Sorry to those who have not yet given up hope for this season, you can ignore this if you like. Next seson we'll all be hoping Sven can lead us to automatic promotion. But what do you think we need to get there? This season has been breathless, from Pearson leaving, to Sousa coming, to Sousa leaving, to Sven coming, and all the changes on the playing staff throughout. I believe this turbulent season has left us needing at least 8 new players in the summer. Sounds a lot I know, but that's realistically what we need to be thinking about if we want to be promotion chasers in my opinion. First of all, we need key players to stay. Top of the list would be King, Wellens and Gallagher. 2 have signed new contracts, and one has been offered another but I think we are all aware that this means nothing. Sven will need all the powers of persuasion he's used so many times on women over the years to keep these players from being lured to the rich playboys of the Premiership. Well, maybe not Gallagher, but probably the other 2. Second on Sven's conquest list should be Naughton and Mee. I think we've got a good chance of getting Mee, and he looks a very promising young player to mee. I mean me. (Sorry, that's the last time I'll use that joke). Naughton has obviously stood out though and not just to us, and it seems a number of Premiership teams will want him. However, I think we should pull out all the stops to sign him, and try to test the financial reserve of the other bidding Clubs. As for the other loanees, most I would send back, and the rest will go back whether we want them or not. IMO, This leaves us needing: A GOALKEEPER - Sven obviously doesn't fancy Weale, and most would agree that Ricardo just hasn't been up to it. Whether any of those those 2 or Logan are good enough for backup is another matter. 2 CENTRE BACKS - Bruma and Vitor will go back. Hobbs will go to Hull. Now, unless I'm mistaken, that leaves us with Bamba, Mee if we sign him (though I like him better as a left back, see QPR away) and the young lad, Parkes. Whether he is ready for the step up I don't know. But we need at least one. A HOLDING MIDFIELDER - This has been a big problem for us IMO. We give the opposition so much time and space on the ball, and they cut through the midfield so easily. Barsnley did it, Norwich did it, and it's been happening all season. There is also a big gap between our midfield and our defence, so often balls are played over the top in between the lines, and I remember Marlon King having a lot of joy because of this a few weeks ago. Sven also likes his full backs to attack which leaves us short in defence. All these things point to the need for a holding midfielder. Now I like Abe as a player but I find his label as a holding midfielder false. I see our midfield as being a flat 3. Abe is not quick enough, aware enough or strong enough to play that role, and that has shown by the lack of protection the back four has. I'd like a Gattuso type player, or a Vieira type (in his prime, not now.) 2 WINGERS - Scott Sinclair has ripped this leage apart for Swansea. He is the type of player we should be looking for. If they can get him, surely with all our money we could find a similar talent? Vassell is not a winger and shouldn't be playing there. Neither is Waggy. Dyer is very effective on his day but is too inconsistent at this level. I haven't seen a lot of Moussa, is he good enough? Gallagher is our best 'winger', but he isn't even quick. We also need back up because if one is injured, we are stuck with Vassell out there again. Out-and-out wingers also gives us more fleixibility, so we can change the system if needs be. 2 STRIKERS - Yakubu can go back for me. Howard is an impact sub at best. This leaves us with Vassell and Waggy. Both can score goals at this level if given a chance, but both can flatter to decieve at times. In any case, 2 strikers (that are good enough to start, hence why I'm not counting Howard) isn't nearly enough. Schlupp might make the step up so that may be 3. But we need a big signing up front. I really wish we'd have got James Vaughan on a permanent in January, yes he's injury prone but has scored a decent amount of goals in a struggling side and his all round game is alot better than Yakubu's. This will leave us with a team that could look like this: ---------------------------Goalkeeper----------------------- -------Naughton---------Bamba---------Centre Back-------Mee --------------------------Holding Midfielder-------------- ----------------------Wellens--------King--------------- ---------Winger---------Waggy/Vassell/New Striker----Gallagher I hope the majority of these additions are permanents, because we have the moey to spend. The most important thing is that we get a settled squad, form a team bond and team spirit, and Sven operates a meritocracy so the true potential of our squad as a whole is reached. Chopping and changing throughout the season will not help. Thoughts.
