager to join in any attacks, often playing quite an advanced position up the pitch. Attempted a lot of crosses although accuracy was mixed - when he had time to pick a cross out his crossing was good, but he would often have his head down before attempting most crosses which affected his ability to pick out a team-mate. Was an effective dribbler, demonstrated quick feet and a good change of pace and direction although his first touch was sometimes a bit heavy Build Up Phase: Had good vision in picking out good passing options that weren’t obvious passes. Showed good accuracy with long diagonal balls but struggled with accuracy when playing long-balls down the channels to the forwards. Took up good positions to receive when the opposition pressed and looked very capable of playing in tight spaces Defensive Phase: Didn’t often go to ground when tackling and was often ineffective when he did, although also often didn’t attempt to make a tackle when standing his opponent up either. Often looked a bit indecisive on whether just to delay the opponent or to attempt to make a tackle. Put in lots of effort defensively, despite the relatively poor application and had a good awareness of danger. Physical: Was quick enough to keep up with most opposition wingers on the ball and had a nice change of pace but wouldn’t say he was exceptionally quick. Agility was mixed. Didn’t look particularly strong. Was average in the air, didn’t have a bad amount of success for his height, but I felt he didn’t have a great jump. Financials: Wages won’t be an issue, has 18 months left on his contract so shouldn’t cost a huge amount. Reckon he should cost £2.5m maximum. Summary: A fair amount to like in his game, but the jump in quality is likely to be quite big and I think it’s quite possible that he’d get bullied defensively. Loor crosses/key passes (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/s8ya...sing.mp4?rlkey=d3k41m67i052j1h79rme7l8qn&dl=0 Loor attacking duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/yl4s...uels.mp4?rlkey=7zyiazunm5joyyr8gwxsgv362&dl=0 Loor defensive duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/s2kw...sive.mp4?rlkey=dnchkoouf9xr6uhy6zme4jg8p&dl=0 Marcelo Morales (20 - Universidad de Chile) Club Info: Universidad De Chile are typically one of the top teams in Chile, although had a poor season last season, finishing 9th out the 16th teams in the league. They’re faring better this season however and are top of the league and unbeaten after the first 8 games. They typically played a 442 system last year, but have switched to a 3 at the back system this season. Attacking: Crossing ability was a mixed bag, I really liked his vision and the types of balls he put in. I think with a better quality of team-mate and a bit of development he could turn into a crossing monster. Loves to attack and to take players on and looked decent enough, if slightly raw at this. Felt he went down too easily a lot of the time and will need to toughen up if moving to England. Would sometimes hold onto the ball too long, but he’s young and this is often something I see in young players. Dealt well when put under pressure, liked to play quick combinations with team-mates Defensive: Hasn’t been great defensively this season, gave away a lot of fouls and was generally pretty clumsy, oddly he looked much better defensively last season, could be something to do with the formation change. Positioning looked good as did his attitude to defensive work. Overall looked decent enough for a 20 year old, although might get too exposed in the Championship. Physical: At only 5”9 he’s not the tallest, but was actually pretty good in the air for his size. His HOPS rating of 0.52 puts him slightly above the average and if he were to join would actually have the best aerial rating out of our full-backs. His acceleration, pace and agility were superb. However he’s not the strongest and would definitely need to toughen up. Financial: With 6 months on his contract he shouldn’t cost the earth. Wages won’t be an issue, would likely be available for £1m-£2m. Pros: Good attacking ability with very high potential in this aspect. Cons: Might not be up to the physical challenge. Question marks over defensive ability. Summary: At 20 years old he’s already started nearly 80 games for what is typically one of Chiles top teams. A move to Europe is on the cards soon, whether a club takes the plunge in the next 2 windows remains to be seen, there’s a lot of potential upsides to him, but I’m not fully convinced that the Champ is a suitable league for him. Could be an interesting choice as a backup though. Morales crosses/key passes (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/gqx4...sing.mp4?rlkey=bacqejhbyfscdg43yhkjyh733&dl=0 