Don't think they would sell - why would they as his stock has improved quite some way this season. A team will have him on loan in the Prem this season - I agree, I'd like him to be with us
Could definitely see it being us though, the most important thing with a loan is getting game time so the lower the club the more likely that is to happen. Would love to have a powerful player like that that controls the game so well
Glad someone else agrees on this. Stoke's model might have kept them in the Prem for 5 seasons but I'm not sure what they have to show for it. The football they play is dire, and their team is full of ageing pro's IMO. I'm struggling to think of one player they've taken a gamble on who has then gone on to a bigger transfer to a bigger team. That is Tony Pulis' way of operating. If you believe rumours though, their fans want a new direction now. Credit to them for staying in the Prem without ever really looking like going down though Much better to look at the Swansea model. They went up with a strict 4231 formation with a semi-decent target man and players to give them width. Routledge, Sinclair and Dyer provided the ammunition (Hernandez this season) and the Barca tiki-taki passing style that Liverpool then decided they wanted. As said previously, it's going to be a great summer with plenty of speculation. For me - 2-3 ageing pro's who've been there, done that. A couple of young Premier League loanees who want to better their game with the aim of getting into whichever club side they've been loaned from, a couple of the better players from the NPC and a couple of younger players who have some great potential.
2 New GKs (I'd look at Mannone, Schmeichel, Stockdale and McCarthy) FB- Rosie, Dudgeon, New versatile FB (Figeuroa?) CB- Chester, New CB, Hobbs, Faye, McShane CM- Meyler, 2 New CMs, Quinn, Evans (Powell loan, Palacios, Cattermole, Bridcutt, Neville?) RW/LW- Elmo, Brady, New Winger (Bolasie?, Sako?, Knockaert?, Townsend loan) CF- Aluko, Boyd, Koren ST- New big ****er, New pacey ST, Fryatt, Proschwitz I'd play a 4411 with Aluko behind a main striker. Some positions may seem light but lots of versatility in the squad e.g. Boyd and Quinn can play wing, Elmo can fill in RB, Brady can play anywhere on the left or up top.
The thing to consider with loanees for next season is that as last time we were on the PL we're only allowed to have 2 players from other clubs in England at a time, and there'll be no emergency loans. Foreign loans don't count towards them, so we'll surely be looking to exploit that the same way we did with Zayatte being our 3rd loanee in 08/09.
I think Bruce first priority is to sort current contracts out. And as well as renewing McShane's Rossy's etc..I think we obviously need to give Chezzy and extention, but one nobody has mentioned is Aluko, his deal expires at the end of next season and i doubt he will renew if we get relegated so better give him a 2/3 year extension now!
Would like to see any of those, especially Sako who is a great powerful player, although maybe we will need to focus on people with big work ethics as well as skill like Brady as a lower team in the division we will need to have plenty of fight
Wouldn't be so sure, any player dreams of Premiership football so if you don't go up he could put pressure on you to sell
I'd like to see us try to sign Sejad Salihovic from Hoffenheim, should they be relegated from Bundesliga. Great midfielder and amazing free kick taker. http://www.bundesliga.com/en/liga/clubs/1899-hoffenheim/spieler.php?player=28909
I don't think we'd bother, we can get better for less money. I like him but he hasn't been as good this season as he was last season (a bit like Chester actually). Matty Ryan would be a good shout, we were linked with him before and there are other clubs chasing him now. I'd go for this: Keepers - As mentioned above, Matty Ryan and Simon Moore at Brentford would be good competition for places, with Jakupovic as third choice. Defence - Probably our strongest area, Hobbs, Chester, Dudgeon Rosenior and Macca are good enough for the PL, we have Bruce, Bradley and Faye for cover so I reckon that won't change. Brady and Rosie can also cover left back if we go to a 4-4-2. Midfield - Think we are good here too, Brady and Elmo (assuming we want him permanently, which given his award this season would be highly likely), Quinn Boyd, Aluko and Koren can also cover the wide areas so that's not an issue. In the middle, we have Evans, Cairney, Meyler, Koren and Quinn. So no problems there either, they're all good enough. Forwards - This is where I think the money will be spent; Fryatt is a natural goalscorer but needs a full pre season to get back to sharpness. He's never played at the top level, but then neither had Grant Holt or Rickie Lambert. Aluko should fit in fine, as should Boyd. Gedo I reckon we will buy, but if there's a more reliable goalscorer you might see us go elsewhere. Proschwitz I reckon we'll keep as a target man option. I'd try for somebody like Gary Hooper; he'll cost a lot but then good goalscorers do and it's about time we went that extra mile for an out and out striker. OUTS: McKenna Stewart Olofinjana Devitt Cullen East McLean So I don't think we'll have to spend too much,
macca (love him) but not pl standard, hobbs unproved, dudge unproved, we need a new rb, lb and cb. quinn (not pl standard) also unproved, koren (class but getting on a bit), evans (not pl standard) also unproven. we need a new cm (pref 2) and a new winger!! keeper goes without saying we need 2 good keepers (not stockdale) and we need 2 good strikers at least. most of out squad are way below pl standard or unproven at that level (and likely not good enough) 4-5 players aside i think they will all be below pl standards. don't get me wrong they will make good squad players and back up... but unless we want to come down in 20th we need to look at vastly improving most areas of our starting 11. in bruce i trust
It's a bit rich to say they aren't good enough when they haven't played there. Tom Cairney looked great in the PL but couldn't get a game in the Championship because he wasn't suited to it. I think Evans, Quinn (who has actually played in the PL for Sheffield United), Meyler and Cairney are all good enough and to suggest that a player isn't good enough when they haven't actually played at that level is absurd.
evans can't pass a ball how is he going to be suited to the pl? from what i have seen only meyler and cairney (based on last time) are good enough, if we dont buy 1 or 2 good quaility cms to be starting 11 we are ****ed!!
I think you're mies out, I think we'll bringing at last half a new team, we only just scraped second with the current squad, there's no way we're going to try and compete in the Premier League with the same players. For the second half of the season, our midfield often didn't look good enough for the Championship, never mind the Premier League and I expect McLean, Simpson and Proschwitz to all be shipped out in the summer and I don't expect us to sign Gedo(unless Assem insists).
