PL Striker Transfer Grades

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0:32Welcome in to the latest edition of ESPN FC. I'm Dan Thomas, joined by Craig Burley and Shaka Hislop. We also welcome to the show Frank Le Boeuf joins us, as does Mark Ogden. Now a lot of money. Shall we see Mark and Frank? There they are. Lovely. Well, maybe you'd prefer not to. A lot of money was spent in the summer on strikers from big Premier League sides, and they haven't exactly, most of them, set the world in light. Ezek, of course the most expensive of them all at 145 million pounds we asked the boys to give us a grade for Isaac so far in his Liverpool career and as you can imagine it isn't very generous at all a d-minus is the average Shaka and Oggie not impressed at all with an f Craig a little more generous with a d-minus Burley you're feeling generous these days well hold on Shaka gave an f exactly well d-minus is close to an f it's that close not really why not well because I feel you've given him a little bit of wiggle room.

1:26D is the highest grade there. Frank is giving me highest grade. I gave him a little bit of wiggle room because he's had a couple of injuries, but he's had a horrendous summer, which is a lot of it down to him as well. Hasn't played well. Did score a good goal at West Ham, to be fair, but that's kind of been about it. So, yeah, I was, you know, I thought D - was fair. You're okay. You gave an F. Is that not an argument to say that he's just not getting the supply, that because he's joined this team that's pretty much in freefall, he isn't getting the chances that he deserves? They weren't in freefall any time.

2:01They were champions. They won the first five games and everyone said they were going to win the league by a mile again. So, you know, he went there when they were doing well. I just think that, I think Craig's right. He's had injuries and he's not had great form. I think a lot of that is down to himself. You know, the way he acted in the summer. He could have trained. He could have trained when Newcastle kept himself fit, made sure that he was ready to start the season in his best form, but he barely trained. So I think he's beginning to reap what you saw in this instance, that he should have put more in in the summer.

2:26And when he has played, he's looked lethargic, he's looked like he's not interested, he's really struggled. So, I mean, I know I'm going to talk about all the strikers that have moved, and I think he's by far the best. I think ultimately he will come good. But he's got such high standards that he's delivered so badly that I think he deserves an F. Is this just a club icon? Sticking with Newcastle, angry at the way that he treated your old club, Shaq? No, not at all. of Oggy and Grimby in him having an F. Oggy gives an F to both. But to your point about no supply, Hugo Ekitike, who we've come to, has functioned quite well in that same setup.

3:02He's been fit, hasn't he? To Craig's point, if Alexander Izak's excuse is he hasn't been fit, that's his fault. He just about hit himself with the foot with a hammer. That's his fault. So I'm sorry. I have no wiggle room for Alexander Isaac in... There's a caveat to mine. I actually did give him an E. But then I was told there is no E. I didn't fold it. What's wrong with you? What's happened to you? I didn't fold. The only of old would have said, it's an E or nothing. Well, yeah, I was going to go down that line, but I was told there is no E in the American marking system. Now, whether there is in the UK one, I just don't know.

3:43I never got that far. You already had X? I don't really let school with that time. Posted my grades through the letterbox of the house and ran. So yeah, I was close to the F, closer to the F than you think, but I was thwarted by the rules and regulations this side of the pond. Frank, you were the most generous somehow with a D. Yeah, and I didn't expect to see that. When I had a D in my classroom, it's because I was at the back of the classroom, close to the radiator and you understand nothing about anything that the teacher is saying. So I thought it was already hard. But F, coming from a Manchester United fan and a former Newcastle player, I'm not surprised.

4:26But I really think that he cannot be more than D, let's say, in a good way. He has to be D or E if he does exist and F because that guy, well, didn't do anything good. and maybe because of what happened to him around him and because of him, as Craig mentioned, because he wasn't fit enough. But that was very strange to see him taking Eketike position as well when Eketike did very, very well and should have stayed in that position until Isaac got back to his best. Nice segue then to Eketike. I imagine the grades will be higher for the Frenchman. Let's take a look at what everyone has gone for. A plus, blooming A.

5:10He doesn't mean that great. Yeah. He's been best on the list. Yeah. Is that what we're doing? Yeah, you're great on a curve. In the American system, you're great on a curve. Sorry, Harlan's been A-plus this season, yes? Harlan wasn't in this class. Harlan was not in the... I wasn't asked to give Harlan a grade. You're great on a curve in the US system. No. All these students in this classroom, Hugo Ekitiki, A-plus. And you've gone A as well. Yeah. He's been really good. It's not his fault he was left out of the team. He started well, he came in the Community Shield he scored. He started his season scoring.

