The Gylfi thread.

[KC Royal]

Didn't Icelandic Stokie once say that his Icelandic club had a sell-on fee, 10 or 15%? If that is true then it seems Hoffenheim are prepared to make a loss on him

Swansea sign him and we hardly get any money from the deal. Great. Thought he'd go for at least 10m.

[Extended-Phenotype]

So, 9 million euros is, roughly £6 million. Gr8. Well done. How much did Hoffenheim pay us for him?

I'm gutted. If Swansea can afford £6million, so the bloody hell should we be able, if we're wanting to stay in the Prem, whoever owns us.

Swansea play a system that suits Gylfi, so he'll slot into their team quite nicely.

If we brought him in, we'd have to significantly invest in players to bring out the best in him. I may be wrong, but spending £20m in one summer isn't really the 'Reading way'.

The club will have a list of targets that they believe will help enhance this current squad, with our current system. They're not going to blow a massive chunk of their budget on a player who just wouldn't fit in.

Here come the apologists. Apparently it would cost Reading 20m to buy Gylfi rather than 6. Bravo.

He used to play in our f/cking system, dimfart.

[winchester_royal]

So, 9 million euros is, roughly £6 million. Gr8. Well done. How much did Hoffenheim pay us for him?

I'm gutted. If Swansea can afford £6million, so the bloody hell should we be able, if we're wanting to stay in the Prem, whoever owns us.

Swansea play a system that suits Gylfi, so he'll slot into their team quite nicely.

If we brought him in, we'd have to significantly invest in players to bring out the best in him. I may be wrong, but spending £20m in one summer isn't really the 'Reading way'.

The club will have a list of targets that they believe will help enhance this current squad, with our current system. They're not going to blow a massive chunk of their budget on a player who just wouldn't fit in.

Here come the apologists. Apparently it would cost Reading 20m to buy Gylfi rather than 6. Bravo.

He used to play in our f/cking system, dimfart.

No he didn't fcuktard. We played him behind the striker.

And my figure of 20m was accounting for the investment we'd have to make in other players to change our system to accommodate Gylfi. Do keep up.

[andrew1957]

I really don't get those who think we would have to massively change our system to fit Gylfi back in.

When he was here we played 4-2-3-1 - where the two defensive midfield players hold the line in front of the defence and then quickly get the ball through to either a wide player of Gylfi in the middle. We can adjust back to this system very easily. You need a target man which Roberts is ideally suited to. IMO it would be very easy for Gylfi to fit back in seamlessly.

[Extended-Phenotype]

Swansea play a system that suits Gylfi, so he'll slot into their team quite nicely.

If we brought him in, we'd have to significantly invest in players to bring out the best in him. I may be wrong, but spending £20m in one summer isn't really the 'Reading way'.

The club will have a list of targets that they believe will help enhance this current squad, with our current system. They're not going to blow a massive chunk of their budget on a player who just wouldn't fit in.

Here come the apologists. Apparently it would cost Reading 20m to buy Gylfi rather than 6. Bravo.

He used to play in our f/cking system, dimfart.

No he didn't fcuktard. We played him behind the striker.

And my figure of 20m was accounting for the investment we'd have to make in other players to change our system to accommodate Gylfi. Do keep up.

What, that system wasn't ours? Shit, we should give it back! Somebody might be looking for it!

Reverting back to that?

Drop a striker. You are right, doing that would cost 200 million billion pounds.

[winchester_royal]

I really don't get those who think we would have to massively change our system to fit Gylfi back in.

When he was here we played 4-2-3-1 - where the two defensive midfield players hold the line in front of the defence and then quickly get the ball through to either a wide player of Gylfi in the middle. We can adjust back to this system very easily. You need a target man which Roberts is ideally suited to. IMO it would be very easy for Gylfi to fit back in seamlessly.

Our whole way of playing is based around having 2 strikers. We saw at Brighton how awful we are when trying to play the kind of system you're talking about.

One of the reasons Roberts joined us was because of Brian's faith in 4-4-2. I don't see why we'd abandon that to bring in Gylf, when we could spend the same amount of money bringing in a player who would fit straight into our system.

