Lewis Holtby

[USABlue]

Just watched some videos, what struck me was the weight of his passes were perfect.  Nicely placed for the player.to run onto a skill that seems to be going bye bye anymore.  Looks a quality player.

[Butty]

Lewis Holtby woahhh Lewis Holtby woahhh he comes from Germany, we signed him on a free  

[Gary C]

By all accounts from what I've read hes kept himself fit so hopefully Tony's big wait to play may not happen.  Better option than deadwood sorry Smallwood and for free

[tonygreenbank]

Perhaps our new European scouting team have unearthed a gem. Could be bearing fruit already! Welcome Lewis Holtby.

[47er]

We can't possibly keep all the mid-fielders we've got so let's hope we lose the right ones!

However, a bit of class is what we lack and this signing is what we need.

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

Just caught up with this. On paper this is a brilliant bit of business   fair play to TM and crew.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Never heard of him but liking what I’m hearing. If what Mowbray says is true that the Recruiting dept raised his name during the window, it shows to be what a nightmare it must be juggling transfer priorities. I can well imagine the last minute push for Reed was a reaction to them deciding they weren’t going to get this guy. Reed doesn’t come, then this guy turns down other offers, now he’s ours and no-one is saying “Wish we had Reed instead.”

I make that six first-teamers now signed since last season. The one thing we won’t be doing is treading water.

[philipl]

8 hours ago, JacknOry said:

That was the primary reason he was not kept at Hamburg despite the fans wanting him there. His wages were pretty big and they decided they didnt want to keep paying them. 

You would imagine they are a bit more sensible in Germany with the wages paid over here but are they comparable to what our wage budget provides for as a Championship club? Could also have been a signing on sweetener involved as well to keep his wages down and in line with the rest (though id imagine he would be among the top earners). 

Hamburg are the nuts club of Germany.

[Hi Mack]

Im impressed with his first interview, seems to be a decent lad and genuinely looks excited.

Lets see how he settles, hopefully him and Dack can form a decent midfield partnership. Johnson and Travis 

to add the steel also. just hope our strikers can find their scoring boots.

[Ossydave]

9 hours ago, danger19_80 said:

I'd say Besiktas and the chance to play European football in front of 40k people would be a significantly bigger draw than us at the moment, on paper at least. Let's hope that means he feels we've a chance to go up, although I think coming back 'home' to England would have been a big factor in his decision. What is strange is that no other English clubs were in for him.

I doubt Thursday night football vs Slovan Bratislava in the Eujoker league is that appealing to be honest and they're likely to drop out at the group stage. The Turkish league is woeful and playing in it week in week out is not an attractive proposition.

[sabino]

42 minutes ago, Ossydave said:

I doubt Thursday night football vs Slovan Bratislava in the Eujoker league is that appealing to be honest and they're likely to drop out at the group stage. The Turkish league is woeful and playing in it week in week out is not an attractive proposition.

Yes, but at least Netflix would be cheap!

[davulsukur]

Sounds like he can be played in the holding mid roles or as an attacking option.

Huge bonus for me that. Johnson and Travis won't be available for every game so he can slot in there if needed, which means we are less reliant on Evans/Smallwood for back up.

Also might mean we can move Gallagher up front more.

[tomphil]

8 hours ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

Never heard of him but liking what I’m hearing. If what Mowbray says is true that the Recruiting dept raised his name during the window, it shows to be what a nightmare it must be juggling transfer priorities. I can well imagine the last minute push for Reed was a reaction to them deciding they weren’t going to get this guy. Reed doesn’t come, then this guy turns down other offers, now he’s ours and no-one is saying “Wish we had Reed instead.”

I make that six first-teamers now signed since last season. The one thing we won’t be doing is treading water.

Good point and something we have to come to terms with these days as we don't have the pull nor the money to grease the wheels we used to.

Someone said it's like picking up a load of balls one by one then throwing them all up in the air, not moving and hoping one just drops directly in your lap.  Once they've done their pitch and made their offer there isn't a lot they can do and it goes someway to explaining the often scattergun approach in what you end up with.

Although on the other side of the coin you have to be going for the right types in the right positions in the first place there still didn't seem to be many good defenders on the radar !

[tomphil]

9 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

Sounds like he can be played in the holding mid roles or as an attacking option.

Huge bonus for me that. Johnson and Travis won't be available for every game so he can slot in there if needed, which means we are less reliant on Evans/Smallwood for back up.

Also might mean we can move Gallagher up front more.

Please lets have him in a good attacking mid role i just don't think you can have sitting types in front of the defence pinging crossfield passes etc in this league.  Just doesn't suit our attackers either no real target men and no flying wingers to drop it in front of, midfield is a battlefield in the championship and it' where you need your generals.

