Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly

I know we all love VVD but is Koulibaly better, worse or about the same?

Certainly having played for Napoli last year has better league experience.

I notice from Wiki that Koulibaly is listed as a central defender, right back and defensive midfielder. Perhaps it is cover for these positions that is also being considered. Or it could be that some sort of agreement is in place to let go of Fonte or Wanyama next year, so replacements are already being recruited. Getting both VVD and Koulibaly would be very exciting, but it does seem unlikely.

Logically it would surely be one or the other for us? Assume VVD is first choice, if he gets injured before we complete the signing then we're knackered. Koulibaly as plan B.

But if they're both available, and we've got the money - why not?, it does nail down succession for when Fonte's time is up. That's a lot of bodies in the short term though......Fonte, Yoshi, Gardos (when/if he's fit), Caulker, VVD & this guy.

I guess the key question.....is Koulibaly better than Fonte?

Italian press are reporting we're in advanced talks with a bid of £12m. Other reports say that Everton are in for him. His agent is saying that he's going nowhere. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

He could be the beast to Van Dijks beauty in our CB defence with Jose et al coming off the bench and odd starts etc.

Italian press are reporting we're in advanced talks with a bid of £12m. Other reports say that Everton are in for him. His agent is saying that he's going nowhere. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

What does Cody Cropper say?

I know we all love VVD but is Koulibaly better, worse or about the same?

 

Certainly having played for Napoli last year has better league experience.

VVD. This seasons' TSW of Stephen Caulker?

When he was at Cardiff "we" "had to sign him" when we got him in on loan from QPR we had a meltdown.

Do we really need to undermine the value to the club that Jose brings (3rd best CB in the PL last year) to bring in his replacement a year early when we already have cover?

While most fans have fallen in love with VVD there have still been occassional nagging voices in our ears - big step up in quality, more physically demanding etc that we have simply chosen to ignore.

No idea who we'll pick, but don't believe we will get both. Gardos should be given the chance to recover & return. He has the potential to mature (Man Utd away win). Stephens or Turnbull may be ready next season as cover. It wouldn't make any sense.

Unless we've decided Jose won't reach the standards of last year......

(Which I think is a bullkrap concept)

What does Cody Cropper say?

Wow, that's a really funny and smart comment.

Had you spoken to him at a pre season friendly I'm sure you would've shared what he had to say?

 

I guess the key question.....is Koulibaly better than Fonte?

well.....he's younger at least, and has time to develop....but I don't expect Fonte to leave....and if he did how much would we expect to get for him?

Guan or Monk where are you ; )

......incommunicado.......and if they did know, don't think they wouldn't say anything if negotiations are so far advanced....

VVD. This seasons' TSW of Stephen Caulker?

 

When he was at Cardiff "we" "had to sign him" when we got him in on loan from QPR we had a meltdown.

 

Do we really need to undermine the value to the club that Jose brings (3rd best CB in the PL last year) to bring in his replacement a year early when we already have cover?

 

While most fans have fallen in love with VVD there have still been occassional nagging voices in our ears - big step up in quality, more physically demanding etc that we have simply chosen to ignore.

 

No idea who we'll pick, but don't believe we will get both. Gardos should be given the chance to recover & return. He has the potential to mature (Man Utd away win). Stephens or Turnbull may be ready next season as cover. It wouldn't make any sense.

 

Unless we've decided Jose won't reach the standards of last year......

 

(Which I think is a bullkrap concept)

I think of our first XI now, Jose (and Davis - although I think we'll try Wanyama, Romeu holding and Clasie in the Davis role) are the first that need replacing, seriously, if we want to push on then we need a better CB than Fonte. He is perfectly good for a top half team but is 32 this year and there are much better CB's around. He has a habit of getting away with dangerous tackles in the box (I can think of about 3 or 4 occasions last year where I was sure he'd given away a pen, but the ref waved it away and I would have been livid if some of them had gone against us) and he has on more than one occasion in the last couple of seasons played blind passes back to the keeper that got easily cut out.

He's a great leader, but say we'd kept Toby, I'd like to have seen us sign another CB as well and slowly phase Fonte out. Obviously, Koeman knows more about CB's than me, and so I trust his judgement, but I won't be losing any sleep if we sign both Koulibaly and Van Dijk as first choices and Fonte had to do with being on the bench.

It´s strange that Sky´s transfer centre doesn´t show these news so this might be true then.....

Do we only get one of this guy or VVD or both ?

