The death of the false nine - transfers summer 2022

[caja-dglh]

Manchester City will go into 2022/23 with two recognized strikers with the (thank god it is over) signing or Erling Haaland. Unless Pep sees him as some solid 6'4" cover for centre back.

[Ray de Galles]

Who is the other recognised striker, Jesus?

It's seems bizarre that Man City will be Haaland's fifth club in four countries at the age of 21. It says something about the hierarchy of the leagues how fast he has gone through Norway, Austria and Germany to the PL.

[caja-dglh]

they are bringing in Alvarez from River Plate. I am just rather happy to hear significantly less about false nines.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Who is the other recognised striker, Jesus?

It's seems bizarre that Man City will be Haaland's fifth club in four countries at the age of 21. It says something about the hierarchy of the leagues how fast he has gone through Norway, Austria and Germany to the PL.

Says more about Mino tbh

[Sean of the Shed]

The fee of just over £50m is a bargain for the player they are getting. Spurs would have asked for twice that for Kane.

[ursus arctos]

And Spurs wouldn't be paying Kane what they are had he insisted on an equivalent release clause

[Foot of Astaire's]

About a year ago the Manchester Evening News had Haaland 'updates' every day about how his transfer to United was progressing. Their stock has fallen so much this past 12 months, it almost seems ridiculous he was so heavily linked with a move there.

[Snake Plissken]

The MEN has been clickbait central for a few years now.

[Satchmo Distel]

Will Haaland play as a conventional striker or more like their existing notional forwards; like Foden but with a much better conversion rate?

And is this the end of Sterling as a Man City player?

[caja-dglh]

Will Haaland play as a conventional striker or more like their existing notional forwards?

If only there were five weeks available for thought pieces on the topic coming up soon!

[Jon]

The fee of just over £50m is a bargain for the player they are getting. Spurs would have asked for twice that for Kane.

Couldn't believe it when I heard the price today. Compare that to Mbappe's fee, who was spotted in Madrid today. Well, I can't compare it as I don't know it but it will be squillions.

[Snake Plissken]

Isn’t Mbappe a free transfer?

[Nocturnal Submission]

Couldn't believe it when I heard the price today. Compare that to Mbappe's fee, who was spotted in Madrid today. Well, I can't compare it as I don't know it but it will be squillions.

I wonder what the agents' financial terms, signing on fee, performace bonus structure and wages look like.

I bet they all combine to make the headline figure look like chickenfeed.

[ursus arctos]

Isn’t Mbappe a free transfer?

Oui, monsieur

[danielmak]

Couldn't believe it when I heard the price today. Compare that to Mbappe's fee, who was spotted in Madrid today. Well, I can't compare it as I don't know it but it will be squillions.

Dortmund needed to sell last summer. His release clause doesn't kick in until the end of this season so prior to the release clause they could sell him for any amount. Dortmund probably didn't want to sell Sancho and Haaland at the same time and might have also hoped that their general strategy with Lewandowski (hold him until he is a free) would work with Haaland (hold him until they can't hold him). The thing is that Haaland was injured so often this season that their place in the league might have been the same with or without him. Of course, I say that without knowing the fallout in the dressing room had he been sold. Selling him now will make sense to the other players because the release clause was triggered.

I will be curious to see how he does with Pep. Pep did well with Lewandowski but really didn't want a number 9 when he was at Barca, or maybe he just didn't want Zlatan.

[caja-dglh]

I will be curious to see how he does with Pep. Pep did well with Lewandowski but really didn't want a number 9 when he was at Barca, or maybe he just didn't want Zlatan.

The last three seasons have pretty much defined that they need another plan than all the midfielders with step-overs and through balls. Torres (sold for the same price as Haaland, give or take, bizarrely) was showing up pretty good till he got injured and wanted back to Spain. That actually has a lot of City fans betting on Alvarez, who fits that mould more. Personally I think some players will benefit from something quite different in the middle (Grealish amongst them).

[danielmak]

The last three seasons have pretty much defined that they need another plan than all the midfielders with step-overs and through balls. Torres (sold for the same price as Haaland, give or take, bizarrely) was showing up pretty good till he got injured and wanted back to Spain. That actually has a lot of City fans betting on Alvarez, who fits that mould more. Personally I think some players will benefit from something quite different in the middle (Grealish amongst them).

Haaland is a big guy but deceptively fast. He can score with either foot and his head, can play back to goal and can run at the defenders, and links up very well. I think he will do well if Pep really wants to do something different. Again, the plan b was the regular discussion at Barca but he proved that he didn't really want a plan b. Jesus was a striker at Palmeiras but doesn't seem to be that for Pep. As I noted above, Lewandwoski thrived with Pep so I'm surprised Pep's time at City has not included a more traditional number 9 (excluding Aguerro who was more of a low center of gravity striker than a big guy).

One other thing about Haaland. I get the sense that opposing teams and fans don't like him. He's very animated when he plays. But the home fans love him. Of course, it helps when a player is scoring a goal per game on average.

[Patrick Thistle]

Shrewsbury Town have signed midfielder Jordan Shipley from Coventry. Shrewsbury have been linked to a few other players as well.

