Bruce's January shopping list

I just don't think we have the legs to do it. Middle of the bottom half is probably where we'll end up. I mean you never know and I'm happily proven wrong, but I just don't think we have the quality in depth to sustain a top half finish. Our bench at the minute is very mediocre (Rosenior, Quinn, Boyd, Graham, Harper, Faye, Fryatt was the bench against Liverpool) and Boyd and maybe Fryatt aside, there's nobody there to bring on to change the game. I just think we need a bit more quality if we are going to be looking any higher than the bottom half.

 

I feel you're doing a disservice there to a decent backup keeper, two good defenders and Quinniesta.

 

Most other teams had had a shot at playing Fulham by then.

 

Steve Bruce said on talksport yesterday morning that he had a couple of irons in the fire and IF they come off will be very good news for the club.

£4m down + £1.5m if we stay in the PL is a very good deal for a proven PL goal scorer (Shane Long) who has 18 months left on his contract. (6mths + Wba have a further 12 mth option).

 

Can i just ask where you get these figures from? Why would it be 4m now and 1.5m if we stay up, who on earth has told you this?

I agree with GLP on this though, Long for 5-6m is far better than taking a risk on a Championship striker for 7m+ or a foreign striker who is cheaper. Look at Big Nick, Sagbo who we all like has only got 2 goals. There is no proof someone from abroad would replicate that form either.

 

If WBA want £5m+ for Long then you negotiate the payment. Hope that helps you understand.

 

Not when it's a sellers market and Newcastle and Stoke have already expressed an interest.

HTH

 

Only TWT.

 

Yeah but we wouldn't bring Harper on to change a game would we? Quinn is alright I suppose, but they're hardly the sort of players you see warming up and think "great, maybe they can go on and win us the game". The only 2 players we have that can do that are both injured.

 

Aluko is only a few weeks away plus Brady plus another striker hopefully.

 

Ive said numerous times I would much rather throw money at livermore before any striker. Wouldn't be too bad ending the season with an Aluko/sagbo partnership. All sagbo needs is someone who compliments him and i reckon aluko would be great playing in behind him.

 

What happens when Aluko gets injured again and Sagbo gets injured or suspended?

 

Then we play brady behind gedo? We don't have the money for too much strength in depth, im just stressing how important livermore is to the team and i can see how in demand he'll be at the end of the year. Get nick powell in on loan or something? Livermore becoming permanent opens up more avenues.

 

Do we know if Gedo will be around? He hasn't featured in any way. New striker for me. If we want another midfielder, I suppose I'd take Gylfi Sigurdsson from Spurs.

 

Sigurdsson - good shout.

 

I agree with signing Livermore permanently, but Aluko and Sagbo have scored 3 between them in the Premier League, surely that has to be something to worry about? We need a striker desperately, but i think our best chances are for a loan striker, so signing Livermore is key.

 

between them yes, but i'd like to see them in a run of games together, playing off one another. It's a gamble getting any new striker in but we know for a fact how good livermore is. Which is why i'd be afraid we spunked money on someone like long, it doesn't work out and JL goes somewhere else. If we got livermore on a perm and a loan striker (who doesn't work out) he goes back at the end of the year and we're no worse off than we are now.

I just think we have enough about us to stay up without a proper striker (touch wood) and getting livermore permanently would set foundations we can build on next year.

 

Well Bruce admitted a slight interest in Gradel today - could he play the Aluko role?

I wonder if Jelavic is still in Brucie's thoughts?

 

I can't think of a single back up keeper that you WOULD bring on to change a game.

 

Based on the last few matches, I would suggest that Boyd has the potential of making it onto a list of players that could come off the bench to change a game and maybe even be pushing for more regular starts!