Chez

interesting that my evaluations of Sangarre and Diallo based on a three minute youtube highlights videos match their stats. Maybe not terribly difficult, but does show it is possible to learn something from those videos if you are hypercritical. Veerman stats look decent. I watched two videos of him. The first video I totally discounted him, because the opponents looked woeful. Zero pressure on the ball etc. allowing him years to make decisions/pick a pass. Impossible to say if he was good enough or not. The second showed games that were much faster and he looked strong offensively and physically - both born out in those stats. Interesting that we are linked to such very different types.Maybe we are after two?

2011–2015 Estudiantes 118 (28) 2015–2016 Monaco B 1 (0) 2015–2018 Monaco 65 (15) Were there? Interesting to look back at that thread. Personally, I looked at his wikipedia page at the time and the goals to games ratio made me very concerned. Obviously you get your James Beattie's that take a while before becoming prolific, but you don't break your transfer record on the chance he `might' come good. You spend it on a goalscorer, with a decent record in a lessor league.

Hoedt and Lemina signed five year deals, I think, so he might be with us until 2022, unless it all goes well with their loans...

scrub that, fee now appears to be £9m. This is in our price range, we have previous dealings for Bayern, we need midfield creativity...

it suggests we will hold out for a loan until the window closes and if nothing happens we will make some sort of agreement with him. It also suggests our loan demands have put a few off. I wonder what terms he will agree to? 75% of his wages for the final 11 months of his contract? If thats the case, then it means we can't even get someone to pay more than 25% of his wages. Now clubs know we will pay him off, they will just wait for that to happen.

some on here would take Neil Shipperley.

he was bloody amazing against us a couple of seasons ago at SMS. Best player on the pitch by a country mile. Perhaps that was as good as it got?

looks like he can dribble and forge into the open space which Hoj wasn't great at. Not sure I saw much in the way of through balls and shooting. Whether he gives the ball away as often as Hoj does, I doubt it.

I think hen you watch these videos, which are to make them look as good as possible, you have to be hypercritical and note what is not being shown as much as what is. He isn't a powerhouse in the air, is one footed, doesn't have a killer pass and offers little going forward...possibly.

Leeds agree a £20m fee for Michael Cuisance. I like the look of him a lot. Not a holding midfielder we need, but technically really good.

looks like he covers the ground well, a decent athlete, puts his foot in, and will mop a lot of stuff up. He looks very comfortable on the ball, and more than happy to dribble the ball. Not much in the way of flair or array of passing in that video. Nor heading ability. Looks like he can a job though. Not every job, but a job.

Sessegnon looked good whenever I saw him at Fulham. Feels like a good fit.

I see Leeds are looking at Mickael Cuisance at Munich. Lovely left foot. Wants first team football. Hoj mark II, but in a good way?

these contrast starkly the second hand comments on his ability. He looks like he has a nice right foot, lots of composure and can pick a pass. Decent long shot on him too. Not sure of his defensive attributes.

Interesting observation. Certainly good for Ings to have someone to play off. Whether it ruins the balance of the side is less sure at this point. I'd expect him to score more than 8 in 38 league games, if they are both playing up front. He should be scoring the chance again Palace and when in top form I'd expect more from the chance he had against Burnley.

...and he might be right (certainly I like his all round game), but I don't think Shearer really knows if Che is a good player or not. It was a throwaway comment rather than an insightful and based on a lot of reseach-type comment. Genuine question, does it take one to know one?

there was a two opportunities for him yesterday. The first, a first time shot from a nice cross, but he put it over. It wasn't easy, but top strikers may well score there. The second, a ball over the top that he didn't have enough pace to out run the CB when given half a yard start. I like him, but unless he takes more chances we'll need to try again as we have Long filing that role already.

good first half, non existent second, as was true of us offensively as a whole.

You can see the games or perhaps even opponent where he will be useful. Wood, Mitrovic, Giroud, Carrol...although Burnley are the side that plays most into his hands.

How do Burnley win games? They are terrible. They have always been terrible. Hoof it down the channels, hope for the best, pick up the pieces, lots of hopeful crosses...and that's it. Thought we worked hard, and deserved the win, just, based on the first half dominance, but we have to offer far more on the counter. We need a pacey ball carrier, badly unless Djendepo improves. We need some fresh legs in the middle too. Happy days though. Something to build on at least.

Gotcha. I thought you meant fans were saying they didn't rate him anyway. Hard to say if we were interested. Clubs that scout a player, which we may have, are often mentioned as being interested in order to increase fee/wage. Equally, we may well have been snubbed. As you say, no shame there. PSV are a pretty decent club and we are, well, middling at best. Who d'ja fancy us buying to fill the CM spot?

I can't see (m)any posts on here saying they weren't fussed. I can see quite a few annoyed people at missing out and a few saying that we might not have been in for him, but next to no posts saying they weren't that into him. I'm not that fussed - an opinion based on only watching three youtube videos, so almost worthless - but I've only just posted that, so doesn't really support you post.

why would anyone without a genuine reason go to the trouble of getting an exemption badge? Those that don't wear a mask do so because they don't believe they work and want everyone to know that, don't they?

at least we are looking to sign players that other clubs also rate. Better than signing dross only we can see anything in. There is always another option. You just have to hope we have spent enough money on scouting to have done due diligence on enough options.

outstanding. Feb: I've taken over. March: I'm not money laundering