The Official FOF Silly Season Summer Transfer Thread 2017-18

[grandad]

Flint is a good CB but doesn't fit Fulham at all.
Not good on the ball and that is so pivotal to the way we play. Don't think hes a player we'd go for but am sure he would be a great success at a club like Villa

Just have a look at his goal scoring record. Phenominal. Just what we need, a CB that can score from set pieces.

[@jolslover]

Flint is a good CB but doesn't fit Fulham at all.
Not good on the ball and that is so pivotal to the way we play. Don't think hes a player we'd go for but am sure he would be a great success at a club like Villa

Just have a look at his goal scoring record. Phenominal. Just what we need, a CB that can score from set pieces.

I don't judge a CB on how many goals he scores.
He would not be effective in our current team where it is important for our CBs to be good on the ball so we can play from the back.

[Woolly Mammoth]

Totally disagree with this preconception that you can only play your way out of defence to be successful.
Ideally in a perfect world maybe the conasuirs way, which we all love, and enjoy watching as it's easy on the eye. But whether we like it or not, it will take more than that to Finish  in an automatic spot.
Let's not take for granted that we will keep all our key players, money talks very loudly on occasions. We have to be cute as well as realistic.
However, I don't buy this philosophy that every player has to be inch perfect in playing the ball out of the defence. We are not Barcelona, we are not Real Madrid, we are, we hope attempting to play and fight our way out of the Championship.
That in itself is a challenge, as every game is different, which requires different players, horses for courses. Last season we had too many of the same kind of players, lightweight physically and mentally.
A player that gets you promotion, can be different to a player that keeps you in the next level.
We lacked an edge last season, an edge that was evident in other teams frequently, but was missing a lot of the time at Fulham.
We could have done with an Aden Flint at times last season. It will take more than attempting to pass the ball accurately out of defence every game, all of the time to win matches.
First and foremost he is a towering defender, and he can defend, which is something our team failed to do on occasions, which was costly.
He has a massive presence, and I don't mean just physically either.
Scoring goals from set pieces is fundamentaly so important, it gives us another weapon in our armoury. It always has been an important part of football, and even more these days, it pushes the chance of winning a match and saving a match more in your favour.
So I for one would like to see Fulham secure him, before we lose him to another rival, and it comes back to haunt us.
Especially as there is no gaurentee the likes of Kalas or anyone else for that matter in that position will play for us next season, but even if they do, I would still like to see him playing in a Fulham shirt next season.

[@jolslover]

Totally disagree with this preconception that you can only play your way out of defence to be successful.
Ideally in a perfect world maybe the conasuirs way, which we all love, and enjoy watching as it's easy on the eye. But whether we like it or not, it will take more than that to Finish  in an automatic spot.
Let's not take for granted that we will keep all our key players, money talks very loudly on occasions. We have to be cute as well as realistic.
However, I don't buy this philosophy that every player has to be inch perfect in playing the ball out of the defence. We are not Barcelona, we are not Real Madrid, we are, we hope attempting to play and fight our way out of the Championship.
That in itself is a challenge, as every game is different, which requires different players, horses for courses. Last season we had too many of the same kind of players, lightweight physically and mentally.
A player that gets you promotion, can be different to a player that keeps you in the next level.
We lacked an edge last season, an edge that was evident in other teams frequently, but was missing a lot of the time at Fulham.
We could have done with an Aden Flint at times last season. It will take more than attempting to pass the ball accurately out of defence every game, all of the time to win matches.
First and foremost he is a towering defender, and he can defend, which is something our team failed to do on occasions, which was costly.
He has a massive presence, and I don't mean just physically either.
Scoring goals from set pieces is fundamentaly so important, it gives us another weapon in our armoury. It always has been an important part of football, and even more these days, it pushes the chance of winning a match and saving a match more in your favour.
So I for one would like to see Fulham secure him, before we lose him to another rival, and it comes back to haunt us.
Especially as there is no gaurentee the likes of Kalas or anyone else for that matter in that position will play for us next season, but even if they do, I would still like to see him playing in a Fulham shirt next season.

I don't think playing out the back is the only way to be successful but it is how we play and how Slavisa likes to play.
Ragnar Sigurdsson is a good defender but he looks shakey because he is not comfortable with the ball at his feet. If he went to Bristol City or a club where the CB's do not have to spend so much time on the ball, then I predict he would shine. Equally if Ream went their he would not look as good, as one of his main traits is his composure on the ball.
Flint is a good defender but is not the right fit for Fulham with how we currently play (in my opinion).

[Mince n Tatties]

Flint is a good CB but doesn't fit Fulham at all.
Not good on the ball and that is so pivotal to the way we play. Don't think hes a player we'd go for but am sure he would be a great success at a club like Villa

I bet if he was called El Flinto and played in third tier of Spanish football you would say this guy is fantastic let's sign him up.... :005:

[FulhamStu]

Flint is an interesting one, we certainly lack Ariel presence and also some leadership at the back.  We were lacking as an attacking force from set pieces as well, how many corners do we score from ?   I would suggest we could tweak our passing style at the back slightly, which to be fir we did anyway when Bets came into the team and went slightly more direct.  A central striker who is decent in the air, poor mans Saha if you like and a player like Flint added to the 11 would surely be an improvement and give us more ways of winning.  Teams that win leagues can grind out 1-0 wins, not sure we can currently do that.

