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Episode 035 - Wildcard Wednesday's January Transfer Rumours!
9 Plays25 days ago
With the imminent arrival of the transfer window, Tom and Josh look ahead to analyse potential links and current rumours.
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Transcript
West Ham's Positive Atmosphere
00:00:09
Josh Keech
Hello everyone and welcome to another GSPN daily West Ham episode. I'm joined by Tom Elkins. How are you doing buddy?
00:00:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
I am doing you very well, mate. Coming off the back of a really positive Newcastle result. I'm happy. Everything's positive. Let's go.
00:00:22
Josh Keech
I know, exactly. It's one of those where we can just have a final chance to just celebrate and cheer because it's been a while since we've been able to do that at the moment. So I guess it's a big, big question mark to see what's going on in the future. But no more of that
Transfer Window Speculations
00:00:34
Josh Keech
today. We're going to be talking about the looming nature of the transfer window. Now, I know probably everyone out there is going to be saying, but we've we spent bloody millions of pounds on all these players. They really need to get any more in.
00:00:46
Josh Keech
let well everyone decide that themselves. But there's a few links emerging in the window at the moment, and there's been some news from West Ham to say there could be a bit of activity. So for us, it's a bit of time to explore. But to start with, I think the best place for us to look at is, I mean, just in your opinion first, where or where should we be focusing if we are going to spend anywhere near to what do you think would be a priority or maybe a ah pivot into a long term strategy of getting some players in in the future?
Need for Younger Players at West Ham
00:01:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's a really good question. When you look at our season so far, it has been really poor. Obviously this most recent Newcastle result is really positive and it's something that we can celebrate. Looking at the rest of the games we've played this season, it's clear that there's not necessarily been, whether, is it the quality? Is it the motivation? Something's been wrong. So I think bringing in a couple more faces in January, I think is a good idea generally to kind of refresh and motivate the squad in order to get the most out of all the players. um When I'm looking at what we need, I think we need youth. I think we need young players because, you know, we've we've got one of the older squads in the league. A lot of our still wars are getting older. Like you look at Kufau's aging, he's now kind of been aged out and we've got our Mamba Saka in.
00:02:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then you look, you know, we're playing 39 year old Fabianzky basically every week at this point. So I think some, some young players, some youth, someone who wants to come and develop and learn because I think West Ham is such a good place to do that. We've seen so many people come, I think, especially from bigger clubs come to West Ham and they're able to thrive because of the kind of positive environment that we have the young players.
00:02:26
Josh Keech
Yeah, that's that's completely valid. I think it's hard to say what we're going to be doing, really, because when you look at the team, I can't really see much of a gap in any position, at least I know it's early days with player performances anyway. So it's hard to tell who's been, you know, who needs a bit of time to to get more settled than
West Ham's Striker Dilemma
00:02:43
Josh Keech
it is. But I think if we're looking anywhere, obviously the problem at the moment, really that we could see so many of these going straight into the the main starting team will be so the striker position, which for us is is never a surprise anyway, because we know we know what it's been like having the thousands of strikers that seem to always struggle for us. Now, obviously, that's fell recently with Falkberg. I know there's some reports that he could be coming back. We've also had them recently over the last couple of months. It's so hard to tell but then what's actually going on.
00:03:13
Josh Keech
but they've also now released this information they're not afraid of alone in the at least in this window to get someone in for the rest of the season or maybe just for a year long not not too sure yet on that clarity I guess that all as the activity in the window increase will get more rid of an insight into what kind of play they're looking for there and there has been some recent news in that but yeah it's tricky isn't it I think yeah It's hard to it's gonna be hard for us to find at least in the middle of the season a striker That's good for cheap because we need someone if they are gonna be coming to us They need to come and hit the ground running there at least it's not a Prospect position where we need someone to be there and nurture them into this brilliant role But also we we need someone to come in hit the ground running like Danny English meant to do which he hasn't quite done I know his contracts up very shortly this the end of next year and
00:04:00
Josh Keech
So it's going to be a bit tricky, I think, to try and find the player we need, but I can understand the kind of people that they're looking for. It's whether or not we're trying to get a loan now with a cheaper price by keeping them for a bit longer, or do we look at making a purchase? But i mean what what are your thoughts at this point on, and I guess, is there anywhere else in the squad or is that probably the only place I'm i'm i'm thinking of at the moment when I'm looking at the team?
