[Albion] Mercurial, majestic, magnificent Mitoma [20/10/23: New deal signed]

[maresfield seagull]

Mitoma reminds me of the Georgian player for Napoli whose name I wont dare to type...

I can see him making a big move to Arsenal/Man U/Newcastle in the coming years.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
I have watched a lot of Napoli this season on the infuriating BT
Inclined to agree with you there
Both fabulous to watch

 

[knocky1]

Youth Career 2007-2015
Senior team 2018-2021

Looks like he was tied to them for a lot longer than the 1.5 years, looks like a pretty loyal player to me.

Even when he was at University and playing in that league he was still going back to train with them.

Your skewed logic would have meant that Lewis Dunk would have been loyal to us if he'd left in 2013.

 

[Weststander]

On seeing it live, I was convinced his first touch was a heavy one, but he'd factored in the fact that Everton's CBs are slow and immobile -- it's utterly dreadful defending all round from them for that goal. He is so graceful in the way he moves.

Do you remember not so long ago when our team completely lacked pace, probably the first 2 or 3 EPL seasons? Making us predictable and easy to defend against.

No more. Mitoma, Estupinan, Caicedo, Trossard when he's in a positive frame of mind, Ferguson perhaps .... all able to effortlessly accelerate away from EPL carthorses.

 

[Machiavelli]

Do you remember not so long ago when our team completely lacked pace, probably the first 2 or 3 EPL seasons? Making us predictable and easy to defend against.

No more. Mitoma, Estupinan, Caicedo, Trossard when he's in a positive frame of mind, Ferguson perhaps .... all able to effortlessly accelerate away from EPL carthorses.

Yes, very much so, and even wrote about it a day or two ago on this very site in the hopes for 23 thread

 

[SeagullsoverLondon]

Do you remember not so long ago when our team completely lacked pace, probably the first 2 or 3 EPL seasons? Making us predictable and easy to defend against.

No more. Mitoma, Estupinan, Caicedo, Trossard when he's in a positive frame of mind, Ferguson perhaps .... all able to effortlessly accelerate away from EPL carthorses.

Not to mention Gross, if he is playing Everton

 

[Whitechapel]

Are you seriously going to stand by your original point that you ‘know’ Mitoma is ‘better’ than Khadra as he’s scored some goals against a very questionable level of opposition in both Belgium and at international level ?

Don’t get me wrong here, Mitoma excites me as a player, but he’s very light weight and it’s ridiculous to suggest he’s better than a player who’s handled the rigours of the championship ... especially based on his goals at international level, a pretty average performance in the league cup and about 5 mins off the bench in the PL.

You’re seemingly judging this on a few grainy vids of Mitoma scoring against some poor international teams and five mins against Newcastle... I’m basing this on knowing a Blackburn fan and being related to a Sheff Utd fan - the latter of which watched Khadra destroy the Blades last season and is delighted to have signed him.

Lest we forget that Khadra had a decent outing off the bench away at Man City I believe, people got a bit excited about him... I’m not convinced we’ll see Mitoma much this season - although we’ll probs see more of him than Undav...

My original point that there’s not much between them, well I stand by it

It’s all academic anyway, as Khadra is seemingly off.

 

[Audax]

However at what point do all these players suddenly look at each other and think - we could win things HERE if we stay together to a bit?

Does have that feeling about it, doesn't it? We've got a core of very exciting young propects proving themselves this season, tied down to long contracts that means either big buyouts or they stay long enough to form the core of a team that propels us into Europe. Once there, does that start to change the decision making by the players on whether they stay or go? And does it help us with bringing in their eventual replacements? Just looking at it:

Sanchez ( HGP ) (2025)
Lamptey (HGP) (2025) (if he can re-find a little more of the pre-injury sparkle)
Estupinan (2027)
March ( HGP ) (2024 + option) (expect he'll get another renewal)
Caicedo ( 2025)
Moder (2025) (let's hope he comes back from injury and continues to show the promise he'd shown previous)
Mac Allister (2025 + 1 year option) (recently re-signed, saying the right things about staying)
Sarmiento (2026)
Buonanotte (2026 + 1 year option)
Mitoma (2025)
Enciso (2026)
Ferguson (2026)

Even if we miss Europe at the end of this season, if we keep the above list together for 23/24 and supplement with a couple of astute buys to fit in around them (to replace exits from the likes of Trossard, for example) then we could be in for an exciting season with an end result that tempts a high percent of them to sign new contracts and stick around.

I wouldn't be surprised if some of our more recent buys have been brought in with automatic contract improvements in the event of EU qualification that might just help matters later this season if we're continuing to put pressure on the usual suspects above us on the table.

 

[Icy Gull]

Does have that feeling about it, doesn't it? We've got a core of very exciting young propects proving themselves this season, tied down to long contracts that means either big buyouts or they stay long enough to form the core of a team that propels us into Europe. Once there, does that start to change the decision making by the players on whether they stay or go? And does it help us with bringing in their eventual replacements? Just looking at it:

Sanchez ( HGP ) (2025)
Lamptey (HGP) (2025) (if he can re-find a little more of the pre-injury sparkle)
Estupinan (2027)
March ( HGP ) (2024 + option) (expect he'll get another renewal)
Caicedo ( 2025)
Moder (2025) (let's hope he comes back from injury and continues to show the promise he'd shown previous)
Mac Allister (2025 + 1 year option) (recently re-signed, saying the right things about staying)
Sarmiento (2026)
Buonanotte (2026 + 1 year option)
Mitoma (2025)
Enciso (2026)
Ferguson (2026)

Even if we miss Europe at the end of this season, if we keep the above list together for 23/24 and supplement with a couple of astute buys to fit in around them (to replace exits from the likes of Trossard, for example) then we could be in for an exciting season with an end result that tempts a high percent of them to sign new contracts and stick around.

