IN:
Glen Johnson RB 18.5 million (11.5 + 7 million unpaid debt for Crouch)
Wesley Sneijder AM/CM ~19 million (he was bought for 25 million euro, or 21.3 pounds by Real, they are prepared to sell at a small loss and it's unlikely any really big guns, apart from perhaps Bayern, would enter the bidding)
David Silva AM ~20 million
Michael Owen CF ~free
TOTAL IN: ~57.5 million (50 if we don't count Crouch debt write-off)
OUT:
Ryan Babel LW ~10 million
Yossi Benayoun AM ~10 million (being linked with Barca is a good thing)
Andrea Dossena LB ~ 7 million (one bad season in England won't damage his reputation in Italy too much, I think)
Philipp Degen RB ~ 2 million
Andriy Voronin ST ~4 million
TOTAL OUT: ~33 million
TOTAL SPENDING: ~24.5 million (17.5 million minus Crouch debt)
Notice that none of the current first-team players are being considered for sale under this plan. This ensures that team continuity is preserved and it puts the manager in a much more comfortable position - instead of gambling the season on the new signings' success, he can let them settle in at their own pace and try do displace any of the current first-teamers playing the same positions. So even if any of the new signings go bust or don't settle in as quickly as expected, we still have a functioning team of last season's starters that's ready to go and compete for the title. That's why I think Rafa should do everything to try to hold on to Arbeloa, Mascher and Xabi, at least for one more season.
Here's how next season't team might look like, with the 4-2-3-1 formation as the basis.
UP FRONT:
Torres, Kuyt, Owen, N'Gog
Most of the time we'll use formations with one centre-forward, so striker partnerships are not too important here. Basically it's Torres, or, when he's not available, the most in-form of the other 3.
ATTACKING MIDFIELD THREE:
Gerrard, Silva, Sneijder, Kuyt, Riera.
That's a lot of quality, flexibility, and depth. We don't have an out-and-out RW, but that's unnecessary now assuming Johnson will give our right side an attacking dimension and width.
CENTRAL TWO:
Xabi, Mascherano, Lucas, Gerrard,
Same as last year. Maybe one of the ressies can step up too. If something happens to Mascher, god forbid, I have a slightly controversial idea of moving Carra back into defensive midfield - that way Agger and Skrtel can play together.
DEFENSE:
Aurelio, Insua, Arbeloa (LB), Agger, Skrtel, Carragher (CB), Johnson, Arbeloa, Carragher (RB), Reina, Cavalieri (GK)
The Glen Johnson purchase should strengthen our LB position too, because Arbeloa is equally proficient on the left. So even if (when?) Aurelio is injured, we still have enough depth and competition at LB with Arbeloa and Insua.
There is another intriguing tactical possibility here. With Sneijder and Silva in the team, we would be able, for the first time, to line up as a true Dutch/Barca 4-3-3, something like this:
Silva====Torres====Kuyt
==Sneijder====Gerrard==
=====Xabi(Mascher)====
Aurelio========Johnson
====Agger===Carra====
=======Reina========
To me, that's a huge deal. True, 4-2-3-1 served us very well last season and there is no need to fix what's not broken. But every team must also evolve. There is no guarantee that what was working last season will work in the future. Perhaps, if we are viewed as genuine title contenders from the very outset, teams will play even more defensively against us and a balanced system like 4-2-3-1 won't be always enough to carve them open. Having a genuine 4-3-3 formation as an option, with players naturally suited for that formation, can potentially make our team for the first time in years a truly frightening attacking force. That's why I think if we somehow managed to get both Silva and Sneijder (I know we haven't been linked with Wesley in the press, but it doesn't necessarily mean we are not interested), it would not just improve what we have, position by position (Silva > Babel; Sneijder > Benayoun), but also would open up a completely new attacking dimension - when we need one.
Thanks for reading.
Glen Johnson RB 18.5 million (11.5 + 7 million unpaid debt for Crouch)
Wesley Sneijder AM/CM ~19 million (he was bought for 25 million euro, or 21.3 pounds by Real, they are prepared to sell at a small loss and it's unlikely any really big guns, apart from perhaps Bayern, would enter the bidding)
David Silva AM ~20 million
Michael Owen CF ~free
TOTAL IN: ~57.5 million (50 if we don't count Crouch debt write-off)
OUT:
Ryan Babel LW ~10 million
Yossi Benayoun AM ~10 million (being linked with Barca is a good thing)
Andrea Dossena LB ~ 7 million (one bad season in England won't damage his reputation in Italy too much, I think)
Philipp Degen RB ~ 2 million
Andriy Voronin ST ~4 million
TOTAL OUT: ~33 million
TOTAL SPENDING: ~24.5 million (17.5 million minus Crouch debt)
Notice that none of the current first-team players are being considered for sale under this plan. This ensures that team continuity is preserved and it puts the manager in a much more comfortable position - instead of gambling the season on the new signings' success, he can let them settle in at their own pace and try do displace any of the current first-teamers playing the same positions. So even if any of the new signings go bust or don't settle in as quickly as expected, we still have a functioning team of last season's starters that's ready to go and compete for the title. That's why I think Rafa should do everything to try to hold on to Arbeloa, Mascher and Xabi, at least for one more season.
Here's how next season't team might look like, with the 4-2-3-1 formation as the basis.
UP FRONT:
Torres, Kuyt, Owen, N'Gog
Most of the time we'll use formations with one centre-forward, so striker partnerships are not too important here. Basically it's Torres, or, when he's not available, the most in-form of the other 3.
ATTACKING MIDFIELD THREE:
Gerrard, Silva, Sneijder, Kuyt, Riera.
That's a lot of quality, flexibility, and depth. We don't have an out-and-out RW, but that's unnecessary now assuming Johnson will give our right side an attacking dimension and width.
CENTRAL TWO:
Xabi, Mascherano, Lucas, Gerrard,
Same as last year. Maybe one of the ressies can step up too. If something happens to Mascher, god forbid, I have a slightly controversial idea of moving Carra back into defensive midfield - that way Agger and Skrtel can play together.
DEFENSE:
Aurelio, Insua, Arbeloa (LB), Agger, Skrtel, Carragher (CB), Johnson, Arbeloa, Carragher (RB), Reina, Cavalieri (GK)
The Glen Johnson purchase should strengthen our LB position too, because Arbeloa is equally proficient on the left. So even if (when?) Aurelio is injured, we still have enough depth and competition at LB with Arbeloa and Insua.
There is another intriguing tactical possibility here. With Sneijder and Silva in the team, we would be able, for the first time, to line up as a true Dutch/Barca 4-3-3, something like this:
Silva====Torres====Kuyt
==Sneijder====Gerrard==
=====Xabi(Mascher)====
Aurelio========Johnson
====Agger===Carra====
=======Reina========
To me, that's a huge deal. True, 4-2-3-1 served us very well last season and there is no need to fix what's not broken. But every team must also evolve. There is no guarantee that what was working last season will work in the future. Perhaps, if we are viewed as genuine title contenders from the very outset, teams will play even more defensively against us and a balanced system like 4-2-3-1 won't be always enough to carve them open. Having a genuine 4-3-3 formation as an option, with players naturally suited for that formation, can potentially make our team for the first time in years a truly frightening attacking force. That's why I think if we somehow managed to get both Silva and Sneijder (I know we haven't been linked with Wesley in the press, but it doesn't necessarily mean we are not interested), it would not just improve what we have, position by position (Silva > Babel; Sneijder > Benayoun), but also would open up a completely new attacking dimension - when we need one.
Thanks for reading.