00:04:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's pretty much the same as he, mate, to be honest. When you look at our striker situation, it's really, it's very demoralizing, isn't it? Because we signed someone who we thought was going to bring in massive quality and he's just not played. He's only played an hour of football, which is really nowhere near enough for the sort of impact we thought he was going to make when we signed him.
00:04:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think getting a striker is definitely a good idea and it goes back to what I said earlier about youth. If we can get someone who is slightly younger, someone who's really keen to learn and also someone who's not massively opposed to sharing some minutes because you know when we've got Ings and Antonio who are both there, both been playing quite a lot. I know it's mainly been Antonio starting and Ings coming off the bench.
00:05:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't think, I think Antonio's been okay. There's been times where it's been really good and there's times where it's been not so good. I think Dannyings has been really good. So for me, I wouldn't necessarily want someone to come in and completely take all of them in it unless they were of a certain caliber, but I don't think that we'd be able to get that sort of caliber of a striker in January because there's kind of ah a general striker shortage.
00:05:23
Josh Keech
Yeah.
00:05:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
um So I'd like to, either invest or you know maybe just alone for a year with an option to buy, or someone who's slightly younger, who's willing to share minutes, but who is also gonna make an impact when he does play. Kind of similar to the Somerville situation where a championship player of the season didn't start the season, wasn't getting very many games at the the you know the first few games of the season. And then when he did get his opportunity, now he has his opportunity, he's been playing really well, he's made a positive impact. And it's obvious that
00:05:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
not playing a huge amount of minutes at the start of the season hasn't negatively impacted him at all. I think he's maybe even motivated more to make an impact when he does play.
00:06:03
Josh Keech
Yeah.
00:06:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
So yeah, I think someone of a younger age who can who can come in and make a positive squad impact, I think is what I'd look for.
00:06:16
Josh Keech
that's I think I think you've you've hit it a bit on the head there with that at least at least from a striker perspective as well someone young that can share some minutes I think is the the kind of spot on approach I actually think we can translate that across a few with the squad as well because as you say we're right back particularly for me was a worry that I had it down as an immediate but I do think Kufar can do a job if needed if someone's injured we can rely on him to a level that he'll be all right or we can revert to a back three that's the other option we have with the players we do have currently but my, I know it's not a time for hot takes, but my, my rogue hot take is, we we should have, you know, I knew Kufal was good at the time, but imagine the scenario now we've got Wamba Saka and Emerson, and then someone like Ben Johnson who can play both sides, if someone's injured, that's, and then he gets lots of minutes then if someone's out, that's the ideal world, isn't it? But
00:07:01
Josh Keech
having that, that I'm, you know what I'm like with talking players, mate, someone that can play everywhere or play in lots of places is my dream. So that's, uh, yeah, it's, it's all
Managerial Speculations: Mourinho vs. Current Manager
00:07:10
Josh Keech
interesting. Obviously with the manager as well, with all the rumors of looming, you know, it's, it makes it all interesting with this window. I think that's, that's particular makes it more challenging for us to predict what's, what's going to be happening. We don't have our crystal balls and let's look into the future, but Obviously, the other the other big news is happening recently is potentially I've seen that Mourinho said he'd be open to being West Ham's next manager, which interesting. I don't know. I've not thought about another chance to process the news yet that that might be an inevitable event that happens, but equally something that would be impacting the window, what we actually do with that money that we've got remaining.
00:07:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's a scary prospect. If you ask me looking at, um, very new as a manager, it would either go really badly or really well. I don't think there's any in between. And to be honest, the worry for me is in that situation is if all of the work that Moyes did to get us to the place where we are now, or, you know, where we were at the start of the season, where we're consistently knocking on the door of European football.
00:08:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
I would be really worried that Marina would come in and if it did go really badly like I think it probably would we would get set back so many years and so much hard work that's been done would be undone which is something that we just really don't want, you know, if going from a manager who hasn't done well to Mourinho, I think is such a risk.
00:08:29
Josh Keech
Yeah.
00:08:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think if you're gonna risk Mourinho, you have to give him time because he is, it feels like when he's managing a club, it is quite a volatile place sometimes.
00:08:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
So putting him in a situation that isn't his own and that isn't the best generally I think is a recipe for disaster, to be honest. So if it was me, I wouldn't like to see that happen.
00:08:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'd much prefer a safer pair of hands if we were going to get rid of Lopateki. But to be honest, after that Newcastle game, I don't think I really want to. sort andnna I'd much rather keep him.