Morales attacking duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/q54r...uels.mp4?rlkey=jb9sflj3qrd3molwxereckvxf&dl=0 Morales defensive duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wuj8...uels.mp4?rlkey=8igy52tloju9vhp9ttnhsz546&dl=0 Samuel Dahl (21 - Djurgarden - Allsvenskan) Club Info: The Swedish season hasn’t long started, with Djurgarden currently 4th (out of 16) after 6 games (at time of writing), they finished 4th last season. Last season they typically played a 4-3-3, and liked to keep the ball in the final 3rd (although not as much possession between the defenders) and pressed quite high. Dahl was most typically used as a LB in the 4-3-3. Attacking: Was capable of crossing with both feet which would be a nice addition, that being said I often felt his crosses weren’t particularly dangerous, either low and lacking power or way over hit and very little in between. Was eager to take players on and looked comfortable beating players 1 vs 1 and had a nice drop of the shoulder. Was noticeable that there was a positive outcome for his team in a vast majority of the times he took on an opponent (either winning a free kick, throw or beating his man). Did have a good eye for a pass though and was very comfortable both in possession and when under pressure and was really eager to bomb forward. Defensive: As mentioned, Djurgarden like to press and Dahl wasn’t an exception to that, chucking himself around and trying to get stuck in whenever possible and generally looked good defensively. Did think he actually pressed too hard at times as he’d charge in with such pace that he’d get caught out by a quick touch to take the ball away from him. Overall though put in a shift defensively and seemed mostly impressive. Has taken part in the most defensive duels in the league this season (although it is only 6 games in!) Physical: The Swedish league is a pretty physical one, and on the ground that didn’t seem to phase him at all, was comfortable going shoulder to shoulder with players, strength wasn’t his biggest asset but didn’t feel it held him back much.. Had really good pace and agility. Main downside is his aerial ability - at 5”7 he’s pretty small and a HOPS rating of 0.37 backs up that he’s far below the average in terms of aerial quality. Financial: His club are apparently looking for around £2.5m for him in the summer, wages shouldn’t be an issue for us. Apparently a few clubs are interested like Anderlecht, Rennes + AZ Alkmaar so might be a bit of competition for him Pros: Strong both offensively + defensively. Transfer fee and wages should both be very affordable. Cons: Poor in the air. Not the strongest. Might be a decent amount of competition for his signature. Summary: Really liked lots of his game and think he’d be a great fit for both us and the league. Dahl crosses/key passes (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/7f40...sing.mp4?rlkey=1mp7yt64td3jafir20ssbzvc2&dl=0 Dahl attacking duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/oknf...king.mp4?rlkey=wmibdim6jmzm1dq1ya8f420la&dl=0 Dahl defensive duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/7ved...sive.mp4?rlkey=04mjh9j5q3otsn3xf6lwgnd68&dl=0 Dimitrios Giannoulis (28 - Norwich) Club Info: Norwich don’t really need much of an introduction harem they mostly play a 4231 formation with Giannoulis used as the LB. They have a lot of the ball both between their defence and in the final third, use the wings + cross a fair amount, but tend to drop into a low block rather than pressing high, which overall bodes well for Giannoulis matching a lot of what we’re after. Attacking: His crossing ability was really varied, but I really really liked it. Good mix of dinked crosses from deeper positions to crosses with more whip when he was closer to the penalty area with good accuracy and generally looked dangerous when putting crosses in. Eager to bomb forward, comfortable on the ball and playing under pressure and in tight spaces. Good vision and technique in his passing range Defensive: Wasn’t amazing defensively, didn’t shirk tackles and was willing to work hard and to track back and press with good desire + intensity. He’s been playing in a relatively good team who doesn’t have to defend as much, not sure how well his defensive skillset would translate to us next season where he’ll likely have to defend more in a bigger quantity. Physical: Bang average aerially (0.50 HOPS) but good enough for us and the league. Also wasn’t particularly strong. Good strength and agility though and has shown he can hold his own in the league. Financial: Available on a free transfer at the end of the season so fee shouldn’t be an issue. By most estimates (FM