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Illaramendi
Ter Stegen on loan
A top class defender. Not sure who though
Tevez
Ter Stegen on loan
A top class defender. Not sure who though
Tevez
Our goalkeeper situation is fine, back up goalies are a waste of money.
Defence - Lovren and Moreno just have to be kept because we'd lose too much by selling now. Sakho and Skrtel are stayers too. Kolo can go and we can bring back Ilori, and once he's played in the reserves we can consider him for the first team. I'd be hoping Flanagan will be an option for us next season. Are we stuck with Enrique for another year?
In the middle: Henderson and Can are keepers. Gerrard is gone, Lucas and Allen can go if there's an offer but I don't anticipate one.
Wide and AM: Markovic, Sterling, Ibe, Lallana, Coutinho
Strikers: Lambert and Borini are hanging around, so is Balotelli. Sturridge is a keeper, but we need to be wary of his next contract.
We then also have Origi, Aspas, Alberto, Wisdom, Assaidi and Coates to return.
I think we need to focus on getting rid of players. Aspas, Assaidi, Alberto and Coates might net us 10m.
For now I'd muddle through with the defence we have. And also the strikers unless we manage to offload some.
My priority would be spending that 35m on a midfielder like Illiaramendi.
Defence - Lovren and Moreno just have to be kept because we'd lose too much by selling now. Sakho and Skrtel are stayers too. Kolo can go and we can bring back Ilori, and once he's played in the reserves we can consider him for the first team. I'd be hoping Flanagan will be an option for us next season. Are we stuck with Enrique for another year?
In the middle: Henderson and Can are keepers. Gerrard is gone, Lucas and Allen can go if there's an offer but I don't anticipate one.
Wide and AM: Markovic, Sterling, Ibe, Lallana, Coutinho
Strikers: Lambert and Borini are hanging around, so is Balotelli. Sturridge is a keeper, but we need to be wary of his next contract.
We then also have Origi, Aspas, Alberto, Wisdom, Assaidi and Coates to return.
I think we need to focus on getting rid of players. Aspas, Assaidi, Alberto and Coates might net us 10m.
For now I'd muddle through with the defence we have. And also the strikers unless we manage to offload some.
My priority would be spending that 35m on a midfielder like Illiaramendi.
Out:
Jones
Johnson
Enrique
Toure
Gerrard
Lucas
Lambert
Borini
Aspas
Alberto
Wisdom
(get about 30mill for them?)
In:
Backup GK
1st Team RB
Backup LB
1st Team DM (that can destroy people like a marvel character, and pass, sometimes forward if need be)
1st Team Winger (that can score)
1st Team Striker (that isn't italian and can score)
Team next season:
....................Migs
RB......Skrtel....Sakho....Moreno
...................DM
Sterling...Coutinho...Hendo.....Winger
..................Striker
Or, but I doubt he'll be fit, add Sturridge to the team:
.................Migs
RB....Skrtel....Sakho......Moreno
.................DM
Sterling......Hendo......Coutinho
...........Sturridge...Striker
I think that's doable out of our budget and should get us back in the top 4. I've fucked off the 3 at the back thing as we didn't need it last season when we played much much better than this season, with and without Suarez.
Jones
Johnson
Enrique
Toure
Gerrard
Lucas
Lambert
Borini
Aspas
Alberto
Wisdom
(get about 30mill for them?)
In:
Backup GK
1st Team RB
Backup LB
1st Team DM (that can destroy people like a marvel character, and pass, sometimes forward if need be)
1st Team Winger (that can score)
1st Team Striker (that isn't italian and can score)
Team next season:
....................Migs
RB......Skrtel....Sakho....Moreno
...................DM
Sterling...Coutinho...Hendo.....Winger
..................Striker
Or, but I doubt he'll be fit, add Sturridge to the team:
.................Migs
RB....Skrtel....Sakho......Moreno
.................DM
Sterling......Hendo......Coutinho
...........Sturridge...Striker
I think that's doable out of our budget and should get us back in the top 4. I've fucked off the 3 at the back thing as we didn't need it last season when we played much much better than this season, with and without Suarez.
Given that we have deficiencies in the goalkeeper, centre back, centre mid, wide forward and centre forward positions, I'd sell all the players we all think we'd sell and spunk the rest on a top goalkeeper, holding mid and striker all of whom need to have brilliant injury records.
