Georginio Wijnaldum - Newcastle

Stop thinking in terms of #6, #8 and #10 for a second and look at his qualities and overall skillset as a player. Players get played in slightly different positions or roles throughout their career all the time. It all depends on what the manager wants him or doesn't want him to do and I'm sure he can adapt to the way Klopp sets up his team. I've been watching some videos the last half hour, primarly of his days at PSV Eindhoven because the position he had back then is closest to the position we're looking to fill in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Zf11_7IHzA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKFW-aQo2VI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fuB19Ovvm4

A few question marks have been raised regarding his consistency and mentality. I think the mentality part is just something the Newcastle fans are coming up with because they got relegated and he might be leaving them. He captained PSV at the age of 23, you don't become captain of a title winning team when you've got mentality or consistency problems I think. He was as consistent as it gets throughout the 2014-2015 season. He might have been inconsistent for Newcastle last season, but then again, who wasn't? Their whole team was sh*te and with McClaren as manager you can't blame him. It was also his first season in a new league, at the age of 24, in a struggling side. Surely we can forgive him? He was still their best player by a country mile.

If you look at the videos, you can see what he has that all / most of our other midfielders lack:

- Pace
- Goal scoring ability
- Genuine ability on the ball / dribbling skills
- Can and isn't afraid of receiving the ball in tight areas and can get out of tight situations
- Looks to play fast one-two combinations to get forward quickly
- Good transition play

Isn't this the kind of profile we've been looking for to fill up the gap in midfield? I think he can also do a job defensively if needed. Klopp likes to train and develop players, if he can get Wijnaldum to focus on the defensive side of things a bit more, it could work out. In my opinion, he has a lot of qualities that Klopp looks for in a player and he would be an upgrade on most of our midfield players. I'm sure he can do a job in a three-man-midfield, regarding a two-man-midfield I'm not 100% sure yet, but with Klopp's guidance and some tactical training, he might just be what we were looking for. Wijnaldum with a Mascherano type of player next to him would be perfect.

I agree £25 million is huge amount of money, but then again, we're living in a time where the likes of Troy Deeney, Ighalo and other bang average players are going for £30 million. Not saying we should get him for that price, but it might prove to be a bargain, who knows?

I really don't think Flanagan looked anywhere near able to cover properly last year.

He was always a tad limited overall but he looked pretty bad last year at times.

Give your head a wobble lad, he had been out for 18 months+ with a serious injury and only played a couple of games. Jesus christ.

Give your head a wobble lad, he had been out for 18 months+ with a serious injury and only played a couple of games. Jesus christ.

Exactly, he was out for a long time.

Serious injuries take a lot of players and I don't think Flanagan was particularly naturally talented to begin with. When he played he was f**king terrible and I do think there's a significant chance if he were to leave on loan the squad would move on without him. If he is to have a future he needs to stay here but I think there's a good chance he won't return to his previous level after so long out.

I didn't rate him particularly highly even in 13/14, I mean he was decent but functional and playing well in a side that was on fire.

But that being said, there was absolutely nothing controversial about what I said.

Exactly, he was out for a long time.

Serious injuries take a lot of players and I don't think Flanagan was particularly naturally talented to begin with. When he played he was f**king terrible and I do think there's a significant chance if he were to leave on loan the squad would move on without him. If he is to have a future he needs to stay here but I think there's a good chance he won't return to his previous level after so long out.

Absolutely nothing controversial about what I said.

Not controversial, just ridiculous. I'm sure if you were out for as long as him you'd struggle too. In fact I would put money on virtually every player struggling when they first return after such a lay off and struggling to regain proper fitness.

Not controversial, just ridiculous. I'm sure if you were out for as long as him you'd struggle too. In fact I would put money on virtually every player struggling when they first return after such a lay off and struggling to regain proper fitness.

Yes but as I said I don't think he can afford to have his physical condition hampered and still be at a level where he is good enough for us.

