18 Sep 2017 02:14:17
Heard Ed01 you mentioned that you were planning on keeping up with more Leipzig games and keeping an eye on our golden boy Keita

Would be interesting to hear your opinion on what you think of Naby so far I think he's a great player to watch, love hearing your views on players and their ability!

{Ed001's Note - so far he has been excellent but nothing like Kante at all, no idea why some people compare them. Keita wants to run with the ball, Kante wants to get it and then give it. Keita has a much better range of passing and vision too. However he is not a patch on Kante for protecting the back four, but then who is?}

1.) 18 Sep 2017
18 Sep 2017 05:28:46
Kante is not 10% of what Kieta gives any team going forward while both Kante and Kieta are very good holding players. Kieta has played the deeper role and he has excelled, Coz he is positionally such a solid player.

{Ed001's Note - sorry but that is simply not true and clearly you have not watched enough of Kante. He is very good and getting better on the ball, especially at looking for quick forward balls, which is why Leicester have fallen apart without him. His ability to steal the ball then launch a quick counter is invaluable. Keita is better, but it is nothing like as big a margin, especially as Keita has a tendency to sometimes hang on to the ball to beat a man when an early ball would have been better. Kante always looks to play the early ball, which means the opposition defence has less time to get itself set.}

2.) 18 Sep 2017
18 Sep 2017 05:53:10
Will Can be the one who protecting the back four?

{Ed001's Note - I doubt he will be protecting ours next season.}

3.) 18 Sep 2017
18 Sep 2017 05:55:41
That is coz Kieta has the ability to take the ball forward by himself. He is an imposing playmaker in my eye. Excellent vision and terrific range of passing both short and long. Kante doesn't score enough even if you play him slightly high up. Kieta chips in with regular goals and assists. Kieta spread the ball efficiently. He has an attacking mindset. Kante is a proper old school B2B. A better version of Nainngolan while Kieta is a playmaker who could defend brilliantly in the mold of Dembele

I like Kante for what he is one of the simplest guy around on football pitch until I saw Kieta!

{Ed001's Note - no, it is because he does not yet realise the effectiveness of letting the ball do the work. You can split a defence much more quickly and effectively with a good early ball, which is why we play the way we do.

Look Harry, masturbate over Keita all you like, but it is not going to stop Kante being a superb player and as effective at what he does as Keita. Please stop comparing players that are nothing alike. Nainggolan is nothing like Kante, Keita is not a playmaker like Dembele.

Both Keita and Kante are clearly excellent players, but they are not alike and not like Nainggolan or Dembele. The closest player I have seen to Keita is Lallana, and even that is not a particularly close comparison, just that both are excellent at pressing the ball, willing to chase around to win it back, but both want to run with the ball and look to thread passes through to forwards. However Keita is a lot, lot better than Lallana from what I have seen, especially at shooting. However the comparison falls down when it comes to the box, as Lallana wants to get into the box and be involved, whereas Keita seems to prefer to hang around the edge of the box to pick up loose balls, which is more like Kante in that respect.}

4.) 18 Sep 2017
18 Sep 2017 06:12:14
I like Keita but for me his biggest weakness is that he tries the killer pass too much, resulting in the defence intercepting it. I hadnt thought about it but releasing it quicker would solve this issue.

5.) 18 Sep 2017
18 Sep 2017 06:42:23
January 2019 will be fun with the African Cup of Nations:
Keita
Salah
Mane
Matip?

😡.

{Ed001's Note - it is no longer in January Ron, it is being played in June from now on.}

6.) 18 Sep 2017
18 Sep 2017 06:19:40
I have never said I don't like Kante. I rate Kieta a lot lot more than Kante and I am sure he will show it with us next season. He is the best dynamic CM we have purchased in over a decade!

7.) 18 Sep 2017
18 Sep 2017 06:36:47
i suppose keita and kante in the same team would be a very strong midfield then ed001 you think?

dreamland bt id give everything to get kante and aldeweireld if we sell coutinho next season. what a team that would be.

{Ed001's Note - not for me, one or the other for me, they would get in each other's way as a pair, I think. Kante works at his best with someone sitting covering so he can get everywhere, Keita is the same. It would be very similar to the problems we have now, where everyone is trying to do the same thing in central midfield and there is no dispersion of roles, so everyone ends up in the same patch of grass leaving acres of space for the opposition to exploit.}

8.) 18 Sep 2017
18 Sep 2017 06:56:00
Hence we need to keep hold of Can than anyone!

