Ok, we're fallen short in the league, but what do we need...

[Chewie]

there's obviously grave disappointment at today's result despite the fact that we battered em...lots of chat about how we need a predator or a quality wide man etc, but please....without this thread turning into a championship manager freakshow...who does Rafa build his team around with the money he will be given in the summer....

 

Here's who I reckon he's definitely keeping...

 

Reina, ___________

 

Defence:

 

Definite Keeps:Finnan, Agger, Carra,

 

Back-up keeps:(Hyppia as interim back up, also he's likely to keep Arbeola and Insua with only Arbeola likely to be a first teamer)

 

Players Dispensable: Riise (sorry Jon) and Aurelio

 

Players Needed: Quality needed on both full back flanks:

 

Midfield:

 

Definites: Gerrard, Alonso, Sissoko, Mascherano - definite keeps but all narrow

 

Back up Keeps: Pennant, Garcia, one of Kewell / Gonzalez

 

Players Dispensable: Zenden, one of Kewell / Gonzalez

 

Players Needed: Quality left sided player

 

Attack:

 

Definites: Bellamy, Kuyt

 

Players Dispensable: Crouch, Fowler

 

Players Needed: World Class goalscorer, world class link player

 

so I reckon we need:

 

Two quality full backs - £20m,

 

One quality left sided midfielder - £15 m

 

Two complimentary strikers (one natural creator, one goalscorer) - £40m

(this is where Voronin is a surpise - where does he fit?)

 

£70 - £80m to complete the jigsaw? We have the money now don't we (especially if we offload a few players for a total of about £10-£15 million). If dudek goes then we'll have to bring Carson back or get another keeper - whatever happened to that Italian lad we were looking at?

 

Anyway - please, no championship manager stuff but in terms of players we must keep and players we can afford to lose what do people reckon?

 

YNWA

 

Chewie

[Guest Linton]

We need: a left back, rightsided and leftsided midfield player. Plus an attacking CM and a striker. All should be in their prime/finsihed article/world class. This is my wish anyway.

Edited March 3, 2007 by Linton

[Toni]

 

 

so I reckon we need:

 

Two quality full backs - £20m,

 

One quality left sided midfielder - £15 m

 

Two complimentary strikers (one natural creator, one goalscorer) - £40m

(this is where Voronin is a surpise - where does he fit?)

 

£70 - £80m to complete the jigsaw? We have the money now don't we (especially if we offload a few players for a total of about £10-£15 million). If dudek goes then we'll have to bring Carson back or get another keeper - whatever happened to that Italian lad we were looking at?

 

Anyway - please, no championship manager stuff but in terms of players we must keep and players we can afford to lose what do people reckon?

 

YNWA

 

Chewie

 

1 goal-scorer and 1, ideally 2 wingers will be enough. 45mill tops.

[Kvarme Ate My Food]

Chewie, how would you define Championship Manager stuff, and how would it differ from what you posted?

[The Invisible Man]

I think in defense we're pretty sorted. Perhaps get a young centreback to take over from Sami.

Centre midfield is porbably the best in europe, but as we have 4 into 2 I reckon Gerrard might play a bit more on the right. I'm quite happy with Pennant and Gerrard interchanging. Left side is where we need to strengthen. Gonzalez hasn't done much so far but he is unproven and it is therefore too early to ship him out. I'd get rid of Kewell. He's only played 71 league games in his 4 years here and his injury problems aren't getting any better. I'd go for either Ribery or Quaresma primarily because they both have the ability to play on either wing and seem to have the necessary talent to really make a difference.

I don't think we will make another move for Alves. We were messed about by Sevilla and Rafa showed with Simao that he won't necessarily go back to a player.

Up front it is obvious we need a consistent scorer. Villa won't move and Torres isn't what we need. Eto'o and Huntelaar are therefore the most obvious taregets.

 

In total

 

Striker - £30m

Winger - £20m

CB - £5m

 

Out

 

Kewell - £2.5m

Cisse - £7.5m

Crouch - 10m

Zenden, Le Tallec, Dudek, Fowler - Free

Other possibilities out are Pongolle and Carson which could get us maybe another £10m

[4411]

we need an attacking fullback, wingers with similar ability as Ronaldo and Robben, striker who can score goals, and a playmaker in the Kaka, Aimar category

 

...and the league is ours

[anfield11]

Chewie, how would you define Championship Manager stuff, and how would it differ from what you posted?