There isn't any point trying to address every single position we need players for this summer, otherwise we're going to sign a bunch of £5 million players who may only improve us marginally, if at all. Put Suarez in this team - that's one player - and I would stake money that we'd be in the top four. So we need to find a player like Suarez was before he joined us. Do the rest incrementally. Add players like Ings and Milner.
There isn't any point trying to address every single position we need players for this summer, otherwise we're going to sign a bunch of £5 million players who may only improve us marginally, if at all. Put Suarez in this team - that's one player - and I would stake money that we'd be in the top four. So we need to find a player like Suarez was before he joined us. Do the rest incrementally. Add players like Ings and Milner.
Looks like we screwed them. Schneiderlin is a good shout but the Southampton history puts me off.
Sven Bender is another - although the knee surgery is off putting.
I'd sell/let go the following:
Jones
Johnson
Enrique
Toure
Gerrard
Lambert
Coates
Borini
Aspas
Alberto
That's only about 18-20m there. If an offer of around 50m came in for Sterling I'd accept it. Maybe. I'd also reluctantly accept a decent offer for Allen.
However, this would leave us with a thin squad as it is, but I'd rather some quality than a massive squad filled with shite. So, assuming we keep Allen and Sterling, and we optimistically raise 20m from that pile of shite up there, that would give us 45m to spend. I'd do what we should have done last summer and sign Lacazette, though it may not be possible now. For the sake of this talk let's say we can get him for 25m. Then I would look to perhaps get in a back up striker on a free. Am I right in thinking Ings is out of contract in the summer? If so, get him in. I'm not convinced by him, but he can't be any worse than Lambert or Borini. Then I would look to sign a midfielder. Perhaps Schneiderlin. I would love Nainggolan, though, and he'd probably be cheaper. Let's say around 15m. Then we would need a back up keeper. God knows who, but someone for a couple of million quid. We're also heavily linked with signing Garbutt on a free from Everton at the end of the season, so why not. Then finally promote some of the kids that are doing well and recall some loans.
All of this would trim our squad considerably, but add a bit of quality to it.
Mignolet/Sub keeper/Ward
Skrtel, Sakho, Lovren, Moreno, Garbutt, Can, Manquillo (he's on a 2 year loan, right?), Ilori, Flanagan, Wisdom as defenders/full backs
Allen, Lucas, Henderson, Nainggolan, Rossiter, (Can also in here) as your central/deeper midfielders
Lallana, Sterling, Ibe, Markovic, Coutinho, (Ojo is meant to be doing well, isn't he?) all as players in those attacking midfield positions
Sturridge, Balotelli, Ings, Lacazette, Origi (maybe promote Sinclair too to be around the first team) as the forwards.
Easy
Jones
Johnson
Enrique
Toure
Gerrard
Lambert
Coates
Borini
Aspas
Alberto
That's only about 18-20m there. If an offer of around 50m came in for Sterling I'd accept it. Maybe. I'd also reluctantly accept a decent offer for Allen.
However, this would leave us with a thin squad as it is, but I'd rather some quality than a massive squad filled with shite. So, assuming we keep Allen and Sterling, and we optimistically raise 20m from that pile of shite up there, that would give us 45m to spend. I'd do what we should have done last summer and sign Lacazette, though it may not be possible now. For the sake of this talk let's say we can get him for 25m. Then I would look to perhaps get in a back up striker on a free. Am I right in thinking Ings is out of contract in the summer? If so, get him in. I'm not convinced by him, but he can't be any worse than Lambert or Borini. Then I would look to sign a midfielder. Perhaps Schneiderlin. I would love Nainggolan, though, and he'd probably be cheaper. Let's say around 15m. Then we would need a back up keeper. God knows who, but someone for a couple of million quid. We're also heavily linked with signing Garbutt on a free from Everton at the end of the season, so why not. Then finally promote some of the kids that are doing well and recall some loans.
All of this would trim our squad considerably, but add a bit of quality to it.
Mignolet/Sub keeper/Ward
Skrtel, Sakho, Lovren, Moreno, Garbutt, Can, Manquillo (he's on a 2 year loan, right?), Ilori, Flanagan, Wisdom as defenders/full backs
Allen, Lucas, Henderson, Nainggolan, Rossiter, (Can also in here) as your central/deeper midfielders
Lallana, Sterling, Ibe, Markovic, Coutinho, (Ojo is meant to be doing well, isn't he?) all as players in those attacking midfield positions
Sturridge, Balotelli, Ings, Lacazette, Origi (maybe promote Sinclair too to be around the first team) as the forwards.