[arbitro]

He looks like he has all the pieces - hopefully Mowbray can put them together. I can't say I remember him playing over here but reading this thread he sounds promising.

We really need to pay Smallwood up now and cancel his contract to let him move on. 

[Admiral Nelsen]

Have really high hopes for this one. I get (and share, to to a degree) the view that we already have a tonne of players in his position(s) and it's hard to know who should be left out.

Having said that, how many times have we brought in players in similar circumstances and they've turned out to improve us no end. Friedel, Tugay and Samba jump out straight away. If only we took a similar approach to Zidane then we might've been a very different club these days.

Spoke very well in his interview too, hope he's as impressive on the pitch.

[Dreams of 1995]

Holtby also provides serious competition for Dack. We need that competition in midfield because it drives players on to be the best.

If we can come up with a system that allows us to play Dack and Holtby from the start, with Rothwell coming on to replace the leggier of the two, then we have a serious mix of creativity and pace. 

[philipl]

12 hours ago, danger19_80 said:

I'd say Besiktas and the chance to play European football in front of 40k people would be a significantly bigger draw than us at the moment, on paper at least. Let's hope that means he feels we've a chance to go up, although I think coming back 'home' to England would have been a big factor in his decision. What is strange is that no other English clubs were in for him.

My God no way and I say that as someone with a soft spot for Besiktas.

If 22 man brawls in the tunnel after games and lots of dodgy types inducing you into criminal activity is your scene, Turkish football is the place for you.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

At the risk of be called negative again I'd be more thrilled about this signing if I could figure out an emerging pattern of play for the team. We seem to be collecting central midfield players.  Inevitably we only have room for 3 at the most in the centre unless we start playing them out of position.Unless the manager is planning to come up with a yet undiscovered way of playing IE a 3-6-1 formation I'm puzzled as to our recruitment policy If this guy was an experienced striker I'd be over the moon, but he's not.

When Kenny Dalglish first came in and started signing players it was like watching someone completing a jigsaw. Every hole in the team was gradually filled in and each signing fitted into a system and way of playing.

Edited September 20, 2019 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Just now, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

At the risk of be called negative again I'd be more thrilled about this signing if I could figure out an emerging pattern of play for the team. We seem to be collecting central midfield players.  Inevitably we only have room for 3 at the most in the centre unless we start playing them out of position.Unless the manager is planning to come up with a yet undiscovered way of playing IE a 3-6-1 formation I'm puzzled as to our recruitment policy If this guy was an experienced striker I'd be over the moon, but he's not.

When Kenny Dalglish first came in and started signing players it was like watching someone completing a jigsaw. Every hole in the team was gradually filled in and each signing fitted into a system and way of playing.

I understand where you are coming from - but (if is as good as people say) you sometimes have to just take opportunities as they present themselves.

Though I think TM has had excellent backing from the owners - it is still obvious that we can't cherry pick players as we did in Kennys golden era.

In terms of planning - he wants to play a better passing game. He has tried Buckley to help that - presumably Holtby is seen as the playmaker we have been missing for a long time.

[philipl]

Who was the last full German international we have signed?

[MarkBRFC]

Babbel?

[Mike E]

I feel like this is moving us into 343 (or 3421) territory, which sounds exciting but MUST be done correctly.

I'm thinking:

                     Walton

        Lenihan Tosin Williams

Bennett Travis Johnson Cunningham

             Holtby        Dack

                    Gallagher

Solid back 3, Bennett and Cunningham as wing backs rather than full backs (also allows for the pace of Nyambe and Bell later in games).

Travis and Johnson to act as the complete engine room, harassing in midfield.

Gally as the focal point if attack (targetman) with Holtby and Dack roaming behind.

IF that is the plan, I think it can work well BUT will require defensive reinforcement in January imo.

[Norbert Rassragr]

Also needs Gallagher to score more and be a focal point. 

[Admiral Nelsen]

Just now, Mike E said:

I feel like this is moving us into 343 (or 3421) territory, which sounds exciting but MUST be done correctly.

I'm thinking:

                     Walton

        Lenihan Tosin Williams

Bennett Travis Johnson Cunningham

             Holtby        Dack

                    Gallagher

Solid back 3, Bennett and Cunningham as wing backs rather than full backs (also allows for the pace of Nyambe and Bell later in games).

Travis and Johnson to act as the complete engine room, harassing in midfield.

Gally as the focal point if attack (targetman) with Holtby and Dack roaming behind.

IF that is the plan, I think it can work well BUT will require defensive reinforcement in January imo.

Trouble with a lot of three at the back systems is that they look good on paper without being as impressive on Saturdays, but I have to say I really like that. 

Rothwell, Graham and Armstrong to come in should we make changes to how we play. A side that can cause anyone in this league problems.