Our of the current squad i would only keep for next season Weale, Gallagher, King, Dyer, Waghorn, Wellens, Abe, Hobbs, Bamba, Vassell(not as a winger) Try and sign Naughton and Mee. So we need a keeper, left back, centre half, winger, centre mid, 2-3 strikers and loans
Deadwood to go Neilson, Tunchev, Moreno, Oakley, Howard, Logan, Berner, N'Guessan, Kennedy, Lamey, Ricardo
Tbh it wouldnt surprise me either I would keep: Weale, Bamba, Hobbs, Burner, Abe, Wellens, King, Dyer, Gallagher, Vassell, Waghorn I would sign: Naughton Vitor I would send back: Yakubu (based on his wage-to-goal ratio), Bruma, Mee, Van Aanholt I would sell: Neilson, Moreno, Oakley, Howard, Logan, N'Guessan, Kennedy, Lamey I would look for: Defender (Left side and Center) Central Midfielder/Playmaker (to rotate with Wellens, King and Abe) Winger (someone who can cross the ball into the box, not hit the first defender or the opposite corner flag) Striker (dont care where from as long as its roughly 20 a season)
I would like to keep Berner but he looks miles too slow v Norwich, they arent the fastest team in the league snd you know Sven likes quick players. Tunchev is too injury prone
GOALKEEPER NAUGHTON BAMBA CENTRE BACK LEFT BACK HOLDING MID KING WELLENS GALLAGHER STRIKER TARGET MAN Targets; Greg Cunningham, Nedum Onouha, Seyi Olofinjana, Robbie Keane, Shay Given, Rickie Lambert. I personally would be very happy with them lot.
My targets would be people like Nicky Maynard, Keiren Westwood, Peter Whittingham, Darren Pratley, Ashley Williams, Danny Graham People are proven in this league add them to the the big names Sven will be after and we will be on to a winner
Maynard and Graham would be definite possibilities, I wouldn't mind them. Lets face it, Sven's not going to go for them though.
I'm starting to get really worried that we will lose King and Wellens, and not sign Naughton. I've got a bad feeling about this summer.
Emilio Sorry to go off the subject but i couldnt put a reply on 606 cos it shiite and under maintenance or summat like that but you commented on Ricardo, now this is not a dig but just to remind you of your comment 'I assume you mean the last 8 games Weale played. Well I don't remember any of those goals being scored by the opposition because he dropped it or fumbled it.' I was going to ask you about the goal where Weale booted it out straight to a Bristol City player who in turn paid the compliment back by booting it straight over his head into an empty net. Thats not what a 'Good' keeper does and i can't recall Ricardo doing anything like that....Yet
Well if that was in the 8 games preceding Ricardo's debut then I retract that comment. Having said that Ricardo did that a number of times against Derby, when he kicked it straight to a Derby player just outside the box, and got away with it. Though there's no doubt Weale made a mistake against Bristol, you don't usually see a finish like that. Ricardo also came rushing out of his goal in that game and left it open, only for the Derby player to head wide from about 6 yards under good pressure from Mee. So although Ricardo hasn't been punished for a mistake like that, he has made them. As I've said, Weale has made mistakes this season, but Ricardo has made more in a shorter space of time.
Since Weale has signed for us i can only thing of 3 big mistakes he has made, Derby last season and Watford and Bristol away this season. 3 mistakes in 2 seasons isnt bad. If Andy King makes a mistakes there is so many people covering that it goes unnoticed while if Weale makes a mistake, 9 times out of 10 it leads to a goal and that highlights the mistakes Ricardo is crap and has made lots of mistakes. Ricardo has to take alot of blame in Bristols, Chaventrys, Norwichs 3rd, and pompey's goals in recent matches All of bad runs this season coincide with a different keeper to Weale in goal. Under Paulo we had Logan and Ikeme in goal. Our bad run under Sven we have had Kirkland and Ricardo in goal. When ever Weale has been in goal we have been on a good run and i dont think that its a coincidence. The back 4 trust Weale while they dont trust Ricardo. We have had too many different defenders this season (Hobbs, Morrison, Vitor, Davies, Moreno, Bruma, Mee, Bamba, Berner, Van Aanholt, Cunningham, Neilson, Lamey, Naughton) while last season the back 5 was nearly the same every game (Weale, Morrison, Hobbs, Brown, Berner)
Iôd get in Neuer, Carvalho, Terry, Bale, Vidic, Ronaldo, Villa, Lampard, Messi, Eôoto, Tevez as a starting XI have Weale, Bamba, Naughton, Mee, Berne, Ade, King, Wellens, Gallagher, Vassel, Kamara as back ups . That should help us get into the premiershiP meôs thinks ?
How about a) A new manager b) A first team squad c) An effing miracle..................................in any order. lol
What is it with Hull fans. You have had Pearson, Solano, Fryatt and Hobbs from us. We have no problem with them and regards their comments We have a world class manager, we will be getting a new squad next season so you can have a few more players from us. And the miracle has already happened. We are rich with a world class manager and are going in the right direction. We will get promoted, not this season but defo next season so run along And remember "No tigers in the foxes Den". We already had this debate with the egg chasers