Easy
I could have sworn I put him in! I actually, remembered him. Just forgot to type his name... if you know what I mean.
That squad I posted would probably still struggle for top 4, but it might get there, and it's full of young players that will only improve and have great potential. I think it would make a decent team after a couple of years.
This is my thinking. With a decent backbone, it could do well.
I'm not sure it can be done for £25 million.
Keeper
I presume we will lose Jones (contract expiring?), which leaves us with 2 keepers: Ming and Ward (who I don't think is good enough). So promote Vigouroux (who I've heard has been impressing in the reserves) and someone half decent on a free or low fee.
Defence.
I think we are stuck with Lovren and Moreno. If we assume Toure and Johnson are given free transfers, Enrique is sold and Manquillo goes back to Spain then we are left with a small squad:
CB - Škrtel, Lovren, Sakho
FB - Flanagan, Moreno
So I think we will have to convince at least one of Johnson, Enrique or even Toure to stay or make a signing. We can't cope with 3 centre backs as Sakho is injury prone and Lovren has proved to be untrustworthy. Likewise 2 wing backs isn't enough. Wisdom and Ilori will come back but I'm not sure either are good enough (Wisdom is limited and Ilori is injury prone). Can can obviously play here, but he might be needed more in midfield.
Midfield
We have a lot of midfielders, and given the lack of budget and the enormous gap in both defence and attack I doubt we can spend too much money here. But I'd like a clever defensive midfielder so Rossiter might get a lot of opportunities. I'd also be delighted to see Brannagan get a game as I have a feeling he'd flourish with better players around him.
Attack
We need a striker desperately. I think we will cut our losses on Mario, and someone will buy Borini. This leaves us with Studge and Origi plus Sterling (hopefully). Maybe someone like Benteke or Higuain might be affordable and worth the gamble.
Coaching
I think the biggest problem we are going to have is that we wont be able to sign a world class forward, so changing our system and making us harder to break down might be the only real affordable solution to our problems as defenders are usually cheaper than strikers. We might need to change manager to make that work though (we will probably lose about £5 million paying off the current staff and then another £5 million brining in the new staff so that would eat heavily into our transfer budget.).
I'd suggest selling Sterling as the answer to our financial shortage but I have little faith in our transfer policy.
Keeper
I presume we will lose Jones (contract expiring?), which leaves us with 2 keepers: Ming and Ward (who I don't think is good enough). So promote Vigouroux (who I've heard has been impressing in the reserves) and someone half decent on a free or low fee.
Defence.
I think we are stuck with Lovren and Moreno. If we assume Toure and Johnson are given free transfers, Enrique is sold and Manquillo goes back to Spain then we are left with a small squad:
CB - Škrtel, Lovren, Sakho
FB - Flanagan, Moreno
So I think we will have to convince at least one of Johnson, Enrique or even Toure to stay or make a signing. We can't cope with 3 centre backs as Sakho is injury prone and Lovren has proved to be untrustworthy. Likewise 2 wing backs isn't enough. Wisdom and Ilori will come back but I'm not sure either are good enough (Wisdom is limited and Ilori is injury prone). Can can obviously play here, but he might be needed more in midfield.
Midfield
We have a lot of midfielders, and given the lack of budget and the enormous gap in both defence and attack I doubt we can spend too much money here. But I'd like a clever defensive midfielder so Rossiter might get a lot of opportunities. I'd also be delighted to see Brannagan get a game as I have a feeling he'd flourish with better players around him.
Attack
We need a striker desperately. I think we will cut our losses on Mario, and someone will buy Borini. This leaves us with Studge and Origi plus Sterling (hopefully). Maybe someone like Benteke or Higuain might be affordable and worth the gamble.
Coaching
I think the biggest problem we are going to have is that we wont be able to sign a world class forward, so changing our system and making us harder to break down might be the only real affordable solution to our problems as defenders are usually cheaper than strikers. We might need to change manager to make that work though (we will probably lose about £5 million paying off the current staff and then another £5 million brining in the new staff so that would eat heavily into our transfer budget.).