 

 

 

I know!! £80 less sales, what the f*ck. We just played the Mancs off the park...we're not that far off.

[Chewie]

 

I know!! £80 less sales, what the f*ck. We just played the Mancs off the park...we're not that far off.

 

well lets consider that we have actually spent quite a bit since rafa got here and now for the first time ever we have the spening power to compete...so that means the £10million + we were going to spend on Simao but didn't is now going to be paid, al la Alves with the £12 million we were not willing to pay, then there's the money we didn't spend on Owen,...

 

now throw into the mix that say we go after this kid from Southampton at 8-10 million in the overinflated local market, plus the likes of Alves and you see how easy it is to spend £20 mil on two full backs, then say that for once Rafa is able to compete for Villa or for Eto and you see that we have to spend 25Mil + to get these sort of players, and then realise that these are the sort of players that we think would add to rather than deplete from a side that may not be 'that far off' but which in fact is 19 points off!!!

 

then set aside the championship manager approach which basically names a world 11, go through our team position by position and ask yourself how much it would cost to get us where we need to be, then take away how much we would get from players we no longer feel are needed - come on here anytime we win or lose and you'll get plenty of evidence of players we supposedly do not want...filter through the usual rubbish to rationally admit that players like Riise and Zenden and Fowler can be got shot of...

 

 

do all that and reply sensibly to the post and I think you'll see how much we need to spend to better our full backs, improve on our midefield creativity and add goals to this team...

 

there...nothing a little thought wouldn't help with!

 

YNWA

 

Chewie

Edited March 3, 2007 by Chewie

[Guest mrblast]

 

 

Two quality full backs - £20m,

 

One quality left sided midfielder - £15 m

 

Two complimentary strikers (one natural creator, one goalscorer) - £40m

(this is where Voronin is a surpise - where does he fit?)

 

£70 - £80m to complete the jigsaw? We have the money now don't we (especially if we offload a few players for a total of about £10-£15 million). If dudek goes then we'll have to bring Carson back or get another keeper - whatever happened to that Italian lad we were looking at?

 

Anyway - please, no championship manager stuff but in terms of players we must keep and players we can afford to lose what do people reckon?

 

YNWA

 

Chewie

 

Bloody hell that is some champ man nonsense right there.

[LFCNeil90]

Did anyone save before the manc game?

we could always close it and try again

[psl]

We need Luis Garcia fit.

[George Costanza]

over anyalysis of every f***ing defeat. we need what we've needed for 2 f***ing years.

[Guest elvispelvis2000]

My take on the remaining season and summer billion pound spending spree.

 

 

Reina

Carson

 

As long as Carson is happy with the backup role we are fine here

 

Finnan carra agger riise

Arbeloa hyypia paletta aurelio

 

 

Arbeloa needs to play most of the remaining league games to get a feel of the league and aurelio needs a run of games so we can decide if we need a new left back at all and which one of riise or aurelio leaves if we do.

3rd choice centre back, bit of a luxury really but if there is enough in the kitty maybe woodgate or that fella from benfica, probably a few other about that are in a reasonable price range too, for rotation and the times that rafa likes to play 3 at the back.

 

But even as it stands our defence in good shape and that with riise being a liability at times this season

 

 

garcia Alonso gerrard kewell

pennant momo mascherano Gonzalez

 

 

lots of possibilities here but ultimately I think on form the top line is our best midfield.

The centre doesn?t need touching but mascherano needs to play some games in the run.

As for the wide players,

Gonzalez needs games he wont improve if he doesn?t play but will still be here next season

Kewell could be a great player again but cant be relied upon I think he will stay for next season and if he stay fit and plays well then great.

