04 Aug 2025 11:19:41
A game of cat and mouse around us buying a CDM, we want Hjulmund from Sporting, but so do Juve, they have already spoken to the player, but price is their issue They need to sell, bit like United. If we buy Luiz, they can buy Hjulmund, if we can sell a few we can try for him. All a waiting game for now.
1.) 04 Aug 2025
04 Aug 2025 12:34:59
Both are an improvement on what we have. I'm happy to gradually improve positions in small jumps to gradually get us back where we should be.
"It's a marathon, not a sprint" as they say.
2.) 04 Aug 2025
04 Aug 2025 13:57:41
Not keen on buying someone who isn’t wanted so the selling team can get the player we should have gone. I suspect by next summer Luiz would be on the bench. Buy cheap pay twice type thingy.
3.) 04 Aug 2025
04 Aug 2025 14:54:30
Cant help but feel we missed a rick on Joao Palhinha. Loan with option to buy would have got us through this year, or maybe any other deals, including loans impact our ability to bring in the striker we want.
4.) 04 Aug 2025
04 Aug 2025 19:57:06
There is absolutely no difference between Hjulmand and Ugarte. Both lack pace and finesse on the ball. Would be a total waste when we have his carbon copy already.
5.) 05 Aug 2025
05 Aug 2025 06:18:11
TBF Hjulmand is a bit better than Ugarte, but I agree the difference is minimal and hardly worth the bother, we can’t surely not buy another slow one paced player! We got enough of those already.
6.) 05 Aug 2025
05 Aug 2025 10:15:59
What we really need is athleticism in midfield, pace, power and mobility.
A lot of us want a playmaker type of player, but Amorim doesn't tend to go for that kind of midfielder, they need to be technically sound and press resistant, but not a Pirlo/ Carrick/ Scholes type passing metronome.
What we really need is a player similar to Ugarte, but someone who is quicker and a bit better on the ball. If they are tall and good aerially that would be a bonus given our lack of height.
Hjulmand meets a a fair amount of that, but he lacks pace and agility which will cause him problems in the fast paced EPL. I think he looks perfect for either La Liga or Serie A, but could face issues in the EPL and the Bundesliga (due to its transitional style) .
I think we need someone quicker across the ground and more agile.
7.) 05 Aug 2025
05 Aug 2025 14:56:54
I been banging on, about we seriously need pace in the spine of this team, it’s all far too slow, even our keeper is very slow, our CB is slow, Ugarte is slow and can’t pass a ball 10 yards, Mainoo got no pace and not mobile same with Cass now, although with Cass experience he can make up a bit for that and is still our best midfielder by a country mile.
If we go into season with Ugarte and Mainoo in midfield and Deligt or Martinez at CB it’s going to be a long hard season.
I know for a fact RA is looking desperately for pace and experience at CB… but it’s gone in buying forwards first because of circumstance.