Topic: Mohamed Diame

[Juan Loco]

Better than Spearing. Whether that's ever going to be enough...

[aoaaron]

Who controls the midfield for United? Carrick, Anderson, Giggs, Scholes they make do in CM because they have excellent wide players who get the ball and drive forward. Controlling the midfield is important but how much of that translates to a win?

United's system is very different to many others. Their mentality is ridiculous, their manager is relentless and they have quality and depth which will take us a couple of seasons of very clever buying to really compete with.

I agree, quality in midfield is not the be-all and end-all but in many other clubs cases (Chelsea [champions of europe], Spain [world champions], City [champions of england], Real Madrid [champions of spain]) it definitely comes in handy. In Chelsea's case, I'd say the quality is dwindling a little but I hope you see my point. Comparing us to United or trying to be United is retarded.

[hugoboss]

United's system is very different to many others. Their mentality is ridiculous, their manager is relentless and they have quality and depth which will take us a couple of seasons of very clever buying to really compete with.

I agree, quality in midfield is not the be-all and end-all but in many other clubs cases (Chelsea [champions of europe], Spain [world champions], City [champions of england], Real Madrid [champions of spain]) it definitely comes in handy. In Chelsea's case, I'd say the quality is dwindling a little but I hope you see my point. Comparing us to United or trying to be United is retarded.

Look through the teams you've named and see the quality of players they have in the wide areas, like I said it doesn't have to be wingers but you need to have quality in the wider areas of the pitch and I'm saying atm our wide areas are in greater need of some quality.

[blacksun]

United's system is very different to many others. Their mentality is ridiculous, their manager is relentless and they have quality and depth which will take us a couple of seasons of very clever buying to really compete with.

I agree, quality in midfield is not the be-all and end-all but in many other clubs cases (Chelsea [champions of europe], Spain [world champions], City [champions of england], Real Madrid [champions of spain]) it definitely comes in handy. In Chelsea's case, I'd say the quality is dwindling a little but I hope you see my point. Comparing us to United or trying to be United is retarded.

Not sure using Chelsea helps your argument at all to be honest, they dont dominate in midfield, they were over run against Napoli, Barca and Bayern in CL and won it through dogged defence and counter attack.

As for us, I think if Lucas comes back at even 80% of his previous best, him Henderson and Gerrard could control midfield against most teams, our problem as others have mentioned is lack of cutting edge out wide. That and poor finishing, thats where we should be focusing most of our budget and if Diame (or someone else in his contractual situation) can help us achieve those goals then we can move forward and get back up the table, IMO of course.

[aoaaron]

Not sure using Chelsea helps your argument at all to be honest, they dont dominate in midfield, they were over run against Napoli, Barca and Bayern in CL and won it through dogged defence and counter attack.

As for us, I think if Lucas comes back at even 80% of his previous best, him Henderson and Gerrard could control midfield against most teams, our problem as others have mentioned is lack of cutting edge out wide. That and poor finishing, thats where we should be focusing most of our budget and if Diame (or someone else in his contractual situation) can help us achieve those goals then we can move forward and get back up the table, IMO of course.

"In Chelsea's case, I'd say the quality is dwindling a little but I hope you see my point."

You must have missed that part of my post.

Chelsea in the past apart from this season have been ridiculously solid in midfield. More importantly to prove a point, they have been at their best when they have been very good in centre midfield (when they won the league and stuff loawlz)

[aoaaron]

Look through the teams you've named and see the quality of players they have in the wide areas, like I said it doesn't have to be wingers but you need to have quality in the wider areas of the pitch and I'm saying atm our wide areas are in greater need of some quality.

I'm not in disagreement. Outwide we have been dreadful since forever apart from Kuyt's goalscoring form from the right.

However, you modelled your conviction on United who are a really exceptional circumstance considering their lack of quality in the middle.

[djphal]

Don't know why people keep comparing him to spearing, he is nothing like him

[blacksun]

"In Chelsea's case, I'd say the quality is dwindling a little but I hope you see my point."

You must have missed that part of my post.

Chelsea in the past apart from this season have been ridiculously solid in midfield. More importantly to prove a point, they have been at their best when they have been very good in centre midfield (when they won the league and stuff loawlz)

I didnt miss it but you used them being CL winners as your example, they didn't win that through dominating midfield, as I said it was through last gasp defending, counter attacking and lots of things going their way (missed pens etc). Their midfielders quality isn't just dwindling from a few years ago its almost completely gone, Essien is a shell of the player he was (in fairness bad injuries does that), Lampard doesn't score anywhere close to the number of goals from open play he used to and they have never replaced Ballack who helped control the middle of the park. Ramires is by far their best midfielder now and hes looked best playing from the right.