5:51He was their best player. He was linking the play up. I think he's got seven league goals. It wasn't his fault that Arne Slott left him out for an unfit Alexander Izak. He's came back in, he's continued his goal scoring. So yeah, I think he's been a big plus point for Liverpool this year. I think he's done his job. I wouldn't go as far as an A+. We know why Frank's given him an A+. Because he gave me his shirt, didn't he? At the Community Shield. No, no, no. It's not because of that. Because since the first game that he played for Liverpool, he has been outstanding. And as Xhaka alluded, he's in a classroom where all students are very, very bad.

6:29And he's the only one, you know, not drowning with them. And he just signed for the club, a big club, with big troubles right now. and the guy keep on scoring goals and goals. He deserves nothing but less than A+. Nothing. Nothing less than A+. Because it's been outstanding for a guy who just signed for a club. And we all know that, oh yes, coming from Germany is complicated for most players because the football is different. That guy has been spot on since the beginning. And it's not because he's French or because he nicely and deservedly gave me his shirt. But it's really because the guy has been outstanding.

7:07he never complained about being on the bench when he came out from the bench he's been the best player every time and changed something in the game the guy deserves A, A plus which is almost the same for me you can't give him an A plus you can't give a guy an A plus that scores a goal he's already been booked and then he takes his top off and gets a second book and a red card suspended for the Crystal Palace game that's and I've only just thought you found you found You found something to give, not giving him an A +, but you're right, you're right. 10 goals in 23 games, A -, Mark. Well, for that reason that Craig said, he took his shirt off, and that was the moment that Spartan Liverpool's...

7:50No, you didn't know that before. No, but also... But also, he had a run of like one goal in 10 games during that run, so he has been really good, but he's not been... He's not missed going goals all the time at Harlan levels. He did have that barren period, So, yeah, I mean, look, he's certainly been the best of a bad bunch. He's been very good, but he's not an A+. No. And he's not an A, he's an A -. What an earth? Everyone give him Sesko. Let's take a look. Of course, big money signing to Manchester United. This is definitely not A+. C -. Who?

8:27Oggy D, burly D -. Okay, I admit, there was a little bit of bias here after he showed Newcastle United. I think that's fair enough. I think Sesko walked it in. Thank you very much. OK, that's all. What's he got? Two goals? Yeah. You think 12 games. Don't know how many of those are off the bench. Has been anonymous. Didn't take a penalty against Grimsby. Oh, boy, yeah. Is that right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. He didn't. And the other side of it, one of the reasons I was a D-minus was because if you cannot get in as the starting number nine in this Man United side, you're getting graded down for that alone.

9:02Yes. But he's came in, there's the big signing, he's come in from Germany, it's going to be this, that and the next thing. And he has been so disappointing. And as I say, Mbemmo's carried the can in there. Bruno Fernandes has done his bit, we'll get to him. Cunha's been up and down, in and out. But even Josh Yuzak, because he's played ahead of him. So he's been, for me, he's been super... Bamo has been good. He's been super disappointing. Yeah, but he's not on the list, Frank. No, no, no, it's just to compare that it's possible to be good at Manchester United, even if you just come in. If you can't get a United, did you give him a C, Frank?

9:41Yeah, because it's hard to give him more. I try to be very optimistic. Since the beginning of that show, I'm the only one who will give the best mark. And it's hard to be hard on the guy who joins a club where nothing goes well. and that's what it is and when you and Craig mentioned it you are a striker you are expecting having assists from the others which almost never comes and on top of it the guy is not good enough so C minus it's very bad it's very bad C minus is not good when I was in the classroom C minus you almost goes to the last Oggy's been rubbish hasn't he? I'm going to give him a bit of a pass here because he wasn't He wasn't fully fit when he arrived, and Amorim held it back a bit too long, so I don't think Amorim helped his confidence.

10:34But I've seen quite a bit of Cesc this season. I think when you go back to last season, you look what he's replaced. Compared to Rasmus Hoyland, I know he's scoring goals in Napoli, but what Cesc offers United was what Hoyland wasn't doing. He's holding the ball up, he's sticking there, he's bringing people into play. There's a couple of cases where he's used his aerial threat to actually flick on to create goals. So I think he's not scoring the goals that United really expected or wanted him to do, but he is bringing a sense of forwards craft into the team. and clearly, I think he lacks a bit of pace, but I think he's better than what they had before and that's always a start, isn't it?

