Clement Lenglet

[papaspur]

For me, Davies should be the back-up. He's been with us forever, is HG, and overall a good guy. I'm not saying Lenglet isn't a good guy, I just don't know... but his ability isn't good enough to warrant a place in the squad IMO (assuming we go back to 4 defenders). There are so many other better options out there and this would be a lazy transfer if the rumors are true.
However, if we get a manger who keeps playing with 3 CBs, then I could maybe see a case for Lenglet. Honestly, as many of you have been saying, we kind of need a clear-out in terms of our CBs as they're not at the required standard. Not that Romero has been amazing this season, but if he had someone to push him while also complementing him, I think we'd see the best of him.

 

[Gutter Boy]

If we get another manager who plays 3 at the back, we are doomed. It should be the first criteria for recruitment

 

[Bedfordspurs]

If we get another manager who plays 3 at the back, we are doomed. It should be the first criteria for recruitment

Why?
It’s potentially a great way of playing if you have the right players using the numbers in an attacking , aggressive way
We saw that last season
I’ve seen it with Nagellsman at Bayern
Poch did it here with us for a period
You need a coach who is tactically flexible
That’s contes problem

 

[NaijaSpurs]

Unlikely.

I’d like to see him given a go alongside Romero in a back 4. I think he is better than Dier, though probably too slow and lacks the physicality to be top class in the PL.

Reasons why we should not sign him permanently? He has proven he is too slow and lacks the physicality to be top class, simples.

 

[Gutter Boy]

Why?
It’s potentially a great way of playing if you have the right players using the numbers in an attacking , aggressive way
We saw that last season
I’ve seen it with Nagellsman at Bayern
Poch did it here with us for a period
You need a coach who is tactically flexible
That’s contes problem

It's just conceding a man in midfield to have a 'spare' at the back.

A DM dropping in to allow both FBs to attack, like Dier used to do, is fine. But 3 permanent CBs is just negative, passive, catenaccio

 

[NaijaSpurs]

The problem with Levy is that he has a history of signing players cheap who turn out to be not good enough such as Georges-Kévin Nkoudou who we signed for £11m and subsequently sold for £4.6m. But then when we have a chance of signing a player that might actually improve us like Jack Grealish we make low ball offers and end up missing out buy not paying a few million more.

I just think we need to be wiser when it comes to spending money and based on what I saw of him at Barcelona and this season, I feel he is not good enough, because he is not much better than decent. We need to improve our squad by raising the quality of the players we bring in permanently, Lenglet does not do that. Tanganga, Dier, Lenglet and Sanchez all need to be upgraded to increase the quality of our squad.

 

[AdamB]

If we get another manager who plays 3 at the back, we are doomed

No we're not. Just need flexibility. Look at top teams in recent years:
- Liverpool played 4-3-3 but with WBs who bombed on leaving them a 'base' of 2 CBs and 3 CMs given their CMs dont ever support the forwards
- Emirates Marketing Project have varied but whatever system they play they end up with 2 or 3 CBs and 2 or 3 hold CMs...with those CMs sometimes being people like Rico Lewis who moved from LB to CM. A couple years ago Pep had a system where the FBs tucked forwards and alongside Rodri to form a base of 3 in CM when they have the ball

3 at the back can work, but you need (i) genuine WBs who push on and (ii) to hold the ball more rather than become pressed back as a back 5

 

[Grays_1890]

The problem with Levy is that he has a history of signing players cheap who turn out to be not good enough such as Georges-Kévin Nkoudou who we signed for £11m and subsequently sold for £4.6m. But then when we have a chance of signing a player that might actually improve us like Jack Grealish we make low ball offers and end up missing out buy not paying a few million more.

I just think we need to be wiser when it comes to spending money and based on what I saw of him at Barcelona and this season, I feel he is not good enough, because he is not much better than decent. We need to improve our squad by raising the quality of the players we bring in permanently, Lenglet does not do that. Tanganga, Dier, Lenglet and Sanchez all need to be upgraded to increase the quality of our squad.

We need to be better across the board, The Soldados, Sanchez's, Jannsens, Lo Celso, Bergy, Ndombele and all the other expensive mistakes need to be stopped too, harry hindsight I know but they have hurt us moving forward much more than the cheaper players who we actually had greater success with and was able to cultivate and flip to progress, if we can cultivate without the flipping now our status has grown then even better.

The other issue being that we need to all move in the same direction, if we are getting in a mix of established and young talent we need a manager who is onboard with development, TBH its my favoured approach as I don't think it harms the football either as buying big and often is not always a stand alone guarantee for success.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

It's just conceding a man in midfield to have a 'spare' at the back.

A DM dropping in to allow both FBs to attack, like Dier used to do, is fine. But 3 permanent CBs is just negative, passive, catenaccio

Don’t agree
A lot depends on who plays where rather than the actual set up
With the right players it can be as attacking as any system
We have literally seen it
What the system doesn’t allow for is a keeper chucking the ball in his net for example

 

[Bedfordspurs]

No we're not. Just need flexibility. Look at top teams in recent years:
- Liverpool played 4-3-3 but with WBs who bombed on leaving them a 'base' of 2 CBs and 3 CMs given their CMs dont ever support the forwards
- Emirates Marketing Project have varied but whatever system they play they end up with 2 or 3 CBs and 2 or 3 hold CMs...with those CMs sometimes being people like Rico Lewis who moved from LB to CM. A couple years ago Pep had a system where the FBs tucked forwards and alongside Rodri to form a base of 3 in CM when they have the ball

3 at the back can work, but you need (i) genuine WBs who push on and (ii) to hold the ball more rather than become pressed back as a back 5

100%
flexibility and fluidity

 

[Bedfordspurs]

The problem with Levy is that he has a history of signing players cheap who turn out to be not good enough such as Georges-Kévin Nkoudou who we signed for £11m and subsequently sold for £4.6m. But then when we have a chance of signing a player that might actually improve us like Jack Grealish we make low ball offers and end up missing out buy not paying a few million more.