[Sean of the Shed]

Aston Villa have signed Philippe Coutinho permanently for just £17m, 12% of the fee Barcelona paid Liverpool in 2018. He's still only 29 so should still be at his peak.

[ad hoc]

Olamide Shodipo has returned from to QPR his loan spell at Wednesday and in so doing reminded us that he was there in the first place

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Dortmund needed to sell last summer. His release clause doesn't kick in until the end of this season so prior to the release clause they could sell him for any amount. Dortmund probably didn't want to sell Sancho and Haaland at the same time and might have also hoped that their general strategy with Lewandowski (hold him until he is a free) would work with Haaland (hold him until they can't hold him). The thing is that Haaland was injured so often this season that their place in the league might have been the same with or without him. Of course, I say that without knowing the fallout in the dressing room had he been sold. Selling him now will make sense to the other players because the release clause was triggered.

I will be curious to see how he does with Pep. Pep did well with Lewandowski but really didn't want a number 9 when he was at Barca, or maybe he just didn't want Zlatan.

The two things that would worry me are those injuries, and also, he seems to have his father's boorish ignorance, combined with the distorting effect of absurd global fame at too young an age. Basically he's physically far too big to be throwing himself around in the way he does (Which is partially what makes him such an exciting player to watch) without doing himself some serious damage. And he's a massive dickhead, who thinks it's funny to ape zlatan.

Maybe he'll thrive and enjoy having his game broken down and rearranged, by a bizarre control freak who doesn't really care about all the things that haaland seems to currently care about. Maybe he will respond to have his limits tested by fighting back and becoming a better an stronger player. Or, maybe he'll just be a cunt about it. Either way It's not clear that city's problem this season was scoring goals, given they managed an average of 2.6 goals per game, It's going to be interesting to see how it works out.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Olamide Shodipo has returned from to QPR his loan spell at Wednesday and in so doing reminded us that he was there in the first place

He was a useful looking player a few years back. A string of injuries have done him no favours. Depending on who we let go, he may get another crack at making the squad this Summer.

[danielmak]

The two things that would worry me are those injuries, and also, he seems to have his father's boorish ignorance, combined with the distorting effect of absurd global fame at too young an age. Basically he's physically far too big to be throwing himself around in the way he does (Which is partially what makes him such an exciting player to watch) without doing himself some serious damage. And he's a massive dickhead, who thinks it's funny to ape zlatan.

I thought the best comparison was Ronaldo (the real one, not Christiano) and that seems to be ringing true with the injuries.

He's different than Zlatan. In the Bundesliga thread there will posts from time to time about the constant footage of him sitting in the stands when he's out hurt, as if he is seeking camera time. That's not on him. That's on the producers. In American baseball there's a phrase that is used "red ass" to refer to a guy who is always in the middle of things, hates to lose, loves to win, has a prickly personality. Maybe a Roy Keane type when he was playing for United. Zlatan has never seen like that to me. He's always seemed more aloof and selfish. Haaland is a red ass.

[3 Colours Red]

And he's a massive dickhead

Is he though? I just see someone who's not willing to subject themselves to the personality removal that is modern footballer media training and all the bullshit that entails.

Cocky, tempestuous, even a little arrogant? Maybe. But there's no denying he's switched on - there's an interview with him and Bellingham where Troy Deeney's brought up and the first thing that comes out of Haaland's mouth is "Brexit". Nailed it.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Hey, I didn't say he was like Zlatan. Just that he consciously tries to act like him, but It comes off weird, because he's not like Zlatan. I actually had the pleasure of watching Zlatan sashaying around a pool table, as he engaged in banter with Nigel de jong, (Who was a slight skinny attacking midfielder back then) I couldn't imagine haaland doing this, and zlatan was the same age that haaland is now. Zlatan had a lot of charisma and theatricality, and all the players with him were roaring with laughter.

Erling doesn't seem to have that. He's a lot more direct about scoring goals than zlatan was at that age though. That's for sure.

Is he though? I just see someone who's not willing to subject themselves to the personality removal that is modern footballer media training and all the bullshit that entails.

Hmm, there's youthful exuberance, and an unwillingness to conform, and there's just being pointlessly rude to the German Des Kelly/ Geoff Shreeves. It's important for people not to confuse being edgy and subversive, with being a dickhead. The purpose of something like media training is to help you navigate the world of interviews as easily as possible, and to control what you say and how it is taken. Most players know that everything they say is being parsed for opportunities to blow it out of proportion, and go along with it. It's not the media training that robs players of their personality, but rather the way that football is covered.

A good example of someone who is good at this sort of thing is Kevin De Bruyne. It's interesting to watch interviews with him because his thoughts are well ordered, he engages with questions and responds to them like an adult. He has awareness of other people, so his interviews manage to be occasionally interesting rather than controversial, and you get a decent idea of what his personality is like. Now De Bruyne is nearly 30, so you'd expect a bit more from him than from a 21 year old, but it's clear that he's taken advice on how to best present himself, and how to avoid obvious pitfalls, because this is just another part of his job to be good at.