11:07I think you give him a bit of time, a bit of patience. I think he's been unfortunate by the injury and the way that Amarim's used him. So I think that's why I was a bit... I was going to give him a C, actually, but then I thought that would be ridiculous because he's only scored two goals. But I do think there are mitigating factors there. Meanwhile... While Ogier says he's better than what he had before, what he had before is not in this class. Let's establish that. So you can't draw greed on that curve. He started six games. He started six Premier League games. I could hold the ball up for six games.

11:35Well, all right, Shaq for£75 million. I'll bet I like that, couldn't. Meanwhile, Newcastle, of course, have a new striker as well. They spent a lot of money after missing out on the likes of Sesko and Eketike. Voltamata's come in. A, according to Shaq, a B plus for Craig, B from Leboeuf, B for Ogden. He's only got$7. Tell you what, we didn't collude in any of these, you know, and it's all relatively close. I think it's too generous. No, I think he's... You feel it, everybody. Except Cescou, apparently. We're talking about a 75 million euro striker. We're talking about going into him, not the best side who haven't performed as well.

12:13He surprised me a little bit. I think his hold-up play's been good. His link-up play's been good. He's been a threat. He scored goals. He's in the Germany side. I think the Newcastle fans have probably taken to him. I've been quite surprised with him, So that's why I gave him a B+. I've quite enjoyed what he has brought to this Newcastle team. The Newcastle team itself hasn't performed particularly well as we know. That's why they've had their struggles in the league. But I think Volta Madder has actually come in and done, I think he's certainly done better than I was expecting. I'm with you in that Newcastle, I think, have underperformed as a team.

12:49But if you're thinking about one bright spark out of this team this season, it's Volta Madder. And I get your point that 27 goals, but I think he's brought a lot of the things that Augie was just ascribing to Sesko, to a Newcastle team, in a way that I don't think was expected. Well, Sesko was actually, he was in the hot list for Newcastle. Yes, yeah. And I think at this moment in time, although as early, as Augie said, I think they look as if they've got a more rounded player, even though Sesko's 22 and it is early. Volta Manor looks at this moment in time a little bit more polished than Sesko.

13:28Apart from the header in the time we had. That was quite an own goal, wasn't it? And let's talk about Xokeres, shall we? Of course, a lot of talk about Arsenal needing a striker if they were going to go all the way this season. They got their striker, but he hasn't made the impact that maybe many had thought. B-minus says that Frank. D-minus says Oggy. Yeah, I think Frank's been a bit generous there. I've seen Xokeres quite a bit. and I think with Jokeres, what he does bring is work rate, but Arsenal wanted more than work rate. You know, he gives the defenders a hard time, but he doesn't screw enough goals, and I think I'd be surprised how limited he is as a footballer.

14:01He's been, he just doesn't have that kind of flair, that quality, and I think, you know, Arsenal are used to having great strikers, you know, Thierry Henry, Van Persie, Ian Wright, and he's nowhere near that, and I think he's been a bit of a disappointment. I don't think he's brought Arsenal what he want apart from that work rate up front and that tenacity and that, you know, never-say-die attitude, but you want a little bit more than that, and you want more goals. Frank, you've been the nicest to him. Yeah, because we said at the beginning of the season that for sure Gokeres would need the others to perform and to see the lights.

14:32And I was expecting to see Arsenal and Arteta using him a little bit more tactically in order to make sure that he can score a goal. And they kept on playing the way they play, which is efficient because they're first in the Premier League, but it doesn't suit Gokeres' football where you need cross, you need to give him balls and he didn't get those and that's why I gave him a B - because he works hard, he has great tenacity as Ogi said but we don't see him enough and he's not served enough is why I gave him a B - because it's not entirely because of him I mean a lot of it's down to Arsenal and the way they play but listen, they knew that they knew that when they signed him and they knew what kind of player he was he does look a bit like a bull in a china shop at the moment.

15:19He looks out of place at times in this Arsenal side because he's completely different to everybody else. But maybe that was going to be the X factor, that they had somebody completely different. But I just don't understand. So there's a bit of both for me here. That's why he was just a C. No better, no worse. Because I think the service to him, as Frank said, has been sluggish and slow and not the best. Tippy-tappy football when he's been making runs. But I also don't think he's looked great with his back to play. to be quite frank with you. He just looks to me as if he's a guy that wants the ball in the box, wants somebody to fall at his feet and he can lash it into the back of the net.

15:56So actually I've been a little bit disappointed in him but I think that's partly down to him and partly down to Arsenal. I've been very disappointed. He was supposed to transform Arsenal into runaway title favourites. It's been anything but. As a matter of fact, over recent weeks there's a credible argument that they're better with Mourinho in that centre-fought position. So if your comparison is between your natural position and a midfielder comes striker, I'm sorry, you've got a D for me. Last one I'm intrigued by because... I'm very sorry, but you go to A from Volta Madder who scored seven goals in a good team, but not that good, to Gokki RS who scored six goals, you know, and you go that the guy was awful when the other one was absolutely perfect, you know.

