Memphis Depay

[Birdy]

He has played less than 10 games as a striker for the NT LOL. The majority of his career he has played as a winger or a SS for the Dutch NT.

Also NT level sucks in comparison to Club level, which gives managers and players more freedom to try out "unconventional" roles that would otherwise not work in the club level. Coutinho worked as a CM for Brazil prior to Barcelona's purchase, does he work as a CM for Barcelona? Pogba works as a deep lying playmaker for France, does he work for United?

ALSO



Although Koeman initially experimented with him as a striker, other teams quickly found out how to shut Depay down and he evolved into his more optimal play style and played as a false 9 in the subsequent matches.

Heatmaps in two crucial games:

https://lyonoffside.files.wordpress.com/2019/06/nedeng-memphis-heatmap.png

https://lyonoffside.files.wordpress.com/2019/06/porned-memphis-heatmap.png

https://lyonoffside.com/2019/07/22/dr-memphis-and-mr-depay-the-two-faces-of-lyons-dutchman/

Even for the Dutch NT, he likes to drop deep, collect the ball, and play in the areas between midfielders and a striker. So for Lyon he's supported by a striker when he plays as an SS, and for the Dutch NT he plays as a false 9. It seems that once people's minds have been made in regards to a transfer, heat maps, stats, squad history, and so on no longer matters. There are 3 hybrid forwards in this team, 2 of them being support striker, and you still want to buy another because you think you can convert him with no substantial evidence to support that it would succeed.

OK, I give it to you that you have studied closely how he plays at Dutch NT and Lyon.

Still I think he will hold his position far better than Messi or Griezman as a 9.
Plus, he dribbles and can provide coverage on the wing.
Ansu and Dembele are currently out and we are struggling.
Braithwaite whose level is below the required has become starter.

We need players that can play these positions, and when being broke 5mil for him is a bargain.

 

[jairzinho]

I would rather have Luke De Jong as striker in a team compared to rapper Depay. Depay would be another mistake like Greizmann.

 

[Porque]

Depay would work with Dembele and Ansu on either side of him and motivated Messi in the hole. Better than current Griezmann and post injury Coutinho imo.

If you got a bit of cash you do everything in your power to get Wijnaldum and Depay into our 11. That is the difference between an outside run for LaLiga and Champions League and a season of nothingness.

 

[fergus90]

Depay for 5 million would be fine provided he replaces one of Coutinho/Griezmann as is used for squad depth only. Still need a true quality 9.

 

[malvolio]

we should stay well clear of this joker. season is lost anyway, so what's the point in buying a 'poor man's neymar'?

 

[vuji_31]

Sell Coutinho, buy depay in winter.

Then on summer will be sport cover, Depay es number 9 instead of Haaland

 

[Devils]

Better than Aguero

Lori Harvey

Chloe Bailey

Karrueche Tran

Baddest women in the game coming to Camp Nou

Praise Allah! We made it.

 

[DonAK]

Not the biggest fan, but wouldn't be a bad option on free transfer if we can offload all three of Griezmann, Coutinho and Dembele.

We need Haaland along with him though. Signing a #9 that has a proven goalscoring record should be our number one priority.

 

[FC433]

Excellent numbers, but I really do not like his playstyle. A bit too slow, never makes runs, and wants the ball at his feet. You can watch him play right now.

 

[DonAK]

Koeman will still insist on signing him according to Oriol Domenech.

Griezmann need to leave in that case. No room for both.

In theory replacing Griezmann and Braithwaite with Memphis + an actual #9 doesn't sound too bad on paper.

 

[Laplacian]

Hopefully Laporta will say no. Griezmann and Braithwaite need to go, but we don't need another false 9/second strikers to take up their place. Wingers and strikers should be the only profiles coming in.

 

[gregorrin10]

Sell Coutinho, buy depay in winter.

Then on summer will be sport cover, Depay es number 9 instead of Haaland

Why would you sell one player and replace him with literally the same type of player? Someone who just waits for the ball to come to his feet, not to mention we already have that in Messi and Dembele, but at least they offer so much more (Messi at least, while Dembele also does have at least his dribbling and easy penetration of defenses about him). While I see Depay no different than Coutinho, he just doesn't have that X factor in him, and is suited exactly to where he is right now, a luxury player for a mid-level European club in an average league. Him coming here is just prolonging the Coutinho misery, but with a different player name, just setting us up for 3-4 more years of misery and having a useless player on the books. Him wanting Depay (and possibly Wijnaldum) so bad is the reason I want Koeman not to stick around, even though he's done well with the young players already at the club. I just think his track record with signings isn't good, and it isn't gonna get any better with these types of players. It's funny, when the previous Board was in, we wanted the coach to be the one making the decisions about which players to get in, and the Board did fuck all to listen and did it their own way. but now when we do have a capable Board, who seemingly know what we need, the coach who doesn't is gonna have his say. Hopefully not, though.

 

[vuji_31]

He is comming to be squad player for free.
But agree he is not best type for is , another false 9.

15 goals ,10 from penalty. It says all

 

[Porque]

9 assists too.

If he is coming it is because Koeman knows exactly what to get from him and how to play in his system.

I can see him working as a false 9 or in a front 2.

But damn he is going to suffer if Messi leaves like Kluivert did coming in after Ronaldo left. The drop off will be huge.

 

[serghei]

9 assists too.

If he is coming it is because Koeman knows exactly what to get from him and how to play in his system.

I can see him working as a false 9 or in a front 2.

But damn he is going to suffer if Messi leaves like Kluivert did coming in after Ronaldo left. The drop off will be huge.

Will be a big dropoff in terms of personal-execution type of goals, and it will take a while for the players used to look for Messi all the time to adjust. Whether we can compensate for that loss with more work rate and better pressing will be interesting to see.