Next Summer and Our New Financial Position

[New York Red]

I'm praying that we don't turn into some crass outfit like Chelsea where we just buy too many players and pay too much for them. I can't see that happening to be honest, but we will be in a very different place to where we have been in the past.

 

For instance, it's not just a case of us being able to spend 30 million on a player. I hope there aren't too many of those anyway. But, it will be nice to be able to spend 15 million on a good player and it not to be much of a problem. But, we can also now attract players like Michael Ballack who we can get for no fee but will pay them higher wages to attract them.

 

The exercise is this though. We all love our team and we have different priorities as to what we want to win; Premier League, Champions League or whatever. The fact is that we jsut don't have the squad to win the Premier League presently and we have to make some very tough decisions to get us up to the level where we can pose a real challenge and actually win it.

 

There will be some really good players that we'll need to get rid of, but there will some really great players who we'll get to radically improve the squad.

 

For instance, I think Ballack would have been a great acquisition for us if we'd had the money last summer. Huntlaar may well be the hottest striker in Europe by the summer and could be the guy to get. Hargreaves may be allowed to leave Bayern and could cost 20 million.

 

But, the other side of the coin is who do we get rid of? Do we get rid of Xabi? Does Crouch and Bellamy get sold? Do we finally cut the cord with Sami? Is Carra untouchable any more? Do we relagate Riise premanently to the bench?

 

What scenarios can you envision with comings and goings?

[Benitez]

I won't envision too much till the deal actually becomes reality

[New York Red]

I won't envision too much till the deal actually becomes reality

 

But it's fun to dream isn't it? Plus, it removes us from the hellish lead-up to Christmas...

[Cisse]

I think we currently have 8 truly top class players for a First XI.

 

Reina, Finnan, Carra, Agger, Stevie, Momo, Xabi, Kuyt.

 

This would mean a LB, LW, CF aka Zambrotta, Ronaldo, Villa...

 

I'd also like to see us get Alves for cover on RB/RW. Richards as he's the new great hype.

[G Richards]

But, the other side of the coin is who do we get rid of? Do we get rid of Xabi? Does Crouch and Bellamy get sold? Do we finally cut the cord with Sami? Is Carra untouchable any more? Do we relagate Riise premanently to the bench?

 

What scenarios can you envision with comings and goings?

 

Keep Xabi no matter how much money we have.

 

Time for Sami to move on. Great player and servant for the club, but Agger should have well and truly taken his spot by next summer.

 

Carra - possibly not untouchable. His form of last season would make him nigh on untouchable, but for me, he's only starting to get back to that now. I think Rafa will go for another CB (to replace Sami), perhaps Luisao or someone we haven't thought of. Any two of the three of Carra, Agger and new cb should play, with the likes of Paletta being further behind in the pecking order.

 

Riise - good player but in a lull right now. Could be put under pressure with new youngster (Insua, Bale), or could be replaced with someone like Lahm if his form stays poor for too long.

 

Fowler - should be replaced. I hope we sign Huntelaar, then it's any two from Huntelaar/Kuyt/Bellamy, with Crouch providing a different sort of option as only he can.

 

Zenden - should be replaced (perhaps with someone like Barton).

 

Pennant - should be replaced (maybe retained as a squad man, but I'd like to see someone better brought in, probably Alves).

 

Gonzalez - I'd like to see more of him before deciding, but at the worst, he should be retained as a squad man

 

Finnan - not untouchable. I'd like to see Micah Richards come in.

 

 

In short, we could find room in the team/squad for:

 

Huntelaar

Alves

Luisao/King

Richards

Bale

Barton

 

Obviously the nearer you go to the top of the list, the more immediate impact you would probably have on the first team.

[Hassony]

Hargreaves may be allowed to leave Bayern and could cost 20 million.