[Get]

Don't know why people keep comparing him to spearing, he is nothing like him

Size matters

[djphal]

Size matters

totally different player

[hugoboss]

I'm not in disagreement. Outwide we have been dreadful since forever apart from Kuyt's goalscoring form from the right.

However, you modelled your conviction on United who are a really exceptional circumstance considering their lack of quality in the middle.

I used them as an example to show how having quality in the wide areas can compensate for an average midfield

[Aarhus]

totally different player

But same position if we sign him.

[TheRussianBiscuit]

Don't know why people keep comparing him to spearing, he is nothing like him

True. But i think the general assumption would be he plays when Spearing would do, in other words displacing him.

As a replacement for Spearing, Diame is a huge improvement. I do understand why people are in moan mode about a free signing citing that we need first 11 players not more squad players. Most of our midfield are squad players...Henderson (very good potential there but not quite 1st team YET), Adam (current rawk sacpegoat), Cole (MIA), Aqua (Homesick). So in that  sense i understand. In Defensive mid though we have Lucas and spearing backing him up. Lucas is first team quality spearing bless his lil heart is not back up quality. Diame is a min a capable back up and i would go as far as saying he would do well next to Lucas in games where we need a powerful midfield.

[Barefoot Doctor]

Do we know yet when Lucas will return? I'd read somewhere he's not expected to be fit for the start of the season - if so, could be a few months into the season before he's up to speed. We'll definitely need someone to fill the gap. Rodgers didn't really have a dedicated DM at Swansea, did he? Not in the traditional sense anyway. Could see that replicated here.

[Renato]

Do we know yet when Lucas will return? I'd read somewhere he's not expected to be fit for the start of the season - if so, could be a few months into the season before he's up to speed. We'll definitely need someone to fill the gap. Rodgers didn't really have a dedicated DM at Swansea, did he? Not in the traditional sense anyway. Could see that replicated here.

Can remember him saying he hoped to play a small part in pre-season on Twitter. He's running anyway so I seriously doubt he'll fail to recover before the start of next season unless there's a setback.

[the_red_pill]

I used them as an example to show how having quality in the wide areas can compensate for an average midfield

Agree there, buddy. Fully.
Look at what Riera added to us in 2008-2009. Whenever we were under pressure and not up to standard in midfield, he time-and-time again, acted as an outlet(along with the outstanding Aurelio). Really the only time in the past decade that we looked the biz and we were title contenders with Xabi, Masch, Riera and Gerrard and his linking ability. If we only had the same quality on the other end(if we got Maxi earlier, for example), we could've been so much better.

Riere though, was part of midfield

[Nessy76]

Don't know why people keep comparing him to spearing, he is nothing like him

People compare Spearing to Lucas, too. Nothing like him, either.

[aoaaron]

I didnt miss it but you used them being CL winners as your example, they didn't win that through dominating midfield, as I said it was through last gasp defending, counter attacking and lots of things going their way (missed pens etc). Their midfielders quality isn't just dwindling from a few years ago its almost completely gone, Essien is a shell of the player he was (in fairness bad injuries does that), Lampard doesn't score anywhere close to the number of goals from open play he used to and they have never replaced Ballack who helped control the middle of the park. Ramires is by far their best midfielder now and hes looked best playing from the right.

I'd argue they did win through a very very organised midfield. You replace their midfield with the three which were playing for us during the latter half of last season and they'd be no where near the final.

When they were successful, their midfield was phenomenal. Thats my point.

I might be stretching it a bit far to say this year their midfield was instrumental, because honestly their team performances in the champions league just showed that winners grit and determination more than anything. Post-Luís André de Pina Cabral e Villas-Boas, their midfield for me looked very good. In the champions league, their midfielders were very good to be honest at what they were told to do. I'd see Spearing co. crumbling.

[blacksun]

I'd argue they did win through a very very organised midfield. You replace their midfield with the three which were playing for us during the latter half of last season and they'd be no where near the final.

When they were successful, their midfield was phenomenal. Thats my point.

I might be stretching it a bit far to say this year their midfield was instrumental, because honestly their team performances in the champions league just showed that winners grit and determination more than anything. Post-Luís André de Pina Cabral e Villas-Boas, their midfield for me looked very good. In the champions league, their midfielders were very good to be honest at what they were told to do. I'd see Spearing co. crumbling.

