Moussa Diaby

[Jas10]

 

[JPAngel]

10 minutes ago, Jas10 said:

I was absolutely over the moon with this signing. It's a real shame the way things have panned out but I'm sure Monchi and Unai have great plans for that money.

[The Fun Factory]

12 minutes ago, Jas10 said:

 

The only things to survive this a year on is Don Emery and the walls.

[macandally]

1 hour ago, Leeroy said:

I never said I knew better than them did I. I think people need to learn to not be so sensitive when someone gives an opposing view, I know it’s hip to be relentlessly positive on here but I don’t feel this about this sale until we get a proven replacement in.

 

I just look at our ‘final third’ players and think we are behind the other top 8 teams now. We have a good midfield, good defence generally, a world class goalkeeper and striker, but our wingers/attacking mids are mostly potential players and below strength. I even think West Ham’s players behind the striker are better than ours.

 

We basically have Bailey and Watkins as ‘sure things’. Rogers is showing great potential, but we still only have 11 games last season to go off. Ramsey and Buendia are off long term injuries and no one knows how good they will be this season, they currently aren’t even available anyway. Philogene and Iling Jr again are potential and no one knows how they will do. 
 

Spurs have Richarlison, Son, Maddison, Johnson, Werner, Kulusevski. They already have more strength than us, if they get Eze they will be much stronger than us.

 

Man Utd have Hoijlund, Zirkzee, Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford. Again better options than us.

 

Newcastle: Gordon, Isak, Wilson, Bruno, Almiron, Barnes, Joelinton. 
 

Even West Ham have Paqueta, Bowen, Kudus, Ward Prowse. They don’t have a decent striker but the options behind are more proven than ours.

 

I think we’ve strengthened defensively and could concede under 50 goals next season but I am genuinely worried we could score at least 20 goals less next season with the goals and creativity we have lost. Anyone who thinks we won’t suffer here without further strengthening frankly has their head in the clouds.

I am not being sensitive, I think you are being dramatic!

I wouldn’t swap our front players for any of those you list.  On form, they are better in my view, it’s consistency that is needed.

[Jas10]

1 minute ago, JPAngel said:

I was absolutely over the moon with this signing. It's a real shame the way things have panned out but I'm sure Monchi and Unai have great plans for that money.

It was a really exciting time when we signed him and Pau (were the deals done quite close together?), can’t really recall us ever signing players at that level.

I don’t see Diaby as a failure, this is just… “opportunistic” and maybe he really wanted the move. We’ve made a profit and we’re unlikely to get such a deal or fee outside of Saudi clubs. Don’t think he was “for sale” in the typical sense.

Now we reinvest and maybe level up, get someone who steps into the team and makes it stronger.

For me, it’s nothing like the Dougie deal (more important, cheap deal really, enforced) and I’m not upset about it. Really looking forward to the rest of the window.

[QldVilla]

2 hours ago, macandally said:

I guess you haven’t watched the preseason games, not the greatest opposition but has shone more than anyone else in the pitch 

You know what they say about assumptions….

[macandally]

2 minutes ago, QldVilla said:

You know what they say about assumptions….

You know what they say about not answering a question?

[PaulMcGrath_5]

You know what they say about assumptions and not answering a question?

[alreadyexists]

Just now, PaulMcGrath_5 said:

You know what they say about assumptions and not answering a question?

I genuinely don’t know what they say about that. 

[PaulMcGrath_5]

3 minutes ago, alreadyexists said:

I genuinely don’t know what they say about that. 

Me neither!

[Pez1974]

3 hours ago, Zhan_Zhuang said:

Players progress quickly. Under Emery Villa have one of the best managers around and he is known for improving players quickly.

Bailey is first choice and Emery obviously favours him over Diaby. Villa have now acquired Philogene who can also play right of left. Emery wants options, fluidity in the team. Rogers can play a couple of different positions, in contrast I'm not sure Diaby could.

Signing Onana gives us strength in the middle too where perhaps last season Villa were a little soft.

Villa cash in on Diaby and we move on. I'd doubt Villa are interested in another wide attacker but you never know.

100% agree with all of this.

A few people have said that Diaby wasn't the #1 choice last summer; and Bailey's form has perhaps surprised people meaning we can bank the profit for what is now a bench warmer.

I don't think we need to sign another wide player either - but it wouldn't surprise me if Unai and Monchi have their eyes on 1 or 2  players, and will go and sign them if they are available at the right price. 

[lexicon]

In terms of attacking mids/wingers we currently have Bailey, Rogers, Ramsey, Buendia, Philogene, Dobbin and Illing Jr. You could also throw McGinn and Tielemans in there. 

There's depth there but also a few unknowns. Bailey and Rogers are ready to go (also JM and YT), Ramsey and Buendia are coming off the back of serious injuries and the new kids have it all to prove. 

Is the first XI stronger? Depends if you consider Diaby first choice or not, but the improved strength in depth is undeniable. 

[Leeroy]

21 minutes ago, macandally said:

I am not being sensitive, I think you are being dramatic!

I wouldn’t swap our front players for any of those you list.  On form, they are better in my view, it’s consistency that is needed.

And people are being dramatic in the Ramsey thread about him leaving despite us having our best season in 30 years and he barely featured. We all react in different ways.