[winchester_royal]

What, that system wasn't ours? Shit, we should give it back! Somebody might be looking for it!

Reverting back to that?

Drop a striker. You are right, doing that would cost 200 million billion pounds.

I'm talking about the system we played last year.

So you think that having Gylfi in a midfield with Karacan and Leigertwood would get the best out of him? Bless.

Swansea is a fantastic fit for him because in Britton (someone that you're apparently a HUGGEEEE fan of) and Allen he has two very good ball players sitting deep who are able to get the ball to him quickly. They also have defenders who like to play if out from the back, to avoid the hoofball that renders Gylf pretty ineffective. Also on the wings you have 2 small, nimble players who are very good in terms on interplay and linking with the midfield. (something Kebe and McAnuff don't really do)

Swansea play a completely different system to us, and they get him much more involved in the play. There were times with us that Siggy hardly featured all game, because he just wasn't right for the way we play. He's a fantastic player, best to ever come out of Reading, but he just wouldn't be right.

[mr_number]

I really don't get those who think we would have to massively change our system to fit Gylfi back in.

When he was here we played 4-2-3-1 - where the two defensive midfield players hold the line in front of the defence and then quickly get the ball through to either a wide player of Gylfi in the middle. We can adjust back to this system very easily. You need a target man which Roberts is ideally suited to. IMO it would be very easy for Gylfi to fit back in seamlessly.

Our whole way of playing is based around having 2 strikers. We saw at Brighton how awful we are when trying to play the kind of system you're talking about.

One of the reasons Roberts joined us was because of Brian's faith in 4-4-2. I don't see why we'd abandon that to bring in Gylf, when we could spend the same amount of money bringing in a player who would fit straight into our system.

Do you not think the way we play has something to do with having two very good defensive central midfielders and two very good wingers, and no creative central players? Brian has changed the formation throughout the season with games when he saw fit, but ultimately, he'd be an idiot not to start 4-4-2 when we have the majority of our players fit. Painting him as some kind of rigid 4-4-2 merchant undersells his managerial ability massively.
Buying new players who could improve our team with minor tweaks to the formation does not seem like a crazy move to me. moving to a 4-2-3-1/ 4-5-1 formation in the premiership does not seem like a silly decision to me at all - the extra man in midfield could be really useful.

[pea]

Lol, it doesn't work because we've always called it the Gylfi formation and Brian tried numerous players in the role once he left and eventually gave up and brought Ledge in to play 4-4-2. The reason we haven't be able to play it is because we haven't had Gylfi or a like for like replacement, not because the rest of the team can't play the other roles, which aren't much different tbh

[mr_number]

So you think that having Gylfi in a midfield with Karacan and Leigertwood would get the best out of him? Bless.

Swansea is a fantastic fit for him because in Britton (someone that you're apparently a HUGGEEEE fan of) and Allen he has two very good ball players sitting deep who are able to get the ball to him quickly. T

Not sure how you see Karacan and Leigertwood not being fairly ideally suited to the sitting deep and getting the ball out quickly role

[Spirit of Elm Park]

25 pages of guff, devoted to a player 'the club', and Bri, don't even appear to want.

Massive LOLz at all the doom-mongerers.

Fair play Gylfi, you've got a contract by the looks of it, but massive LOLz at your ambition.

[HoneyRoastHoax]

Swansea are such a bunch of cock munchers I oxf*rd hate them and their stupid owner with actual money not a piggie bank full of promises


Sorry Gylfie, we want you

[winchester_royal]

True, but I also believe that having 2 hard-working strikers up front was pivotal to our success. Whenever we've played with just one up front he's looked isolated, and the 'creative midfielder' has never really been able to impact play.

To play like you suggest we'd have to become a team that plays the ball on the floor. We don't have many players in the squad capable of doing that. Which is why I said we'd need significant investment all around the team to change system.

I don't see why we'd change it all when we were champions last season, I just don't understand that logic.