And most important question - does any of these guys have sleeve tattoos ? IF not the look elsewhere ; )

I think of our first XI now, Jose (and Davis - although I think we'll try Wanyama, Romeu holding and Clasie in the Davis role) are the first that need replacing, seriously, if we want to push on then we need a better CB than Fonte. He is perfectly good for a top half team but is 32 this year and there are much better CB's around. He has a habit of getting away with dangerous tackles in the box (I can think of about 3 or 4 occasions last year where I was sure he'd given away a pen, but the ref waved it away and I would have been livid if some of them had gone against us) and he has on more than one occasion in the last couple of seasons played blind passes back to the keeper that got easily cut out.

 

He's a great leader, but say we'd kept Toby, I'd like to have seen us sign another CB as well and slowly phase Fonte out. Obviously, Koeman knows more about CB's than me, and so I trust his judgement, but I won't be losing any sleep if we sign both Koulibaly and Van Dijk as first choices and Fonte had to do with being on the bench.

Can't tell if this is a serious post or not, but Fonte is definitely not someone we need to be replacing right now - he's the one remaining constant from last year's successful back five, a leader on the pitch and arguably our best performer at the back last season in a backline where everyone did pretty well.

Judging by Ronald said in his press conf last week, he clearly feels the same, so any new signing - VVD or Koulibay - will be to play alongside him ahead of Yoshida.

Once that happens, and Bertrand is fit again, plus Romeu sitting in alongside Vic, we'll look a lot more solid i think. We have picked two attacking sides for Newcastle and Everton, and ended up being exposed - we shouldn't forget our success last year was built from the back giving us a solid base to allow the creative players to operate, not on out-gunning teams,

I dont think that is gonna happen, but i would definetly like it to do so.

 

I already imagine a starting line-up:

 

Stek/Forster

 

Fonte/Yoshida---Van Dijk/Caulker---Koulibaly/Gardos

 

Cedric/Martina----------------------------------------------------Bertrand/Targett

 

Wanyama/Romeu/Reed-------------Clasie/Prowsie/Reed

 

Mané/Tadic

 

Rodriguez/Juanmi-----Pelle/Long

 

Just tell Van Dijk that if he moves to Southampton, he will be allowed to move upfield and lay on line with Big Vic when we're in possession. Then Clasie/Prowsie etc. could be more attacking in the position that Mané/Tadic originaly is attached to. Mané/Tadic could then promote into an striker/wing-role with Rodriguez/Juanmi on the other side. The wingbacks is of cause even more attacking than they are now.

 

It would be a bit more attacking in general, but the defensive organization would still be very solid with both, Fonte, Koulibaly, Van Dijk, Big Vic, Cedric and Bertrand.

 

I am in love... Get them both now please.

This 2 coming In, Jose moving on, what would thoughts be on that?

This 2 coming In, Jose moving on, what would thoughts be on that?

That it won't happen.

This 2 coming In, Jose moving on, what would thoughts be on that?

DOG TURD would be my thought

Big Vic is bound to miss a number of matches (suspensions, injuries, or just rested), so it makes sense to have both this bloke and VVD available to fill those large boots, as well of course as central defenders.

Big Vic is bound to miss a number of matches (suspensions, injuries, or just rested), so it makes sense to have both this bloke and VVD available to fill those large boots, as well of course as central defenders.

With VVd as well we would have too many CBs. It will be one or the other.

We have midfielders to cover Wanyama.

when did signing one CB become we are signing two?

when did signing one CB become we are signing two?

I think someone on here made it up about 2 days ago

We should aim to get both over the line as soon as possible. We won't sign both but whoever we can get over the line first to avoid missing out altogether

With VVd as well we would have too many CBs. It will be one or the other.

 

We have midfielders to cover Wanyama.

Some would argue we don't.

This 2 coming In, Jose moving on, what would thoughts be on that?

The way he played on Saturday, strangers things have happened.

The way he played on Saturday, strangers things have happened.

I thought he was one of our better players as it happens, everything directly problematic came from someone going straight through or past Yoshida or up the wings.

I thought he was one of our better players as it happens, everything directly problematic came from someone going straight through or past Yoshida or up the wings.

This. Fonte was everything the rest of our defence wasn't. Not sure I lay as much blame at Yoshi's door as I do Targett who was rank average again - hopefully he can improve with age because he's been shown up twice this season now.

I thought he was one of our better players as it happens, everything directly problematic came from someone going straight through or past Yoshida or up the wings.

I don't think he was great, but more referring to that he seemed distracted. Though that could have been what was unfolding around him rather than off-field issues

This. Fonte was everything the rest of our defence wasn't. Not sure I lay as much blame at Yoshi's door as I do Targett who was rank average again - hopefully he can improve with age because he's been shown up twice this season now.

Some people are going to look pretty silly wheb he turns out decently. He was great last year and has had two poor games.

I don't think Targett's quite good enough, but I'm not going to blame him with the lack of help he had, he's second choice and that's what we get. He's got every chance of improving anyway.

