With our forthcoming exploits in Europe next season it is even more important for ML to have his squad of 2 top players in each position. Given the current squad where do you feel the new faces need to be brought in? As we all know we play almost a 4-5-1 formation but I can't believe ML would only want 2 strikers so I'd say the squad should constitute: 2 GK 4 FB 4 CB 8/9 M 3/4 S Assuming no-one leaves, we get De Guzman on a permie and we play Michu in the hole, looking at our current squad I'd go for the following: 2 GK - Tremmel, Vorm 4 FB - Taylor, Davies, Rangel, Tiendalli 4 CB - Williams, Flores, Bartley, NEW 8/9 M - Routledge, Dyer, Hernandez, Britton, Ki, Michu, De Guzman, Lamah, Agustien 3/4 S - NEW, NEW, Moore/NEW I'd like to see one or two of the NEW ones be replaced by some youth who prove themselves. Anyone got any insight on the youngsters? I can't say I'm convinced by Lamah and Agustien due to not seeing enough of them but I've kept them. Hopefully Monk gets moved into coaching. Tate is a sorry casualty. Situ obviously hasn't proven himself. Gower is no more... So what would your squad consist of next season? I guess we may already have locked in Aspas and/or Canas (Real Betis Sideshow Bob) so that would take two places and may see Agustien squeezed out. You have the floor.
OUT: Monk, Tate, Gower, Lita, Shechter (Monk and Tate should be moved into our coaching departments, so they are not a sale. Schechter should not have his loan deal renewed.) IN: De Guzman, 1 STRIKER, 1 CENTRAL DEF, 1 RIGHT BACK. I would like to see some more of the kids coming through, when required they have been very competent. We would not know today just how good both Jazz and Ben are if it weren't for injuries forcing them into the team.
I think we all know the obvious candidates to let go and, regretfully, I would add Kemy who has been given chances but not really taken them. If we keep Moore (which depends on his performances until the end of the season) we will need 2 more strikers minimum. Now midfield. I've said it before and I'm saying it again, we need a combative, athletic, ball winning player there. I'd like two but that might disrupt our footballing ethic if they can't adapt. Players who can do both, however, will cost a lot of money. Me? I'd spend it because I'm sick and tired of watching teams like Newcastle kick us out of our rhythm. I have yet to see two halves of football where we have dominated. We either get closed down in the first half and do better in the second when play opens up, or, like WBA and Newcastle, we look really good in the first half then struggle in the second period because we couldn't match their physicality and closing down game. I'm being perfectly serious when I say that, if we can manage a full 90 minute performance, we are going to stick 7 or 8 goals on some unfortunate team. But we need some heavy artillery in midfield to make sure that we don't lose momentum there.
For me out Tate, Gower, Monk, Shekter, Lita, Moore and Richards. In de guzman, 2 strikers (maybe 3), Centre back, defensive and an attacking midfielder. Maybe 1 or 2 contovertial thoughts, but i know a lot like moore but we are better than that now and if we want to keep moving forward we need better strikers. Maybe if we signed 2 strikers would be ok as the 3rd. I see and think people like Jazz, but IMO and it is only my opinion, whilst he has done ok when he has come in, I dont think he is a PL defender.
1. Should get a technically gifted attacking midfielder - a young Laudrup - a classic no. 10 shirt: an unknown Isco, Hatem ben Arfa or Mata. A player who can spread out play: Swans are too depending on Michu scoring the goals - this player is supposed to bring more players into goal scoring positions. 2. A complete forward who can creats the space for Michu behind him, a physically strong player with a good first touch, who can also score goals (headers, long shots and scrambles). Would have thought DG could have done this, but he wants to get relegated with Sunderland instead. A (unknown) Llorente, Benzema or Lukaku. 3. A central defender who can also play rb. Again I'd love to see Sergio Ramos or Thiago Silva join Swansea, but again it's up to the scouting departement to find an unknown version. Three necessary signings, provided noone leaves. But I see Williams leaving for sure, and maybe Routledge or Dyer will leave too. They're no great loss though: they're easily replaced: pace and good technique isn't a problem to dig up for no money in Spain... Finally: don't be too sure de Guzman will sign for Swansea: wouldn't he have signed along with the rest back in early february? Think he's biding his time, like Gylfi did.
Mikra, He has already stated that he wants to sign. We didn't do so in January because we didn't want to commit the funds at that time (I think we were looking at a striker who eventually didn't come). Maybe we'll get JdG for less in the summer because his contract will be six months shorter by then.