16:43So I don't get, you know, what kind of big difference you make between those two players where, yeah, Valtomar was good, but not that good comparing to Gokeres. Newcastle. That was an awful for Gokeres. No, my point was, Valtomar has been arguably the standout player, certainly top two standout players for a struggling Newcastle team. While Newcastle struggled, you could also make the argument that had he not been there, things could have been a whole lot worse. Giochrez, you could make the argument, had he not been there, Arsenal could probably be in a better position. My point, that Marino has arguably been better in that position, which is why there's a discrepancy in my grades.

17:25Last one is quite interesting because he started really well, but he's kind of fallen off of late. That's Jao Pedro. I'm intrigued to see what people have done here. B plus B, B, D, says Oggy. Wow. Very much the anomaly of the rest. Let's start with you, Oggy. What's wrong with him? Well, like you just mentioned then, Dan, the club woke up in the summer. It was like a real fight. Everyone thought this guy's the answer to Chelsea's problems. He's the new Drogba. He's the new Diego Costa. And I think he's been disappointing this season. He's not scored the goals. And I think, you know, Chelsea are still looking for a number nine.

18:00He's definitely got talent, but I think we've probably misread the quality of him because, you know, he did well against Palmeira, or that sort of thing. I don't think he's really stepped up in the Premier League. So I think there's something there, but he's been disappointing. And I think, obviously, even more so the fact that Chelsea were writing Leon de Lapp as well has been even worse in terms of interest. So I just think he could have been better. I think I'm surprised the guy's been so generous because he's got four goals. You were the most generous, then. I was. Listen, I think Jao Pedro has...

18:28And I get Oggy's point, but then at times, Maresca has played him in the hole behind de Lapp. So I don't think he's been used well at all. but I think he's made Chelsea significantly better in terms of having that finisher, having that goal scorer. Was he ever a number nine, though, that was going to get all these goals? I think when we saw him in the Club World Cup, we thought he was, wasn't he? Well, Danny Welbeck did that job at Brighton, and Joe Pedro did it now and again, but he floated around, which is something we discussed when Chelsea signed him. Shaq can mention playing behind a striker in the hole.

18:59He's a guy that floats around the field, and when you're doing that, I do agree. I think he's not being brilliant. but he's something different for them. And I just never felt he was going to be the guy that came in and got 20 goals or 20-year goals. I just don't think he's that type of player, if I'm being honest with you. Frank? Yeah, I think he went very high at the beginning because he had a player next to him who was ready to play with him. And how the chemistry with those two, and I'm talking about Cole Palmer, was obvious during the Club World Cup. And as soon as Cole Palmer got injured, we didn't see anymore Joe Pedro so maybe like the other players like all strikers if he's a striker and I agree with Craig maybe he's not a striker he needs somebody to be served and that's what he was lacking maybe and it's why maybe he's not efficient or as efficient as he was at the beginning just a reminder for a lot more of what's been happening in the footballing world be sure to check out the latest edition of the Gavin Jewels podcast Jewels very happy of course after PSG's win in the Intercontinental Cup

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21:01It's a fruity candy flavor explosion, a zero-sugar treat that's Sweet Tooth approved. You can take care of those candy cravings and get the caffeine boost you're looking for without the sugar. Stock up on Fruity Rainbow 5-Hour Energy Shots, available online at 5hourenergy.com or Amazon. Bruno Fernandes everywhere. We talked about it over the last couple of days. Brew who? Bruno no no. Bosses wanting me to leave. You want more? Bruno Fernandes quotes. Well, you got them. He was chatting to Rio Ferdinand. He said, I think when we struggled the most, I stayed present to the club. And I think everyone at the club, I hope in a way, hope, I hope is aware of that because the chances I had were very good.

21:46So I'm very aware that I could have done a different path. I could have gone in a different way and probably winning more trophies and people talking about me in a different way. Oggy, why are we hearing so much from him over the last couple of days? What's going on? Well, I mean, first of all, the interview in Portugal was done about a month ago, but it was released this week, and then the real interview was released this week. So it's almost like it's a kind of a plan just to alert people to the fact that he's not massively happy at United at the moment, and he's available next summer for a knockdown fee of, I think, about£50 million for a non-Premier League club.

