Will Ellis be putting his hand in his pocket this summer? He has to really doesnât he? We canât stagnate or go backwards, itâs got to be onwards and upwards. Thankfully Ellis saw the danger signs early enough to get shot of PDC and have the vision to bring in a relatively untried young manager who has a vision of how he wants his teams to play. A brave move from a man who was on the ropes at the time. OK so it was sort of forced on him at the time as PDC made such a mess of it that he backed the owner into a corner, but he could have took the safe option and gone for an older, more experienced man to steady the ship. Thank **** he didnât and he pulled off what now looks likely to be one of the best signings this club has ever made. Thanks Ellis. And, now that weâve got Gus at the helm and his system appears to be working, the players are looking like world beaters right now and before I forget, (not that I could mind) I have to mention that we just beat the scum on their own turf. Sorry, Iâll rephrase that, we just ANNIAHILATED the scum on their own turf, yet again. Fast forward to the end of the season and weâre safe, Ellis needs to back Gus in the summer transfer window. We as a club need to match his ambitions as a manager or we risk losing the guy and his backroom team will go with him and that would set us back years. For me there are a few âno-brainersâ we have too many loan players who have been very influential in our recent transformation, we all know who they are. Ki, Borini, Alonso and also players coming to the end of their contract who we need to tie down, Bardsley & Colback. Ki & Borini could probably cost us in the region of £10m each, for me theyâre both worth it as to replace them would be difficult to impossible for less money. We have to bite the bullet and pay what is demanded. Alonso, Iâm not sure how much he would cost but letâs say around £5m, I reckon thatâs a fair price for a dedicated LB. Thatâs a net spend of £25m so far, so how much more do we need to shell out to improve upon what we already have? I canât see us raking millions in for some of our dead wood so the money would either have to come from Ellis or from loans against the club. Who, realistically could we attract to improve the squad? Do we go bargain basement and shop for similar type players to Bridcutt? Or look for another Jonno type of marque signings?
Good post Welder, completely agree with the three loanees. they have been nothing short of amazing since joining.
Ki is a priority, especially with the way he plays and the fact Larsson/Gardner/Vaughan/Colback are all out of contract (Hopefully keep Jack!) Borini I would love to keep but unless we finish around 12th I can't see him staying, possibly another loan but he wants to be testing himself at the top level which is understandable, so imagine he will stick around the Liverpool squad or go back to Italy Celutska looked good towards the start of the year, but due to Beardsley being reintroduced he has slowly been forgotten about and when given his chance against Kiddiminster and Stoke he was terrible, not fully sure on him anymore Alonso, just get him signed now in my books, young, talented and likes to get forward and already seems to have a partnership with Borini and Ki Think in summer Cuellar/Gardner/Westy/Vaughan will be going for definite Possibly offer Larsson a contract on lower wages, Colback on a higher paid contract Hopefully bring in CB cover as well as fullback cover Left winger(borini hopefully), playmaker (ki hopefully) A goalscorer (Rhodes/Ings etc)
Great post Welder... since Drumaville and Quinny we've been promised a magic carpet ride which has always fizzled out. Keano went off the rails, Bruce was decent until he was found out with this mid-season slumps which kept getting longer and longer (Hull have this to look forward to), MoN, well started out sooooo well, and eventually turned into some of the worst football ive had the displeasure of watching - thanks for AJ though; and of course Paolo. 3-0, broke the Everton hoodoo, but the guy was never on the rails to begin with. In Poyet we have one of these young, foreign manager's we've envied for years at teams around us, teams who we know we should be beating and finishing above. We've seen them in Laudrup (admittingly who's looking a shadow of last year's self) Pottichino, and prob a couple more i can't be arsed remembering. We thought we had one in Paolo, someone who cut through the bullshit, called out the overpaid primadonna players for who they really were - lazy & had no respect for the badge or the fans. Alas, most of us were blinded and still reeling from MoN's dark days to see the forest for all the trees. Never supporting the lads have I felt so positive about our future. Giving Gus a big contract at the end of the season with a large war chest will only take us to where we are supposed to be. I hope we sign all the loanee's we have in Borini, Ki, and Alonso, while making some good quality signings elsewhere in the pitch. Quality over quantity. Pick up a few freebies to sell off at a profit and some for development and I'll be one happy chappy. Let's develop that Udinese model Short seems intent on having, but having the right people in the role - not agents with the players on their books. Maybe now we might start getting South Americans who wont flop at us?
Great post Welder... since Drumaville and Quinny we've been promised a magic carpet ride which has always fizzled out. Keano went off the rails, Bruce was decent until he was found out with this mid-season slumps which kept getting longer and longer (Hull have this to look forward to), MoN, well started out sooooo well, and eventually turned into some of the worst football ive had the displeasure of watching - thanks for AJ though; and of course Paolo. 3-0, broke the Everton hoodoo, but the guy was never on the rails to begin with. In Poyet we have one of these young, foreign manager's we've envied for years at teams around us, teams who we know we should be beating and finishing above. We've seen them in Laudrup (admittingly who's looking a shadow of last year's self) Pottichino, and prob a couple more i can't be arsed remembering. We thought we had one in Paolo, someone who cut through the bullshit, called out the overpaid primadonna players for who they really were - lazy & had no respect for the badge or the fans. Alas, most of us were blinded and still reeling from MoN's dark days to see the forest for all the trees. Never supporting the lads have I felt so positive about our future. Giving Gus a big contract at the end of the season with a large war chest will only take us to where we are supposed to be. I hope we sign all the loanee's we have in Borini, Ki, and Alonso, while making some good quality signings elsewhere in the pitch. Quality over quantity. Pick up a few freebies to sell off at a profit and some for development and I'll be one happy chappy. Let's develop that Udinese model Short seems intent on having, but having the right people in the role - not agents with the players on their books. Maybe now we might start getting South Americans who wont flop at us?
