Season 2013/14: Your ideas & your opinions.

I thought I would post a thread for us all to discuss our own opinions regarding preparation for the new season. For example, tactical & strategic changes and also incomings and outgoings of playing staff, who we believe to to be deadwood and also who would refresh & strengthen the first team squad.

In my own view we need a few of our current first team sold on and we need a significant number of fresh signings brought in. The players I believe should leave are:

Shola Ameobi:
Shola has served us for 10 years and has contributed with a double figure record in European competition and some vital goals against the enemy. But be it for his long list of injuries and age, Shola has significantly slowed down physically and has shown he no longer has the legs for Premier League competition.
Gabriel Obertan:
Yes, he has pace and his distribution of the ball can be impressive now and again but overall he is inconsistent, lacks any sort of graft his end product leaves a lot to be desired at this level and would have a few suitors from Ligue 1.
Jonas Gutierrez:
Jonas is appreciated by a big chunk of the Toon faithful because of his impressive debut against Manure when he tortured Wes Brown that day and for his good performances when we where playing Championship football. But what has been evident is that although he is a trier, his footballing talent takes him only so far and is too often in need of carrying due to his sheer lack of end product and his dribbles that more often that not lead to being dispossessed.
Mike Williamson:
Willo recently came out to the local rags and expressed his desire to stay. But unfortunately Willo is pretty poor aerially considering his height and not very strong or in particular quick, he makes errors in judgment and is prone to losing his focus at vital times.
Fabriccio Coloccini:
Colo, we all love him. Talented and also a great leader. He is the pin that keeps the machine together. But he is unhappy and unsettled here due to personal issues and what is best for the club and for Colo is for a return to his native Argentina and to replace him with a talented like for like leader at central defense.

My own view for incomings is bringing in the type of player we lacked this season, Grit, also leadership and British players with experience in this Country. My suggestions would be:

Frazer Forster:
We need a talented alternative to Krul should he be sidelined again and decent competition for him also. Forster has recently told people that one day he would love a return to St. James Park and when better than this summer?
Johnny Evans:
I know your immediate thoughts, (he was with the Mackems on loan) but so was Danny Simpson and he has done well since signing from United. He would be an ideal replacement for Colo. He can lead, defend, he has plenty of experience in this league for 26 years old and gives an added bonus of being pretty good in the air. Something else we currently lack.
Douglas:
He is available on a free and would give us a good option should we lose any of our centre halves, he has a temper but nothing that can't be controlled by a decent manager and good team mates, he is also strong and a menace in the air and would also give Steven Taylor his much needed push in the team.
Aaron Cresswell:
Ryan Taylor won't get much of a chance of playing next season due to his operation today (good luck Ryan) and will likely sit the majority of the season out. Massaido Haidara is still very young and needs another in left back to help ease the pressure of him whilst he's learning his game here and develops his technique. Aaron is at a good age of 23 and has impressed in the Championship with his reliable defending and his fantastic crosses and Newcastle would benefit well from his signing.
Andy King:
Another body in the centre of midfield, he would give us what we needed this term and haven't had since Kevin Nolan, which is goals from midfield. He isn't as clinical in the box as Kevin Nolan but he moves a little bit better and is obviously younger.
Thomas Ince:
We all have seen this young player impress, both for Blackpool and the U-21's. He's quick, good feet,good first touch, can pass well and scores goals too. He plays in an advanced winged position or behind the main striker and does this well. He may prove a little difficult to get over the line due to Blackpool rating him very very highly and also he plays under his old man Paul Ince... although they would be a few decent alternatives, such as Man City's Scott Sinclair or even Brighton's Will Buckley who batters full backs and also scores goals here and there.
Andy Carroll:
He's a local lad and can frankly do better than West Ham, we need 2 strikers to push Cisse and Carroll should certainly be one. Some may have qualms regarding the style of football needs tailored to his game but Stuart Pearce never had trouble in his 4-3-3 system at U21 level when in the same team as Wilfried Zaha, Thomas Ince & Jack Wilshere.
Gary Hooper:
He's English, gifted and bloody scores goals! Would work well alongside Cisse or Carroll, should the team be set out right and would be a handy second Forward acquisition indeed.

WE NEED A PLAN B:
Too often this season we have had no answer for anything the opposition throw at us and end up performing a route 1, awful excuse of a strategy. this certainly has to change if we want a different outcome next year.
My idea would for an attacking 4-3-3 for our plan A.

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Plan be should be a counter attacking 4-4-2 with power and end product coming from the wide midfield players.

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and also, give minutes to those who aren't considered "Key Players" but who have talent to develop, such as Haidara, Anita, Ferguson and also let's not neglect the likes of Adam Campbell or even Sammy Ameobi who should never play in midfield (his touch isn't near good enough for those roles).

and finally, move on the young players who clearly won't make it a Prem level. I'm looking at, Amalfitano, Abeid, Good, Gosling, Richardson, Tavernier, Inman and replace them with some good young lads who have strong potential and are hungry.