I'd suggest selling Sterling as the answer to our financial shortage but I have little faith in our transfer policy.
I'm in the Oncy school of thought, the more we try and rebuild from scratch the more we mess things up. I'd keep all but anyone who gets a really good offer. Buy one player, either a striker or midfielder, who actually does suit the style we play.
I expect most of our squad will be better next season, and hopefully Sturridge will be a lot less injured. If that happens, we should finish in the top four easily enough.
I'd rather we didn't sell a whole load, and buy a whole load, it's too risky, and never pays off quickly.
I expect most of our squad will be better next season, and hopefully Sturridge will be a lot less injured. If that happens, we should finish in the top four easily enough.
I'd rather we didn't sell a whole load, and buy a whole load, it's too risky, and never pays off quickly.
I tend to agree with that, which is why I don't think we actually need to spend a lot in the summer. We definitely need at least one proper striker - preferably someone who has got some skills to create his own shot opportunities, and then a backup keeper if Jones is gone. I know they're like white elephants but shit happens sometimes and I'm not sure Ward is ready to play in the league - I'd send him out on a full season loan and bring Fulton in (over Vigoroux).
While the three at the back system helped sort out some defensive issues for a while this season, I hope we'll be able to use the preseason to tune up our defence so we can go back to playing four at the back next season with more (but not ultra) conservative full backs. This then allows us to start our fastest attacking players (e.g. Sterling, Ibe, Markovic) further up the pitch and in wide positions, instead of holding them back in (sometimes) awkward wing back positions and clipping their wings somewhat.
For example, we could start the next season with a team like this, if we could sort out how to defend with a back four:
---------------- Mignolet -------------- [ ???, Fulton ]
Flanagan --- Skrtel -- Sakho ---- Moreno [ Manquillo, Ilori, Lovren, ??? ]
------------ Hendo --- Lucas ----------- [ Can, Allen, Rossiter, Williams ]
--- Ibe -------- Coutinho ----- Sterling [ Lallana, Markovic, Teixeira, Brannagan, Canos, Ojo, Kent ]
--------------- Sturridge -------------- [ ???, Origi, Sinclair, Wilson ]
Anyway, yeah I think guys like Lovren, Markovic, Moreno and Can should improve next season (well I hope so!) and Lallana hopefully will stay a bit fitter. 25m might get us Vietto (despite the rumours, I don't think Barca / Real are really interested in him - he's not at that level yet), but I'm not sure we'll have a lot left over to buy much else if that's the budget (assuming we have to give away all our discards). Hopefully Can will have a monster second season, and Rossiter is over his injuries and ready to start stepping up.
Top centre mid and top centre forward should be the overwhelming priorities.
Illarramendi and Lacazette would be ideal (and probably not at all realistic).
We should have signed Firmino last year, so I'll advocate signing him again.
Milner on a free. A right back (Trippier?)
Sell Sterling et. al. to help finance.
Not that we have any chance of attracting a couple of those names now.
We blew it last close season yet again.
Illarramendi and Lacazette would be ideal (and probably not at all realistic).
We should have signed Firmino last year, so I'll advocate signing him again.
Milner on a free. A right back (Trippier?)
Sell Sterling et. al. to help finance.
Not that we have any chance of attracting a couple of those names now.
We blew it last close season yet again.
Actually, now that I relook at the projected lineup I shared above, I think the transfers in the Rodgers era haven't been that disastrous - assuming improvements in the next season are observed with the past summer's arrivals. If you evaluate this record by how many (current) regular starters we've bought in these 3 seasons, it doesn't quite stand up to scrutiny - especially in cases where supposed starters have ended up being squaddies (I'm looking at you, Lovren). The funny thing is that Lovren was brought in to displace Skrtel or Sakho, but that hasn't happened obviously - it's actually made both of them look better so it's worked in a way, albeit not in the way we intended - ha!
Anyway, if you look at it from a squad depth perspective and possibly future regular starter material, then it looks a bit better:
Regular starters (5): Mignolet, Sakho, Moreno, Coutinho, Sturridge
Regular rotiation (6): Toure, Lovren, Can, Allen, Lallana, Markovic
Status TBD (2): Ilori, Origi
Busts (6): Borini, Balotelli, Lambert, Aspas, Assaidi, Luis Alberto (probably)
Player - possibly a regular starter in future, depending on how they develop - the talent and raw material looks to be there, just need other things to fall in place (fitness, temperament, balls, consistency, etc.)