00:08:59
Josh Keech
No.
00:09:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think, you know, it's been a slow start and it's taken time, but we were really good against Newcastle, really good. We definitely deserve to beat them. And, you know, when When managers start new jobs, they do need time.
00:09:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I know that we've kind of been slightly critical of a lot of the things that have happened because it's been difficult to criticize anything else other than the manager.
00:09:21
Josh Keech
Yeah.
00:09:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
But the the game against Newcastle shows that when it goes right, it is really good and we can perform against these better teams. so yeah I personally would like to see Lopategi stay and I hope that we can make some positive signings in January that can only kind of bolster his squad and the outlook of the squad as he sees it because you know he he did get all of the pre-season and did get his transfer window and we think he got his signings.
00:09:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Obviously it's really difficult to tell how much of it is him and how much of it is Tim Statham but
00:09:51
Josh Keech
Yeah.
00:09:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think giving him the opportunity to have a January transfer window where he can you know make a few adjustments and hopefully sign a couple of players. That is probably the best case scenario for me.
00:10:05
Josh Keech
that's yeah that's that's completely entitlement i think i think you i think you're on that money i think that the thing with the new castle game that sets it apart from because of how good we were that makes it different to some of the performance we've had where we were miles better and i think that's what that gives the the manager not only the confidence that the players could do it but equally he can go back to them and say well that's the standard for every game and that's what you want to be seeing in every every performance not You know, sometimes you're right. we We do spend a bit of time criticizing a few of the players and then also manage his tactics. So at least if we can see you both sides of the fence improving and they have that idea, that that's the level they should be playing at. Maybe we can see that improvement across the board for future games so and and and you're out with more players as well. Now I'm going to explore in our next section about some of the players that potentially we've seen some links for at the moment and how we can envision those coming into the squad. But before we do that, it's time for a quick word from one of our
Potential Loan and Transfer Targets
00:10:57
Josh Keech
sponsors.
00:11:22
Josh Keech
Okay then, the now the trickiest bit I think with current links, obviously not only do we get linked to about a thousand players, it's hard to tell which ones are more concrete and which ones we can probably just brush aside.
00:11:34
Josh Keech
the trickiest thing obviously is we don't know where we're going to be actually signing some players in positions at least we don't we don't know where where the money's going now obviously the big thing that's come out this week is that we're not afraid to look at at least a loan for a striker now there's a couple of players that they've been linked across already from current news and situations of some individuals of I won't lie with a bit of spoilers, some quite good talent. um So I'm going to explore a couple of them with you. But the biggest one, ah at least at face Valley so far from the news would be obviously having Evan Ferguson. And what what are your thoughts to learn on that? Because that to me would I think that would be quite good, just as a ah hot take off the start with very early news. But I want to hear your thoughts.
00:12:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't think that's a hot take at all mate, I think that's ah a very valid take to be honest. um If you look at everything that I've explained about how we need to look for a younger player who can share minutes with other players but who has also got the quality to lead the line when we do use him and is hopefully willing to work hard and develop as a player. I think he fits that mould really nicely. you know hes His whole career so far has been spent sharing minutes and when he has played he's done really well so it's it's obvious that he can do it when he is forced to share minutes with other players. um
00:12:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think the quality is obviously there. He's, you know, one of the highest rated strikers, young strikers in the world. I think it would be a really good loan for him. It'd be good for us. I think the main thing for me would be I'd really want an option to buy in there because if we do get in for half a season, he does really well.
00:13:05
Josh Keech
Yeah.
00:13:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
If we don't then get to capitalize on the success of us being the ones who have kind of developed him into the play that he is, it seems like It's very much short term thinking.
00:13:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I'd kind of like us to think more long term with it. Because if we could sign him, that's such a brilliant acquisition for us. you know And it's also weakening one of the kind of one of the teams that's going to sit around the same space in the table as we are.
00:13:34
Josh Keech
Yeah.
00:13:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
um So yeah, it's really positive. I really like it. It's just then if we do get an option to buy, what is that price going to be? because If we do get that option, I feel like it's going to be very expensive and it then becomes, you know, with all the money that we've spent in the summer, we have the funds to be able to drop.
00:13:52
Josh Keech
Yeah.
00:13:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
How much is it going to be? 50 million, 60 million, something like that. It kind of has to be, doesn't it? How well he's, how highly rated.
00:14:01
Josh Keech
Yeah.