Well now you are moving the goalposts, theres a big difference between a very organised midfield and one that dominates possession, lots of teams have had organised midfield to not get beat but that isn't the same as controlling midfield.

They may have been very good at what they were told to do, if that was to give up possession regularly and be forced back to sit on the edge of their own box, but we will leave it there as it is not really the point of the thread.

[ChrisDavies]

People compare Spearing to Lucas, too. Nothing like him, either.

Because they're competing for the same position, regardless of the kind of player they are.

[Nessy76]

Because they're competing for the same position, regardless of the kind of player they are.

Spearing and Lucas? In what sense are they competing for the same position? One's a holding player, one isn't.

[ChrisDavies]

Spearing and Lucas? In what sense are they competing for the same position? One's a holding player, one isn't.

Doesn't matter if he is a holding player or not. At the moment Spearing is Lucas' backup in holding midfield and if Diame came he'd replace Spearing as Lucas' back up. That is why they're being compared.

[Rednigerian]

Diame vs. us http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-puIdQX1NpU

[newterp]

Diame vs. us http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-puIdQX1NpU

I know it's against us - but he knows what he is doing out there.

[Live in the Now]

The lack of pressing up the pitch by us in that video is killing me.

[Danny_]

Do we know yet when Lucas will return? I'd read somewhere he's not expected to be fit for the start of the season - if so, could be a few months into the season before he's up to speed. We'll definitely need someone to fill the gap. Rodgers didn't really have a dedicated DM at Swansea, did he? Not in the traditional sense anyway. Could see that replicated here.

He should be ready for the start of the season but nobody knows how much the injury will have affected him - hopefully, not much.  We shall see.  As for this guy, he looks okay.  I'm not massively enthused by the signing but we do need the cover.

[Danny_]

When it comes to free signings we should ask a simple question....

Would we be interested if they were not on a free? if no then move on.

When you take into account the increased signing on bonus, increased loyalty bonus spread across the contract and increased wages, he will be impossible to shift if he doesn't work out. 

Agreed.  I think we've all learned our lesson re Bosnams - they aren't really free.    I am sure that we now look at players in terms of wages plus transfer fee and assess their value this way.

[greyfade]

I'd take him, he cud turn out to be a good player with quality players around him.

[DanA]

Looks a good player but I don't think he's the right it for us. I'd rather someone a bit stronger defensively.

[Discipline]

Be a much needed back-up. Sign him up.

[AlexL]

But what about his heart problem? Are we gonna take that risk?

[brad147690]

But what about his heart problem? Are we gonna take that risk?

I'm sure it can be monitored well. If it wasn't then he wouldn't of played football this long without doing anything about it.

[markthescouser]

Diame vs. us http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-puIdQX1NpU

I was thinking all they way through that video that he looks like what everyone in the world thought Yaya Toure was before he went to Manchester City, then saw the only comment and it seems I'm not alone. Wouldn't mind him at all.

[hugoboss]

Looked very good in that video was all over the pitch and people said he's lazy. Seems very capable on the ball which is very good

[MBL?]

Even Fordy would find it hard to make excuses for Adam in that video. Woeful.

[-Q-]

Remember him playing very well against us, that was the first time I'd really noticed him to be honest, but looking at the video he was even better than I remembered.  His heart condition didn't stop him there, we really don't know what is the problem.  Trust to the club doctors.

[One of these]

But what about his heart problem? Are we gonna take that risk?

Seems to have a lot more heart than some of our players...

[hugoboss]

Remember him playing very well against us, that was the first time I'd really noticed him to be honest, but looking at the video he was even better than I remembered.  His heart condition didn't stop him there, we really don't know what is the problem.  Trust to the club doctors.

Yeah if he passes a medical then its ok, they made the right call on Marveaux

[Cybertom]

I honestly think Diame has the potential to be a really good player; someone in the mould of Viera or Yaya Toure. His control of the ball and dribbling look really promising (especially for such a large guy) and demonstrates he has a lot of athleticism and power, both to win the ball and keep it. His passing stats are good too; keeping the ball and creating chances for other to capitalise.
His major problem is his work rate; he doesn't match that of the two aforementioned players, and this has to be because of his heart condition. I don't think its worth the risk. I'd rather someone like Clasie, M'Vila, Sissoko, Matuidi etc.

[LondonRedMan]

Doesn't matter if he is a holding player or not. At the moment Spearing is Lucas' backup in holding midfield and if Diame came he'd replace Spearing as Lucas' back up. That is why they're being compared.

THIS