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Post by somersetpotter on Feb 2, 2016 1:38:55 GMT
I've just watched his highlight video on youtube..... He absolutely roasted Chelsea in the Champo league and us in a friendly. Didn't have a clue who he was until then and now I might be even more excited than I was after Shaq was confirmed. He is the missing link !
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Post by houstonsteve on Feb 2, 2016 2:13:46 GMT
This is the final jigsaw piece. I expect the same impact as John Devine or Brian Talbot had when they arrived. All of a sudden we will be all over teams and creating chances and scoring goals, as the midfield gets that extra dynamism that draws in the opposition midfield and defenders allowing the BMX to do their damage. I ultimately expect the midfield 2 to be Affellay and Imbula but either will have to work very hard to displace Whelan who is a star, but perhaps just waning a bit.
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Post by roostershair on Feb 2, 2016 2:23:25 GMT
Bonsoir M. Imbula . Voulez-vous essayer de beaux oatcake Stoke? Bonjour clayhead, 'ast got any chayse with that youth?
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Post by senojbor on Feb 2, 2016 2:23:40 GMT
He's a massive step up from Glen.
Sent from my HTC One using proboards
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Post by PotterLog on Feb 2, 2016 2:33:01 GMT
meet your new translator whilst you set up your English lessons. ![;)](//storage.proboards.com/800541/images/0m0lbCuTEBzaRn6f8QaM.gif) New role for Sidibe and if all else fails part-time work available up 'Anley duck ![:D](//storage.proboards.com/800541/images/kwfoKwtHI0jglJZ4qZf6.gif) Well done Mr Coates and the whole team. Who'd of thunked it. Main news on transfer deadline day. GOARRRRRRRRRRRN STOKE! I love 'em ![:-*](//storage.proboards.com/800541/images/ibsKtmyxvmCS4ld9vDzv.gif) Biggest deal done anywhere in Europe I think
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Post by PotterLog on Feb 2, 2016 2:38:58 GMT
Anything positive to post tonight mate? Sorry no, if we'd have broken our transfer record on a striker who regularly bags 20 goals a season I'd have been a lot happier. You'd be happier with a striker who "regularly bags 20 goals a season"? No fucking shit. I'd be happier if Agüero had signed for us too. We had 18m to spend, not 80.
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Post by steve66 on Feb 2, 2016 2:55:38 GMT
Is he available for tomorrow night No - Had to be signed by midday. Doubt we would of played him anyway I would prefer his debut to be on home soil.
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Post by PotterLog on Feb 2, 2016 3:42:07 GMT
This is a small tidbit from someone who watched him in France. Just a punter in a facebook group but seems to know the player and he has a quite interesting perspective on why it didn't really work for him at Porto:
"I think from the full games I saw of his when he was in France, that he is excellent. I suspect that he doesn't suit the Portuguese league. His major asset is a wonderful ability to run with the ball from relatively deep positions, and play relatively simple, yet often quite incisive, passes into wider positions. He can also press intensely. He is positionally decent, though I am slightly dubious about him in a rigid double pivot, given he likes to move forward rather alot. However, the Portguese league, from my relatively little knowledge, is relatively low tempo, and favours physically less imposing, more intricate players. I can see, prima-facie, how Imbula wouldn't suit that, for while he seems technically excellent with the ball at his feet, and has a pretty good passing range, he plays at a higher tempo, likes bursting into space, rather than dictating games at a slower tempo from a deeper position. In this sense he reminds me of an amalgum of Dembele and Ramires, possessing the stamina and direct running of Ramires, with the technical competence of Dembele (and the dispositions to use the drag-back, judging by the highlights). I rate him very much though, think he will do a good job in the long run for Stoke. Considering Townsend went for 12, and that Imbula is a year younger, and rated more highly, the price seems like a good long term bet, albeit one that could go wrong."
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2016 5:23:56 GMT
The only person this is a 'big risk' for is Mark Hughes. This will now be the main thing he is judged on.
He'll probably be allowed half a year to settle (believe it or not the mentalists who spent all their time abusing Wollscheid are not representative of most Stoke fans) and then everyone, Coates and media included, will be expecting big thinks for the 2016 and 17 season.
If you think the club can't afford this player then you haven't looked at the tv deals recently.