[Wolf]

I bet if he was called El Flinto and played in third tier of Spanish football you would say this guy is fantastic let's sign him up.... :005:

Change the record

[westcliff white]

I bet if he was called El Flinto and played in third tier of Spanish football you would say this guy is fantastic let's sign him up.... :005:

Change the record

Mince is entiteld to his view and hasnt crossed the line with his reply so no need for the comment really

[AlexW132]

Flint is a good CB but doesn't fit Fulham at all.
Not good on the ball and that is so pivotal to the way we play. Don't think hes a player we'd go for but am sure he would be a great success at a club like Villa

Just have a look at his goal scoring record. Phenominal. Just what we need, a CB that can score from set pieces.

And that's the problem, we don't deliver good set pieces so there's not much point. He's a good player, but won't work in our system.

[Mince n Tatties]

Huddersfield in for the Bremen Goalie.
First Mounie now him and Flint apparently, using their premier status as a bargaining tool?

[HillingdonFFC]

In my opinion its nonsense this Flint not fitting in with our style thinking. You dont need two footballing centre halves, Flint apparently is right sided, Ream is left sided & an accomplished footballer, now im pretty sure Flint as a pro footballer is quite capable of playing a simple pass to MacDonald. He sits in front of the back four & most of our build up starts with him.
As long as he had adequate pace which tbh I dont know, I'd be more interested if he can defend?, & that would be my main concern. I'd rather have an uncompromising but solid lump than a showpony.
Admittedly Brighton were not as easy on the eye as us but they still played football & it didnt do them any harm playing with 2 Flint style units in Dunk & Duffy. They conceded less goals than anyone because they went for substance over style.
Having said all that I'd still prefer Kalas but thats starting to look a little unlikely now.

[Mince n Tatties]

In my opinion its nonsense this Flint not fitting in with our style thinking. You dont need two footballing centre halves, Flint apparently is right sided, Ream is left sided & an accomplished footballer, now im pretty sure Flint as a pro footballer is quite capable of playing a simple pass to MacDonald. He sits in front of the back four & most of our build up starts with him.
As long as he had adequate pace which tbh I dont know, I'd be more interested if he can defend?, & that would be my main concern. I'd rather have an uncompromising but solid lump than a showpony.
Admittedly Brighton were not as easy on the eye as us but they still played football & it didnt do them any harm playing with 2 Flint style units in Dunk & Duffy. They conceded less goals than anyone because they went for substance over style.
Having said all that I'd still prefer Kalas but thats starting to look a little unlikely now.

Spot on.

[Carborundum]

I'd like us to sign Flint because I'm inclined to think that a team without a centre back who will win his individual physical battle is a team that will fall a bit short.  Maybe an acclimatised Sigurdsson can be that player, but for all the problems with the ball at his feet, the surprising thing about him last year is that he came off second best quite often.

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I tend to think our passing out from the back, high possession  approach has been in part concocted to enable our American centre back to do things he is good at and shield his weaknesses.  If our manager feels obliged to stick with Ream, Flint might not be the best signing, but if we want to be able to do something else he might be just the ticket.

[grandad]

At an asking price of £4 mil Flint would be a steal. Peanuts these days even in the Championship. With or without Kalas we must sign this player.

[toshes mate]

The 'system' of moving the ball around to move opponents around and thus get them out of position or making mistakes is really the whole game in a nutshell since most goals come that way rather than via a moment of genius from one player.   The 'system' has many layers and many ways of expressing itself.  The 'art' of playing the ball out of defence is likewise multi-faceted, from having defenders happy to retain possession to having those who can deliver a killer short or long pass.   The key is 'seeing the pass' and delivering it.  That is having two players on the same wavelength during a game and what I call 'spot partnerships'.   Players can be coached into developing those spot plays which is why regularity in a team is so important.

The more players we have who can play a possession game and pass accurately wherever they are on the pitch, the more likely our team is to develop spot partnerships and score regularly via several potential goalscorers and outlets.  That is what we did last season starting with a bunch of relative misfits who happened to gel into something more cohesive in a matter of a few months.  The key to transfers is how potential incoming players stack up on possession and passing accuracy or could/can be coached/trained into playing in such a way.  There are many otherwise gifted players who give the ball away far too cheaply too often and they must be avoided.  I still have faith that whoever our signings may be this summer they will not contain the panic death buy of last summer.   Recent history doesn't serve my faith as boldly as I'd like but I still have that belief that those who make mistakes should be given a fair chance to rectify them.  I am expecting a hat-trick of signings over the next fourteen days or so. 

[filham]

Flint sounds just like the big tall strong tough ugly central defender we have needed since Hangeland departed.
Don't worry too much about his on the ball skills, Jocanovic can sort that out, remember what a good job Tigana did on Rufus Brevet.

[hovewhite]

Flint would be a great signing ,hope its not just paper talk!

[Lighthouse]

Famara Diedhiou: Bristol City sign Senegal striker in club record £5.3m deal

One can understand our frustrations. We have been looking for a forward since the departure of Ross and Dembele. Yet while other teams manage to conclude business. We still wait.

[OMalleyCat]

It's still very early days, the signings will come!

[twang]

Famara Diedhiou: Bristol City sign Senegal striker in club record £5.3m deal

One can understand our frustrations. We have been looking for a forward since the departure of Ross and Dembele. Yet while other teams manage to conclude business. We still wait.

The type of striker we need, with a good record, for a reasonable fee... Hopefully we have something really good lined up, otherwise we really missed an opportunity here.