Should Xabi leave - what do we do?

[Squiggles]

Of course I don't want him to leave, nobody does. But say it happens and we get £30M for him, Benitez will have a big decision to make on our 'Plan A' system of play.

As we all know the 4-2-3-1 formation lends itself perfectly to a 'deep lying playmaker' but there are hardly any about. Direct like-for-like replacements for top quality players are consistently difficult to acquire so we're at a loss, or are we? Not so long ago many were suggesting that Barry could slot in and do very well in our current set-up. Now of course he's unavailable and we may well regret stepping up our interest this year, but if anything can be gained from last summers mess it's at least Benitez has the confidence in other players stepping up to fill in Xabi's shoes. After all, it was Benitez who bought Xabi in so he's the man to find his replacement, right?

Upsides:

A system that brings the best out of Torres, Gerrard & Kuyt
Continuity
A system we've progressed under

Downsides:

A big ask of Benitez to find the right replacement
Question marks over fire-power
The issue over Torres' fitness & the back-up striker issue.

The other option is reverting to 4-4-2 formation and scraping the search for a Alonso replacement, and instead focusing the money on a strike partner for Fernando Torres with Gerrard reverting to an attacking CM role alongside Mascherano.

Upsides:

Lots of strikers are available
Contrary to popular belief Torres can operate with a strike-partner
Gerrard & Masher is a very strong midfielder unit - Gerrard is disciplined enough to hold back against the bigger teams but be more adventurous when required
More fire power on the pitch - could help against the smaller teams

Downsides:

- Can Mascher hold the midfield on his own when Gerrard charges up the pitch?
- Is Kuyt good enough to play a more traditional RW role for an entire season? Could Johnson do it?

 

[rebel23]

it depends what's available in the market

 

[Buddha]

Would Pirlo not make a decent short-term replacement for Xabi's position? He's only 30 (I think).

I think he'd blend nicely with Masher alongside him.

 

[Squiggles]

If Pirlo is to leave, he looks nailed on for Chelsea at £20Mish.

 

[rebel23]

we dont know what/who are obtainable in the market so we can't answer this question.

you just have to trust Benitez. I dont think we will sell Alonso unless we have something lined up. for me, it would be Lucho Gonzalez, strong and experienced can slot right in there and we dont need to change shape.

 

[koze]

Lucho won't be good enough..

I would like De Rossi. I think he's a very good player.

 

[rebel23]

Lucho is good enough, experienced and has played in the CL for the last 5 years. if that's not good enough god help us.

 

[koze]

[quote author=rebel23 link=topic=34440.msg897122#msg897122 date=1246272476]
if that's good enough god help us.
[/quote]

Please GOD!!

HELP US!!!!

 

[Cerberus]

Would Roma part with Aquilani for the right fee? I think he would be ideal for the premiership and fit into our system nicely.

 

[Ryan]

If he leaves then I'll definitely start a new thread to discuss it even if there's already 7 others on that same subject.

 

[Buddha]

[quote author=rebel23 link=topic=34440.msg897120#msg897120 date=1246272319]
we dont know what/who are obtainable in the market so we can't answer this question.

you just have to trust Benitez. I dont think we will sell Alonso unless we have something lined up. for me, it would be Lucho Gonzalez, strong and experienced can slot right in there and we dont need to change shape.


[/quote]

He's very good.

 

[doctor_mac]

I'm going to put on my tin hat for this one, but I wonder if Bentley could be repurposed as a CM. I know Hughes talked about it years ago, that he reckoned that Bentley would eventually be a CM. He certainly has a good range of passing, and even though he had a terrible season at Spurs, his set piece delivery remains among the best in the league for me- his corners are devilish, and would free SG to bloody get in the box and attack the ball (as other than Torres, he's stronger with the head than anyone else). Plus he's English. With a bit of work, I believe he could turn out to be an excellent holding midfielder- and also gives us an option in other positions. If he is going cheapish, as he should be, I think he'd be worth a punt.

And, as I've said before, I'd like to give Jay Spearing a chance this year.

 

[Ryan]

[quote author=doctor_mac link=topic=34440.msg897132#msg897132 date=1246273267]
I'm going to put on my tin hat for this one, but I wonder if Bentley could be repurposed as a CM.
[/quote]

Please don't type that again.

 

[Mors]

Play Lucas hahahahahaha

If it were me, I'd sign Villa and Silva, and go back to a 442 with Gerrard in the middle - job done.

 

[doctor_mac]

I'm thinking outside the box Ryan.

 

[Ryan]

[quote author=doctor_mac link=topic=34440.msg897137#msg897137 date=1246273553]
I'm thinking outside the box Ryan.
[/quote]

Well, I'm not alllowing you and your thoughts back into the box then.

Anyway, see Warren Feeney's signed for Leeds? Big move for him.

 

[doctor_mac]

[quote author=Ryan link=topic=34440.msg897139#msg897139 date=1246273802]
[quote author=doctor_mac link=topic=34440.msg897137#msg897137 date=1246273553]
I'm thinking outside the box Ryan.
[/quote]

Well, I'm not alllowing you and your thoughts back into the box then.

Anyway, see Warren Feeney's signed for Leeds? Big move for him.
[/quote]

No I didn't hear about Feeney.

"He's our itsy bitsy
Teeny weeney
Baldy headed
Warren Feeney".