Mikra, why do you see Routledge and dyer going then and where could they go that would be an improvement. Routledge signed a new contract less than a month ago. I cent see us losing anyone we dont want to go.
Guys, our budget will be £20m maximum... It might not even be that. We can only afford about four players that will actually add to the team and strikers are at a premium above other positions, Aspas alone is expected to cost about £10m and we'd have to pay out for De Guzman. That leaves little manoeuvre for two Michu type deals at £2m.
You may be right and maybe £20m doesnt buy many top players in the prem but if we can keep nearly all our current first choice squad and we get a few bob for the ones that we want gone then a few quality additions are on the cards. If any of our main boys go eg- Williams then i would expect some serious money for them like we got for Allen and you know how well we did out of that with ML doing the shopping.
Laudrup assuming he dont go to real madrid will have a lot of work to do in the summer as we need a few players now without replacing any that go to pastures new....the question is will the following stay...Ash, Michu and Chico all who have been linked with other clubs, then there is the deadwood who Monk wont be one of them as he has just signed a one year extension and is starting his coaching badges, kemy,richards,lita,tate and a few more will either be sold or given a free or even loaned out.....The Biggest question is though ...will Laudrup be tempted by Real madrid if they want him, we know he would be interested as he said so......Its going to be an interesting summer on who stays and who goes.....
While i respect Laudrups honesty and approach it will have a bearing on who we will be able to sign in the summer. I thought the signs were good with Michu signing an agreement to extend,i also thought it was good that Laudrup brought in a top coach from Denmark to assist,pointing to a stable future,winning the CO cup helped alot too giving us Euro football next year, but the one thing that every single future and even present player will want to know is this.. IS LAUDRUP STAYING and HOW LONG IS HE GOING TO STAY !! Without his future sorted it will make it harder to get our targets. There were a few strange things with recent and prospective loan deals that Ivor and myself mulled over, why sign Lamarr on an 18 month loan ? and why was the proposed Canas deal a proposed 18month deal ? that was 2 deals tying into the end of Laudrups time here and to some it can be seen as an indicator to which way Laudrup see's his future. The two things are linked, you wont get top players here unless Laudrup is going to be here too. I am certain that Laudrup is an hounerable person and intends to stay at least another season,problem is though that he is also very cagey and gives nothing away, this doesnt make things easy when pursuing long term signings and it also doesnt inspire the existing players to stay long term either, some may think "well he is off next year anyway,might as well take the offer from elsewhere now" . The summer will be very intresting thats for sure, hope Laudrup falls in Love with Joe's Ice cream and Rossi's chips and decides to stay for years building a club from the bottom up !!
Also does anyone know what ML's more favoured formations are, i now what we play now but we obviously lack talent up front, hence why our midfielder is our striker. If he stays longer do you think he might tweak even more f he gets the players to match.
Pretty much agree with all already posted, but one definate change I will be unexpectedly sad to see the back of, is our lush white and gold kit
Hope Monk stays on for another year of playing at least. Really hope we cut short Lamah's deal...He doesn't look up to it atm. hope he proves me wrong. 2/3 new strikers wouldn't go amiss.
Its the under 21's league now and he is not doing that well in the games i have seen. I cant ever see him being good enough for the PL.
I would like to hope that players are now seeing Swansea as a good place to go, even if it is just as a stepping stone until the club gets more stability on top of what it has in the Premier League. We are now going to be in our third season in the top flight, with a major cup victory behind us and Europa League football next season. If Wigan can tempt a player like Valencia... imagine what we could bring to our club. I am pretty sure the Swans have been on the news in Brazil and that place is a production line of talent, in the next couple of seasons we could see some young Samba Starlet head our way. Ever an optimist!
I see the 22 like this; ---------Vorm--------- ----Chico---Ash------- Rangel----------Davies ----Britton---Ki------- Pablo---Michu--Routledge ---------???????-------- ---------Tremmel-------- ------Bartley--???????--- Jazz----------------Taylor -----Agustien--Canas----- Dyer---De Guzman--Lamah -----------????????-------- I'd ship out: Tate, Gower, Lita and Schecter. Possibly: Tiendalli, Jazz, and Agustien also Keep Monk as a coach and use in emergencies. Keep Moore as a 3rd choice striker. Sign: De Guzman, Canas, 2 strikers (1 main and 1 younger, 22/23ish) and 1 centre-half to challenge the first XI (Chico can play right-back)...and obviously replace anyone from the first 22 who leaves Would only sell Agustien and 1 of Tiendalli/Jazz if we can recruit good quality young players to replace.