Garcia can play on the left too, great for magic moments and telly kicking frustration

Pennant is in a similar situation to Gonzales

 

With pennant and Gonzalez not quite providing the magic this season so far, kewell never available one more player is needed (its not too important which side with garcia being effective on either side), the current players being bandied about on various forums are alaves, quaresma, nani (from sporting)

 

Bellamy kuyt

Crouch fowler

 

A reasonable strike force but obviously it can be improved

 

Fowler, can say much about the lad that hasn?t already been said, LEGEND to be replaced as fourth choice by veronin who I don?t know anything about.

Crouch I think will be sold to make way for a new striker

Bellamy has been on great form the last few months and despite his golfing incident will stay, now I may get flamed for saying this but most of his best work is when he makes runs into the channels, hes fast and tricky on the ball, could he do a great job on the right wing. I know he kicked off at Newcastle when played there what would he think now.

Kuyt started very impressively but has just had a bit of a barren spell, still its his first season over here and has done fine.

 

So who will the new striker be, what BigNAmeZ can we attract. I don?t think its as simple as etoo or villa etc, the new striker is likely to depend on who remains first choice from kuyt and bellamy. Most of the posts I have read seem to assume that its kuyt and an other up front next season but the way bellamy is playing I don?t think its that cut and dry.

 

For what its worth my squad for next season

 

Reina

Carson

 

Finnan carra agger riise

Arbeloa woodgate hyypia aurelio

 

Alves Alonso gerrard garcia

Pennant mascherano momo Gonzalez

 

Bellamy etoo

Kuyt veronin

 

Anyone not included in this 22 (kids excluded obviously) can be sold off with the exception of kewell who may have something left to give and one of riise or aurelio who can be sold if we have enough money for and can find a better left back.

 

In

Alves 15m

Etoo 25m?

Woodgate 6m real don?t want him and he cant be too expensive if boro are interested

 

Out

Cisse 8m

Crouch 10m maybe 12 if Newcastle want to make it a bigger signing

Pongolle 3m maybe

 

25m ish That seems like a reasonable spend to me even with a crazy signing like etoo

[G Richards]

Alves, Eto'o and Woodgate would give us a great chance at no.19. I'd be very happy with those three additions.

 

Alves and Eto'o have been done to death, but the addition of Woodgate would enable Rafa to play 3-5-2, which would suit Alves and also enable him to play two of Alonso/Momo/Mascher in the middle with Gerrard.

[hideNseek]

We need something you can't actually buy. Consistency.

[Amit83]

we need some quality to go straght into the first team under the age of 26. this way we can have quality for a few years while at the same time it allows the kids that rafa is buying to flourish in the acadamy.

 

i would love us to sign some of these players (age in brackets)

 

Alves( 23), Ribery (23), Quesma (23), Eto (25), Villa(25)

 

i also would like to see us buy Bale and Nugent , both young but also have the potential to make a big impact.

 

Bale(18) - looks asured at the back, solid defender, sweet left foot, supports the attack and good at set pieces

 

Nugent (25) - takes people on, knows where the goal is and looks better every time i see him play, i also think he would be a cheaper option then if we were to go for someone like eto or villa where the clubs are going to ask for £25m+

 

thoughts please

YNWA

[G Richards]

we need some quality to go straght into the first team under the age of 26. this way we can have quality for a few years while at the same time it allows the kids that rafa is buying to flourish in the acadamy.

 

i would love us to sign some of these players (age in brackets)

 

Alves( 23), Ribery (23), Quesma (23), Eto (25), Villa(25)

 

i also would like to see us buy Bale and Nugent , both young but also have the potential to make a big impact.

 

Bale(18) - looks asured at the back, solid defender, sweet left foot, supports the attack and good at set pieces

 

Nugent (25) - takes people on, knows where the goal is and looks better every time i see him play, i also think he would be a cheaper option then if we were to go for someone like eto or villa where the clubs are going to ask for £25m+

 

thoughts please

YNWA

 

Agree with all of that until the end. Nugent would be a fourth choice striker for us, and not in nearly the same class as the first choice striker (e.g. Eto'o, Villa) I hope we sign.

[George Costanza]

What do we need?

 

Better players.

Edited March 5, 2007 by coltmanaman

[Amit83]

i think nugent will be one for the future, and coming from the city could bring his game on.

YNWA