My personal feeling is that the squad we have right now isn't that far away from being really good. Gus has got us to us to a place where it just needs tweaking a bit in certain area's, key positions and the addition of some quality back-up. Players like Larsson & Celustka if kept at all, will only be kept as squad players, i don't see them playing a prominent role in the first team, but we do need them, or an alternative. I'd be happy if we could get (quality) Central Defence, a creative midfielder and a Striker who can give us 15 - 20 goals a season. That's been the one key area that has killed us this season, if not for Johnson, Bardsley and Borini we'd be relegated already.
All 3 loanees MUST be made permanent as all 3 play the Poyet way and fit the pattern and plan perfectly. If it cost us all our summer budget then I'd happily do so. We need Fletcher to get the op he may need or just get fit for next year and then with Altidore (if he can replicate yesterdays performance he can happily stay for me); Fletcher and Scocco we will have decent striking options. Maybe even Wickham will come back or he may be sold and a new recruit brought in. I think Larsson, Vaughan and Gardner will leave at the end of their contracts and that leaves Colback, Catts, Bridcutt, Giacherinni, Borini and Ki as the core midfield. Maybe Alfie can come back to boost that midfield. Will Karlsson, Ba and Watmore be ready for next season? Quite possibly so we have a larger pool of talent there imo. It the defence that causes me headaches. As brilliant as Brown and JOS have been this season together, it doesn't take a genius to work out that their days are numbered. Its a minor miracle that Brown has played so many games and will we get another full season from them both? Alonso is the right age and we can cover in Colback if needed. Bardo WILL get that new contract imo and we have cover in Celustka but if Diakite has gone (presumably he wont be back) and Gus just doesn't fancy Roberge so he will be going, that leaves the new lad Vergini who is yet to play any real part yet as the only centre cover. We need 1 (min) and I think 2 central defenders in the summer too. I think Westwood will go (he is now number 2 to Vito) and not sure if Ustari is the long term answer so if Pickford isn't the new number 2 then we may need a new keeper as well.
Agreed MW. I think ES's hand is going to be forced anyway. There are a lot of contracts ending this summer and most of these won't be renewed. Some will re-sign or be extended (Jack and Bards for 2), but most will be released I guess. Then the loanees will be gone. Signing Ki and Borini won't be easy. Tbh I don't think we'll get either. Laudrup will go and Ki will either return to the swans or elsewhere. So he's going to have to splash the cash. Earlier this year I think ES would have been reluctant to do so, but now he's seen how a good manager can do things properly and how relative success can come quite quickly, I think he will back Gus in the market. Substantially. One key factor could be another good cup run. Getting to Wembley is massive for Gus's end of season talks with ES but an FA cup semi or final even added to that, on top of securing PL safety could go a long way to securing our loanees AND the total sum of cash available to Gus to spend this summer. But, we need to not worry too much about next season at this point and focus on finishing this one successfully.
I think we will send Celustka back, he did look promising at the start of the season, but since Bardo's resurgence, he's disappeared. Larrson & Gardner I hope are kept as squad players, and as they are out of contract soon, if they do sign back on, it is with reduced wages. If it isn't then they can leave, and I wont shed a tear. Always love Larrson for the goal against Blackburn, and Gards for doing a job at RB when he was needed, but they aren't the way forward. I reaaaaaally hope we get Colback signed up for alot more money though. Yesterday he showed he can get forward and have a crack at goal, which to me was the only thing missing from his game. With Bridcutt behind him, Jack and Ki could get forward and try to score or set up Borini and Jozy. Getting Colback signed up again is vital i think, he will be a quality midfielder in Gus's system alongside Bridcutt - he will do better with him more than Lee. Also get Bardo on a new contract. JOS and Brown are getting older, so we need 2 QUALITY CB's to replace them, Alonso on the left, a midfielder like Banega who can sit in the middle of the park and just feed balls all over the place for AJ and Giacc or Borini (if we are lucky enough to sign him) to supply te strikers, and as you said a 15-20 goal striker. So 4 signings plus the 3 of Borini, Alonso, and Ki. I reckon that will do.
Fully agree with all of this but isn't Vergini just a short term deal till the end of the season? i'm sure there will be on option to extend if he comes good, lets see. And i am hoping that Gus will take hold of Whickham and try to adapt his game to suit the system, it would be a shame to see him let go. He has good feet and can pass a ball, plus he holds it well so lets see what happens in the meantime with him.
Its simple we must sign Ki, Borini and Alonso. European football would make that easier. Otherwise were starting from scratch again. You don't sell or let your best players go.
I was sorely tempted there to have a dig at our neighbours, then I thought, nah, be nice, they`ve got enough problems bless `em.
I would love us to sign Borini but he would cost a lot even if he did want to stay, wind the clock back and think about Mig and Rose at the end of last season, we all wanted to retain both but circumstances were against it, fast forward to now and I am more than happy with the replacements and would not want to change either, this goes to show how quickly things change in football, and it is too early to think about the close season changes to the squad. We have a fight still to be fought, West Brom got a point to-day and Palace are holding Arsenal at half-time their is still a long way to go.
It would be great to sign the loanees, but, I have no doubt at all that Gus will have contingency plans. imo this bloke is too clever to be caught like that.
I think Short will be interested in offering big money for Borini. He is so young that he could play 2 or 3 years for us and then be sold at a big profit in the future. Short is a business man, if he thinks it is a sound investment he will pay the money. The biggest part of it is the player wanting to come. European football and a team moving forward will be a big part of that.
