out of the current lot who do you really want to see still playing for us and who couldn't you give two monkeys about if we moved on I say 1. Mignolet - think he will leave but I would love it if we could keep him for one more year 2. Westwood - good back up, if Mig goes then maybe he could step up to be number 1 until we find better 3. Colback - as a back up left back, wouldn't want him anywer near the starting 11 4. Rose - if we can keep him great, best left back we have had for years 5. Sess - need to keep Sess, we will see Sess back to his best when we add more quality into the team 6. Johnson - been poor this season but he won't be going anywere 7. N'Diaye - this lads got potential 8. Cattermole - some say he is a liability but he does well for us 9. McClean - been absolutely terrible this season, but hopefully in pre season the coaches can get the lads head right. He seems a right brainless idiot, if he used his brain and thought about his game he could be a good player but he is far to predictable I think. 10. Graham - just signed won't be going anywer 11. Fletcher - he has been top class since we signed him 12. Wickham - hope MoN backs this lad to be a top player, has it in him and I feel if we let him go we will live to regret it 13. Gardner - if he is prepared to play back up to a new RB as for the rest couldn't give a damn about them they all obviously won't go but I hope the club are open to offers for them think it is going to take another 3 transfer windows until we are were we want to be
I think JOS can be added to your list he is our best CB and when he hasn't played we have looked totally ****e at the back.
I agree with this list but I am not sure about Whickham. He needs to make more progress and I remain to be convinced. I agree about JOS, we need to clear the rest out.
Be interesting to see what the summer brings. Can't see wholesale changes. A couple of steady Prem players as a minimum but hopefully a little more exciting than that
Agree JOS is great at organising and marshalling the defence but his distribution is absolutely shocking!
Phil Bardsley- my choice for back up right back. Titus Bramble- see ya Wes Brown- see ya Lee Cattermole- keep Jack Colback- my back up left back and midfield cover. Carlos Cuellar- provided he's on low wages. cb back up Steven Fletcher- keep Craig Gardner- tough one. I'd like to keep him as he's a goal threat. however, he's an unsettled player wanting to go home. He's sacrificed a lot for us by not demanding a move and has behaved completely professional. If he still wants to leave i'd let him and show him the same respect he's shown us. Adam Johnson- keep Matt Kilgallon- see ya Seb Larsson- doesn't suit our style any more. I'd be tempted to let him go if we got the right offer James McClean- Season loan to a championship club. not a right off just yet lads, remember, he's a late starter in his football career considering the shoddy facility's with which he learnt his trade. Simon Mignolet- Lucrative contract should be enough to keep him for the foreseeable future. he's developing at a staggering rate and getting first team football in the best league in the world. plenty of time to win trophy's and he knows it. John O'Shea- keep Danny Rose- Sign him asap. won't come cheep if a price is not already agreed. Good LB's come at a premium these days Stephane Sessegnon- Keep David Vaughan- see ya Keiren Westwood- let him chase first team football. unlucky for him that Mig is at the club. see ya. Ji- Will need to be registered next year. see ya Whickham- bright future. keep. not included new lads as they need their chance. Missed anyone?
I think it will be a long the lines of 5 in 5 out IMO we needed another couple in January but if the right players were not available at the time then it is better to wait than panic buy. At the minute Killa and Bramble are both out of contract with Mangane only on loan and Wes Brown having a question mark about his injury situation we need at least 2 central defenders. I hope MoN goes for a couple of quality one's who can add pace and power to the side allowing us to get that backline higher up the pitch but I also think we need players at a good age (23-26) players who are reaching there best years not players like Cuellar who don't get me wrong is decent but is approaching the later years of his career. Danny Rose needs signing up, if not we need a replacement, who knows if we will go back in for Strinic but MoN was watching Croatia play at Craven Cottage a few weeks back. I think we all know we need someone to spark us into action in the middle of the park, someone with a bit of flair and creativity who can put there foot on the ball and pull the strings and finally I think we need a big, strong CF who can hold the ball up, got decent pace, can score goals and who is good in the air, a player like Benteke would be good IMO If we solve those problems I think we will improve next season but the job won't be over with regards to strengthening this side, there is still work to be done.
adding on to ^^^^ we also need a good modern day right back, Gardner is ok but we should be looking for better if we want to climb the table, Danny Rose has shown on the other flank the attributes you need to be a good full back in the prem nowadays and we need a player like him there Bardsley is finished and on his 30 odd grand a week is far to much for a squad player and a average one at that
Squad to add to: Mignolet, Westwood, JOS, Bardsley, Bramble, Mangane, N'Diaye, Larsson, Johnson, Sess, Catts, Colback, Gardener, Graham, Fletcher, Cuellar Not fussed: McClean, Killgallon, Vaughan, Brown. Must sign: Rose Big decisions to be made: R Noble (22 in June), Reed (22 in May) Laing (20 next month), Lynch (21 next month) and 3 or 4 other young (not kids anymore) players who can either push the 1st team or just wont make an impact. Biggest conundrum: Wickham - I desperately want this lad to succeed and think he has every chance of being a top class player. He has all the right physical attributes to terrify any defence and at 19 (20 next month) he is young enough to develop and grow but I need to see far more than I have so far to warrant a 1st team place. He has 90 first team games under his belt at Ipswich, Sunderland and now on loan at Sheff Wed and really should be showing more than he has. For a £8m/9m investment we simply cant allow him to just drift away but he certainly doesn't warrant a 1st team place over Fletcher or Graham? That's a massive conundrum IMO and one I don't envy MoN making this summer.
agree with all apart from him on 30 odd grand a week, far to much for a back up right back who in my opinion looks finished, been very poor on the rare occasion he has played this season. People can talk about coming back from injury etc. but that is no excuse for how bad he has been, if the lad wants regular first team football now I think he will have to do a Campbell and move to the Championship