and those dodgy wage websites) he’s on around £30k a week at Norwich which is a decent wedge for wages that could be a stumbling block. Pros: Already experienced in the league (as well as the PL). Free transfer. Really good offensively. Cons: High wages. Question marks over whether the defensive side to his game would translate to our side. Summary: Really lots to like here, good age, experienced in the league. Not sure why Norwich aren’t offering him a new contract - wonder if he took a wage reduction after the relegation and now wants out? In which case he might be a bit more viable wages wise if the wage reduction was a big one. Giannoulis crosses/key passes (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ap9n...sing.mp4?rlkey=20jntqyafc9zvffjmgoines1s&dl=0 Giannoulis attacking duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/vkwi...king.mp4?rlkey=tcnlkwe6rwsxpenqluqtwtztt&dl=0 Giannoulis defensive duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/w4yy...sive.mp4?rlkey=zbspo3gf34nws5qx9zw1a6n9j&dl=0 Will Ferry (23 - Cheltenham) Club Info: Cheltenham had a season to forget - getting relegated from League 1. They typically played a 4231 formation, with a lot of possession at the back and liked to progress the ball through the wings rather than building up centrally. They typically defended in a low block rather than pressing high. Attacking: Lovely cross on him, great accuracy and would frequently land in dangerous places, was capable of crossing with both feet as well which is a bonus. Looked a little bit clumsy when taking on players + felt he went to ground too easily. Did show glimpses of some nice quick feet though but overall wasn’t too impressed offensively. Defensive: As a relegated side, Cheltenham had to defend a lot and I don’t think Ferry had a great contribution to that, often getting beaten or physically outmatched. Maybe in a side who attacks more than they defend he’d look a bit better defensively, but there’s also gonna be a jump in class of opponent that I don’t think will suit. Physical: Below average in the air (0.42), and looked to lack strength. Had a good turn of pace and drop of the shoulder though. Financial: Cheltenham have been relegated and he’s out of contract so shouldn’t cost much (has been offered a new deal though so compensation required but shouldn’t be much payable). Wages should be easily affordable. Pros: Should be affordable and a very viable option. Cons: Pretty much everything else. Summary: Maybe i’ve been a bit harsh above, there’s a few qualities to like about him and i’m sure he’ll be of interest to some of the clubs likely to be around the bottom half of the Champ next season (along with some sides in L1), but don’t think he’s one for us next season. Ferry crosses/key passes (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/eiwq...sing.mp4?rlkey=fr1g14qookwewxtgo07yhqmgz&dl=0 Ferry attacking duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6kml...king.mp4?rlkey=6hxi1cax8s7dwmd29p9tsi6s1&dl=0 Ferry defensive duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1aqy...sive.mp4?rlkey=9ajdyqlqpwqe666bdjp90jq0d&dl=0 Harrison Burrows (22 - Peterborough) Club Info: Peterborough have mostly played a 4231 formation this season and have been a dominant team in League 1 - ranking very highly for possession (across both the back line + in the final third) with a lot of crosses and a lot of pressing. They rarely play long-balls from the back, preferring to build up along the floor. Attacking: With 13 league assists and 6 goals this season Burrows is very decent offensively, he was very very eager to cross the ball (sometimes too eager - attempting to cross when it was obvious that the defender 1ft away from him would block it - instead of trying to create space for the cross), good whip and technique on his crossing and would often land in good positions. Looked very clunky and awkward when trying to take players on though (which explains his lack of dribbles in the radars!) which might not be a great fit for what we’re trying to achieve next season. Defensive: Think he lacked a bit of aggression defensively and actually thought he was pretty poor against dribblers which might not translate well to moving up a division to a less dominant team. Had a good reading of the game though and often did well cutting out passes etc, just struggled when the opponent was tight to him. Physical: Not great in the air (0.37 HOPS). Agility and strength didn’t look great, nor did he look particularly quick. Financial: Odd one in that he’s out of contract in the summer, although apparently Peterborough have the option for an extra year - I would imagine (after 6 goals + 14 assists this season…) that it’s been offered