Dr. Gonzo Posted September 29, 2020 Posted September 29, 2020 54 minutes ago, Dan said: Get the fuck in. He's ours. That's a lot of money but if he's as good as I'm hearing then it's worth it. I don't mind paying the big money for top quality. There were two differences with him and Tarkowski all along for me. Tarkowski is 27, and quite soon 28. He's as good as he's going to get. We also know how good he is. That's good in one sense - but we also know how good he isn't. Fofana's ceiling is a lot higher. For that reason I was in favour of Fofana all along. Forget this 'Prem proven' myth - it's exactly that, a myth, it's a subconscious was to big the league up. It's shown itself to be a myth many a time. I'm not sure I agree with that last bit. I don't think being proven in the league is a "myth" - but sometimes looking good at one side doesn't mean you'll be good at another side. For instance, Lovren looked a better CB at Southampton than he ever did with us (imo) because he looks better in a system with 2 holding midfielders in front of him (like they used at Southampton) than with one (like we used). And Lallana didn't go from very good at Southampton, to underhwhelming with us under Rodgers, to very good under Klopp just for no reason - he was a good midfielder the whole time, it's just he was used "correctly" by certain managers and not by others. Whether the signing is from the league or not - it really depends on whether the player did well in a similar type of environment to where they're being brought (or if a coach can take a player from a bad situation where they're underperforming and find a way to make them great - like Rodgers did with Sturridge and Coutinho respectively). But when you're signing a player that you've seen play well at another club that you think might fit in with how you play... I do think there's something in that. It's part of the reason I was very excited with signings like VVD & Jota. Personally, I think it's hard to trust how a defender that looks brilliant at Burnley might do outside of a club that's not set up to be as compact and organised as them. But I'd say on paper Tarkowski is more "ready" for being thrown into matches and you'd expect him to start performing from day 1. Fofana's younger, so less experienced in a position where experience is important, but yeah... I'd say he's got a much higher ceiling. 57 minutes ago, Dan said: And that my friends is how you progress as a non-bankrolled club. Selling is not a bad thing sometimes. It can go both ways, if you sell someone that you know is very great and you replace them with crap... which I've seen us do a few times in our history. But it can also go great when you sell a player for a big fee and manage to improve multiple areas of the squad. It's early days, but Castagne looks great (and he was really impressive for Atalanta imo) and Fofana, on paper, is a young CB with all the potential in the world. So on paper, this looks like brilliant business from Leicester. I think recruitment is so important for Rodgers to keep Leicester progressing, and imo... that's one of the areas he needed the most improvement when he was with us. He's so close to being a top top manager, imo, he's just got some flaws that he needs to work passed. But he can be a very brilliant tactical mind when he has a squad he believes in. I hope Leicester kick on from last year and get CL football with him.
Subscriber Dan+ Posted September 29, 2020 Subscriber Posted September 29, 2020 52 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said: I'm not sure I agree with that last bit. I don't think being proven in the league is a "myth" - but sometimes looking good at one side doesn't mean you'll be good at another side. For instance, Lovren looked a better CB at Southampton than he ever did with us (imo) because he looks better in a system with 2 holding midfielders in front of him (like they used at Southampton) than with one (like we used). And Lallana didn't go from very good at Southampton, to underhwhelming with us under Rodgers, to very good under Klopp just for no reason - he was a good midfielder the whole time, it's just he was used "correctly" by certain managers and not by others. Whether the signing is from the league or not - it really depends on whether the player did well in a similar type of environment to where they're being brought (or if a coach can take a player from a bad situation where they're underperforming and find a way to make them great - like Rodgers did with Sturridge and Coutinho respectively). But when you're signing a player that you've seen play well at another club that you think might fit in with how you play... I do think there's something in that. It's part of the reason I was very excited with signings like VVD & Jota. Personally, I think it's hard to trust how a defender that looks brilliant at Burnley might do outside of a club that's not set up to be as compact and organised as them. But I'd say on