So presuming we don't self implode and manage to get say another 10-12pts+ we should be looking at PL football next year, so the planning will start to get underway. Who is good enough to stay and who really needs to go. Next year will be completely different, teams wont come to St James park thinking this is the biggest game of their year, teams wont sit back defend and try and counter us, it will be a bit more of a role reversal if anything, I did think we required wholesale changes and Rafa is no stranger to the transfer market, but do we need as big a squad next year. 8 less league games but then these could be countered by more cup games? Have to go Haidara Goufran Murphy Sameobi Good Saviet Riviere A Armstrong (Loan!!) Woodman (loan) Mbabu Thauvin should go Sterry Atsu (find someone better) Gamez (doesn't really play) Selz (loan) Colback hanley Dummett (been great this year, found his level) lazaar (unless he's soo good rafa doesn't wanna draw attention to him?) Anita Should stay Rolando Aarons (last change saloon) Clark Lascelles Hayden Diame Perez Elliot Darlow Krul Mitrovic De Jong (last chance) Yedlin Must retain Mbemba (best Cb in the squad) Gayle Shelvey Ritchie Doesn't leave many in the stay camp, so bodies and quality is severely required in my opinion, but it depends what our ambition is. Right now I would take 14th upwards and start from there, grow and build something
Pretty much spot on but with a few changes I'd keep 20 currently so add another 5 QUALITY players and we'll be around mid table. From my list a CM and 2x (3 if Atsu isn't signed) Wingers are the priority, if we can get a better CB and R/LB then Anita, Lazaar and Hanley out as well. A worldie striker to replace Gayle when he picks up his seasonal injury would be handy to. Could also sell one of the keepers to generate some additional funds if a necessity. Go: Haidara (1m) Gouffran na Murphy (1m) Sameobi na Good na Saviet (2-3m) Riviere (1-2m) Thauvin (5m) Colback (1-2m) Gamez (0.5m) Loan: A Armstrong Woodman Mbabu Sterry Sels/Elliot Aarons Keep: GK: Elliot/Sels Darlow Krul Def: Yedlin Anita Hanley Lascelles Mbemba Clark Dummett Lazaar CM: Shelvey Hayden Diame AM/Wings: Perez Ritchie De Jong Atsu CF: Gayle Mitrovic
I don't think he will be. Mainly because his distribution is awful and that is one of Rafa's big things. I have a soft spot for Krul simply because he came up through the youth system, but he definitely hasn't developed his all round game as much as we would have hoped. On his day he can be brilliant. His performance in our 1-0 win at Spurs a couple of years ago was probably one of the best goalkeeping performances I have ever seen. The problem is, 'on his day' is not good enough in the PL. We'd be better off with someone who was always reliable rather than someone who could be brilliant but who could be dog **** awful too.
Although both of those options are better than someone who is ONLY dog **** awful and never updates the fckn prediction league!
http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/premier-league/endendevertraege/wettbewerb/GB1 Players out of Contract at the end of the year. Not many there that I'd take but maybe Ibrahimovic, Navas, Yaya Toure, Zabaleta and Carzola could do a job for a year...
By the sounds of the cash position of the club I wouldn't be surprised to see 1 or 2 of the more valuable players sold to bring some funds in for the rebuilding project. Mitrovic or Gayle perhaps.
I think some of you have either made a mistake or are just tossers, not sure which but Haidara has been given a season of rest so that he is ready to become the greatest LB ever to have played for us.
I have only met one, but I concur. Actually, also met Beardsleymagic08, doesn't post often now but he's a decent bloke.
Have met LTF, Cove, Somb, JPF, Heed, Nev, Obi, Jak and Cbrad. All top folks. ..... and Trev who's a thundercunt.
Criticism from a "man" who wears mustard coloured chinos and my little pony version of doc martins???
Should actually sacrifice Colback in some kind of Roman ceremony. Dummett and Anita can do a job so think they should stay and - I appreciate I may be alone on this - Gouffran deserves a squad place as I think he'll accept being on the sidelines but still give 100% if called upon. I also have a bit more belief in Murphy than some of our other "strikers" and we should only off-load him if we're getting in someone better. Realistically we only have 3-4 players who are any good but that's not dissimilar to the bottom handful of teams in the premiership anyway.