on the proviso that he’s to be sold this summer. Even on a free he’ll likely have offers from a top Championship club or even a PL club, which probably prices us out. Wages won’t be cheap either due to the likely interest in him. Pros: Huge output in terms of goals/assists. Crossing ability is great. Set-piece taker. Cons: Probably out of our reach due to the likely competition for his signature. Not much of a dribbler. Defensive ability is a bit questionable at times. Summary: Can see why there’s competition for him as his attacking output is great, but his output is pretty much entirely focused around crossing, so unless you’ve got a decent target-man to profit from those crosses then actually I think his skillset is a bit limited as I felt he struggles 1 vs 1 both offensively and defensively. Burrows crosses/key passes (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/c34h...sses.mp4?rlkey=on2ocs4p3fookv0r7ud6skr1x&dl=0 Burrows attacking duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/4ene...king.mp4?rlkey=imrozes8g0odhqjbounsk3kb7&dl=0 Burrows defensive duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5vbw...sive.mp4?rlkey=pgq3e7iyvx5t5xad5lpzwbrqe&dl=0 Harvey Vale (20 - Bristol Rovers - on loan from Chelsea) Club Info: Having a few managerial changes this season, Rovers have played a fair few different styles and formations. They’ve most regularly used a 4231 formation but have also played a 433 and 442 formation a fair bit along with 3 at the back at times. Their style has been mixed - with average stats across most of the team metrics - however the only stat that jumps out is that they don’t cross much. They finished 15th in League 1 this season with Vale racking up 2 goals + 5 assists Attacking: Good variety in his crosses - left foot, right foot, outside of the boot, low, high etc. All with good technique and accuracy although did feel he lacked a little power in them sometimes. Liked to make overlapping runs and did a lot of what you’d expect from a LB (that I feel Lewis doesn’t do!) bombing forward, although felt he was sometimes a bit slow in making these types of runs which meant his teammates would have to hold the ball up for him whilst he got forward. Looked good under pressure and was able to play his way out of danger easily enough. Had some nice moves when taking opponents on and a good eye for a pass as well. Defensive: Felt he struggled at times defensively, was especially noticeable against dribblers and often wasn’t quick enough to recover when beaten. Was mostly quite tenacious though, wasn’t afraid to get stuck in and liked snapping at the ball when shoulder to shoulder with attackers, should be serviceable defensively as a back-up option but was far from a strength of his. Physical: Pretty average in the air (0.47 HOPS), didn’t look amazingly quick but was good enough. Strength and agility are also good enough but physical qualities are not an asset of his. Financial: A permanent transfer is likely out the equation, although he is out of contract in summer 2025, but a loan is probably the best option for both parties at this stage. He is on a decent wage (apparently around the £20k a week mark) and Chelsea might want a chunk of that paying if he were to join. But should still be relatively affordable Pros: Versatile (can play LB, LW, central midfield), crossing ability was good. Good on the ball. Could put us in a good position to land him on a free next summer. Cons: Would only be a loan and potentially an expensive one. Not sure he’s ready for the step-up yet. Summary: Lots to like but far from the finished product, he’s versatile though and could provide cover in a variety of positions, could do worse as a back-up option, but not sure Chelsea would like to send him out on loan to be a back-up. Could put us in an advantageous position to possibly land him on a free next summer though. Vale crosses/key passes (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ooo8...sing.mp4?rlkey=rl6zx6u4e228gn94dcsrbu115&dl=0 Vale attacking duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/lml9...king.mp4?rlkey=tkx3h73etg65czx4xsxphivh1&dl=0 Vale defensive duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/hwkg...sive.mp4?rlkey=6d9afsl18or7fav867ovp1sag&dl=0 Gaston Benedetti (22 - Estudiantes) Club Info: Estudiantes are 15 games into their season, they’ve primarily played a 442 formation with Benedetti used as a LB, often taking up a very advanced position. They like a lot of the ball both along their back-line and in the final 3rd. They rank average for crosses and play down the wings, they don’t press much, instead defending in a low block. Attacking: Generally looked decent when crossing, though often didn’t seem