 

 

might as well save on 19m and buy savage who is just as effective

Edited December 19, 2006 by Hassony

[Bootle Buck]

If Parry is still around and Rafa has money I can still see them looking for a couple of qulaity players at the right price. I can't see them being held to ransom by another club unless they absolutely have a target they really really want. I can see two top class players and a few very highly rated youngsters such as Bale and Richards.

[growler]

personally, I don't think we are that far away from where we need to be.

 

we need a right back, more for cover and competition, so Micah Richards would be a good long term buy.

 

Depending on how Paletta and the others progress through to summer, we may need another CB. However, I would keep Hyppia for as long as he is happy to stay. He's a good pro and good player.

 

Left back we have a lot of options. Personally I would keep riise and see how Insua progresses. Otherwise, take the plunge with a Baines/Bale option

 

GK is fine.

 

CM with Gerrard, Alonso and Sissoko is great. We could perhaps add another for cover.

 

LM I am sure Gonzales will make that his own soon, but we could do with another there, depending on KEwell comeback.

 

RM we have Pennant only, and we could do a with a top class player there.

 

Up front, we have Kuyt, Bellamy, Crouch and Fowler. fowler probably does not have many games in him, and I am still not convinced by crouch. good lad and player, but not sure he's what we need unless he is happy to be cover. Kuyt and Bellamy look to be a top partnership.

 

We also have Garcia, aurelio, warnock, zenden who are 'fillers'. If they are happy to stay as such, that would be great.

 

so result is, we need a young and up and coming RB, CM and forward. a top class RM.

[Molby]

might as well save on 19m and buy savage who is just as effective

utter b****x

[Martian]

Please no to Fatso (Ronaldo). There are better palyers than Hargreaves in his position. Alves will be a great addition as well as another striker and a replacement for Hyypia.

[New York Red]

I personally think we could go for Schweinsteiger. He'd be big money, but God he's good. The best on the left in the world for me.

 

I'd like Riquelme too.

[_00_deathscar]

Riquelme balls it up on the big stage. No thanks...I'd rather Kaka.

[Alonso]

Dream signings for me would be (regardless of realism)

 

Richards - To replace/offer competition to Finnan and provide cover at CB

Kaka - Just coz!

Villa - For that goal scoring CF and replace the outgoing Fowler

[honourablegeorge]

The thing about about Villa is this - The Spanish league really is so different from ours. If we signed the top scorer in the Spanish league last season and put him up front with the current top scorer, we'd expect to have an amazing strikeforce.

 

In reality, we'd have Diego Forlan and Freddie Kanoute.

 

We've already seen a player with undoubted class come here and fail completely, not through lack of effort, but becaus ehe just couldn't adjust.

 

Villa's about the most exciting out-and-out striker in the world at the moment (maybe Eto'o excepted), and he's a player that I'd love to see in a red shirt. But the chance of him being an abject failure is always there, and I'd say his comments about English football make it doubly likely that he wouldn't settle here.

[Guest ziggystardust]

I personally think we could go for Schweinsteiger. He'd be big money, but God he's good. The best on the left in the world for me.

 

I'd like Riquelme too.

 

 

no way near the best left winger in the world, good shot but nothing else exceptional.

Edited December 20, 2006 by ziggystardust

[floyd]

 

I'd like Riquelme too.

Riquelme would find the time and space he needs, non existent over here.

[Hassony]

utter b****x

so you think he is worth 20m?

[DazzlaJ]

so you think he is worth 20m?

 

Whats that got to do with Savage being just as good as him?

[Hassony]

Whats that got to do with Savage being just as good as him?

similar players

[New York Red]

similar players

 

Savage is what? 32? Hargreaves is 24.

 

Talent-wise there is no comparison. Hargreaves is clearly superior.

[Hassony]

Savage is what? 32? Hargreaves is 24.

 

Talent-wise there is no comparison. Hargreaves is clearly superior.

probably a better player, but not worth anything more than 5m max

[Rimbeux]

Pre Sissoko and pre him signing a new deal a year ago, when people over here were laughing at him was the time to get Hargreaves, when he could be got for £5m, no value or need anymore.