Just one more small point if we get automatic promotion this time we will have a minimum around three extra weeks start on the last time going through the playoff's. Just thought I'd bring that into the equation.
I think the 1st question is how many of our loanees will want to stay to play in the PL... I'm thinking mainly of fathi and gedo... we may not want to keep them but I know fathi wasn't too happy not playing but if we go up...that changes everything. 2ndly... we don't want a repeat of our last stint in the PL... I think we need to invest in very specific players... no more than a handful, i don't want a big overhaul. 3rdly how much of our budget will go into securing players we already have on loan. Gedo, elmo, fathi, stockdale. I would personally sign all of them. I still rate gedo and fathi, i think they'll need to up their game but they need time to adapt. 4th... how many won't make the cut? proschwitz, koren, jakupovic, simpson, mclean, mckenna, stewart, oli, cullen, devitt... i would sell all of them if possible. how much money will we make from them?
We should be concentrating on Tuesday night, not next season. We're not there yet. Still long way to go. City can still balls it up.
Err my opening post says its a little premature but its a boring Sunday afternoon. It's not a crime to start a thread
I agree but think he will go to someone like scumberland rather than us. We're going to have to look for bargins in this division if we do go up, maybe try and get wood from FlatTop or a cheeky bid for Austin or Rhodes if their clubs want to cash in.
Yes, because he had grander plans for the land which would make his £60m investment seem small fry. You racist.
Not wood, he hasn't the technique, got a touch like a donkey which is far from ideal in the prem. Fathi would be good to keep on, got bags of experience, has class and is extremely versatile, you need some of those types to cover numerous positions. I'd never sell Koren, at his age we'll get **** all for him and his class and experience will be vital not only on the pitch but also around the camp. I still think there's a lot more to come from Proshwitz but we can't bank on it, we have plenty of little poacher types, I'd get another big striker in, Austin would be perfect but he'll cost a packet (and to think Pearson opted to buy McLean instead of Austin for the sake of 300k ****** ) Unless Fathi and elmo stay and rosey gets offered a new deal, definitely a right back. Said on another thread if stoke come down, shotton would be a good acquisition. A left back is an absolute definite regardless. 2 goalies, a number 1 and an old been there done that as back up. A right winger, also a definite. Plenty of potential names to choose from but not sure who's up for it. Maybe Redmond at brum, always looks a handful. Central midfield is the last position I'd worry about. If we get promoted. If not just make the loans permanent, give simpson and rosey new deals and carry on with what we've got. We've got the quality and numbers in the squad for this league and the less change the better, means our squad already works as a unit and don't need to bed new players in.
let's not kid ourselves we can only attract players that are unlikely to play in the Prem anytime soon, or who come from a much smaller club. No chance we'll attract anyone from qpr/wigan imo
Not sure about Zamora you know, I think he'll defo want out at his age. Btw, I'm not advocating we sign him. Julio Cesar anyone? Surprised nobody has mentioned Vito, I assume he hasn't signed a new deal...
Most teams in the prem play some variation of 4-2-3-1 so: -------------------Stockdale----------------------- Rosie----Chester----Hobbs/New CB----Dudge/New LB ------------Meyler-----------New CDM-------------- ------Elmo-----------Aluko---------Brady----------- ---------------------New CF----------------------- Boyd would be a sub for Aluko/Brady. Couple of holding mids including an aggressive Cattermole type player. Not sure about up front but I would like to get Le Fondre from Reading if only as a super sub as he does that very well for them. However, I hope Proschwitz works better with more space as he seems to have class technique like Berbatov, who wouldn't be anywhere near as good in the Championship. Experienced Centre Half needed to replace Faye. Perhaps an experienced LB as well as Dudge has not played many games really. New winger as well, especially if Di Canio keeps elmo. New keeper along with signing Stockdale on a perm. Overall I think we have a very good squad and could pretty much play on the prem as it is without the injuries.
Bruce, his coaching staff and scouts will have been scouting for next season since whenever, and will probably (as with every club in the top 8 with a certain amount of games left in the season, even though they would all deny it) be drawing up 2 lists of players - one for if the team gets promoted and one for if the team stays in the same division. If we stay in the championship we have to keep our best players, get a permanent keeper and someone who can score the goals to get us promoted next season. If we go up we have to keep our best players, get a permanent keeper and someone who can score the goals to get us to no lower than finishing 14th (as last time we went up, finishing just outside the relegation zone was not an attractive team to come to). Ideally I would like Stockdale and Gedo, maybe Paul Robinson as another keeper, a decent centre back to ensure we have strength in depth, Elmo and maybe another striker, in total with wages not costing more than half of what we'll get from getting promoted (FFP permitting) - meaning if we need to sign a player/s in Jan we can still afford to. Making sure there is a relegation clause in new contracts (not mentioning any previous chairman here), as we do not a Samba on our hands. Having seen Bruce find good players from various overseas countries when he was in charge at Wigan (a side we should be emulating - just without the gobby chairman), I have a feeling we will be seeing some unheard of players who can do a job in the PL signing for us
I'd play cairney next to meyler in that 4-2-3-1, he's bulked up and improved a lot on his defensive game, and was excellent last time in the prem with the extra space. Think he would be far better this time round. We have plenty of decent central midfielders, that's the last position I'd worry about.
I don't agree, I think we were a more attractive proposition under browny then we are under Bruce. Geo, cousin, mendy, etc having probably never heard of Hull must've took one look at Brownies tan and thought Hull was some kind of northern english version of san tropez. Now if players are unsure bruce must give the impression that Hull folk all live under a bridge.