22:20And it also sounds like he wants a bit of love as well. He's kind of reminded everybody that he could have left, he could have left. Well, as far as I'm aware, the two opportunities that he had were both Saudi Arabia. One was after the FA Cup win with Eric Ten Hag about 18 months ago, and then last summer as well. So we're not talking about being offered the chance to go to Barcelona or Real Madrid. We're talking about the opportunity to go to the Saudi Pro League. So I think it's been a bit disingenuous by saying he stayed at United because he wanted to win trophies. Well, he maybe stayed at United because the offers elsewhere weren't really to his liking.

22:48So it's a bit unusual. you know I just think it's there's been a bit of a kind of a split reaction to this some people have suggested, some of the fans are suggesting that you know he's exposing the club and the owners for wanting to let him go in the summer but the flip side is that had he gone and United had received about£100 million to go off the wage bill, they might have actually signed the two midfielders that they actually need right now and they'd have been a stronger team without him because they could have played Mason Mounts or Cunha in the number 10 role, had two reliable midfielders that you know you're not having to put your best player in a defensive midfield role to accommodate him so you know it's a strange one but he's banging the drum a little bit for himself and he's not really talking much about the team it's all about Bruno isn't it Frank yeah yeah I understand more why I'm surprised to see him coming out like that because if the interview was a month ago my study native were in a worse position at that time and maybe why he wanted to explain why he was staying what he was fighting blah blah blah I understand everything of that and that was nice for him to fight for the club but I don't know it's out of subject for me I don't know why he's out I don't know why it's now and maybe it was too late to put the article out because it doesn't make any sense for me anymore Bruno Fernandes is a good player he's not a great player we're going to talk about him comparing himself to somebody who played his old career for a big team Roma in terms of Totti you cannot compare yourself to Totti Totti won the Scudetto he stayed his whole career long and he scored 300 goals for the same team, played 700 games for the rest team, became champion of the world with Italy, he was somebody who was a big influence I don't think that we can put Bruno Fernandes at the same level, he's a good player, plays well with the national team as well, but he's not a game changer for me like Totti was and so therefore I don't know why we have a big time interview right now which for me doesn't make any sense.

24:53The Totti comparison by the way came today in the Rio Ferdinand interview. Who gave the comparison? Bruno did. With him and Totti? The loyalty for the clubs. The loyalty. Well we discussed this in the last couple of days as well because this has been a drip feed of these interviews and as Augie said there you know the suitors were Saudi Arabia what did you want some sort of medal for staying at Manchester United albeit a struggling Manchester United and not going to Saudi Arabia what did you want an open top boss around Manchester I'll guarantee you now as has been pointed out if it was Real Madrid or Barcelona or a club of that ilk and he was in a struggling Man United side, he's already said it I want to go to Italy or Spain, I'd quite like to go to Italy or Spain and play and if it had been one of those had been the suitors, had it been Real Madrid signing Mbappe with Kylian Mbappe in there and Vinicius and all these sort of superstars, even though they didn't have a great season last year, he would have been banging every Tom, Dick and Harry's door at Old Trafford saying, hey, I want to leave, look at this opportunity.

25:54So quite frankly, I think you should take this with a pinch of salt. He's beaten his own drum. And yeah, some people will see it a different way, but he's hardly going to get a medal for just saying, hey, I didn't leave, I didn't go to Saudi Arabia. Oh, well done. I don't get anything about this interview. And it's nothing to do with your timing. Is it a B -? I don't care. Jack is an F. That's an F, sure. I don't care when this article comes out. It makes no sense. On the one hand, you liken yourself to Totti, one club man, and then you follow that up with, yeah, but I'd like to go to La Liga or Italy, right?

26:31How does that make any kind of sense? You sit down in a room with Rio Ferdinand, who's won it all for Manchester United, and you make a parallel with, yeah, well, I was here when things were really bad. How do those things line up? I just don't understand, you know. And for me, again, I don't understand the timing. I try to understand what he's aiming and getting out of it. Is it a move? Is it interest out of Italy or Spain? I just, it makes no footballing sense. It feels like it's driven by an agent because this is not driven by anybody who knows football. Ogi, I'm being told you want to tie a bow on this.

27:15Yeah, it just strikes me that nowadays we're getting lots and lots of interviews from players who are just talking about themselves, about how loyal they've been or how they've been thrown under a bus, the Morsala situation. And I remember when Wayne Rooney was having his tour with United about probably 10, 12 years ago now, he was lambasted for basically asking the question, are we going to sign some good players? Now, if Wayne Rooney had done this kind of interview back then, Ferguson would have probably driven him out of the club. And that just shows how the game has changed in the sense that players now, they're now kind of almost as, in their eyes, as big as the club's.