Who makes it in the Prem? (2 Viewers)

PUSB-We_are_going_up said:

Wouldnt mind if Lati first season went out on loan in case we did come down as we didnt actually pay a fee for him

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We paid Swansea £500k compensation. I think he'll leave though I neither see the point in retaining him.

It'll probably be a good time for him to move to be honest. He only has a year left on his deal, isn't likely to get any game time in the event we do go up and he's at an age where the club could probably get a modest fee for him.

Ccfcisparks said:

Would be pointless

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Would it though? Because if we did go back down he’d become important to the squad, also he came for £0 if he left for £0 thats not a loss, however if we did sell him I can understand the reasonings as we would just sign a new CB if needed anyways. My thoughts were more to do with coninuity

PUSB-We_are_going_up said:

Would it though? Because if we did go back down he’d become important to the squad, also he came for £0 if he left for £0 thats not a loss, however if we did sell him I can understand the reasonings as we would just sign a new CB if needed anyways. My thoughts were more to do with coninuity

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If we came down I'd want better than Lati. You are only saying keep him as hes had a good last 3 games.

Ccfcisparks said:

If we came down I'd want better than Lati. You are only saying keep him as hes had a good last 3 games.

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He’d be a useful squad member as he has been this season whenever called upon, its also to do with his personality and what he’s like behind the scenes he’s clearly a leader in the group with natural leadership characteristics

SBAndy said:

I think this comes back to the “not all that counts can be counted”. He’s not great at consistently covering the left back but there isn’t an Expected Dawdles stat. For the record, I’m not saying that he never does it but he’s more prone to lapses in concentration than Sakamoto (who himself let a man go v Sheff Utd).

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On EMC specifically, his defensive numbers were poor last season and the data shows that his numbers are good. With respect, anyone maintaining the narrative that he’s a defensive liability is basing it on opinions from last season.

Sakamoto should be a better defender than EMC, we originally signed him to be a WB. When I bench marked EMC v Sakamoto, it’s because one player is considered a ‘good’ defender and the other is often considered a ‘liability’. EMC, to his credit (and Lampard’s), has gone from being a weak defender to a respectable one in one season. Against WBA, for example, he had the most tackles out of anyone.

Sakamoto has been consistent in all his outputs in attack and defence since he’s joined us so doesn’t suffer that negative perception that say, JDS or EMC does.