Being out for so long with serious injuries often takes it out of players and they miss development time, he still had to develop a lot even when playing at his best.

All in all, I wouldn't be assuming Flanagan is automatically going to be at our level for years to come anymore.

I don't really rate his chances of making it much anymore, really don't think it's a controversial opinion and I can't be arsed getting a mouthful for it.

Anyway, back to Wijnaldum.

We could buy some more stardust, no doubt about that but if Chelsea buy 10 vials of stardust then how do we buy 7-8 more?

It's a valid question, not being a smart arse...people are talking about how we have all this TV money but the fact is those above us also got the TV money and the prices have inflated exponentially so what difference does it make?

The end fact here is that in a straight up arms race FSG is worth about £2.1B whereas Abromovich is worth around £9B and the Sheikh is worth £18B...how exactly do you get around that? I honestly do not know.

But do we need 7 or 8? Where do we need this? Look at our front four from last season. Lallana, Coutinho, Firmino and Sturridge. Does that need the stardust sprinkling on it? Not the best in the league but not in urgent need of upgrades and no one has a better number 9 than us right now (Aguero on par with Studge). What about the two behind, Can and Henderson? I think at least one of these could be upgraded. Can could certainly do with playing alongside a top class partner in there. Look at the back four. The weakest link is left back and who do we try get to replace/challenge him? A teenager. So we don't need seven or eight, we need two players. Two top class talented players.

Furthermore let me be absolutely clear on what I mean by 'stardust'. I do not mean a glamour signing like Zlatan in search of a final big payday. If we look down the years, would you not agree that 2008/09 season was our best team during the Premier League years? Reina, Alonso, Mascherano, Arbeloa, Torres - none of them were household names before they signed for us but neither were they project's, 'ones for the future'. All were experienced and talented players before they signed for us. This is what I believe we should be looking at.

Also, what's happened to our Academy? In the 90s we brought through some of our greatest ever players. Carra, Macca, God, Judas Manc, Gerrard. We had the perfect blend of Academy graduates and talented purchases. I can't remember the last Academy product to make it to the first team squad. What did we do differently then than we're doing now? Surely we weren't just incredibly lucky to get five of the most talented players of their generation in a single generation? There has to be more to it than that.

Finally, Chelsea finished two places below us and so have no Champions League football. Sure they can spend big but will a player go to them without Champions League football any more than they'd come to us? Chelsea are a club with an aging squad that needs a lot more work doing to it than we need to do to ours so they either spend unprecedented amounts of money or they enter a rebuilding phase over the next two or three windows. That should be affording us time and we seem to be wasting it on mediocrity and making excuses without actually trying.

I really don't think Flanagan looked anywhere near able to cover properly last year. And I'm beginning to doubt he can do a job going forward.

He was always a tad limited overall but he looked pretty bad last year at times. I think if he were to go on loan now then he'd probably end up losing his place as a squad player when he returns.

Huge injury difficulties and, in my mind, we have to start considering 13/14 may be his peak performances in a Liverpool shirt rather than a base he can improve on.

Randall isn't up to much either, maybe someone like Trent Alexander-Arnold can step up into that role over the course of this season (I believe he has had some games at fullback) until Klopp decides what to do long term.

Anyway, probably the wrong thread to discuss this.

Yeah I totally agree with this. Flanagan is hard a worker but he is is not an option for cover and shouldn't be. Let's not delude ourselves here.

Randall? He's of a Darren Potter/John Welsh level is Championship level at best.

Yeah but it was a fluke....lest that is what we are told.

Are you suggesting it wasn't? Wind your neck in for F**k's sake.

Seems like he goes missing away from home a bit, scored all his goals at home I think?

Bit worrying but there must be something that Klopp has seen in him to want him here. Intrigued as to where he will play as well, doubt we have the resources to be able to spend 20m on a squad player.

I expect us to look a bit like this next season:

                       Sturridge (Lewandowksi)

 Coutinho (Rues) Firmino (Mkhitaryan)  Mane (Blaszczykowski)

                 Can (Bender)   Wijnaldum (Gundogan)

Some similarities to Dortmund perhaps?

