the team is shaping up nicely and with the addition of Aluko i think we are fairly well covered in all positions. That being the case are we still going in for King, Tunnacliffe and Keane? do we need them, do we want them? I reckon it cant hurt our chances to get them, and strength in depth is what every promotion challenging team needs. failing that i still want Buzaky and Mannone but i'm slowly coming to terms with not getting either
Still think were a couple of players short of having some real stength in depth and quality. We need a plan b for koren, Wouldnt mind George Boyd or Meyler on loan joining us, Very creative and if koren gets injured or banned more than capable of stepping into his boots. Definatly could do with another winger, Still to be convinced by Stewart over the course of a season that left wing needs competition unless we can Use Dudgeon as an effective Left winger??? Utility defender anybody? bit of cover across the back 4 rightback could be a problem if Rosie gets injured, Peter Ramage anybody? Think as it stands were definatly play off candidates, few more good signings and we could mount a serious tilt at top 2
IMO, thats the long term game plan. Bruce is playing hard ball with the Gunners and we shall have to replace Ben Amos at some pioint. As one or two others have said, by doing SAF a favour in taking Ben Amos for the season City shall get first pick of the kids that are loaned out or sold. Vito will just have to stay patient for now like the rest of us. Yes we do need King - Keane and Tunnicliffe. They will add much needed strength in depth. Dont rule out 2 more big signings before the end of August either. imo
Just a couple more signings needed and we will have pretty much everything covered. We've already improved the squad from last season and there looks like there'll be plenty for us to look forward to this season. It's gonna be a rollercoaster of a season as it always is in the Championship, but it feels like we'll be in for a good season.
I think we are 2 or 3 players short of a good team, after Aluko signs. Anyhow I am quite optimistic about the coming season, if we can keep the same defensive performance, and with these better attacking options, then we should be up there challenging for a top 2 spot.
If we're playing 4 at the back then I think we're fine for defenders. If we're playing 5 at the back, or Keane is available on either a perm or loan with a view then I'd bring Keane in to cover Rosenior (he's not the biggest so he can't replace McShane as the tall centre back so he'll replace him as sub right back). That would allow us to let McShane go in January once Hobbs is back without harming our season by lack of cover. Central midfield, whether it's 2 or 3 (in a 532, 451, or 433, or 2 plus Koren in the hole) we're fine because once Aluko is in there's 6 players that can play there. Importantly Aluko is the kind of player you can slot into Koren's role if he's injured, which is good because it gives us an anchor man (McKenna), a box to box player (Evans, assuming we let him), a deep lying playmaker (Cairney), an attacking midfielder of some sort (Olofinjana), an intelligent experianced forward playmaker with goals in him (Koren), and a younger faster version who just needs to gain more of the knowledge in the role (Aluko). If we're playing with wingers in the midfield (ie 442) then we're still short 1 or 2 players though. We've only got two wingers with pace (Aluko and Stewart), and Koren. As Koren and Aluko are also 2 of the central options for one place, if we were playing 4231, 451, or 4411 it would mean we'd have Koren in the hole, and Aluko and Stewart out wide (mixing up during the game), and no cover for any of them. Up front we could do with swapping a short arse striker for a bigger one so that we've got a 2+2 balance rather than a 1+3. As it stands we're not in bad shape there though with Proschwitz and Fryatt being supported by McLean and Simpson. Simpson I know has got the talent in him to be a 15 goal striker in this division, he had that form at QPR (12 in less than a full season) and I saw him playing during his time there, and for all the knocking McLean gets off some, there aren't going to be many teams in this division with a better 3rd or even 4th choice striker (Simpson ahead of him now?) than him. It's just a shame that he was signed to be a starting striker because his wages will be in line with the fee and the status he was supposed to have.
Plan b for Koren not being there is the key, Aluko might not be the answer so I'd agree we are a few players short still.
