Choose a midfielder to help us

Originally Posted by jem

wouldn't be a surprise. they won't be going for bissouma, then.

Nobody will.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

Ole going the sir alex method and just going to completely neglect the midfield

shove any old @#%&! in there and hope the forwards win if for you

It could be time once again...

Originally Posted by Dr Stranger

Only way I could see is if Lingard goes too.

And he's not going......

Rice out of all those listed. Feel a lot of the others would be a big roll of the dice as to whether they'd be a success.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

Ole going the sir alex method and just going to completely neglect the midfield

shove any old @#%&! in there and hope the forwards win if for you

Too right. Never win anything with Ince (forgive me, but he could play before he turned), Keane and Scholes et al.

Rice or Neves. Rice will keep getting better and he’s great already at breaking up play and covering the defence. He’s young so he’s not 10/10 yet but I think all the attributes are there, including the desire to keep improving. Considering our main problem is not having a solid defensive midfielder then he addresses that issue - he could be the link between defence and attack that is currently non-existent.

He’s PL proven and is a vital player in a very good West Ham squad. Not bad for a 22 year old.

Originally Posted by NedKelly

Rice or Neves. Rice will keep getting better and he’s great already at breaking up play and covering the defence. He’s young so he’s not 10/10 yet but I think all the attributes are there, including the desire to keep improving. Considering our main problem is not having a solid defensive midfielder then he addresses that issue - he could be the link between defence and attack that is currently non-existent.

He’s PL proven and is a vital player in a very good West Ham squad. Not bad for a 22 year old.

I’ve got my reservations about him, but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. He is exactly what we need in terms of the type of player he is. He’s massively regarded by everyone that works with him and it’s a very Fergie type signing to have that English core running through the side. He always wanted the best of British just before they hit their stride.

I think we’ll move for him next summer, but just don’t have the budget this summer. If we had another £80m to spend, I reckon he’d be here now.

given that west ham wanted lingard - a creative player, so typically worth more than a defensive player - I can't believe that, if we really wanted rice, we couldn't have worked something out. either we didn't want him (and I'm fine with that - he's unremarkable) or west ham just value him unrealistically. will be worse next summer.

there is no £#%&!ing excuse for us not getting a dm or two in the next 12 hours, though. none.

Originally Posted by jem

given that west ham wanted lingard - a creative player, so typically worth more than a defensive player - I can't believe that, if we really wanted rice, we couldn't have worked something out. either we didn't want him (and I'm fine with that - he's unremarkable) or west ham just value him unrealistically. will be worse next summer.

there is no £#%&!ing excuse for us not getting a dm or two in the next 12 hours, though. none.

Rice would have cost a fortune. A £30-40m deal might be do-able, but he’s upwards of £80m. Glazers just aren’t willing to do that. And history tells us that. They don’t invest more than £100m unless we’re playing catch up.

I doubt rice will cost more next year, as he is seemingly refusing to sign a new deal and he’ll be another year down on his current
One.

They’re short-sighted. It’s false economy. Just like dishing out deals to shit@#%&!s so they have ‘resale value’. Not if you can’t sell them, they don’t.

£80m over 5 years starting 2021

Or

£100m over 5 years starting 2022

If we get to him before Chelsea..

False economy imo.

Originally Posted by dunk

£80m over 5 years starting 2021

Or

£100m over 5 years starting 2022

If we get to him before Chelsea..

False economy imo.

Oh, I’m not saying it’s right, but it’s what they do. We know this. They invest the most when we’re chasing and hire a new manager. When we do ok, they don’t see the need to invest. Top four achieved. All is well. No ambition to actually bridge a gap.

It is what it is and they will never change, so the best we can hope for is to be a little more shrewd with what we do have and I think we’ve done that this summer. We’ve just gotta take another year of the midfield hole. Barring a minor miracle today.

Originally Posted by Dr Stranger

Rice would have cost a fortune. A £30-40m deal might be do-able, but he’s upwards of £80m. Glazers just aren’t willing to do that. And history tells us that. They don’t invest more than £100m unless we’re playing catch up.

I doubt rice will cost more next year, as he is seemingly refusing to sign a new deal and he’ll be another year down on his current
One.

They’re short-sighted. It’s false economy. Just like dishing out deals to shit@#%&!s so they have ‘resale value’. Not if you can’t sell them, they don’t.

if nothing else, rice will cost more because west ham won't want lingard (and lingard will be worth less, too). early this window was the time to get it done. net cost would have been minimised.

we should still sell lingard and get a dm. we have multiple players in lingard's position and we are desperate in defensive midfield.

just £#%&!ing toe it past the midfield and get it forward. problem solved.

Originally Posted by plopborsky

just £#%&!ing toe it past the midfield and get it forward. problem solved.

yes, but what about when we have the ball?

Its not happening by the looks.

You saw how we were at Soton and at Wolves. That will be the blueprint for oppo teams. If a good team had the openings they got I worry about what would happen.

I liked the look of Gravenberch of Ajax in the Euros. He's only 19 and would be relatively cheap. We can buy him from Brighton for 100 million in 2023.

Originally Posted by suedeshoes

I liked the look of Gravenberch of Ajax in the Euros. He's only 19 and would be relatively cheap. We can buy him from Brighton for 100 million in 2023.

Big shout.

I am hoping we have someone in the u23s that can step up if needed.

What do the people who watch the youngsters say? Ole does give chances to youngsters and theres not like there is much standing in their way in midfield. We might aswell have played with youths given that display in the last two games.

Originally Posted by saffers

Big shout.

I am hoping we have someone in the u23s that can step up if needed.

What do the people who watch the youngsters say? Ole does give chances to youngsters and theres not like there is much standing in their way in midfield. We might aswell have played with youths given that display in the last two games.

Huge ask for a teenager in central midfield in the premier league. That's why I didn't really understand people getting their hopes up over Camavinga, he wouldn't be any sort of guarantee to come in and make a difference in the short-term.

None of the players in the U23s or U18s are ready to play in the middle for Utd. Garner is probably the closest and he is in the Championship. The other prospects are just too young, IMO.

Originally Posted by suedeshoes

I liked the look of Gravenberch of Ajax in the Euros. He's only 19 and would be relatively cheap. We can buy him from Brighton for 100 million in 2023.

Mentioned him before the Euros, Raiola client

Originally Posted by Coracao

Huge ask for a teenager in central midfield in the premier league. That's why I didn't really understand people getting their hopes up over Camavinga, he wouldn't be any sort of guarantee to come in and make a difference in the short-term.

None of the players in the U23s or U18s are ready to play in the middle for Utd. Garner is probably the closest and he is in the Championship. The other prospects are just too young, IMO.

So we have to make do with what weve got unless we can pull off Lindelof being a special DM.