2019 Roster Discussion

[Jock]

Thing is, the old managerial adage is that, to improve your squad you sign players that are better than what you already have. He may have improved at Aberdeen and certainly needed to bulk up, get a bit braver and become more consistent.

If he hasn't, or is a little better than when he left United, is he better than Lewis, Isi, or Castellanos? Probably not.

 

[Kjbert]

Thing is, the old managerial adage is that, to improve your squad you sign players that are better than what you already have. He may have improved at Aberdeen and certainly needed to bulk up, get a bit braver and become more consistent.

If he hasn't, or is a little better than when he left United, is he better than Lewis, Isi, or Castellanos? Probably not.

What have Lewis or Taty accomplished in their careers?

This guy played in the Champions League.

 

[LionNYC]

 

[Jock]

What have Lewis or Taty accomplished in their careers?

This guy played in the Champions League.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I mean, do we really have to list players that have featured in the Champions League to point out that that alone isn't a barometer for quality?

Tony Watt scored the winner for Celtic against Barcelona, but I don't think anyone would want to sign him.

Hell, Rodney Wallace "went to the World Cup", does that automatically mean that he is a great player and that we should sign him?

Making snap judgements on players based on what competition they have featured in is great and all, but I'm just offering some analysis based on watching all the players you mentioned, either a handful or dozens of times.

In terms of what he offers on the field, I just don't think he has it in his locker to serve up more assists/goals than any of the others.

I'd love to be wrong and sign the wee man we used to call GMMessi, and have him hit the heights of his career and dazzle audiences in the states, but.... I just don't see it.

 

[Jock]

(Also, Jo Inge Berget played in the Champions League.)

 

[NickA]

We are going to have a team with nothing but wingers.

We are going to have a team with nothing but average wingers.

 

[Ulrich]

What have Lewis or Taty accomplished in their careers?

This guy played in the Champions League.

There are players from the bottom four leagues (52-55) that get games in the Champions league.... that’s not saying much.

 

[Shwafta]

What have Lewis or Taty accomplished in their careers?

This guy played in the Champions League.

You could say the same for like any of the houston or colorado players. Yikes.

 

[Jock]

Also, GMS is a Teuchter so he'd be in for a similar culture shock in NYC to what the rest of us Scottish bumpkins have

Saw one twitter saying "would he want to swap Aberdeen for the Big Apple?"

Aye, would anyone like to swap being kicked in the nuts repeatedly for a day on the beach?

 

[Kjbert]

Comparing Celtic with a team from the Andorran First Division is silly.

 

[Fake Jew]

If this guy is good enough for Celtic he’s good enough for us.

 

[gbservis]

We are going to have a team with nothing but average wingers.

Even better nothing but average wingers and no CF so then we can play a short average winger at cf too and have the other average wingers and outside backs launch useless crosses into them. If the end of last season is any indication useless crosses into the box is a major part of what Dome is going for.

 

[Ulrich]

Comparing Celtic with a team from the Andorran First Division is silly.

Sure but playing in the champions league does not mean playing well, could play poorly too. And competition could be very good or very bad. All is relevant.

 

[gbservis]

Could Lewis be our CF or at least provide depth there assuming Berget leaves? I think he'd be good at it. He presses well and creates turn overs up top. He's fast enough to keep high back lines honest. He can finish and create his own shot and while he's not tall he's strong enough to do some hold up play if needed. Playing CF also absolves him of the majority of his tracking back responsibilities which is rumored to be why he doesn't play as much. It may not be an ideal deployment of him but out of our current crop of wingers Lewis has the best skills to play CF. Even being the back up CF will likely get him more time than he will get somewhere in the pecking order of our current glut of wingers.

 

[Ulrich]

Could Lewis be our CF or at least provide depth there assuming Berget leaves? I think he'd be good at it. He presses well and creates turn overs up top. He's fast enough to keep high back lines honest. He can finish and create his own shot and while he's not tall he's strong enough to do some hold up play if needed. Playing CF also absolves him of the majority of his tracking back responsibilities which is rumored to be why he doesn't play as much. It may not be an ideal deployment of him but out of our current crop of wingers Lewis has the best skills to play CF. Even being the back up CF will likely get him more time than he will get somewhere in the pecking order of our current glut of wingers.

You mean like Sterling or how Salah has recently been deployed?

 

[william straiton]

Just to add he had a reputation at United for either being dazzling in games, or totally anonymous.

Not sure what his reputation is at Aberdeen, but the fact that he and Armstrong left together and GMS stayed in the shadows and eventually left for Aberdeen while Armstrong earned himself a move to the Premier League shows he has something of a skill ceiling.

To be honest I think it is confidence he lacks at time. I just believe he couldn’t handle the pressure at Celtic. Of course there is pressure to perform in all leagues, but in Scotland finishing second for Celtic is seen as failure.

Like you said he was very good at Dundee United, and if he performs like that he should do well.

 

[Jock]

To be honest I think it is confidence he lacks at time. I just believe he couldn’t handle the pressure at Celtic. Of course there is pressure to perform in all leagues, but in Scotland finishing second for Celtic is seen as failure.

Like you said he was very good at Dundee United, and if he performs like that he should do well.

Confidence for sure. He's either brilliant, or anonymous. But also, surround him with quality players and he does well too - like I say, he was part of the best United team in decades alongside Armstrong, Johnny Russell, Nadir Ciftci, Ryan Gauld, (now-Scotland-captain) Andy Robertson.

If we get peak GMS, i'd be delighted.

 

[william straiton]

Confidence for sure. He's either brilliant, or anonymous. But also, surround him with quality players and he does well too - like I say, he was part of the best United team in decades alongside Armstrong, Johnny Russell, Nadir Ciftci, Ryan Gauld, (now-Scotland-captain) Andy Robertson.

If we get peak GMS, i'd be delighted.

Well if he comes I hope he is successful. He certainly a player who can excite fans when on his game.

 

[COLINMOUTH]

Could Lewis be our CF or at least provide depth there assuming Berget leaves? I think he'd be good at it. He presses well and creates turn overs up top. He's fast enough to keep high back lines honest. He can finish and create his own shot and while he's not tall he's strong enough to do some hold up play if needed. Playing CF also absolves him of the majority of his tracking back responsibilities which is rumored to be why he doesn't play as much. It may not be an ideal deployment of him but out of our current crop of wingers Lewis has the best skills to play CF. Even being the back up CF will likely get him more time than he will get somewhere in the pecking order of our current glut of wingers.

I could dig this

 

[mgarbowski]

SPFL fans calling MLS a farmers' league is hilarious. Last I watched that league more than a few clips or old firm (last year, maybe), I'd say there are no teams outside the old firm that play anything resembling modern football. No better example of boring, dire, agricultural anti-football.

This is a good thread on that topic:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1083445485153763328

You probably need to click over to Twitter to see all of it.