00:14:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
So yeah, really good move. It's just the the details of actually signing on a permanent might be more complicated.
00:14:09
Josh Keech
I agree. that the the The problem with the at least the price tag of what the end result would be obviously comes down to news revolving some of our most expensive players. Obviously, we we know all the stuff happening with Pakistan at the moment. Equally, I'm not ruling out the fact that I think a few clubs, as much as I hate to see it, I reckon that there's going to be a few wires on Kudos at the end of the season. It all depends on where you finish as well, obviously. So it's very hard to you at least theorize. but you know, some money could come from certain players putting on what news revolves around their own individual futures. So it's always hard, but i I think it's a good
00:14:43
Josh Keech
be a good position to be in if we can get a good amount of minutes out of him and alone and then the price tag is affordable that that would be the ideal world wouldn't it now one of them's a previous link so this one i'm hoping doesn't strike us too much of a surprise but tammy abraham's been another name that's been mentioned for what seems like the fifth window in a row at this point obviously time at the moment away in the ah in the inner syria yeah i i don't think that would be too unheard of either as someone we know that's having a bit of a rise in form and is has found some form back in the was in the Italian leagues. I don't ah don't think that that would be too unheard of.
00:15:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, I think it's kind of, opposite to the Everfergans deal. It's someone who's, you know, a little bit older, more experienced, obviously has quality because he scored a decent amount of goals wherever he's been.
00:15:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
but is I feel like he's more searching for somewhere where he can be one of the main figures because it seems like his time in Italy has been good. I think when he was at Roma he was one of the main guys but now he's at AC it seems like he's more of a bit part player which you know, at the kind of stage in his career when he's reaching the point where his development is gonna, you know, kind of plateau because of his age and because of the level that he's been playing. You'd like to think that he'd want to go somewhere and play a lot of football, which I think could be the perfect opportunity for us, you know, and
00:16:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
he's obviously english English, he knows the Premier League well, he scored a decent amount of goals in the Premier League. So I like it, to be honest. And I think we could probably get him for a really good price, which I think is probably one of the main attractive factors about it. You know, when players do go into Europe to find football, their price tag significantly decreases, which is, I think, a market that we should be looking at quite a lot. You know, I think there's been good instances of players and especially British and English players going abroad and being able to find football and find form. So if we were able to bring one of those guys back who's had time away to develop and improve as a player, yeah, I think it'd be a ah really, really good acquisition for us.
00:16:54
Josh Keech
Yeah, I think i think it's it's thoroughly one of those where I think I see it from that that kind of from current recruitment stuff where you want to see someone that's going to come in and hit the ground running. And we know with his experience that he can do that. So the expectation, although maybe higher, he's also got the capabilities off the start, which we know he has is just getting settled to the team, not as opposed to getting settled to an entirely new league. and I think you're right. I mean, with the in terms of the price tag and how much we could get value wise,
00:17:20
Josh Keech
right you know I think at the moment Milan aren't doing particularly too brilliant. um Obviously I know they're doing they're doing well and they've obviously got loads of the tournaments but obviously with themselves being alone from Roma they're not doing particularly too well themselves with their high expenditure. I think they're going to be having to look at getting rid of some players to get some money if they want to keep improving their squad themselves so you're right I think there will be an opportunity there for a bit more of a deal.
00:17:45
Josh Keech
So hopefully we can ah get a bit of a masterclass there with some negotiations. But I think what's good about that option is you could, if I said to you to make a realistic career, if you're on career mode on FIFA and I said, make a realistic signing, that probably is one of the most realistic ones you could get, I think, on the money. You can you can see it happening. and And with that, I've got another play that I'm going to bring to you, cautious on time, as ah as how much to go through in detail on this particular character as well. But a similar story with with ah obviously Adam O'Lookman.
00:18:12
Josh Keech
I think, you know, from Atalanta, another Serie A prospect or someone we know that has not only got Premier League experience but has the seen his career absolutely take off at the moment abroad, it'd be a perfect time to bring another individual back that we know has the capabilities and has experience playing in the likes of the Europa League.
00:18:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think this, to me, feels like the kind of improved Tammy Abraham deal, to be honest. um You know, he's slightly younger, he's scored, he scored in the Europa League final, was absolutely amazing in that game, um beating Leva Kuz and a team who hadn't been beaten all season, you know, so he obviously has quality.
00:18:39
Josh Keech
Yeah.
