Luke Freeman next season

[DeanLearner'sCat]

Assuming 3-4-1-2 returns in the Championship, we should obviously be looking to keep him and play him in the Duffy role. We'd need to bring in another as competition like when we brought Dowell in on loan. Whether or not he's good enough to play that role in the Premier League (or if we'd play that system if we get back to the PL) is a bridge we'll cross if we come to it.

 

[FriethBlade]

A bit of a mystery signing. I think most people thought he was a replacement for Duffy/to play "the Duffy role".

Never really given much of a chance and then shipped out on loan.

Really, really odd.

Ricky Holmes mark 2.

Don't see why he can't be a big success in the championship in the right system, he was superb for QPR

 

[Chabuddy G]

with whose money? They cost £20 million with our recruitment policy.

So why not keep the ones we have?

 

[bakeblade]

Stick or twist?

A supreme talent in the Championship, who we might have ruined (again).
Do we give him another try next season?
We are crying out for a return of the infamous 10 role, and I can't think of many I'd prefer than pre 2020 Luke Freeman next year.
Well, I wouldn't have got rid of him this season but that's another story. Hindsight and all that (not that it's even hindsight, it was clearly fucking idiotic to get rid of our only creative midfield player and not replace him)

He impressed me most times he pulled on the shirt, was unlucky that the 3 in midfield worked so well and Fleck was in the form of his life.
Played really well at the beginning of the season and imo in the cup game at Reading (if I remember rightly) which is the level he'll be playing at next year.
His close control, dribbling and vision are at home at this level nevermind the one below. Does the rest of his game stack up? Fuck knows, barely got to see it. But I like him.
And if he plays for us he can't play against us - judging on the fact he always has a worldy against us that can only be a good thing.

Hasn't had the best time of it at Forest but then again no one has this year. And rare that attacking players shine for them at all for some reason.
Has he got too much flair and creativity for Wilder? He doesn't like players like that.

FWIW - 100% keep. Players like that are the type I like to pay to see, not your Lundstrams of this world. I'd keep him and sign another number 10 to compete with him. Really commit to the shape which has served us so well.
Freeman behind any 2 of McBurnie, Brewster, McGoldrick, Sharp, Burke should be more than enough to take the league by storm.
Unfortunately I feel the dreaded flat 3 will continue and we'll continue to bore teams to sleep down the wings then look to score 1 if we're lucky and sit on it.

He seems to have got back in the forest team now after his op. I suspect they may have a clause to buy him at the end of season, so we may have seen the last of him in a United shirt

 

[Danny Blade]

'Suggests' not 'Can't be'
He might come back and do us a brilliant job, but until he was out, (according to posts on their forum plus the opinion of my Forest supporting neighbour) he was ineffective and struggling to do the basics well.
Based on his recent performances/attitude to games, it would suggest that it should be a consideration on what to do with him next.

Was he actually being played as a no.10 do you know?

I looked at Forest's line up earlier in the season (albeit this was only one match that I looked at of theirs and my mind might be playing tricks on me too) but I'm sure he was fielded on either the left or right wing. If so, I think it is fair to give him some slack for this.

In his Stevenage days I think he started out as a LB/LWB but for the majority of his time in the Championship his more natural position has been as a no.10.

 

[Bashamed]

Ok...

Do you think we'd be more or less creative with both Freeman and Fleck in the side?

In theory yes we'd be more I'm just really not sure Freeman is the answer.

 

[Houston_Blade]

Think the only chance we have of keeping him now is if Forest go down so decide not to buy.

If that happens we'll sell him elsewhere/terminate his contract. I'm not ITK at all but something is not right with the whole situation.

 

[adebo]

Player plays bad for another club so can't be good for us alert

I guess this is different but similar to the not in our team so must be the answer club?

 

[Houston_Blade]

Probably more likely Forest made a financial commitment in the loan which removes the right to a recall

I didn't realise it was a loan to buy, I'll keep my conspiracy theory parked in that case!

 

[adebo]

I think a fit Freeman would be a massive bonus in the championship if only to offer flexibility in systems.

 

[BettingBlade]

So at the start of the season you'd have said he's a better creative midfielder at this level than Fleck? I can't believe for 1 second that could ever be true. Its a weird one definitely but to make out he's our only creative midfielder I personally think is silly and is purely because he's not here.

There was plenty of discussion on here at the the start of the 19/20 season over whether Fleck should have his place back after his injury because of the job Freeman was doing.

For some reason Freeman never got a sniff after that.