I just think we need to be wiser when it comes to spending money and based on what I saw of him at Barcelona and this season, I feel he is not good enough, because he is not much better than decent. We need to improve our squad by raising the quality of the players we bring in permanently, Lenglet does not do that. Tanganga, Dier, Lenglet and Sanchez all need to be upgraded to increase the quality of our squad.

I’d argue it’s the BIG money signings that have hurt us
Losing £6m on Kevin is fine
Losing £100m on tanguy isn’t….

 

[Yiddo]

And yet Lenglet looked a poor defender in a Barcelona team that dominated most matches. So poor in fact that they are desperate to get rid.

Really is a scape goat for you isn’t he? Barcelonas whole defence looked brick at the time. Give the guy a break, hardly played and also his first season in the premier league.

 

[AdamB]

The problem with Levy is that he has a history of signing players cheap who turn out to be not good enough such as Georges-Kévin Nkoudou who we signed for £11m and subsequently sold for £4.6m. But then when we have a chance of signing a player that might actually improve us like Jack Grealish we make low ball offers and end up missing out buy not paying a few million more.

I just think we need to be wiser when it comes to spending money and based on what I saw of him at Barcelona and this season, I feel he is not good enough, because he is not much better than decent. We need to improve our squad by raising the quality of the players we bring in permanently, Lenglet does not do that. Tanganga, Dier, Lenglet and Sanchez all need to be upgraded to increase the quality of our squad.

11 post on 3 pages about Lenglet! You really dont like him do you?!?

 

[Jeff Brooks]

The test for me on this player - and probably most that we look to sign - is, would our principal competition wish to sign that player? So, with this guy, would Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Emirates Marketing Project or Manu be interested in him? and, frankly I don't think they would. So this looks like our dear Chairman saying "whoopee, I can get this guy pretty cheaply and for a low salary - job done - now why do we need Bastoni?" It just looks like a player that Villa or Soton or any number of also-rans should be buying rather than us

 

[Grays_1890]

The test for me on this player - and probably most that we look to sign - is, would our principal competition wish to sign that player? So, with this guy, would Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Emirates Marketing Project or Manu be interested in him? and, frankly I don't think they would. So this looks like our dear Chairman saying "whoopee, I can get this guy pretty cheaply and for a low salary - job done - now why do we need Bastoni?" It just looks like a player that Villa or Soton or any number of also-rans should be buying rather than us

Except we courted Bastoni all summer and he was due to fly over before a u-turn of loyalty. He came well after that

 

[papaspur]

The test for me on this player - and probably most that we look to sign - is, would our principal competition wish to sign that player? So, with this guy, would Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Emirates Marketing Project or Manu be interested in him? and, frankly I don't think they would. So this looks like our dear Chairman saying "whoopee, I can get this guy pretty cheaply and for a low salary - job done - now why do we need Bastoni?" It just looks like a player that Villa or Soton or any number of also-rans should be buying rather than us

I guess we won't know until the summer transfer window closes whether or not Lenglet will be signed as a starter or squad player. I'm hoping he'll just be cover since that's a decent price for a decent player. We really need better quality though for sure.

 

[Gutter Boy]

I guess we won't know until the summer transfer window closes whether or not Lenglet will be signed as a starter or squad player. I'm hoping he'll just be cover since that's a decent price for a decent player. We really need better quality though for sure.

What role would you see him playing if he stays? He's not big enough or quick enough to be a CB, and not mobile or progressive enough to be a LB. I just don't really see what he offers - he's ok at positioning and uses the ball decently enough, but that's about it.

 

[Lemonade Money]

11 post on 3 pages about Lenglet! You really dont like him do you?!?

Conte's gone, he needs someone else to vent his anger.

 

[papaspur]

What role would you see him playing if he stays? He's not big enough or quick enough to be a CB, and not mobile or progressive enough to be a LB. I just don't really see what he offers - he's ok at positioning and uses the ball decently enough, but that's about it.

In my earlier post, I mentioned that Davies should be the backup LCB. Lenglet would fall into that same role for me, but TBH it's not a necessary acquisition in my opinion.

I prefer playing with 2 CBs but I think playing with 3 CBs on occasion is fine if the situation warrants it. With that said, I think having 5 CBs total is a good number (considering our luck with injuries). He's not someone I want to see starting the majority of our matches though.

 

[Gutter Boy]

In my earlier post, I mentioned that Davies should be the backup LCB. Lenglet would fall into that same role for me, but TBH it's not a necessary acquisition in my opinion.

I prefer playing with 2 CBs but I think playing with 3 CBs on occasion is fine if the situation warrants it. With that said, I think having 5 CBs total is a good number (considering our luck with injuries). He's not someone I want to see starting the majority of our matches though.

I think the thing that gives Davies a massive advantage is that he's versatile enough to be an excellent LB or a decent LWB. If Lenglet is just a specialist backup LCB, hoping that someone plays that antiquated system, that's a bit of a long shot

I think 4 senior CBs is enough. Id go with Romero, new Verts, Dier, new Foyth. Then have the Estonian kid from the u21s and Davies (also one of our two LBs) as emergency cover