00:18:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
And if you think about the the value in him as a player, it's definitely a lot more for me than Tammy Abraham, I think. The way that he plays as well is slightly different. You know, Tammy Abraham's a slightly bigger guy. um Lookman is a bit smaller. I feel like he makes more of those attacking runs. He's a much better going in behind, kind of balls over the top. um Yeah, that one's also really exciting to me. Again, it just comes back to the price. If we could get him for a decent price, then I'd be really happy with it. I just am not sure that we'd be able to get him from, you know, much less than like 50, 60 mil again, which,
00:19:28
Josh Keech
Yeah.
00:19:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
after the summer window that we've had it is a lot of money but i think i think it is definitely a good deal and yeah it's exactly the same thing i was saying before you know players that have played in england we know that they understand how the league works so the fact they've gone abroad and then coming back to a league that they understand it feels much less like a risk than you know ah a player who's only played in Syria are for instance you know like Skamake that was you know a bit of a I don't want to call it a flop but very underwhelming in the way that he played because
00:20:00
Josh Keech
Yeah.
00:20:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's obvious that he wasn't as easily able to transition from the Italian style of football to the English style of football. So, but yeah, generally I think it would be a really good deal if we could get him.
00:20:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think that's probably the first question. Would he want to come to West Ham? I think he would for the right price. And then that leads on to obviously if we can get him for the right price and it's great, but it's not always that simple.
00:20:17
Josh Keech
Yeah.
00:20:22
Josh Keech
I think what we're learning is that it's all about the money, isn't it? ah so that's that's stuff yes It is, yeah, that's just, we can't avoid it.
00:20:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, basically that's the way the world works, mate.
00:20:29
Josh Keech
And it's ah unfortunately, we're in the slightly, we've got him we haven't got as much pocket money as everyone else at the moment, because we spent it all.
00:20:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
good
00:20:35
Josh Keech
So ah that's that's that's the rough end of the stick ah on this.
00:20:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. We've been to the tuck shop too many times mate.
00:20:40
Josh Keech
That's it. Now, to end things off, firstly, we're going to take a quick word from one of our sponsors. But as we go into the next section, what we're going to be doing is I'm going to be giving Tom a couple of hot take questions on some of the layout of the squad. And maybe some ways we can not only give some youngsters some more minutes, but equally some ways in which we can maximize the players that we've got to give some more opportunities for some of the younger players across the pitch, not just in some isolated positions. So ah yeah, we'll have a quick word from one of our sponsors then.
00:21:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh no, we've had the same issue. Okay, so we've had this issue a couple of times, advert plays twice. What are you going to do? Let's continue with the conversation.
00:21:43
Josh Keech
and sir Yeah, you can't you can't beat technology all the time. But on the topic of technology, um anyone that's a FIFA player will be familiar with these kinds of cars that you get on FIFA. But my my next topic revolves around the players that we have that play in some of the more rogue positions sometimes you don't normally see. So a previous example without giving some spoilers to Tom you For now, for example, back in, you know, not only complaining the left, but back in his time in Spain would obviously play at centre mid every now and then, which was something we didn't really see him do too much at West Ham, but something he could have done if needed. Now, I think there's a lot of examples we see of that in our current team, where actually with some current affairs at the moment would provide some good solutions.
00:22:23
Josh Keech
I'm going to go through a couple now and some of them we've touched on before but it's a good way of exploring some ways that potentially can identify some opportunities for some future spend in the windows but also as well where we can bring some youngsters back and give them a spot in the team where they can guarantee get some minutes or share some minutes with a couple other youngsters. so Let's start with the classic example of bow and a striker. Obviously we've touched on it before. My thoughts are it's a really good idea at the moment until we get someone in. Equally we've got Kudas coming back from
Bowen as a Striker: Pros and Cons
00:22:51
Josh Keech
the break and Somerville's been doing a relatively good job. I think the the more minutes we're given the better it is. I'm always the Somerville at left wing advocate so
00:22:59
Josh Keech
At this point, I always say that Guido Rodriguez is your best mate. And I think now it might be Somerville's mind at the moment with the amount I praise him. But um but yeah, I think that would be a good way of freeing up with obviously them both doing well, a good way of making some space for them all to come back and play in ah in a nice, friendly and well competitive nature. So what are your thoughts on that?
00:23:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know. I'm in two minds, to be honest. um I obviously Jared Boney is good up front and I'm not saying that he's bad up front. I just think the the difference in him being a striker and him being a right wing.