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Post by heworksardtho on Feb 2, 2016 6:14:36 GMT
3.5 million of 5 years plus his wages is nothing with the money coming into sky
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Post by Northy on Feb 2, 2016 6:29:05 GMT
meet your new translator whilst you set up your English lessons. ![;)](//storage.proboards.com/800541/images/0m0lbCuTEBzaRn6f8QaM.gif) New role for Sidibe and if all else fails part-time work available up 'Anley duck ![:D](//storage.proboards.com/800541/images/kwfoKwtHI0jglJZ4qZf6.gif) Well done Mr Coates and the whole team. Who'd of thunked it. Main news on transfer deadline day. GOARRRRRRRRRRRN STOKE! I love 'em ![:-*](//storage.proboards.com/800541/images/ibsKtmyxvmCS4ld9vDzv.gif) Main transfer news, not the main news, they seemed to continually bang on about some manager who isn't joining until the summer.
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Post by pyrus on Feb 2, 2016 6:30:25 GMT
This is where we all wanted and needed to be. It was massively frustrating carching other teams crumbs, with irons in the fire and waiting for fucking apples to drop. It now comes across as one big excuse for playing Pulisball - as if we never had a choice. Couple that with all the TV money that has become available and £18million is suddenly the new £8m.
Then I look at the team. There have been more than a few times this season, I have though that we were a Stephen N'zonzi away from damaging some teams like we did to Liverpool. The front line have been great, the defence has been great, Glenn has been great defensively, but we have had trouble in pairing him with someone more athletic and adventurous - Cameron being good at times, but no Stephen N'zonzi. The final few pieces of the jigsaw are always the most difficult and it does not surprise me that we have been willing to invest so much getting them right. Even so, this is not a real-terms monetary record. Pulis effectively splurged £20Million on Crouch, lumbering us with Palacios and his wages at the same time.
We are not complete yet and I understand why we were chasing Berahino. Our ability to create chances is fine, our ability to convert them is not. I don't thing Imbula is going to change that and I think we will see our transfer record broken again in Summer on a forward.
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Post by milky on Feb 2, 2016 6:35:25 GMT
As folk have been saying 18 mil isn't what it was with the money swilling around especially from next season.
Just hope he is allowed time to settle and not written off after three games like several other players who I really don't need to name.
Potentially another Stoke player in the Euros as well ?
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Post by Northy on Feb 2, 2016 6:40:31 GMT
He's going to give us something different in midfield, his speed of moving forward will hopefully overcome this slow play we have been seeing this season.
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Post by takeshikovacs on Feb 2, 2016 6:55:38 GMT
This is a small tidbit from someone who watched him in France. Just a punter in a facebook group but seems to know the player and he has a quite interesting perspective on why it didn't really work for him at Porto: "I think from the full games I saw of his when he was in France, that he is excellent. I suspect that he doesn't suit the Portuguese league. His major asset is a wonderful ability to run with the ball from relatively deep positions, and play relatively simple, yet often quite incisive, passes into wider positions. He can also press intensely. He is positionally decent, though I am slightly dubious about him in a rigid double pivot, given he likes to move forward rather alot. However, the Portguese league, from my relatively little knowledge, is relatively low tempo, and favours physically less imposing, more intricate players. I can see, prima-facie, how Imbula wouldn't suit that, for while he seems technically excellent with the ball at his feet, and has a pretty good passing range, he plays at a higher tempo, likes bursting into space, rather than dictating games at a slower tempo from a deeper position. In this sense he reminds me of an amalgum of Dembele and Ramires, possessing the stamina and direct running of Ramires, with the technical competence of Dembele (and the dispositions to use the drag-back, judging by the highlights). I rate him very much though, think he will do a good job in the long run for Stoke. Considering Townsend went for 12, and that Imbula is a year younger, and rated more highly, the price seems like a good long term bet, albeit one that could go wrong."I heard we put a bid in for Prima-Facie too.
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Post by clarkeda on Feb 2, 2016 7:01:01 GMT
He's going to give us something different in midfield, his speed of moving forward will hopefully overcome this slow play we have been seeing this season. I think this, he looks like he dictates tempo of a game and when he does it's quick, which suits us. If Nzonzi drove forward and much as we wanted him to, he'd look like this guy.
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Post by robboleek on Feb 2, 2016 7:03:02 GMT
Let's not get too carried away with the price tag...... Remember we paid £18 million before which really may as well have been for one player as the £8 million player wS shite !!!
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Post by upthefud on Feb 2, 2016 7:27:48 GMT
Football is a squad game, this signing has strengthened us no end.
We now have the option of pushing Afellay further forward and putting Bojan up top Afellay is also free to cover the wings in emergency Imbula makes our midfield stronger We've freed up Geoff to help provide cover for the CBs.
£18m is a lot, let's give the club some credit instead of knocking everything.
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Post by lastoftheldk on Feb 2, 2016 7:29:19 GMT
Apples dropped, we got the kiddie.