[winchester_royal]

Lol, it doesn't work because we've always called it the Gylfi formation and Brian tried numerous players in the role once he left and eventually gave up and brought Ledge in to play 4-4-2. The reason we haven't be able to play it is because we haven't had Gylfi or a like for like replacement, not because the rest of the team can't play the other roles, which aren't much different tbh

Okay, let me ask you this.

Were we more successful playing 4-5-1 with Gylfi, or 4-4-2 with Roberts?

[winchester_royal]

So you think that having Gylfi in a midfield with Karacan and Leigertwood would get the best out of him? Bless.

Swansea is a fantastic fit for him because in Britton (someone that you're apparently a HUGGEEEE fan of) and Allen he has two very good ball players sitting deep who are able to get the ball to him quickly. T

Not sure how you see Karacan and Leigertwood not being fairly ideally suited to the sitting deep and getting the ball out quickly role

Because Leigertwood can't pass, and Karacan's not the best either. They're great at playing the simple ball out to the wings, and then countering from there, but would they be able to control the game against a premiership club like Swansea can?

[mr_number]

Because Leigertwood can't pass, and Karacan's not the best either.

They're great at playing the simple ball out to the wings

[winchester_royal]

You know what I meant.

Any footballer can play the simple ball, it's those that can play incisive passes that could find Sig in the hole that we'd need.

[Wycombe Royal]

There is no doubting that Gylfi is a fantastic player, but when he was with us before it was admitted at the time that the team was built around him. When he left we changed the way we played and have been more successful as a result of that. We play a 442 system that relies of two defensive midfielders winning the ball and getting it quickly out wide. With Gylfi in the team the whole dynamics of it would change and that could be disastrous going in to a new season in the Prem.

So for that reason I am not bothered in the slightest.

[mr_number]

You know what I meant.

Any footballer can play the simple ball, it's those that can play incisive passes that could find Sig in the hole that we'd need.

What I mean was, actually the ball into Gylfi is a simple ball, it's him who then plays the wunderball. Hence, Jem and Ledge don't have to change much from what they do now, thye just sometimes pass it to Gylfi instead of to the wing.

Honestly, sometimes I think I should be a manager...

[Extended-Phenotype]

What, that system wasn't ours? Shit, we should give it back! Somebody might be looking for it!

Reverting back to that?

Drop a striker. You are right, doing that would cost 200 million billion pounds.

I'm talking about the system we played last year.

So you think that having Gylfi in a midfield with Karacan and Leigertwood would get the best out of him? Bless.

Swansea is a fantastic fit for him because in Britton (someone that you're apparently a HUGGEEEE fan of) and Allen he has two very good ball players sitting deep who are able to get the ball to him quickly. They also have defenders who like to play if out from the back, to avoid the hoofball that renders Gylf pretty ineffective. Also on the wings you have 2 small, nimble players who are very good in terms on interplay and linking with the midfield. (something Kebe and McAnuff don't really do)

Swansea play a completely different system to us, and they get him much more involved in the play. There were times with us that Siggy hardly featured all game, because he just wasn't right for the way we play. He's a fantastic player, best to ever come out of Reading, but he just wouldn't be right.

Sorry, is it just me who finds your notion that tactics can't change rather laughable?

We played 4-2-3-1 with two holding and Gylfi. We now play 4-4-2 two holding without Gylfi.

Look at the two systems for a moment. Can you spot what the difference is? No, try again. Try again. Close, but have another go. It begins with a 'G'. Giii. Giiiiiiiiillll. Giiiiiiiiiilllllfffffff GYLFI! Well done.

Ok ok, you are right. Swansea do have a different system, perhaps a system we wouldn't be able to emulate as well, and therefore perhaps Swansea suits Gylfi better.

But you don't know what system McD could create. You don't know what system Gylfi could adapt to. And it's rather laughable to suggest we can't mould a 4-5-1 to accomodate him, when it was exactly that system we played when he was here, tearing up the Championship, and the only ingredient we are missing to play that now is.....

GYLFI!

And yeah, I do think Jem and Legs begind Gylfi would make an excellent midfield. at that point.