He works hard but he's not a great player by any stretch, as I'm sure you're aware. Good move for him though. How much?

 

[Ryan]

[quote author=doctor_mac link=topic=34440.msg897143#msg897143 date=1246274187]
[quote author=Ryan link=topic=34440.msg897139#msg897139 date=1246273802]
[quote author=doctor_mac link=topic=34440.msg897137#msg897137 date=1246273553]
I'm thinking outside the box Ryan.
[/quote]

Well, I'm not alllowing you and your thoughts back into the box then.

Anyway, see Warren Feeney's signed for Leeds? Big move for him.
[/quote]

No I didn't hear about Feeney.

"He's our itsy bitsy
Teeny weeney
Baldy headed
Warren Feeney".

He works hard but he's not a great player by any stretch, as I'm sure you're aware. Good move for him though. How much?


[/quote]

On a free I think.

He's not great like, but then neither are Leeds I suppose. Didn't he start off with them many years ago? Anyway, good luck to him.

 

[LadyRed]

I don't think abandoning 4231 is the way forward. It's the formation that we've seen our best football in.

There is really a 'like for like' replacement for Alonso, we need someone who's good on the ball and has a good passing range. It doesn't need to be a world beater, there must be some little gem tucked away in Spain somewhere.

 

[ibromurph]

Why do people mention De Rossi all the time.. everytime i've seen him, he's been utter gash. Good engine, decent in the tackle, not much else.

Lucho Gonzalez oozes class and is a better player (as rebel stated above).

 

[Whitey85]

I think we will put Gerrard back in the middle and buy a good player to play between the lines and a cheapish midfielder with any money we have remaining.

 

[LadyRed]

[quote author=Whitey85 link=topic=34440.msg897156#msg897156 date=1246275176]
I think we will put Gerrard back in the middle and buy a good player to play between the lines and a cheapish midfielder with any money we have remaining.
[/quote]

Which would be a mistake. The Gerrard-Torres partnership has been brilliant for us. We shouldn't be breaking that up too.

 

[Whitey85]

[quote author=Anita link=topic=34440.msg897159#msg897159 date=1246275224]
[quote author=Whitey85 link=topic=34440.msg897156#msg897156 date=1246275176]
I think we will put Gerrard back in the middle and buy a good player to play between the lines and a cheapish midfielder with any money we have remaining.
[/quote]

Which would be a mistake. The Gerrard-Torres partnership has been brilliant for us. We shouldn't be breaking that up too.
[/quote]

Time will tell. I quite like the idea of having another potential matchwinner in the side, particularly in home games against poor opposition.

 

[LadyRed]

Gerrard and Torres are two of the best players in the world, whatever match winner we bring in isn't going to be better than them in those positions and therefore shouldn't come at the cost of either of them.

 

[737Max]

Sign Veloso for £12m and spank the rest on players we need up front or the wings

 

[Fox]

[quote author=Ryan link=topic=34440.msg897129#msg897129 date=1246272989]
If he leaves then I'll definitely start a new thread to discuss it even if there's already 7 others on that same subject.
[/quote]

here here, I was still looking for comments on this in the long thread

 

[keniget]

What do people think of a Gerrard/Masher midfield partnership?

On paper, it should be perfect, but in practice we've seen on a number of occasions that there have been some issues. Both players roam (for different purposes) and we lack a player that wil hold down the middle of the park.

Anyways, it's a difficult question. I don't know if bringing in an inferior replacement just so that we can maintain our system is a good idea - how is the team supposed to compensate for that loss in quality? We're already getting pretty much all we can get out of the Torres and Gerrard partnership and the improvement on the wings was meant to address the previous gap in quality (and consistency), not the now widened gap.

If we can't get someone of equal quality, we need to give some serious thought to changing our system, even if it's not a massive change. For example, we could look to bring in someone like Sneijder or Hamsik into the midfield, which would make the midfield unit more attacking.

 

[koze]

[quote author=ibromurph link=topic=34440.msg897152#msg897152 date=1246274875]
Why do people mention De Rossi all the time.. everytime i've seen him, he's been utter gash. Good engine, decent in the tackle, not much else.

Lucho Gonzalez oozes class and is a better player (as rebel stated above).
[/quote]
De Rossi is a very good player.

You obviously haven't seen him enough.

 

[Mors]

[quote author=koze link=topic=34440.msg897179#msg897179 date=1246277026]
[quote author=ibromurph link=topic=34440.msg897152#msg897152 date=1246274875]
Why do people mention De Rossi all the time.. everytime i've seen him, he's been utter gash. Good engine, decent in the tackle, not much else.

Lucho Gonzalez oozes class and is a better player (as rebel stated above).
[/quote]
De Rossi is a very good player.

You obviously haven't seen him enough.
[/quote]

He's an excellent player, but I doubt he'd leave and he'd cost silly money.

 

[TheBunnyman]

The main downside to changing the system is that it might all go a bit Robbie Keane again.

Personally I think we - if Xabi does leave - should be looking for someone like Gareth Barry: ie perhaps without Xabi's passing range (there isn't anyone, really, is there?) but with more mobility, ability at set-pieces, toughness in the tackle, goalscoring threat etc. And preferably someone experienced and not too expensive so we can use the majority of the Xabi money to get someone class for the LW spot.

Semi-random suggestion: Torsten Frings.