Welcome
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Post by bathstoke on Feb 2, 2016 7:37:17 GMT
I've just watched his highlight video on youtube..... He absolutely roasted Chelsea in the Champo league and us in a friendly. Didn't have a clue who he was until then and now I might be even more excited than I was after Shaq was confirmed. He is the missing link ! You're wrong there Somerset. This board is like an evolutionary rainbow, with the whole spectrum of missing links regularly posting ![:D](//storage.proboards.com/800541/images/kwfoKwtHI0jglJZ4qZf6.gif)
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Post by lancer on Feb 2, 2016 7:45:29 GMT
Football is a squad game, this signing has strengthened us no end. We now have the option of pushing Afellay further forward and putting Bojan up top Afellay is also free to cover the wings in emergency Imbula makes our midfield stronger We've freed up Geoff to help provide cover for the CBs. £18m is a lot, let's give the club some credit instead of knocking everything. Good post, fud. I totally agree with you, Imbula has give Sparky options he needed and can use. ![(thumbsup)](//storage.proboards.com/800541/images/q4Mqf5MqRwT9PY8UitYa.gif)
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Post by MuddyWoody on Feb 2, 2016 7:46:13 GMT
Everybody seems convinced that Imbula is going to replace Afellay in the team. I'm looking forward to seeing Imbula and Afellay play in the middle with Imbula being Whelan's eventual successor.
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Post by chiswickpotter on Feb 2, 2016 7:48:53 GMT
Sometimes you have to buy players who will help to create more chances for your strikers to take. Imbula's drive from the middle of the park should help in that regard. Afellay was doing that job just fine though wasn't he and he cost nothing and is still only 29. I just think we had other areas of the team that could have warranted the investment more. Great player he is, how many assists does Afellay have..or goals? Surely Imbula is more likely to replace Cameron in the 3 behind the front 3, or to allow Geoff to play deeper. Don't view this signing as meaning we didn't try and buy anyone else or won't - we seem to have been in for strikers too. This season will be a good one financially with FFP limiting outgoings, next summer will be a feeding frenzy as clubs are awash with TV money, very sensible commercial strategy to get a player better than we already have in now so we can concentrate on other areas next time
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Post by scfc75 on Feb 2, 2016 8:16:09 GMT
Anything positive to post tonight mate? Sorry no, if we'd have broken our transfer record on a striker who regularly bags 20 goals a season I'd have been a lot happier. You mean like when Torres move to Chelsea? All transfers are a gamble. If they weren't then managing a football club would be a piece of piss.
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rich0529
Academy Starlet
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COYP!
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Post by rich0529 on Feb 2, 2016 8:26:00 GMT
The next question (if it hasn't already been spoke about) is who would we drop for imbula? Whelan? afellay?
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Post by 11wilkosinateam on Feb 2, 2016 8:38:37 GMT
Im seeing us moving back to the 4-3-3 with Imbula
Johnson ----- Cameron ------- Muniesa -------- Pieters
--------Affelay--------Whelan---------Imbula----------
------Shaqiri----------Bojan----------Arnie------------
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Post by cousindupree on Feb 2, 2016 8:48:55 GMT
I have no idea how good he is but it is a shock to see us shell out 18m. Its quite a statement of our ambition. But someone please tell me how a defensive midfielder is going to solve our lack of goals?
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Post by Pugsley on Feb 2, 2016 8:56:48 GMT
Football is a squad game, this signing has strengthened us no end. We now have the option of pushing Afellay further forward and putting Bojan up top Afellay is also free to cover the wings in emergency Imbula makes our midfield stronger We've freed up Geoff to help provide cover for the CBs. £18m is a lot, let's give the club some credit instead of knocking everything. It's probably how Mark Hughes sees it. One player gives us more options. Really looking forward to the weekend to see what team he picks.
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Post by kevkj on Feb 2, 2016 9:07:38 GMT
I have no idea how good he is but it is a shock to see us shell out 18m. Its quite a statement of our ambition. But someone please tell me how a defensive midfielder is going to solve our lack of goals? Potternation I would expect us to move through the midfield more quickly as this guy seems to like bursting forward with ball which should create more space, rather than the laboured sidewards passing we have seen this season.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2016 9:09:11 GMT
I have no idea how good he is but it is a shock to see us shell out 18m. Its quite a statement of our ambition. But someone please tell me how a defensive midfielder is going to solve our lack of goals? Potternation I would expect us to move through the midfield more quickly as this guy seems to like bursting forward with ball which should create more space, rather than the laboured sidewards passing we have seen this season. Well said Kev. Let's hope it works out that way. We haven't had a true, pacey, aggressive box to box midfielder for years. Really excited.
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