Fonte had a couple of shaky moments at Newcastle along with the rest of the defence, but he's also spent half of pre-season yelling at the left side of the defence and covering for them, so it's not entirely surprising. Thought his composure, positioning and decision-making was personally fine on Saturday, considering the situation around him and the lack of support in front.

It's way too easy to blame defenders when they've got players running at them or playing passes through the lines with no pressure on the ball.

Some people are going to look pretty silly wheb he turns out decently. He was great last year and has had two poor games.

That was last year, so far he's two out of two. It's no fault if his that he's not up to the job yet, he can only do his best and if the management choose to play him then he's not going to say no. He may very well turn out to be half decent one day but at this level we can't afford apprentices who are still learning their trade.

Some people are going to look pretty silly wheb he turns out decently. He was great last year and has had two poor games.

Not sure who those people are...But I certainly won't. He hasn't looked up to the job and Everton deliberately targeted him on Saturday. That said I think he actually has potential but needs to develop which being Bertrand's understudy will give him the opportunity.

Do we only get one of this guy or VVD or both ?

Well I guess that if I was choosing and it had to be one of the two, I'd probably use my own black box of international football stereotypes;

defender - Italian league

defensive midfield - german league

Attacking midfielder - spanish or Brazilian leagues

striker - Dutch/argentine/Brazilian

my black box says to stay clear of Dutch defenders who's only recent experience is in Scotland.

id get this fella and VvD andget rid of Yoshida

Going out on a limb here, but if we sign both Koulibaly and Van Dijk that could possibly means Koeman wants to play 5-3-2 again.

That would definitely suit our current players in my opinion much more than the current set up. Would allow Bertrand/Cedric to bomb on, and allow us to build the team around Mane by playing him off Pele through the middle.

Get em both Ron

Going out on a limb here, but if we sign both Koulibaly and Van Dijk that could possibly means Koeman wants to play 5-3-2 again.

 

That would definitely suit our current players in my opinion much more than the current set up. Would allow Bertrand/Cedric to bomb on, and allow us to build the team around Mane by playing him off Pele through the middle.

 

Get em both Ron

i hope we dont go 352. it never really works in this league

dont know anything about this guy, but do wonder why if he is so great then why are napoli keen to ship him out? Prefer VVD myself but only because ive seen him play.

Napoli are shipping out 10 players this window - they might be broke or something?

id get this fella and VvD andget rid of Yoshida

Keep Yoshida as LB cover and send Target on loan to a Championship team.

i hope we dont go 352. it never really works in this league

Because it's been tried so extensively in the league to make such sweeping conclusions. It's worked well for us - the only problems have been personnel.

Because it's been tried so extensively in the league to make such sweeping conclusions. It's worked well for us - the only problems have been personnel.

cant think of much success with any team over a period of games when managers use this, in England

Napoli changed their manager at the end of the season for new one that has come up through the lower divisions.... might be a reason for the players up for sale.

According to the Star, we are close to signing him and still want VVD.

Makes me think the Fonte interest from Villa may lead to something...

Celtic also after Simunovic, apparently - suggests VVD on his way.

According to the Star, we are close to signing him and still want VVD.

 

Makes me think the Fonte interest from Villa may lead to something...

Stopped reading there.

According to the Star, we are close to signing him and still want VVD.

 

Makes me think the Fonte interest from Villa may lead to something...

Or Caulker is going back to QPR or we're selling Yoshida or we're playing 3 at the back or Yoshida's being moved to full back or...

According to the Star, we are close to signing him and still want VVD.

 

Makes me think the Fonte interest from Villa may lead to something...

 

Celtic also after Simunovic, apparently - suggests VVD on his way.

1) its the Star

2) only you could turn a story about us pursuing two decent CBs into a negative.

1) its the Star

2) only you could turn a story about us pursuing two decent CBs into a negative.

To be fair, the only reason we would sign two more CBs is if one of them was going.

We don't need 5, especially not 5 who all think they should be starting, plus Martina.

Will be amazed if its not one or the other of Koulibaly and VVD.

1) its the Star

2) only you could turn a story about us pursuing two decent CBs into a negative.

F**k me, the hissy fits and whining on here is reaching new heights are the moment. Cant discuss anything sensibly.

F**k me, the hissy fits and whining on here is reaching new heights are the moment. Cant discuss anything sensibly.

I'm sure that the irony of you, the hissy fit champion of this forum, whining about whining will not be lost on 99.9% of posters.

According to wikipedia maybe this is why we are going for both:

Kalidou Koulibaly is a French footballer who plays as a centre back for Italian club Napoli in the Serie A. His main asset is his versatility, as he can play as a central defender, right back or defensive midfielder.