9.) 18 Sep 2017
18 Sep 2017 07:03:48
Both Kante and Kieta would work well with a solid DM. Both could also drop into that role but then you're taking their best attributes. Kante is a decent passer of the ball coz that is not his biggest strength where as Keita is a terrific passer of the ball. Both long and short. Keita is a better carrier of the ball like Can or Coutinho. Kieta scores goals which place him above Kante.
Kieta is a better player coz he has a lot more to offer than what Kante.
If the Can learns the art of positioning and signs a contract then Keita - Can - Coutinho would be the best midfield in the langue without a shadow of doubt!
Take it from me 😎.

10.) 18 Sep 2017
18 Sep 2017 07:16:38
That's excellent news regarding the ACON.

Ed1, it very much looks like Can will be on his way, will the club look to replace him? Or keep things as they are once Keita arrives?

Just reading your views on player similarities, will Keita keep Lallana out of the team or could we play both?

{Ed001's Note - I see Keita as a long term replacement but, in the short term I can see them both together. I do expect the club to look to replace Can, but it will not be immediately pressing as a need so it might be a season or two away.}

11.) 18 Sep 2017
18 Sep 2017 08:10:01
Hang on Harry, literally 3 days ago you were bleating on about how Can doesn't have the positional sense to play DM, and now you reckon he will be part of the best midfield trio in the league? Quite hilarious that your trip has 2 players in it who won't be at the club next season, and another yet to kick a ball in the Prem.

Mate you need to calm down with the extreme opinions 😂.

12.) 18 Sep 2017
18 Sep 2017 08:04:12
Careful Ed001, i got mocked for saying Keita was a better but similar player to Lallana 😂 i got told he was anything from a Kante type player to the next Yaya Toure!

Completely agree with your assessment though. I've watched him a few times now and every time i think he looks like a rich mans Lallana. Although he glides along with the ball more like Eden Hazard. So like you say, even that comparison is loose.

I don't understand why he can't just be the first Naby Keita instead of the next Lionel Messi 🙄.

{Ed001's Note - people like comparisons for some reason mate. I don't know why.}

13.) 18 Sep 2017
18 Sep 2017 08:27:07
Ok cheers Ed.

14.) 18 Sep 2017
18 Sep 2017 08:38:49
Good point Adam.

15.) 18 Sep 2017
18 Sep 2017 08:40:04
MK, are you surprised? They guy speaks in absolutes as if that is supposed to convince the rest of us that he knows what he's talking about. It does not and it rarely ever has. Did I also mention that he changes his tune like he did now, the same way a Diva changes her shoes? You should hear the way he speaks about Mou and Utd.

16.) 18 Sep 2017
18 Sep 2017 08:43:14
Oh MK, You did not read my post in full.
". If Can learns the art of positioning. " That is his biggest challenge and I expect him to improve up on it during the course of the season! Can is not positionally sound but he does possess some unique skillsets that are rare among center midfielders.

17.) 18 Sep 2017
18 Sep 2017 09:39:09
Sure, Harry. Sure.

18.) 18 Sep 2017
18 Sep 2017 10:03:12
Can is not a DM. He doesn't want to play there, it is a waste of his beat attributes, and frankly he isn't that good there. Maybe he could be, but he could be a great player further forward with a bit more freedom.

The only thing that really matters though is the fact that it's not where Can wants to play. Just like Chamberlain did at Arsenal to avoid being a wing back, Can will run his contract down here to avoid being a DM, or worse, a centre back.

He will leave mate, batting a major change if heart from Klopp on his system, or a new manager taking over. Keita, Lallana, Henderson, Wijnaldum etc will all be ahead of him. He won't stand for that and who can blame him? We'll be just fine though so don't panic. Those 4 i just listed along with the younger lads such as Woodburn and Chamberlain able to provide cover will stand us in good stead next season. It will be okay.

Let Can and Coutinho go though mate. They don't want to be here long term and you are just setting yourself up for disappointment.

19.) 18 Sep 2017
18 Sep 2017 11:19:21
He is not a DM! Yes he is a lot more than just a stopper. Keita is ahead of him but I am sure they could both play together. I don't know how Mr baby face Henderson is ahead of him. Can is the victim of Henderson's captaincy that makes him an automatic choice. Can is a better player and everyone knows it except you. But no complaints. Wijnaldum is a different player to Can as well Lallana. They all could all be B2B players but possess different attributes to each other!
Can will play as the deepest midfielder at Juventus with Pjanic alongside him. If not I ll stop watching football! Let's keep this post as it is and come back in an year time 😎😎
Not sure why the club decided against to sell him? There was a decent money on the table. I ll tell you why! Keeping Can was more benificial than selling him!

20.) 18 Sep 2017
18 Sep 2017 12:09:06
Eds, any holding mf or defensive mf we are looking at?

{Ed002's Note - Not at this time Angus, and I doubt that they will be looking for one in January unless a change of formation is coming.}