I think the one thing Bournemouth have going for them which Burnley, us and Derby didn't have in the past is their dumpy little stadium. It'll make a lot of matches there seem like cup matches to the visiting bigger teams and will have an effect. I think away from home they'll find the league a lot tougher.
Thing with Burnley is they were the absolute best in the country at what they do, any team drawn into their style lost - Can Bournemouth really try and out bore and tippy tap City or Arsenal, or even Swansea?
If people aren't keen on Gradel because he apparently has only had one good season in his career, I guess they're not that keen on Perotti either?
We won't know until the season's well underway, but personally I think Gradel will be an excellent signing for Bournemouth. 17 goals in the French top division last year, homegrown and can play on the wing or up top. Really disappointed we didn't sign him.
Could we offer the Waheyages Lesta can? £2m per year was apparently the offer I'm hearing from the voices in my head.
We should have got Gradel - hes HG, scores goals ( would have got about 10 goals in the prem), is a good option of the wing and has PACE on the counter- attack which we lack. I can't understand why we didnt make this transfer happen.
We should have got Di Maria, I can't believe we didn't make it happen. I have no evidence we were after him, do you have any evidence that we were after Gradel?
We lack pace on the counter? Have you ever watched Vydra, Anya, Nyom or Holebas play football mate? Or Ighalo and Forestieri for that matter. I said it before but now it'll just sound bitter but I didn't really rate him at Leeds (willing to admit I never watched him in France). He was one of those players who'd be amazing for one game but then do nothing for 3.
Absolutely agree....Howe has added yet another player with exceptional pace to his side, to add to that of Wilson and Ritchie. With Vydra seemingly not first choice, only Anya has more than reasonable pace to break effectively against Premier League standard defenders and mids....
Breaking at speed will be essential and MV should always be on the pitch and pushed as far forward as possible in my view. Or perhaps we follow the Guardioura argument and say that given he couldn't get in the WBA team, he's clearly not good enough for the prem ? If MV isn't in the side, Gradel would have been a better option in the 3 than Ighalo will be in my view.
Layun isn't quick. We have enough pace on the counter though. I also agree that ighalo shouldn't be playing in the three behind Deeney.
There's quick, and there's super quick. Only Vydra and Anya of that little lot are going to sprint away from a defence on the break and create a one-one. Of those two, only Vydra would then score !!
Layun isn't really quick. Nor is Deeney. Though you forgot Paredes, who out of the players we had last season is the only one other than Anya who I would say is truly rapid. Signs from preseason are that he might sometimes even be used on the wing for us ahead of Nyom, which could suit him better.
Im talking about pace in midfield on the counter attack. Beghuis is absolutely unproven in english football- i've got no idea if he can perform yet. Anya has speed but little end product and I can't see him suddenly improving at a higher level. Gadel may well only look great 1 in 4 games - but so what? Thats better than most players and would have earned us a few extra points. I don't know if we were seriously in for him but those laughing at Bournemouth and saying they'll go straight back down on here may well be wrong. As Abdi is so injury prone I think Gadel would have been a great signing and I can see him scoring goals and playing well in the prem.
I agree but no idea how he's going to get into the final 25 unless some surprising names are left out.
It would be a bit more polite if you just wrote that you disagreed. There's nothing factually incorrect about what I wrote its just an opinion
It would be a bit more polite if you just wrote that you disagreed. There's nothing factually incorrect about what I wrote its just an opinion