I expect us to look a bit like this next season:

                       Sturridge (Lewandowksi)

 Coutinho (Rues) Firmino (Mkhitaryan)  Mane (Blaszczykowski)

                 Can (Bender)   Wijnaldum (Gundogan)

Some similarities to Dortmund perhaps?

I tend to agree but I think you've gone a little far with Bender, we'll never sign him and I'd have Reus in ahead of Coutinho but apples and oranges I can live with that

Should turn out to be a good window that! 

I expect us to look a bit like this next season:

                       Sturridge (Lewandowksi)

 Coutinho (Rues) Firmino (Mkhitaryan)  Mane (Blaszczykowski)

                 Can (Bender)   Wijnaldum (Gundogan)

Some similarities to Dortmund perhaps?

I see very little similarities in any of those comparisons.

Seeing reports Newcastle are holding out for full 25m up front.

Seeing reports Newcastle are holding out for full 25m up front.

Dead right too.

https://twitter.com/BassTunedToRed/status/755438648951246848


*"obviously midfielder is a vague definition"

Echo update (we are yet to meet the asking price):

Liverpool have held discussions with Newcastle United over a potential move for Georginio Wijnaldum - but they are yet to meet the Magpies’ asking price.

The Magpies value the 25-year-old attacking midfielder at around the £27million mark but, despite reports that Wijnaldum was close to an Anfield move, no concrete agreement is yet in place between the clubs.

Jürgen Klopp has identified Dutch international Wijnaldum as one of his top transfer targets but, despite the midfielder’s desire to depart St James’ Park, Newcastle will not allow him to leave for lower than their own valuation.

Rafa Benitez is determined to keep hold of his prize assets, with United taking a hard-line stance on both Wijnaldum and fellow wantaway midfielder Moussa Sissoko’s futures.

It is understood that Liverpool are confident of luring Wijnaldum away from St James’ Park following initial discussions - there have even been suggestions that a shirt number has already been identified for the midfielder - but Newcastle will demand their asking price is met before they sanction a deal.

Some more scouting reports


https://twitter.com/anfieldhq/status/755435774959640576

Jürgen Klopp has identified Dutch international Wijnaldum as one of his top transfer targets

One of his top transfer targets... more to come!!!

Georginio is some name isn't it?

Are you suggesting it wasn't? Wind your neck in for f**k's sake.

No team winning the Prem can be called a fluke.  You can fluke your way to a Euro championship (Greece).  You can fluke your way to a super bowl (New York Giants).  Trophies won by 1-off games played in a short space of time can produce unworthy "fluke" champions. 

You can't fluke your way through a 38 game season that plays each team home and away over the course of 10 months.  Leicester were the best team in England last year -- it was not a fluke. 

They probably won't repeat that feat.  Their model probably isn't the most likely to produce another title winning side.  But it was not a fluke, and to dismiss it as one is a huge disservice to that team and their monumental achievement.

One of his top transfer targets... more to come!!!

Think we already missed out on the others (Chillwell, Dahoud, Zielinski)

Think we already missed out on the others (Chillwell, Dahoud, Zielinski)

Heretic!!!

Not to wander off topic, Madrid are close to signing Andre Gomes for about 50mil euros!!

Surely Kovacic will be available for the money we're reportedly ready to spend on Wijnaldum, just in case we cant reach an agreement.

You can't fluke your way through a 38 game season that plays each team home and away over the course of 10 months.  Leicester were the best team in England last year -- it was not a fluke. 

They probably won't repeat that feat.  Their model probably isn't the most likely to produce another title winning side.  But it was not a fluke, and to dismiss it as one is a huge disservice to that team and their monumental achievement.

Entirely correct.  You don't fluke only losing 3 times in 38 games and collecting 81 points.

Georginio is some name isn't it?

Seen him referred to as 'Gigi' by some of the Geordies.  Not at all feminine.