If you have a different viewpoint or the same views don't be afraid to discuss and/or extend on any points I have made.

 

I really can't believe that after two years of being ****, some people are still considering Tiote as a solid starting 11 player.

I still have some faith in Tiote, but I think it's time we find someone better.

He's only put in a handful of good performances in the last couple of years, and most of the time been a liability.

 

Cheikh Tiote has done no worse than Sissoko and Cabaye during this season. If played appropriately the 3 would be immense in the center.

 

Tiote has been in the league for 3 years.

Sissoko has been here half a season, and when he first game he scored a few goals and got a bunch of assists.

He's recently fallen off the perch, and I believe it's mainly due to him having to play in a center forward position, and sometimes even a ****ing winger position. It's not where he should be playing really.

Tiote has contributed very little to the last two seasons. Cabaye has been a bit inconsistent, but has at least scored vital goals and played a big part in our build up play.

You can see the difference in our team when he plays.

Perch has proven much more reliable than Tiote. Tiote has proven to be a liability on several occasions and we need someone better.

 

I'll bet Colo will stay.

Don't think Abeid has shown himself not good enough. He has been with us for one season, did well enough in Scotland, is very young and has looked good in patches. Deserves another year.

Frazer Forster won't come back to sit on the bench - - he'd rather play in the Champions league fr the hoops than for our reserves, hometown boy or not.

We'll never be able to afford Ince.

Saylor before Evans.

 

It would depend on what they want for Ince, my valuation would be £7m but Blackpool could ask for anything from £9m to £15m especially after the large fee paid for Wilfried Zaha but if Blackpool ask for an excessive fee we could offer one of Gosling, Willo or Good as a makeweight. If that should fail, Sinclair or Buckley would do just fine and even cost less.

Saylor is a good centre half, his commitment is there, he makes blocks, clearances and can tackle too. With Johnny Evans you get a similar mold but a guy who will score in the oppositions box and also defend headers a little better than Saylor. With Evans, Mbiwa, Saylor and Douglas with maybe Harry Mcguire brought in to boost us and also develop more with us, we would have a great choice of centre halves that can take 38 League games and however many League cup/F.A cup games we may partake in. If you use all your players wisely, depth can be a great thing for a squad to have.

 

we need more attacking threats going forward ... especially on the wings

and a goal scorer for def.

i feel we have to many holding simular midfield players in our squad .



at the back need c half id say ..and if it were me id be looking at maybe eastern european ,

international players ...

but just me view ..

 

I agree but i would prefer some Prem experience, preferably from these isles too. Good assessment though, I hope the assessment from the board/management and their actions are as good or better than my own.

 

Re: the OP - I'd probably be quite underwhelmed by those signings. I think Evans is crap and is carried by a much stronger partner most of the time. I think Douglas/Carroll are good shouts, but better than us will probably get Ince. Swansea, for example....

I've replied before on it and think we could do with probably 6 or 7, though I conceded we'll be lucky to bring in 4. In priority order we need a CF, then a commanding CB, then another CF, then a creative, pacy winger/attacking midfielder, then a full back then a defensive midfielder. The best names I can come up with are Carroll, Douglas, PEA/Gameiro, Townsend/McManaman, Winston Reid, Wanyama. I'd be happy with that 6, and - price tags for Carroll and PEA aside - it's not unreasonable. We will need another CB if we can't keep Colo - but will need experience, so Dawson (is he still up for sale?!) or Lescott, maybe Jagielka now Moyes has gone get my vote.

 

Someone from Wigan would be nice. James McCarthy is a player, Maloney seems too be in really good form too

 

Sack the fans and get some new ones who have some patience................

 

If there is one signing I would make this season it would be Anthony Knockaert from Leicester he has impressed me everytime I've seen him play

 

Good shout, would he offer something we don't have? I would pick Andy King because he can grab a few.

 

I'd like McManaman and McCarthy.

 

Where has this utter myth that McManaman is a good player come from??? I see people saying it like it's fact. He's only shown himself to be a thoroughly average technical player with a turn of pace (so probably a future England international )... Woopee... Tonnes of those in the lower leagues, I doubt he'll stand out.

 

You are funny, the technical side of his game is his main strength. Led Arsenal a merry dance at times, lovely touches and changes of direction.

Regardless Jonas or Callum?

 

His passing is average at best, crossing average and his shooting in general is average. To be honest, he reminds me a lot of a young Jonas, only slightly worse at dribbling, because he does it English style. Knock it on, head down, and run like the six million dollar man straight into a tackle... Hope to hell you get fouled or everyone parts like the red sea.

He does some unnecessary "skill" and people think he's our answer to Brazillian flair...

 

Good shout about knockaert looks a talent takes players on for fun in the championship wouldn't be too expensive either

 

Wrongggggggg.

 

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