to look up before crossing which meant he was crossing to where he felt his team-mates should be rather than where they actually were. Preferred to get his crosses in early rather than carrying the ball down the line, even when there was plenty of time and space to run into - not necessarily a bad thing to do, but there were definitely times it was more beneficial to exploit the space. Liked to knock the ball past players and to use his pace to beat players rather than relying on skill, although his execution of this move wasn’t great, with the final touch to take it round the player often being heavy and ending up with him losing the ball. Defensive: Defending really didn’t pass the eye test, seemed to either get skinned or just completely take out his man - has already picked up 6 yellow cards (and one red) in 988 mins in the 2024 season. Read the game well in cutting out play, but just got absolutely obliterated in 1 vs 1s. Physical: Not great aerially (0.41 HOPS), looked like he lacked strength. Pace and agility decent enough not neither quality was exceptional. Financial: Out of contract in December so should be available for a small fee in the summer, can’t imagine he’d cost much more than £1m, maybe £1.5m tops. Wages shouldn’t be much of an issue either as apparently he’s on €4k a week currently, so £10k a week is a viable wage for him. Pros: Liked to cross. Finances easily doable. Cons: Crossing execution not great. Defensively poor. Summary: Don’t think he’s a great fit for us or the Championship in general to be perfectly honest, downsides completely outweigh any of the upsides. Benedetti crosses/key passes (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/shmr...sses.mp4?rlkey=9zr4kdn63vo8s90m37bp1q165&dl=0 Benedetti attacking duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/300b...king.mp4?rlkey=q3u521tn1mkvulpmwjr1lolq3&dl=0 Benedetti defensive duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/l3ba...sive.mp4?rlkey=62fm8awgwfjiw02isb55xoia9&dl=0 Emanuele Valeri (25 - Frosinone) Club Info: Frosinone are currently battling relegation and are 16th in Serie A, 2 points ahead of Udinese at time of writing. They typically play a 433 with the LB taking up a very advanced position in attack. They have some interesting stats as a team, ranking well for pressing, but they don’t like a lot of the ball and don’t tend to cross much either, nor do they defend in a low-block - which is odd for a lowly ranked team that doesn’t have much possession. Attacking: Quite liked his crossing style, mostly played teasing crosses into the central zone that were well weighted and could be very dangerous with the right sorta player up front. Also had quite a lot of power in his crosses that he’d use to play to the back of the 6-yard area for the right-winger to attack which again could give us an interesting angle if we had the right sort of winger on the opposite flank. Showed some really nice vision/anticipation when put under pressure, would often get the ball played to him with his back to the winger, but he’d already played the ball before the winger could get close. Showed some really nice quick feet at times, was technically great. Was really impressed. Defensive: Awful defensively 1 vs 1, consistently beaten, struggled to stop crosses being put into the area, couldn’t defend against wingers who cut inside. Often didn’t get tight enough, and when he did he often gave away fouls instead of actually winning the ball. Really didn’t have a lot of positive outcomes in his defensive work. Might look better in a slightly weaker league (championship vs Serie A), but don’t think he’s the one for us. Physical: Not great in the air (0.40 HOPS), looked to have nice pace and agility. Not much strength shown. Financial: He joined Frosinone on a free transfer from Serie B side Cremonese in January (presumably they needed him off the wage bill) on a 6 month deal so is out of contract again in the summer. His wages aren’t high at all, so should easily be doable for us. Pros: Really liked his crossing style. Most of his attacking play was great (and for a side struggling in Serie A - would be interested to see him play in a more dominant side). Pretty quick. Cons: Defensively very poor, physicality not a good match for English football. Summary: Was a real Jeyklll vs Hyde performance between his offensive and defensive qualities, thought i’d found a gem after watching his attacking clips but that quickly unravelled after watching him defend. Not one for English football. Valeri crosses/key passes (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/joel...sses.mp4?rlkey=3i61h0lhar7db2mdzc76qjru4&dl=0 Valeri attacking duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/zggc...king.mp4?rlkey=6mw3vb4loxtn1mtys896k7u06&dl=0 Valeri defensive duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/etcn...sive.mp4?rlkey=0evjduvnlpomng7pw3wilf2mo&dl=0 Martin Frese (26 - Nordsjaelland) Club Info: Nordsjaelland are currently 4th in the Danish league, although are 6 pts off the top spot with 5 games to go (as of time of writing). They typically play a 433 formation and rank highly in a lot of metrics - they like a LOT of possession across the whole pitch. As a team they don’t tend to cross much and press lots. Attacking: Good positioning and timing of his attacking runs. Liked to cross from the byline rather than from deeper positions so was a bit hard to get a good gauge on his overall crossing ability, but the crosses from the byline had good power (probably too much power to be honest) with the right winger often being a target for his crosses. Didn’t seem to really attempt to take players on much - which considering how much possession Nordsjaelland had felt a little odd. Was calm and assured and decent in possession. Partnered with a clever, non-selfish winger, I feel he’d be an interesting option, his surging overlapping runs and vision could cause teams a lot of trouble. Defensive: Defensive quality looked good enough for our needs but not exceptional at the same time - I do have question marks around how his defensive skill set would translate to us - he’s playing for a dominant team in a relatively weak league - moving to a less dominant team in a stronger league could expose him defensively. Physical: Strong in the air (0.64 HOPS - that’s around the same level as Porteous), quick, good engine and has more than held his own in what’s a very physical league + country. Financial: He’s available on a free transfer at the end of the season and apparently is only on about £1k a week, so a decent wage increase is easily doable. Pros: Ticks all the boxes physically. Lots to like about the offensive side of his game. Cons: Might not qualify for a work permit and I don’t think he qualifies for an ESC slot. Question marks about how his game would translate to us defensively. Summary: A lot of comparisons with Harrison Burrows in their strengths and qualities (although Frese is likely a much cheaper option), with Burrows being a better crosser of the ball but Frese having more quality defensively + in his physical attributes. Frese crosses/key passes (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/h1ay...sing.mp4?rlkey=kl62bnip67jmlrwwxw6aevgoh&dl=0 Frese attacking duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bhn7...king.mp4?rlkey=jb42kt1vs07vzpkbdtynf4y4r&dl=0 Frese defensive duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ze09...sive.mp4?rlkey=qt8gf6z3jj4xvbw43s6nh6pil&dl=0 Raheem Edwards (28 - Montreal) Club Info: Only 9 games into the new MLS season, but Montreal typically play a 3-4-3 formation, they defend in a low block with not much impact in the final third - struggling for possession in the opponents half and rarely crossing. Attacking: Really surprised me - good variety in his crossing, that were put into good areas and he generally took up good positions offensively. Really comfortable on the ball and taking players on, showed quick feet (and pace) to beat players and was good at it as well, saw a positive outcome a lot of the time he was on the ball and looked great in contributing to the build up of attacks. Overall really good offensively. Defensive: Pressed really well and with intelligence. Hunted players down with great desire and never stopped chasing. Snapped at the heels of the opponent player in possession and forced a lot of errors. Lacked a little bit of strength when shoulder to shoulder though. Physical: Pretty much average in the air (0.53 HOPS). Good pace and agility, lacked a bit of strength though. Financial: Joined Montreal in December for around £300k and is out of contract at the end of December (although they do hold the option for another year). They could be tempted to cash in for a profit, £1m might do it. Pros: Really impressive in most aspects. Cons: Might not qualify for a work permit and I don’t think he qualifies for an ESC slot. Question marks over his age + level he’s played at. Summary: Lots to like in most aspects, although don’t think he’d get a work permit and I have doubts about how well a 28 year old who’s only played in the MLS would translate to the Championship. Edwards crosses/key passes (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/x93i...sses.mp4?rlkey=gyv7jj9nvcyw3qnrvmk19nr7k&dl=0 Edwards attacking duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/mmug...king.mp4?rlkey=nb0jg0a45vlboaud8i5eu5llt&dl=0 Edwards defensive duels (last 5 games): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/c3pj...sive.mp4?rlkey=tru72srjswprllyo6x8ghvj0q&dl=0 The Decision So after watching all the players - who do we sign? Since we need 2 LBs, it makes sense to sign one that’s immediately ready for the starting 11 and then a backup who may not be ready to start week in week out, but has potential to reach that level in the future. Based on the ages and qualities of each player I split those 16 players into those 2 categories (starting 11 + potential) Starting 11: Burrows, Edwards, Frese, Giannoulis, Lund, Mensah, Valeri, Zemura Potential: Benedetti, Bretones, Dahl, Ferry, Loor, Morales, Rolon, Vale I then ranked each category by “quality” which includes their suitability for the Championship as well as their main pros and cons (and likelihood of a work permit). I then also ranked each category based on the financials involved - likely transfer fee, likely wages + likelihood of any deal being done - including work permit. So with the finances + qualities combined, it's possible to work out an average score comparing both (lower the better) Giannoulis and Vale come out as the top options, however it's probably unlikely that Chelsea are willing to let Vale go out on loan to be backup. Dahl is next on the list that I estimate will cost £2.5m as a transfer fee + £1m in wages for a 4 year deal. However I think Dahl is close to being ready to be in the starting 11 - so do we want to pay Giannoulis large wages (likely around £45k a week) that would potentially block that pathway to the first team? Could we shift Giannoulis to Udinese next season to then let Dahl be the starter? My eyes then shift to Zemura - despite his frustrating style of play (to me anyway), a one year loan could be an interesting stop-gap to let Dahl adapt to the league. So yeah - long story short: Sign Dahl for sure. Then either get Giannoulis in for a season and hopefully shift him to Udinese (with a fee that helps offset his big wage costs) or loan Zemura for a season. I was planning on doing this for each of the positions/roles mentioned at the start of the post, but frankly this took far too much time and now I can't be arsed haha. Maybe i'll do a heavily abridged, purely data view.
Before delving in to your suggestions, with Clevs as permanent manager it does now seem we'll stick to the 352 next season, so the LB will be more a LWB (and RB a RWB). Burnsy has also said something about Zemura already, who you have evaluated. So we may not even push the boat out for another sadly, depending on what happens with Sema and Morris. And I suspect we've already signed the planned DM with the young Colombian fella. Albeit, Clevs seems to have played more with two 8s and a 10, than a 6 and 2 8s as Ismael did. So I'd guess if we added another CM it would be more if TDB leaves and then we bring in another 8-type (albeit one who should still be defensively solid). Depending on what happens with Asprilla getting sold, and Louza coming back, an attacking midfielder may also be more desired than a winger, which Clevs hasn't used so much.
It does seem a shame and strange that Zemura drifts infield a fair bit, even when dribbling with the ball. If Cleverley continues not using wingers (in a 352) then he'll need to stay out wide more. But at least he does show that he sometimes has the pace and trickery to beat a man down the flank when needed, which neither Lewis nor Morris can. He's not as good at this as Sema, mind, but not many are. He might need to be encouraged to do it more often. But it's reassuring that he doesn't seem a terrible option for next season. He appears somewhere in-between a Lewis and a Sema in style perhaps. I'm curious how come Daam Foulon of Mechelen didn't end up featuring on your shortlist? From what I was able to view he seemed a very good option with only 1 year left on his contract. He does also seem to drift in-field a fair bit mind, albeit to good effect. I also liked the look of Rubens at Atletico Mineiro, albeit he could cost too much. Maybe there was one of your filtered metrics they fell down on? If you were to do another one of these, or if you were wondering which to do next, then it would probably make most sense to do striker - as that seems a position where we surely will try and bring in someone with more quality. With a fair few of the other positions, including LWB now with Zemura mooted, then it seems less clear that we'll be bringing in another first choice addition to those roles, even if we should be looking to d so, and may rely on loans. But it would still be interesting to hear your thoughts on all positions that we should be looking at, mind, even if it annoyingly turns out we don't end up doing much in the market.