paper Tarkowski is more "ready" for being thrown into matches and you'd expect him to start performing from day 1. Fofana's younger, so less experienced in a position where experience is important, but yeah... I'd say he's got a much higher ceiling. --- It can go both ways, if you sell someone that you know is very great and you replace them with crap... which I've seen us do a few times in our history. But it can also go great when you sell a player for a big fee and manage to improve multiple areas of the squad. It's early days, but Castagne looks great (and he was really impressive for Atalanta imo) and Fofana, on paper, is a young CB with all the potential in the world. So on paper, this looks like brilliant business from Leicester. I think recruitment is so important for Rodgers to keep Leicester progressing, and imo... that's one of the areas he needed the most improvement when he was with us. He's so close to being a top top manager, imo, he's just got some flaws that he needs to work passed. But he can be a very brilliant tactical mind when he has a squad he believes in. I hope Leicester kick on from last year and get CL football with him. I'm confused because what you've written in the first bit is quite literally the reason I think it's a myth. What I think is that people rate playing in this league previously as if it's something that elevates a player to a level well above what they truly are. It's the kind of thinking that saw us buy a very average Ayoze Perez instead of Hakim Ziyech. It's not to slate Tarkowski, but it's pretty clear to me that Tarkowski is a good defender, but will never be anything more than that. I would much rather take the gamble on a well scouted, very highly rated 19 year old that have people in France calling for him to get a game for their first team, than somebody who is good, but will probably never be anything more than that. --- We haven't sold anyone 'great' in the last two summers though. That's what I'm getting at. If you bought Ricardo or Ndidi from us, then yes, we have problems (though neither featured in the Man City win strangely) then I think we have a problem replacing them. To me though we sold two very replaceable players that were overpriced because they play for England (who are renowned for their defensive issues, funny that) and have bought quite possibly better players with tens of millions to spare. I would compare what we've done here to what you did with Coutinho - you sold a good player for over the odds and have used that to fund probably the best team in the world now. I have had concerns about recruitment under Rodgers, but this signing tells me that we're still putting our faith in our scouts that have unearthed gem after gem. Ricardo, Soyuncu, Ndidi, Maddison, Tielemans, Praet, phenomenal recruitment for a club of our size and the reason above all that we are discussed in the manner that we are nowadays. Rodgers I think is a very good, but flawed manager, he's a peculiar one, if we can find a way to get the best out of him we could go places. I had real concerns about this season but he's made a superb start and might well be turning it around. Early days but it's great stuff.
Subscriber Dan+ Posted October 3, 2020 Subscriber Posted October 3, 2020 About time. Expect him to make his debut against Zorya.
Subscriber CaaC (John)+ Posted October 11, 2020 Subscriber Posted October 11, 2020 Quote 'I didn't want' - Wesley Fofana makes admission over Leicester City transfer The 19-year-old French defender joined the Foxes on a five-year deal from Ligue 1 club Saint-Etienne Wesley Fofana has spoken about his move to Leicester City from Saint-Etienne, saying: "I didn't want to start a war." The 19-year-old French defender joined the Foxes on a five-year deal from the Ligue 1 club, who are managed by former Leicester boss Claude Puel. Fofana had made no secret of his desire to move to the King Power Stadium to play in the Premier League, pleading with Saint-Etienne to let him leave as Puel initially dug his heels in and refused his request. "He told me that he wanted to keep me, but that he accepted my choice. He's proud of me. It's the best," said Fofana, in an interview with L'Equipe. "I leave on good terms with the coach. The club understood my choice. I'm really happy about that. "The club has needs and I leave by bringing in a lot of money. Everyone is happy. "I didn't want to start a war with the club having come through the youth academy there. "They have given me everything since I was 14. I know I can call him if I need to, and vice versa." https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/i-didnt-want-wesley-fofana-4595091
Administrator Stan Posted November 10, 2020 Administrator Posted November 10, 2020 3 minutes ago, Cicero said: Small knee injury the latest If the big knees are fine that's all that matters. As long as he's back for Liverpool as well, that matters too.
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