I wouldn't be surprised if some of our more recent buys have been brought in with automatic contract improvements in the event of EU qualification that might just help matters later this season if we're continuing to put pressure on the usual suspects above us on the table.

All true but your agent tells you Big Club A and big Club B are interested and will treble your wages at least then some of wht you say almost certainly goes out the window unless the young player is wise enough to suggest staying another year or two before trying his luck elsewhere for big bucks

 

[Audax]

All true but your agent tells you Big Club A and big Club B are interested and will treble your wages at least then some of wht you say almost certainly goes out the window unless the young player is wise enough to suggest staying another year or two before trying his luck elsewhere for big bucks

The glass half full side of me looks at most of that list and thinks they're all young enough they can afford to wait for the "big" chance and take a calculated gamble that staying 2 years extra with Brighton will make that payoff even bigger in the long run.

The Biss and Cucu transfers might help us out a bit in that respect. Neither have (yet) done their longer term careers any good through the moves they made. Biss, I suspect, might have timed his move well though - not sure he's an automatic starter here even if he'd stayed anymore. Cucu, on the other hand, maybe could have benefited from another season or 2 under the radar with us honing his EPL craft before making the jump.

 

[Swansman]

The glass half full side of me looks at most of that list and thinks they're all young enough they can afford to wait for the "big" chance and take a calculated gamble that staying 2 years extra with Brighton will make that payoff even bigger in the long run.

The Biss and Cucu transfers might help us out a bit in that respect. Neither have (yet) done their longer term careers any good through the moves they made. Biss, I suspect, might have timed his move well though - not sure he's an automatic starter here even if he'd stayed anymore. Cucu, on the other hand, maybe could have benefited from another season or 2 under the radar with us honing his EPL craft before making the jump.

I don't think Cucurella starting for Chelsea week-in week-out is going to discourage any player from moving. Also easy to ignore Ben White and Dan Burn.

 

[Sheebo]

Another Percy Tau then probably.
Let's hope we also get this Colombian in too.

Not picking on you specifically but just glanced at the first few pages - some gems in there but this was very good - Percy or Mitoma…?

 

[Jeremiah]

Not to mention Gross, if he is playing Everton

I feared a Devon Loch situation as Pascal took off from the half way line.

 

[Klaas]

No dopey.

Obviously you've never been to Japan. They have a long history of being loyal to their employers. It's an ingrained part of their culture.

I'm sure you're clueless when it comes to Japan though. You just wanted to be the pissy little snark that you are.

Japan has the most players in the top 20 of the transfermarkt most loyal table at 6 by the way. No other nation comes close to that many.

Most loyal players

Diese Seite zeigt die weltweit treuesten Spieler: Also die Profis, die am längsten bei ihrem aktuellen Verein spielen.

www.transfermarkt.com

I honestly wish I had your confidence to debate things online. It's quite something.

I would never consider myself an expert on matters Japanese, unlike yourself. Unless you have a serious connection with the country to which you have never alluded to before, I imagine it's just your usual hubris.

As for myself, funnily enough I've spent almost half my life in Japan, am married to one of the natives, and both my kids carry Japanese passports

I see the rest of the board is backing your point though.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

I honestly wish I had your confidence to debate things online. It's quite something.

I would never consider myself an expert on matters Japanese, unlike yourself. Unless you have a serious connection with the country to which you have never alluded to before, I imagine it's just your usual hubris.

As for myself, funnily enough I've spent almost half my life in Japan, am married to one of the natives, and both my kids carry Japanese passports

I see the rest of the board is backing your point though.

You'd think you'd have heard about the Bushido virtues then and how it's still very much part of their culture.

Or are you going to claim it isn't?

 

[Klaas]

You'd think you'd have heard about the Bushido virtues then and how it's still very much part of their culture.

Or are you going to claim it isn't?

Ahhh the Bushido Spirit of Mitoma-san, please enlighten us Biggums-sensei.

 

[knocky1]

I honestly wish I had your confidence to debate things online. It's quite something.

I would never consider myself an expert on matters Japanese, unlike yourself. Unless you have a serious connection with the country to which you have never alluded to before, I imagine it's just your usual hubris.

As for myself, funnily enough I've spent almost half my life in Japan, am married to one of the natives, and both my kids carry Japanese passports

I see the rest of the board is backing your point though.

I haven't not backed his racial generalisation, if that's the point.
Remember a lot of people are wary of engaging in any dialogue with him as it's a time consuming waste of time. Good fun for an occasional snipe but most are quick to move on.

 

[Audax]

I don't think Cucurella starting for Chelsea week-in week-out is going to discourage any player from moving. Also easy to ignore Ben White and Dan Burn.

He's starting, but has he enhanced or tarnished his reputation since he's been at Chelsea? Certainly not been the former, so far.

 

[Klaas]

I haven't not backed his racial generalisation, if that's the point.
Remember a lot of people are wary of engaging in any dialogue with him as it's a time consuming waste of time. Good fun for an occasional snipe but most are quick to move on.

I was being sarcastic As always with TB, there doesn't seem to be a single soul who agrees with him.

 

[Swansman]

Don't dive please

 

[Mustafa II]

Don't dive please

He's not simulating, he's exaggerating.

Not sure either is particularly ethical, but one is worse than the other... and sadly, the second one is part of the game that many top players in his position use to score goals and win points, eg Grealish, Zaha, and others.

Not saying I approve, but if it wins us as many freekicks and penalties as Grealish and Zaha do, then I'll reluctantly go along with it.