Jordan Henderson seeks European return and Jadon Sancho gets closer to Manchester United exit as the January transfer window starts to bring in big names
“Gil be coming round the mountain!” says Alex Guilford which is probably a sign that I should close this blog before things get silly.
Thanks to everyone for writing in. Who knew a Spanish winger with gorgeous hair and only one foot would dominate the discourse. Especially when the Jadon Sancho deal looks all but done and Jordan Henderson has sent out a come-and-get-me plea to every club in Europe. There’s also that Joshua Kimmich chat, which has reader Phillip Wainwright bemused:
“Not being on the soshe meads for a few years now to find out for myself, so can you enlighten me why Bayern would be willing to let him go? I was under the impression he was the kipper’s knickers
I think he’s an incredibly talented player who outshines players, but maybe he lacks confidence. He transforms other people very easily, but either because he doesn’t play enough or simply because he has only one foot, he happens to pass backwards. Actually, he probably wouldn’t move any of our wingers and play against Maddison as a 10, so hopefully he’ll move into a position more in need of a stylish gazelle with beautiful hair.
We wondered if he looked a little underwhelming at the checkout because he was tired of his other job, betting on George Harrison for the Bootleg Beatles.
“Get the Gil out of Heah” – Daniel Levy as Mickey Blue Eyes.
“Re: Neil Reeve email, everything he says turns out to be objectively true and yet none of it turns out to be a factor in Spain, where he has played in groups throughout the league (successful team in Seville, a team mid-table team from Valencia and one that was relegated to Eibar) and in all of them he behaved well. People talk about those weaknesses (one foot, physical lightness) as if Spain were a league where urgency had not been invented, the defenders They guided you towards The Goal and players like Ramos, Puyol, Suárez and all of Getafe (not to mention all the spoilers and tactical fouls that invade the lower areas of the division) did not exist. As if one-legged players like Laurent Robert and Robin van Persie and slightly built players like Crouch and Mahrez of the Leicester era didn’t exist. They weren’t thriving in PL. I’m not saying that all it takes is seasoning to ensure Gil’s success, I’m just pointing out that perhaps other points (like the fact that some coaches are wonderful at destroying players’ confidence) are more vital than simply pointing out players’ physical attributes. If it were that simple, it wouldn’t make sense for a recruiting/management team to consider signing a player like that to begin with, right?
I like Gil too, but, perhaps understandably given his opportunities for the Spurs, he’s desperate to impress when given one. As a result, he rushes into dead ends, crosses shots with no one in the box, and sometimes makes poor decisions, shooting when he deserves the pass and vice versa. Bryan’s call doesn’t do him any favors either. Apologies to all Bryans.
About Bryan Gil: He’s obviously talented: he’s a smart dribbler, very full of life and willing. But it’s not strong enough. It is and moves smoothly away from the ball. And he’s one-legged, so any half-decent defender can send him into a butt where he has to go backwards because he can’t use his right foot. And based on that, he’s just not smart enough to form the most sensible four/six in the Premier League.
If Big Ange wants him, enough said.
Werner seems to have found his form, but I still feel he might struggle in the Premier League, even more so in Big Ange’s 4-5-1. The rumour was he nearly signed for Liverpool in 2020, but the board didn’t like the deal (£50m, 20% to his agent).
Der Kaiser truly became a man of the world. Taking over the West Germany team from Jupp Derwall in 1984, he allied his cache from his impeccable playing career to a new worldliness.
I think Ange is the type of coach who gets the most out of a failed striker, so I think he’s a threat worth taking. My only concern is that he will become some other Janssen or Soldier, and we already have the frail Richy. Overall, it’s a yes on my part: a January loan can do wonders.
I think this is Timo’s last – and unforeseen – chance to play for a big team in Europe. The funny thing is, no one knows if it will work or not: there’s the option that they’ll eventually remove the cap from the bottle – or stay there forever.
Werner feels risk-free to me. Pay his £4.3m in wages for the rest of the season. If he’s terrible, send him back, if he’s good we get a good striker for £15.5m. Where’s the downside? You know when you’ve been Levy’d.
He has never convinced me through him at Chelsea, however, his stats in recent seasons are arguably better than Brennan Johnson’s. Johnson looked promising, but he’s still on the rise and has a tendency to step away from gaming. In Son’s absence and with Richarlison’s form unpredictable, Werner gives us options, delights us and doesn’t charge as much (by today’s standards).
There are very few drawbacks to signing this loan and so many potential benefits. It’s watching us make such a practical decision. The advertised low-value call option is the decisive choice. Otherwise, we may simply be a field of education. It’s very refreshing not to have a charlatan at the helm who hates the window of movement.
Ten Hag avoids getting players. So far, he’s made some bad decisions.
I am very happy with the first part of the year at Eintracht. I laugh a lot every day and feel incredibly comfortable here. Everything is as expected. So it made sense for me and my career to extend my contract beyond the term of the loan. I need to continue moving forward here responsibly and, above all, be successful. We still have a long way to go and I am confident that we will achieve our passes. I’m looking for the future and an exciting moment of the season.