00:23:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
i don't know it's really tough i just really like jarab bone uh off the right you know i think that's where he's most effective you know his trademark cutting him from the right and pinging it top bins with his left foot i think is kind of his bread and butter it seems to be something that he is able to do really easily and i think when you play him up front it just it slightly alters the way that he has to play and i think if you're looking for jarab bone at his peak it is off the right so
00:23:41
Josh Keech
Yeah.
00:24:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's not a bad idea, and and I definitely think it's worth trying, but for me, i I genuinely still would rather play Antonio and have Bowen on the right than move Bowen up front and then have like Kudas on the left and some of them on ah kudas on the right and some of them on the left. I genuinely would still play Antonio and keep Bowen on the right. I know that might be slightly controversial, but I just really like burn off the right.
00:24:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think the the thing that you don't think about as much, or maybe you don't see as much, I think especially for non-West Ham fans, I don't know how many non-West Ham fans are going to be listening to this podcast, but when they talk about Jared Byrne, they don't acknowledge the kind of defensive work that he does and the the work that he does off of the ball and the the way that he contributes to build up as well.
00:24:45
Josh Keech
Yeah.
00:24:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think it is so vital and him playing at strike or at either He wouldn't be able to use that part of his game anywhere near as much, or he would, and we wouldn't have someone as that focal point in our attack. So it feels like either one of those outcomes is a bad outcome when it comes to Jaraburn skill set, if you get what I mean.
00:25:10
Josh Keech
Yeah, that's that is completely fair with it. I think it's one that sometimes you see a lot of fans asking about. Why don't we just stick him a striker? And I think, well, there's there's pros and cons to both sides, obviously, and I think is a good one to always consider. But it's whether or not you you consider some of those impact to be enough to outplay is having Antonio or things a striker as opposed to having bow in there is who do you think is going to do the better job overall and in the different positions. But that's the the the like for like, I guess, substitution of your sacrificing. So It's tricky, isn't it? But my next one's probably a bit more, I think it's gonna be more cleaner cut. Now, this comes from the caveat to this, as previously we've spoken about the fact that sometimes packetiles forms dropped a little bit to what we'd expect a couple of seasons ago. Now, there is there is a man that plays quite often. He's a very big fan of potato salad. And we know that Moyes would always think of him as a bit like Fellaini.
00:26:06
Josh Keech
When we talk about the rotation of players, you said once that maybe we should be looking at maybe, you know... having someone there to just swap him out one game and give him that fire that he wants to come in and do a job. I think that could be something we could look at potentially with Suechek a bit more because it doesn't he has that freedom at CDM. What if we just start him out so he has to run less because we know that sometimes that pace is the biggest thing. If he has to drop back alone when he was doing Alvarez's job, maybe start him a bit higher, he can just float around a little bit more because that header this week was lovely.
00:26:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, if I'm honest, mate, I don't like that suggestion at all. I don't think that Thomas Ucek has the creative ability to play as the kind of furthest forward midfielder.
00:26:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
obviously he's got amazing qualities as a footballer and I think his work rate is always really good and you know physically he's really good at winning those aerial jewels and he's always a goal threat but again I think he's best utilized as someone who is allowed to kind of do the the kind of harder yards up and down i don't think he's best as a like a sole defensive midfielder on his own because he likes to go forward and then in that that same vein i don't think he is a player that can play you know just behind the striker and kind of just as high up as our wingers because he's just not as technically gifted and he's he's not blessed with as much kind of vision and creativity and attack so
00:27:17
Josh Keech
Yeah.
00:27:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
i I really like him as one of the DMs in a double pivot because he can he can cover as as a DM if he needs to but for the most part he will be kind of shuttling up and down the pitch being able to disrupt the play in the middle, can contribute to build up but then The main asset with him playing there is his ability to make those late runs and contribute with gold, which is what he's done this season. I think that's how you get the most out of him. I think in his best seasons, they have come from him you know when he when he's had his most prolific gold scoring seasons. That's him being given the ability to make those late runs, but not necessarily being as involved in the direct
00:28:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
kind of attacking build up so yeah i I just don't like it as much and then you think about who we play in behind him who do we have to play in behind who's gonna be as kind of as willing to do those kind of hard up and down runs or who's gonna make the late runs into the box because if If Suchek's already a focal part of the attack, he then doesn't have the ability to make those late runs.