Wow that was long , and had some pretty pictures so I’m in. I have learnt one thing in my many years doing diy, if it doesn’t work hit it with a hammer, I mean it’s not a fool proof solutions and I often then have to spend a lot of money getting a profesional in, but im sticking with the strategy and think Watford should adopt it to.
Can't remember what I set the minimums for the data check as, but looks like he came very close to making the data list (didn't have enough time to go through those with slightly weaker data in one aspect. Also possible that his datas improved recently as I'm pretty sure I started this post a month ago haha
Post of the new season goes to..... Seriously @reids that is an outstanding piece of research, very formative and to the point. You didn't waffle and gave a harsh reality check on where we are as club. I don't know who does this sort of thing for our club but they are missing a trick not hiring you that's for sure. Always available for a good stat, it's incredible the information you can provide even on short notice. You certainly have a football brain and the passion for this shines through. It's difficult to access what we need and what we can get from a fan point of view, to the people who actually hand over the contracts. But I think if anyone from the club reads this thread. they should seriously consider your options and valued views on where and who we can pick up. Again, really great post.
As a professional engineer I prefer to adopt a more nuanced approach: Does it move? Yes. Should it move? Yes. Leave it alone. Does it move? No. Should it move? No. Leave it alone. Does it move? Yes. Should it move? No. Apply duct tape. Does it move? No. Should it move? Yes. Apply WD40.
I'm just waiting for some smart arse to say that none of your suggestions employ Bayat as an agent so we can effectively rule them all out! Great write up and analysis @reids. I've only got part way through but look forward to reading the rest later.
Outstanding effort as always. Somewhere in southwest Cyprus, Giaretta is frantically examining this post to see if it's applicable to Pafos so he can pass it off as his own work. It's tragic that this is likely to be true.
With all due respect to reids, and not wishing to devalue his helpful and interesting research, but a lot of the information is simply and quickly accessible to anyone with the luxury of having subscriptions to Wyscout and statsbomb. One would assume that the club, or someone within the club, would already have access to these tools, which would be cheap for such an organisation. Albeit, maybe perhaps they pay little attention to them, or interpret the results in a flawed way, or with a poor eye? Who knows?
One thing I've found interesting this year is the different packages each club has in regards to SB. I've had to create multiple email addresses to get onto each clubs packages as some don't have access to some of the leagues I've needed. One of the clubs I've been working for has no SB data for any South American league for instance which is pretty wild, whilst another has all the South American Leagues but misses out a lot of the Asian and fringe European leagues. You'd hope we have the full package (considering the markets we've recruited from) though!
Did the club you were working for have the means to scour South America, seems wild to ignore that part of the world if they did!
Probably have the video available to them to check out leads, but imagine their data on those leagues is pretty limited, but yeah pretty crazy! Would definitely be a great option to help fix our set-pieces (especially after having the best season of my career!), but recruitment wise I'd hope we do better than hiring me!
Got round to actually reading this, how does one qualify for a ESC spot? I believe Rajovic did so, off the back of a relatively prolific half season in the Swedish top flight and time below the top tier in Denmark, so surely it can't be that hard to get one? Unless his 2 games in the qualifying rounds of the Conference League are doing some heavy lifting?
Is Will Ferry the son or grandson of Bryan? I’m guessing grandson. Anyway, great post. Thank you. I have no idea who is worth signing, but I read all of it and am now listening to some Roxy Music.
Was actually easier than I thought, for some reason I thought it only applied to U23s So shouldn't have any issues with ESC slots and the players above.
Brilliant stuff Reids, thanks for your efforts .....are you the person in discussion with TC about the vacant coaching role hahaha !!
Excellent. I wouldn't hang around taking photos though. You've probably got about 10 minutes to grab as many valuables as you can and scarper before the old bill are screeching into the car park...
man in my village was skinned alive for stealing from the church. Hardly worth it for a few prayer books and some knee cushions