Of the busts, it's clear whoever is spotting our strikers needs a new brief - we need pacy strikers, guys who know what the net looks like, have the skills to create their own chances, and can stay fit for at least 30 league games a season. We've bought 4 strikers who have contributed the sum total of 5 league goals in 3 seasons at the cost of about 40 million (now isn't that a shame). Whoever suggested Origi better not be one of these scouts!
Long story short - we really need to nail just a few (two or three!) excellent transfers in the summer. We've built a decent squad of young role players. Now, we have to go out and get the classy striker(s) and CM (depending on how Can does I suppose) who can will us to win games, or at least claw out a draw. That's what we've been missing all of this season - the small group of talented and strong-willed guys who can pull points out of their arses when their teams desperately need them. Coutinho looks like he might develop into one such player for us, but I really want us to find at least one or two of them this summer.
Jones, Johnson, Toure will leave on a free.
Coates, Alberto, Enrique, Lambert, Borini, Balotelli will be sold.
Lucas might leave if an offer comes in thats good enough.
Manquillo will be shipped back to Spain.
Aspas has been sold already.
That leaves us with:
GK
Ming, Ward
I'd like to sign Ryan from Brugge at the quoted 3 mill.
Def
Wisdom, Flanno, Ilori, Skrtel, Sakho, Lovren, Moreno
Lovren wont be sold. We wont get even half of what we paid and I think we'll have to pin our hopes on him improving.
I can see us signing Garbutt from Everton.
We also need a right back. Most would be an improvement on Johnson.
Clyne is out of the question at 17 mill. Maybe a move for Trippier or Byram could be the way forward if we dont see Wisdom and Flanno as our right backs. I'd love to see Flanno start as right back next season and get some passion and pride in to thst defence.
Midfield
Allen, Hendo, Can, Texieria, Rossiter, Coutinho, Ibe, Markovic, Sterling, Lallana
Desperatly short in central midfield. Kondogbia or Illaramendi would be the perfect signing.
Attack:
Studge, Origi
I think we'll go for Ings. He'll suit us well and is a low risk signing. If not I'd be tempted to go for Hernandez.
Do we spend loads of money on a striker or how do improve our attack.
Maybe going for Deepay who can play anywhere in attack could be the solution.
He's got a bit of Van Persie in him. Quality finishing and can play as a striker.
Sterling, Origi, Ibe, Deepay and Studge interchanging between the front 3 could be very good.
Spend most of our money in 2 areas. Attack and central midfield. The rest will have to be done with clever signings or youth.
Illaramendi should be our top target.
Coates, Alberto, Enrique, Lambert, Borini, Balotelli will be sold.
Lucas might leave if an offer comes in thats good enough.
Manquillo will be shipped back to Spain.
Aspas has been sold already.
That leaves us with:
GK
Ming, Ward
I'd like to sign Ryan from Brugge at the quoted 3 mill.
Def
Wisdom, Flanno, Ilori, Skrtel, Sakho, Lovren, Moreno
Lovren wont be sold. We wont get even half of what we paid and I think we'll have to pin our hopes on him improving.
I can see us signing Garbutt from Everton.
We also need a right back. Most would be an improvement on Johnson.
Clyne is out of the question at 17 mill. Maybe a move for Trippier or Byram could be the way forward if we dont see Wisdom and Flanno as our right backs. I'd love to see Flanno start as right back next season and get some passion and pride in to thst defence.
Midfield
Allen, Hendo, Can, Texieria, Rossiter, Coutinho, Ibe, Markovic, Sterling, Lallana
Desperatly short in central midfield. Kondogbia or Illaramendi would be the perfect signing.
Attack:
Studge, Origi
I think we'll go for Ings. He'll suit us well and is a low risk signing. If not I'd be tempted to go for Hernandez.
Do we spend loads of money on a striker or how do improve our attack.
Maybe going for Deepay who can play anywhere in attack could be the solution.
He's got a bit of Van Persie in him. Quality finishing and can play as a striker.
Sterling, Origi, Ibe, Deepay and Studge interchanging between the front 3 could be very good.
Spend most of our money in 2 areas. Attack and central midfield. The rest will have to be done with clever signings or youth.
Illaramendi should be our top target.
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