00:28:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it is he as natural as an attacking midfielder?
00:28:50
Josh Keech
True.
00:28:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't really think he is. So yeah, I'm not really as much of a fan of that.
00:28:55
Josh Keech
Nope, that's, yeah. that That's complete. The problem, I guess, with that at the moment as well is. but We've seen a really good performance this week from Solaire, and that's, you know, we like to see these midfielders that have this good attacking prowess, which is what what we saw from him this week. So it's always, I know it's early days with him though, because we've not seen so many minutes for him, but it's hard to see where he fully, fully fits into Lopategi's dynasty. But there's one more I'm going to talk to you on, but it's going to be, I imagine, a very similar response to Bowen at Stryker. It's the thought of having, instead of instead of the talks of Sucek there, what about putting Kudos there?
00:29:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, see see that one, ah i'm um it's more appealing because Kudos' style of play is very much aimed at trying to beat people.
00:29:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
And i
Kudos in Central Midfield: A Tactical Shift?
00:29:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
I really like it when, in the past, you see him coming a bit deeper, picking up the ball and driving forward with the ball, which is, I think it's exactly why I wouldn't want so Thomas Uchek to play there. It's why I would want Kudos to play there, because you look at their style of play. Kudos is very direct. He wants to run forward with the ball. He likes having it at his feet. He's good at like interchange and one-two play.
00:30:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
And you think the technical profile of the way that he plays I think is much more suited to someone who's going to be heavily involved in all of the attacking stuff that we do. So so yeah, I like it. I think it's definitely worth a try. um If I'm honest, right now, I know this isn't necessarily the question. And the question is, what if Kudus was there? And I think he would do a good job. But the way that Armid Field played against Newcastle, I think that should be Armid Field going forwards, to be honest. I don't think we change it because the the ability for Carlos Soler and Paquetta to interchange in build-up.
00:30:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think Paquetta had the most passes of any player on the pitch, that game, I think.
00:30:43
Josh Keech
Yeah.
00:30:46
Josh Keech
Well, stats training wasn't real.
00:30:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think I read that.
00:30:48
Josh Keech
They were so good in that from that game.
00:30:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. And it was, it was their ability to kind of link up together and play those little short interchange passes. And then, you know, whilst that's happening, you then got to check there as a ah kind of different outlet, someone who can be involved in that as well, but who is then also bombing forwards. And then also, also his ability to.
00:31:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
contribute attacking when it comes to set pieces is is second to none. so So I really like how it was in that game. And I think the one worry with Kudos is I'm not sure his defensive ability is as good as he'd like it to be. I think especially if we aren't playing as well and we're playing against a team who has a lot of the ball.
00:31:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah attacking midfielder has to do work defensively. You know, they they have to be part of the defensive system and contribute defensively. So I know that Carlos Alaire does that. I know that Paquetta does that when he's there. Obviously Thomas Zujak would do that if he was there, but I'm not sure that Koulis has, because of his lack of experience playing in the middle, is he going to be able to kind of translate his ability to defend in the wide areas to the midfield and i'm I'm not sure if that would be an easy transition to make.
00:32:03
Josh Keech
No, that's fair play man. I think I said it was similar to what you say with Bohem because the work he does going backwards is so good. Whereas Kudos has got to actually, you know, use a bit more of that ability, which we've not really seen too much of. So it's a bit, a bit similar to a bit different at the same time. Oh, well, uh, yeah, well, I think that might've been the perfect time. Actually that that's, that's, uh, that's the best place actually to, uh, I think end on that section from, from my side. I haven't got too many more questions that would be a particular, uh, reference in terms of transfers for you. So there's the pressure from me off.
00:32:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, thank you very much for those questions, Josh. Very interesting. I think yeah it's always good to, to pose interesting questions and suggest things that you wouldn't maybe necessarily think of because it allows for conversation to be, you know, slightly more, more interesting, I think, you know, because I feel like we're both similar in the way that we think. So posing these questions, I think is always really good. Well, thank you very much for listening to this episode of the daily GSP and West Ham podcast. Say goodbye, Josh.
00:33:00
Josh Keech
Take care everyone, hope you have a good week.
00:33:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
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00:33:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
all of the other podcasts under the GSPN podcast network. We've got the fantasy football podcast the women's football podcast We've got the wrap-up pods in so many different languages and we obviously have all of the podcasts for the other Premier League teams so Thank you guys for listening and we will see you again soon. Goodbye