[Albion] Carlos Baleba SINGS a 5-year deal

[Zeberdi]

It’s worth looking at his YouTube highlights. He’s a defensive midfielder who is strong and win tackles. He’s also left footed.
His initial turn of pace is good and he likes to turn away from opponents and use his initial pace to accelerate away a bit like Kudus.
He’ll add an option to our midfield which we’ve lost since Caicedo’s departure.

Yes, he’ll be good in transition and has pace so will be good box to box and with forward play - hopefully he will be as good retaining the ball as Moises was and indeed, providing as much strength in defence as Moises did out of possession. It’s an astute signing - I do feel it’s going to get harder to scout talent under the wire and not be outbid by Big 7 clubs - Dan Ashworth rumour has it, had his eye on this one back in March as well as a few other clubs, including AC Milan back in January - if he is as good as RDZ thinks he is, I sort of think we did well to sign him and it’s probably a testament to our reputation as a well run club preceding us in Europe that made us the ultimate choice.

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

I think Baleba will start certain games but I think he will be integrated for those games where we need a physical midfielder, who has a bit of pace to help defend transitions in the way that Caicedo did.
Having Dahoud, Gilmour and Gross will mean that he won’t be needed initially as a regular starter, which at 19 is probably a good thing.
It’s worth looking at his YouTube highlights. He’s a defensive midfielder who is strong and win tackles. He’s also left footed.
His initial turn of pace is good and he likes to turn away from opponents and use his initial pace to accelerate away a bit like Kudus.
He’ll add an option to our midfield which we’ve lost since Caicedo’s departure.

If we do not sign another other physically commanding midfielder then this kid is going to have to hit the ground running. There’s very few matches (if any!) where we won’t need a profile like him in middle, especially as there is now a very clear blueprint on how to beat us.

As it stands, I think Baleba being able to start 25+ games for us at a good level will be the difference between being able to stay in touch with the top 7/8 or slipping into lower mid table.

 

[Munchkin]

Great addition. Now just a case of how quickly he can be bought up to speed with the RDZ way. Suspect that’s going to take some time.

 

[macbeth]

I think Baleba will start certain games but I think he will be integrated for those games where we need a physical midfielder, who has a bit of pace to help defend transitions in the way that Caicedo did.
Having Dahoud, Gilmour and Gross will mean that he won’t be needed initially as a regular starter, which at 19 is probably a good thing.
It’s worth looking at his YouTube highlights. He’s a defensive midfielder who is strong and win tackles. He’s also left footed.
His initial turn of pace is good and he likes to turn away from opponents and use his initial pace to accelerate away a bit like Kudus.
He’ll add an option to our midfield which we’ve lost since Caicedo’s departure.

badly need a profile like that for the weekend, so if he needs slowly integrating then i’m not exactly sure what the plan is for saturday

 

[chickens]

Am i imagining it, or did somebody transcribe a bit of radio broadcast in which it was suggested that the player with stats most like Caicedo was one of our players who was currently out on loan.

Apologies if my (highly suspect) memory has failed me or I’ve imagined it, but I’m certain I (mis)remember some sort of conversation being had about us having a future Caicedo replacement at a very early stage of development out on loan.

 

[Perry Milkins]

Am i imagining it, or did somebody transcribe a bit of radio broadcast in which it was suggested that the player with stats most like Caicedo was one of our players who was currently out on loan.

Apologies if my (highly suspect) memory has failed me or I’ve imagined it, but I’m certain I (mis)remember some sort of conversation being had about us having a future Caicedo replacement at a very early stage of development out on loan.

Think R5 Live. Mark Leonard at Cobblers.

 

[Hiheidi]

This maybe...

 

[Hiheidi]

Although apparently Alzate is similar to Caicedo if you just look at the stats, so not always reliable.

 

[chickens]

Think R5 Live. Mark Leonard at Cobblers.

Thank you and @Hiheidi for coming up trumps. I couldn’t remember the player mentioned.

 

[Weststander]

Fingers crossed. We need pace and disrupters in CM. He reminds me of the maverick Bissouma.

 

[southstandandy]

You don't spend 30 million on a player then loan him out. We have our limits. To even suggest this is stupid beyond belief.

And spending £25m on a lad whose 1st team experience equates to just 18 games isn't?

 

[Icy Gull]

Fingers crossed. We need pace and disrupters in CM. He reminds me of the maverick Bissouma.

I’ll say it again, he looks clumsy.

Ball control looks iffy too and he is a booking waiting to happen imo

Club knows what they’re doing but that video don’t impress me much, really doesn’t look like he’s anywhere near ready for De Zerbi ball

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

And spending £25m on a lad whose 1st team experience equates to just 18 games isn't?

Same experience that Enciso has, do you think £25m would be too much for him too?

 

[um bongo molongo]

RDZ said something like sometimes you need ‘more impact’ and ‘more kg’. This guy seems to fit that profile. I’m pleased he recognises that you can be too lightweight (we’ve been guilty of that many times in recent years)

 

[Zeberdi]

I’ll say it again, he looks clumsy.

Ball control looks iffy too and he is a booking waiting to happen imo

Club knows what they’re doing but that video don’t impress me much, really doesn’t look like he’s anywhere near ready for De Zerbi ball

I like him.

He’s a great dribbler and very attack oriented - which is why RDZ probably likes him. The difficulty might be getting him to slow down and play out from the back instead of tearing up the field vertically like a energetic steam roller every time he gets possession

 

[Perry Milkins]

I’ll say it again, he looks clumsy.

Ball control looks iffy too and he is a booking waiting to happen imo

Club knows what they’re doing but that video don’t impress me much, really doesn’t look like he’s anywhere near ready for De Zerbi ball

Okay Shania....

 

[Comrade Sam]

I can't believe we're spending a billion pounds on a player and sending him on loan to Hartlepool. And then asking Manchester City to pay most of his wages. He's barely seen a football and will have to speak Spanish with Lallana's grandmother. What a joke of a club. I think that's what I've learnt from this thread.

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

RDZ said something like sometimes you need ‘more impact’ and ‘more kg’. This guy seems to fit that profile. I’m pleased he recognises that you can be too lightweight (we’ve been guilty of that many times in recent years)

I think this is RDZ’s main issue with Gilmour.

 

[um bongo molongo]

I think this is RDZ’s main issue with Gilmour.

To some extent I agree. But I think the point is you can have one ‘pretty’ CM, if you have a more athletic one alongside him (Ali Mac and Caicedo). But playing Gilmour and Gross won’t work against the better sides as we’ll get overrun.

 

[Mancgull]

I think this is RDZ’s main issue with Gilmour.

He might be happy to play Gilmour next to Baleba.