He likes to run at players to take them on and can shoot with both feet as well as being comfortable playing in central midfield or up front. I think as far as cover for Koren goes we have to work on the basis he's capable of doing it* and work on finding more wide options (as they're easier to find than Koren role players) so that he's free to do it as I realise he'll likely be starting on the wing. If he turns out not to be able to then it's a decision that hasn't worked out, but it's not like last season where it was guaranteed from the outset that if certain players got injured there was no suitable replacements because we hadn't even tried to sign cover for them. *The alternative being that we question whether any of the players can do it and decide we need to add more options in case they're not. In which case Proschwitz might not cut it, Faye might be at the point in his career where his legs start to go, Jakupovic and Amos might both be crap when it comes to it, and Hobbs might not come back the same player he was. (We would actually be covering off the Hobbs issue anyway if we signed Keane as it would just mean keeping McShane til next summer and sorting out a replacement then instead of in January)
TWT Ian Wright, who's a mate says so.. Aluko is a player I've been following for years.. bit long that yeah.. TWT Top 1 IMO.. IMO which is also FACT.. just ask Ian Wright..
Assuming nobody leaves, we're almost set. Good numbers all over the pitch, with the exception of wingers. For depth, I'd like to see one more winger, along with a central attacking midfielder that can cover the wing. Having said that, we could just get a central attacking midfielder and allow Koren to cover the flanks. Oh, and I wouldn't mind a loanee striker. It's best to have a fifth, and Cullen far from cuts it for me. Neither does McLean but I won't go there.
Obviously we have two keepers so that is sorted for now. At the back we have 3 decent defenders and an appropriate starting partnership of Chester and Faye with Hobbs still to come back and Bradley offering further cover just in case, so I'm happy there. Left back has been sorted for a while. Right back is OK but I'd like to see someone come in and replace McShane as the second choice RB, but it isn't going to be easy to have someone come in just to be on the bench. In the middle we have McKenna, Evans, Cairney, Oli which is fine, but if we could replace Oli with someone cheaper that'd be nice. We need another winger, maybe two if Koren is going to be playing in the hole. I'm happy with the 4 senior strikers we have and despite being in the minority I do like Cullen so I'm happy with the attack. So we still need 1 winger for definite and another 3 maybes.
Have you missed Cooper from your defence or is he the 3rd good defender with Hobbs not counting in it because of his injury? Striker wise I don't know why everyone seems to think we need 5 in the first place. Playing 2 up front every week they always used to say 4 first team strikers was enough for Man U when they were going for winning everything they possibly could, and with PL, CL, FAC and LC games they must have played at least 50 games a season even though there were fewer league games. Why do we, with a maximum of 49 games that are important to our promotion hopes need to have 5 first team strikers? Realistically I think we're looking at making 2 more signings (Aluko + 2), and then any more will just be replacements if we sell anybody.
I wasn't listing everyone, Cooper was indeed the 3rd decent defender despite that for the reasons we already agree on, he wouldn't be an appropriate partner for Chester. I'd agree with you on the 5 strikers thing, we got promoted with 3 strikers before. I'd be happy with Aluko plus two more.
Get Aluko signed and then get Koren sorted. Then I think that is the permanent signings sorted. The rest will be on loan, would like King - who didn't go on the Man United tour!
Think we need a couple of wingers to bang the crosses into the box for Proshwitz to latch onto but other than that think we are just about sorted. We should definatly be able to reach the playoffs this year with the team we have got but would be a bonus to reach the automatic promotion positions. ___________________________________________________________________________ KINGSELLER WORLD OF COLLECTABLES www.kingseller.org.uk
I agree that our squad is in better shape than this time last year and would think we will be in and around the top 6 come May. It would be nice to get a good start as I cant remember us ever starting a season well in the championship, which means we are always playing catch up.
We need at least 1 more winger minimum. (Perhaps Anderson or Elmo) Ideally i'd like to shift Olifinjana on and bring in someone like Myler on loan. Ideally i'd like cover for Koren so i'd go for Giles Barnes, he's on a free. If Fryatt goes (which some suggest is a possibility) I'd go for McCormack.