 

[Kev Gee]

Seems a ridiculous decision to loan him out when we are very light in midfield.

 

[Mojo]

I'd have him in over Norwood and Lundstram. People say Freeman can't defend. Well he can't do any worse than those two and he might actually occasionally burst into a sprint now and again.

 

[true99blade]

Seeing as though we did brilliantly without him last year and the fact he hasn’t really made any sort of impact in a terrible Forest side I doubt he’ll be in Wilder’s plans next season. He’s unfortunate the midfield 3 were so good last season. Shame he wasn’t good enough.

 

[Bashamed]

There was plenty of discussion on here at the the start of the 19/20 season over whether Fleck should have his place back after his injury because of the job Freeman was doing.

For some reason Freeman never got a sniff after that.

Ye but I think Fleck then went on to fully justify he started all season. But it is a weird situation with Freeman. And it was weird we went for Swift then just never went for a similar type player when we didn't get him.

 

[Chabuddy G]

Seeing as though we did brilliantly without him last year and the fact he hasn’t really made any sort of impact in a terrible Forest side I doubt he’ll be in Wilder’s plans next season. He’s unfortunate the midfield 3 were so good last season. Shame he wasn’t good enough.

He should've got some games when Fleck waned after January.
He's failed to make an impact at Forest, as have all their players this season. Doesn't really make him a bad player.

 

[SouthportBlade]

Simply put, impacted by a series of events...

Signed as No.10 to replace Duffy
Popular signing amongst fan base
Started season cautiously with flat 3, keeping him out of the
Looked decent when got game time
Fleck played well, kept him out of starting 11,as did Lundstram
Team did well, stayed out of the team
Few injury problems
Unhappy with no first team football
Season ends
Based on finishing 9th, made sense to not change structure
Meaning limited first team opps
Low on confidence and match fitness
Loaned out to a bad Forest team, not pulling up any trees
Try to replace with Swift, fail, inexplicably doesn't look at any other midfielders
No real competition at LCM and surprisingly John Fleck is bobbins at the start of the season.
Injury crisis
Need reinforcement, didn't insert recall clause.
Etc etc

Depending on loan agreement, I'd give him a go next year, proven a very good player at that level and think he'd be a better fit when we have more of the ball

 

[Varkanoid]

He seems to have got back in the forest team now after his op. I suspect they may have a clause to buy him at the end of season, so we may have seen the last of him in a United shirt

yeah he went on loan with an option to buy.

 

[BettingBlade]

Ye but I think Fleck then went on to fully justify he started all season. But it is a weird situation with Freeman. And it was weird we went for Swift then just never went for a similar type player when we didn't get him.

Yeah I agree, I think Fleck is better playing in the deeper role than Freeman but I also think Freeman would be better in the number 10 role than Fleck.

Seemed a strange signing all round as I would have presumed the intention with Freeman was to play him if we ever reverted to playing a number 10 in the Premier League which obviously never happened.

The flat 3 worked so well last season that it was rarely needed. I’m surprised we haven’t at least tried a number 10 more often in the league this season but then again, there’s only really McGoldrick that I think can play that role effectively enough.

People talk a lot about the system and how it’s not changed and it’s nothing to do with the system, which I agree with to an extent, but it’s mainly the formation that hasn’t changed but the mentality definitely has. We’re a lot less fluid and the focus seems to be more on being rigid defensively and building slowly rather than moving the ball quickly and creating overloads in the opposition final third.

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

Freeman is the one signing I wanted us to make, as we prepared for the PL.

I would be really keen to give him a go, on our return to the Championship. We have to revert back to a number 10 role, and he has a proven track record at that level.

A midfield that had the creativity of an in-form Freeman, a midfield destroyer of some sort and Fleck's ability to do a bit of both, would be competitive. It's about changing things as they are currently, the flat 3 get overturned by pace, don't dictate possession, don't shield the back 5 and don't break down opposition defenses or break into the box. As the commentators shared the other night, we get very congested around the opposition's box and don't know what to do - Freeman of old, if we can find it him, would change that. It's about using our resources efficiently.

The sad part of all this, is the first option clause. We might have exactly what we need and never get to use him. Our only hope is that his struggles for fitness and form this season lead to Forest waiving that option and then we can revitalise him next year. As with JOC and Egan, we have to hope that less fortunate circumstances may mean that we might just hold onto an exceptional squad to make a go of it next season.

 

[Blade In Flame]

He'll be 29 at the start of next season. If we do go back up, he'll be 30/31 in the PL.

'If'. We need to concentrate on getting back up with the best squad we can muster, rather than the old tired and ineffective 'one for the future' scenario.

