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Come Pre-season...


Deano
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Presuming we'll scrape our way to the end of the season with a bit distance between us and the relegation zone, what changes would you be making to the squad and starting 11. Which young players would you premote to give a run in cup games or run outs last 10?

 

My starting 11 would be as follows...

 

Harper

Beye---Coloccini---Bassong---R.Taylor

Gutierrez---Barton---Nolan---Duff

Martins---Smith

 

Id imagine the likes of Geremi, Cacapa, Enrique, Owen and Viduka to all leave, so that will leave a gaping hole in the squad to fill, of course some youth can fill the void but we also need proven quality in there too.

 

So we'd have Harps and Krul between the sticks with another two young keepers in Soderberg and Fraser so i think we're ok there for the time being. Beye is solid at Rb with R.Taylor providing cover, we have Kadar in reserve (Though worryingly injury prone he does look talented) we still need to go out and get another left back.

Central defence we have a growing partnership in colo and bassong with taylor and edgar as backups, id be tempted to go out and get an old head too, maybe to provide competiton and knowlegde to both ST and DE.

Left wing will be one of the priorities come the summer, duff just aint cutting it, actuallyy he never has in our shirt, i dont think he want to play a bit part role so i'd let him go and find a replacement (Schweinsteiger) if we are in a better position, and a youngster to groom and use as backup.

We also need cover for Gutierrez, i've said for some time Skjelbred would be an ideal option as he can be adopted in both RW and CM.

 

So in the engine room we'd have Nolan and Barton 1st choice pairing with Guthrie and Butt in reserve, i like Guthrie i think he will turn out to be a good player, where as Butt as seen better days, id let him go as the three afforemention players all hassle, chase and get stuck in, so id be pushing for a real attack minded CM ie. Michael Johnson, assuming we dont get him in this window.

 

Upfront is where the problem will be at with Owen and Viduka not likely to be here next season, leaving us with a choice or Carroll, Lovenkrands, Smith and Shola to partner Oba up top. Providing Oba doesnt walk in the summer too.

Carroll imo should be loaned out again next season, smith kept as a utility player although if he can find some form would make a god partner for Oba, and Shola well he's here for another 3 years so use him as backup.

We really do need to search high and low for a target man, Mario Gomez would be my 1st choice, someone strong, good in the air and hold up play.

 

So thats...LB, CB, LW x2, RW, CM and ST...7 new faces, replacing Geremi, Cacapa, Enrique, Owen, Butt, Duff and Viduka.

 

Butt and Duff of course could stay if they'd settle for being backup rather than 1st players.

 

Youth should get a chance too with the likes of, Kadar, Tozer, Lua-Lua and a few of the new youngsters getting a bit of pitch time here and there.

 

Next season COULD be so much better but we NEED these changes IMO.

 

Besty...you knew it was coming fella B)

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Makes sence to me. Altho i think Oba will stay and Carroll i reckon seems to of shown he can cut it in the side so i don't think he should be loaned out.

I think we will deff lose all the dead wood in the summer (Hopefully) and that should hopefully make way for some of the youngsters to move into the first team.

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With Ashley at the club and no matter where we are for next season, it's likely the big earners will be shifted, a couple of bargain buys brought in and hopefully enough new faces in to replace the ones going.

 

Ideal scenario, Ashley finds a buyer who is prepared to put their own money into the club for transfers, but I'm not sure just how many people like that are out there at the moment.

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I stopped readin when I saw you had Smith up front. Did you go to any games last season?

 

Haa KD, yes i went to about 10 games last season fella, and yes Smith was gash, but if you HAD read on you'd of also noted that i said when Owen and Viduka leave we will be left with Carroll, Smith and Lovenkrands to partner Oba upfront.

I also said we needed to go out at get a target man to play with Oba. Smith would be my choice out of the three as i think he MAY come good. He's not written off.

 

Note: Andy Carroll had another good game today, if he starts getting a few goals i could well see him do well with Oba.

 

For me, the first thing that needs addressed is the appointment of a decent manager. Which division we will be in remains to be seen (prob the Championship), but Joe Kinnear is NOT the man to take this club forward.

 

And i tend to agree to some extent, but, JFK is building his own squad and trying to re-address the balance and settle the squad down. If we stay up, and i think we will, id much rather him stay for another season, keep building and get some sort of consistancy. No he wont take us forward massively but id rather build SLOWLY then appoint a new guy and us having to start all over again.

 

Next season... terrifying thought. Even if we do stay, then what? Might only be delaying the inevitable.

 

Terrifying thought? Maybe but im hopefull, i think we all know its not great at the moment but i think alot of people are making it out to be far worse. Because MA isnt thowing wads about its seen as a problem? I agree there needs to be a decent outlay now and an even bigger one in the summer, but lets be sensible ay? We always want what we cant have.

Looks like we're getting 9mil for shay and 6mil + R.Taylor for n'zogbia so some good business there. Minus the 4 mil for Nolan thats 11mil PROFIT this window and not TOO much damage done. If there was this 8mil available for JFK to spend before the sales of SG and CNZ that leaves us with about 20mil to spend dont it?

Now not for one minute do i think we'll splash 20mil in the last 24 hours of the window, not at all, id like to think 5-8mil on another CM and maybe a ST on loan which will cover us till the end of the season and leave us with MORE money to spend in the summer.

 

Its not as bad as people make out. Dont get me wrong im fucked off with MA's mistakes and he's made a few but, he is being sensible, not fucking us over. As his appearance today could mean he is serious about trying again. I honestly think we should give him another chance. But ONLY if he proves he has our best interests at heart with a couple more much needed players before the window slams shut.

 

NOTE: It dont look like Michael Johnson was a part of the Shay deal, so id be looking at Skjelbred or James Morrison at WBA and Saviola on loan till the end of the season.

 

Could there be legs in the Veloso deal yet?

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