28 Jan 2016 22:53:12
Finally a rumour! Musa - 23 year old Nigerian striker with electric pace. Did well against us in the CL, can play left too.

Anything in it?

1.) 29 Jan 2016
28 Jan 2016 23:51:13
Last I saw Leicester were haggling with cska over him, country captain at 23 I think I read as well.

2.) 29 Jan 2016
29 Jan 2016 08:23:46
Similar player to Mane, but would be much cheaper. Small, lightening quick, and will stretch the pitch with the speed and timing of his runs.

Not world class, but a very good player. Probably about the best you can expect to sign in January. Which tends to be a time very very few world class players are available.

If we could bring in Garay as well then it would be a decent January.

3.) 29 Jan 2016
29 Jan 2016 08:51:07
Was really impressive vs us in the Champions league, believe he was their main threat. I would love to see someone as fast as him on our wings, we've missed that explosive pace which just catches everyone off guard.

4.) 29 Jan 2016
29 Jan 2016 10:02:34
A bit of pace would be very welcome. Is Garay still an option Shappy. Was almost a certainty one time then the rumour faded away.

5.) 29 Jan 2016
29 Jan 2016 10:02:46
Ideally it would mean tht Martial could move up top and then Musa left if it happened. I doubt our interest is serious though - we don't like bargains.

6.) 29 Jan 2016
29 Jan 2016 10:40:58
Pace is certainly what we need, Inaki Williams is worth a look too. Williams has 8 goals in 12 games playing On the right he can play ST and left too.

7.) 29 Jan 2016
29 Jan 2016 10:51:48
Darren, I don't know if Garay is still a target. But for me he is strong in the air, great in the tackle, a very good passer and has experience. In january its always difficult to sign the big name players. But Garay ticks all the boxes and I would imagine would be much easier to sign than someone like Stones.

No.7, I wouldn't say we don't like bargins. I would say a combination of clubs charging us more because of our world wide image and our current cheif executives obsession with proving himself by signing a big name signing. But on the flip side both Darmian and Blind could be considered bargins in todays market.

Rewz, I like the look of Williams. I think he could become a great little player. But I don't think he is ready to step up just yet and Bilbao are not known for being an easy team to negotiate with.

8.) 29 Jan 2016
29 Jan 2016 11:11:44
Williams has just signed a sizeable new contract too with a big release clause. Athletic aren't the best of clubs to deal with.

Garay would be a decent signing. Bit similar to Smalling and Rojo though.

9.) 29 Jan 2016
29 Jan 2016 12:47:25
No.7,

Similar to Smalling and Rojo in what way? I would say them 2 players aren't that similar.

10.) 29 Jan 2016
29 Jan 2016 13:11:30
I saw earlier he was 25.

Also given they want 23 million hardly cheap.

11.) 29 Jan 2016
29 Jan 2016 13:34:59
Similar in that they aren't particularly hard, mouthy centre backs. Smalling and Rojo both try to play out from the back, sometimes run forwards but neither are a great organiser like a Vidic was. That is what we are missing.

12.) 29 Jan 2016
29 Jan 2016 13:39:24
I agree that is what we are missing, I must have missed Rojo playing it out from the back though, he just hoofs it forward more often than not!

13.) 29 Jan 2016
29 Jan 2016 13:57:06
In fairness, who knows what Rojo does - he's always injured anyway.

14.) 29 Jan 2016
29 Jan 2016 16:47:08
He's 23 Mort, 24 in October. Any deal is apparently expected to be in the 18m region.

Like I said he is very similar to Mane, just without the premier league experience.

No.7, I wouldn't liken Garay to Smalling or Rojo at all. Garay is an excellent passer and a great reader of the game. Both of Smalling and Rojo are weak in their passing ability as well as their positioning and reading. Garay isn't world class, but he has the experience we currently lack. He is also more vocal and is an organiser at the back.

I haven't heard of any recent interest in him, but I do think he ticks a lot of the boxes, and could be brought in during January.

15.) 29 Jan 2016
29 Jan 2016 16:59:14
He is African he could be 60 and we'd never know?

16.) 29 Jan 2016
29 Jan 2016 17:14:20
Shappy, my point is that Smalling, Garay or Rojo are all not particularly combative. Our best partnership was Ferdinand and Vidic. Vidic got stuck in and was the typical aggressive centre back, Ferdinand was the more serene player. Smalling, Garay and Rojo 'try' to be the serene player but aren't, and they are definitely not the combative type.

17.) 29 Jan 2016
29 Jan 2016 18:30:45
No.7, people tend to over simplify things. There are two types of CB.

The first type is the one who steps forward and engages the opposition. Quite often at least in the past known as the aggressor or tough tackling CB. The other is the sweeper, the one who sits back directs and organises the defence and cleans up if the first defensive action isn't successful.

I would say that both Smalling and Rojo tend to fall in the later catagory. There reading of the game isn't strong enough to sit back, nor are they solid enough passer. And neither are great organisers.

They are both big strong lads, with plenty of pace. There for they are better suited to being the agressor, the one who steps in and engages the opposition first. Smalling isn't an aggressive player and Rojo is abit of a loose cannon and jumps in too soon or when the ball isn't there to be won.

Thats why LvG has partnered Smalling with Blind who is probably one of our best passers, and has great reading of the game. He is also vocal and organises the defence. The problem is he lack strength and pace and get exposed in the EPL.

Garay is a stronger quicker version of Blind.

18.) 29 Jan 2016
29 Jan 2016 19:10:35
I have to disagree Shappy. To say people over simplify centre backs and then say there are two types is a contradiction in terms. Smalling is your standard centre back, Rojo is a more attacking centre back and tries more on the ball. Blind isn't a centre back at all.

19.) 29 Jan 2016
29 Jan 2016 19:10:35
I have to disagree Shappy. To say people over simplify centre backs and then say there are two types is a contradiction in terms. Smalling is your standard centre back, Rojo is a more attacking centre back and tries more on the ball. Blind isn't a centre back at all.

20.) 29 Jan 2016
29 Jan 2016 23:22:34
Or to put it another way, Smalling is told to attack the ball whilst the ball playing centre half, who gives his colleague no help at all, is allowed to not do his primary job (defend) and let Mike take all the shit when it goes wrong!