 

[robbiez666]

'If'. We need to concentrate on getting back up with the best squad we can muster, rather than the old tired and ineffective 'one for the future' scenario.

Not for me. We need a squad we can stay up and will improve, as difficult as that is. We don't have the money to start replacing players when we get up at £20 million a pop. It isn't happening. Because we had that team and momentum last season. We're never getting that kind of momentum again. We need to sign 4 or 5 players who are good enough to play in the Championship but who have the potential to be PL players in 1-2 years.

 

[Bobby Boo]

Whenever he played for us he was deputising for Flecky and didn't look out of place. Would love to see him given a chance behind 2 strikers, I think we would see the best of him then. He certainly looked he part whenever I saw him playing for QPR and good players don't turn shit overnight unless they play for United (Norwood and Enda I'm looking at you two fuckers).

 

[Deadbat]

I saw some clips of him for Forest at the weekend. Looks like he may have been enjoying the takeaways of Nottingham rather too much.

I'd suggest if he was not in Wilders plans this year and is another year older and has been really ineffective even at a lower level, we wont see him part of things. He only has a year left on his contract also.

Be very surprised if he plays for us again personally.

We need some legs and mobility in midfield. He offers neither.

It is a possibility we may move on him, Berge and Norwood (just a hunch even though he has 2 years left on his contract). With Lundstram going we could be left with just Fleck and Osborn in here. We need 2 or 3 in this area and is the one part if the team/squad that needs an overhaul for me.

 

[ancientblade]

hes still our player and dont think weve anything to lose by bringing him back championship is his level and he cant be any worse than lundstram and norwood

 

[steve26272]

"He's enthusiastic, dynamic and talented," "His stats are right up there. We look at the stats, the key stats we look at for players, and then also reports and my own eyes. He can create and he can score. I'm sure he can play a part in this group." Wilder quote on buying Luke Freeman

What I dont get, is if the background checks are so thorough, why do we get so many transfers wrong

Honest appraisal of the last 4 windows purchases


2019/20
Robinson (J) - Trier, but just not good enough
Verrips - no idea, never given chance in 1st team
Morrison - gamble that didnt pay off
Jags - good pro to have, £50k pw is way too much if true
Osborn - half decent back up
Freeman - in and out without a real opportunity
Robinson (C) - lightweight, moved on to WBA
Mousse - can be a great player, Phil Jones MUFC career never recovered, prone to injuries and poor form
McB - ok, ish. top 6 champ material
Berge - right player, wrong team

2020/21
Fodderingham - for laying out the cones
Coulibaly - great prospect
Bogle - looks good
Lowe - time will tell
Burke - squad player
Ramsdale - 2 relegations in 2 years? unlucky, or contributor
Brewster - currently behind OG in the scoring charts - maybe not his fault, but then fix it

Combined outlay £130m

If I look at the above, I reckon Bogle & Berge are the quality, a few for the squad and the rest have flopped

Shit return for £130million

You could also say that 'keeper aside, non of these would dramatically improve the team that took us up 2 years ago

We desperately need to reflect on recruitment, I know £130m isnt a lot in the Prem, but I would have expected at least 3 or 4 players to have cemented themselves as 1st teamers

And I dont buy into the 'one for the future / Brewster and McB will tear up the Champ'

What about buying players for the division your in, rather than getting relegated to the level of your players?




source - https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/she...50/plus/1?saison_id=2019&pos=&detailpos=&w_s=

 

[Working Class Hero]

You could also say that 'keeper aside, non of these would dramatically improve the team that took us up 2 years ago

Why keeper aside?

I can confidently say that none of them have dramatically improved the team that took us up two years ago.

 

[steve26272]

Why keeper aside?

I can confidently say that none of them have dramatically improved the team that took us up two years ago.

Sorry not clear maybe - what I meant was you could play a team made up of the squad from 2018/19 and they wouldnt be improved by our purchases. we have to play a keeper we have now as Hendo has gone - biggest miss since Simmo's penalty

 

[Toronto Blade]

Freeman was playing in pain he had a hernia op which was botched. He had to travel to Germany to find the op was done incorrectly after a second op he feels fine and returned to Forest .
Let's see how he is up to the end of the season he could still return if he shows that he is back to form.

 

[Toronto Blade fan]

Not having a recall clause on a loan seems moronic. Could this be a loan to buy? and if we recall, then we null the buy option? That would be the only thing that would make sense to me. I would rather a fat and out-of-shape Freeman than the current Norwood.