 

After Bailey and Watkins Diaby was our most productive player last season (tied with Douglas Luiz who by the way has also left). Expecting kids who have either never played regularly in a top league before (Philogene) or have done but only been a bit part player (Iling Jr) is very, very naive and I’m sorry if I offend you saying that. 
 

Banking everything on a currently injured Ramsey and Buendia who haven’t played regular football for a year to solve all our goal threat is also naive. 
 

We will definitely sign someone else anyway as Romano has already said we are actively looking for Diaby’s replacement. 

[WallisFrizz]

2 hours ago, Leeroy said:

I think we’ve strengthened defensively and could concede under 50 goals next season but I am genuinely worried we could score at least 20 goals less next season with the goals and creativity we have lost. Anyone who thinks we won’t suffer here without further strengthening frankly has their head in the clouds.

How do you think we’ve improved defensively to that degree? Onana will definitely help and Maatsen a bit but I still think it’s an area of concern. 

[TRO]

On 17/07/2024 at 08:08, Leeroy said:

If we get £60-70m for him it’s about £30-40m profit. Then we sell Durán for £40m which would be another approx £30m profit and Cash for £25m is over £20m profit. Total profit: £80-90m.

 

I have been informed by our FFP experts that we need to make around £60m profit for next year’s accounts. Therefore, if we buy a marquee forward for £50m and a top young defender for say £30-40m on 5 year deals we will still be in the black for next year. Felix and Todibo make a lot of sense, both only 24 too which fits with our policy of buying young players this summer. 
 

We would still have the issue of having to shift Donk, Hause, Archer, Carlos, Moreno (or Digne), but hopefully we could do that. 
 

We could line up as follows:

Martinez

Konsa Todibo Torres Maatsen

Bailey Onana Tielemans McGinn

Felix

Watkins

 

Subs: Olsen, Nedelkovic, Mings, Digne, Enzo, Barkley, Rogers, Ramsey, Buendia, Philogene, Iling Jr (two players miss out)

 

Obviously Kamara coming back will give us more squad depth too.

 

McGinn arguably doesn’t start and we play Rogers or Ramsey instead.

I think Rogers has more than played his way in to first team thinking, if there is such a thought now, it will be horses for courses, team selection.

I felt last season, we was a bit lightweight, up front in the context of defending from the front…..like holding possession.

In terms of the eye test, Diaby for me had spells of close contact inactivity….that can be tempered if you are proving to be a constant threat, I’m not sure he was often enough….sure his stats were ok, and he scored some great goals……but stats as important and welcome as they are, don’t always tell the full story. He was physically negated too often.

Ollie Watkins can’t do all the holding work on his own, he needs help and so does the team.

In context, when I refer to defending from the front, I am talking about keeping possession, so the opposition, can’t attack without the ball…all obvious stuff, you may say….but we need to do it better.

Bailey and Diaby in the same team, was not a luxury, we could afford, to the places we are going….so the moves to move him on was inevitable to me.

Edited July 22 by TRO

[Jonesy7211]

On the yellow ticker on Sky Sports News that we've agreed a deal for £50m.

[Leeroy]

18 minutes ago, lexicon said:

In terms of attacking mids/wingers we currently have Bailey, Rogers, Ramsey, Buendia, Philogene, Dobbin and Illing Jr. You could also throw McGinn and Tielemans in there. 

There's depth there but also a few unknowns. Bailey and Rogers are ready to go (also JM and YT), Ramsey and Buendia are coming off the back of serious injuries and the new kids have it all to prove. 

Is the first XI stronger? Depends if you consider Diaby first choice or not, but the improved strength in depth is undeniable. 

I’d be very surprised if Dobbin wasn’t loaned out and sold within a year. 
 

I’d classify Tielemans and McGinn as CMs who are deployed further forward. McGinn had his best season ever last season and got 6 league goals. Tielemans never got more than 6 league goals at Leicester. Diaby had proven at Leverkusen he could get into double figures in the league and would have done so next season IMO after a season of adaptation. 
 

We are definitely weaker in those attacking positions.

[QldVilla]

37 minutes ago, macandally said:

You know what they say about not answering a question?

You didn’t ask a question, you made an assumption, a poor one. 
 

If you want to live in a bubble where everyone agrees with you, fill your boots. But you think because I have a different opinion I haven’t watched some games where the most important part is fitness justifies a player now being CL ready? No thank you.

[lexicon]

1 minute ago, Leeroy said:

I’d be very surprised if Dobbin wasn’t loaned out and sold within a year. 
 

I’d classify Tielemans and McGinn as CMs who are deployed further forward. McGinn had his best season ever last season and got 6 league goals. Tielemans never got more than 6 league goals at Leicester. Diaby had proven at Leverkusen he could get into double figures in the league and would have done so next season IMO after a season of adaptation. 
 

We are definitely weaker in those attacking positions.

Like attacking midfielders, perhaps? 

I've no idea RE: Dobbin or Iling Jr. 

Rogers is the real deal, though. 

[Leeroy]

3 minutes ago, WallisFrizz said:

How do you think we’ve improved defensively to that degree? Onana will definitely help and Maatsen a bit but I still think it’s an area of concern. 

Because I think we conceded 61 goals last season primarily because of Kamara getting injured, if he hadn’t then I think we concede at least 10 goals less, so by bringing in Onana I think we do that. I also think injuries at the back didn’t help (although no guarantee that won’t happen again).

 

As it happens I think we need 2 new big signings - an attacker and a defender. But I think the attacker is more important at this time.