Just looking at the players we have confirmed for next season compared to those who are waiting on new deals etc. Matt Phillips - 2017 Loïc Rémy - 2017 - Leaving Adel Taarabt - 2016 - Leaving Danny Simpson - 2016 Charlie Austin - 2016 Yun Suk-Young - 2016 Nedum Onuoha - 2016 Júlio César - 2016 - Not wanted Junior Hoilett - 2016 Samba Diakité - 2016 - Won't feature Esteban Granero - 2016 - Probably leaving Clint Hill*(captain) - 2015 Joey Barton - 2015 Karl Henry - 2015 Brian Murphy - 2015 Michael Harriman - 2015 - Youth team product - won't play Max Ehmer - 2015 - Youth team product - won't play Frankie Sutherland - 2015 - Youth team product - won't play Alejandro FaurlÃn - 2015 Robert Green - Expired Armand Traoré - Expired Andrew Johnson - Expired Shaun Wright-Phillips - Expired Jermaine Jenas - Expired Aaron Hughes - Expired Luke Young - Expired Hogan Ephraim - Expired Bobby Zamora - Expired Gary O'Neil - Expired Stéphane Mbia - Expired Richard Dunne - Expired So, I make that 19 players are definitely available for next season, 4 of which probably won't feature (Diakite and the 3 youngsters) and 4 of which probably won't be here (Remy, Taarabt, Granero and Cesar - although JC might fall into the won't feature category). That leaves 11 players signed up and we have 12 with expired contracts. Mbia won't be back and let's assume that Ephraim and Young won't get renewals. That means that we need to sign 5 players at least just to make up the squad of 25, or 5 plus however many we don't re-sign (ie 6 if we drop SWP, 7 if also Hughes etc...). I know my logic is a bit spurious but to me this means we either sign back some uninspiring dross that we wanted shot of years ago or we have another revolution due. Also, given that Green and Traore are the only 2 with a reasonable possibility of getting 2+ year deals, that would mean that there is a significant possibility that we are in the same position next year even if those bought in anew were young enough to warrant longer deals. Is this concerning? Am I just an unnecessary worrier on his lunchbreak? Is it just normal twitchiness waiting for the transfer window to get going ahead of the new season? (Sorry, not my best written or presented post but hopefully you get the gist).
It isn't ideal for certain. The best would be if we got promoted with a settled squad who had played regularly together for a long time. We don't have that. Add to that the huge amount of players we've had out on loan and we're a mess. Either we get it right or we don't, right now that is impossible to say. Re your list mate, Dunne has triggered a one year extension so he's signed up until next summer. And I think SWP unfortunately have one more year to run.
Some people still think we will only sign 3 or 4. Dunne got a new contract, green will probably get one and Traore and O'Neill might. I'm also think SWP has another year but won't feature. We are looking at 8 to 10 players signing. Maybe more.
Crucial bit your missing is that Harry Redknapp- 2015 He doesn’t give a toss about building- he’ll leave after the season and will wash his hands of it after that Hull are signing Ince and Livermore- 2 players we should be in for If we miss out on Caulker- even though its early days I’m getting nervous- cant afford another year we’re the majority of our signings are short term oldies
We will sign reserve players from teams like ****y, ManUre, Chelshite or Arseholenal on loan to fill the places. These players will be on high wages as well.
Building for the future and immediate promotion would be exceptionally difficult to achieve. TF's goal for Harry was to achieve promotion, and build while in the EPL. But as I have said the proof will be in the players we sign. IMHO 70 - 80% of new recruits must be "building" recruits. We dont need that much more experience.
Agrred. I think I read Snodgrass had signed for Hull. I'd have liked to see us get the likes of him, Ince, Livermore and Caulker but it seems Arry cannot even entice them to W. London in preference to Hull, which has all the attributes of Grimsby, except the fish! More likely Arry isn't interested in them at all, and prefers Rio, Crouch, Dawson, and that thirty something ex Spurs / Fulham player with his legs gone.
Its certainly going to be an interesting 6/7 weeks pre season, watching how things develop. Still, its better than another Championship pre season.
I agree we are going to need to bring in about 10 players and we are yet to make a signing which worries me.
I know I'm usually negative but the window only opened today. So there's plenty of time, I'd expect 3-4 this month, 3-4 next month and 3-4 on deadline day.
When TF says about 5, I expect about 5. Hope he does as his last Tweet said, show he's learned from past mistakes, which must be stopping Arry bringing in players past their best, and also bringing in too many new players at once. Bringing in 10 or more players at once was one of a few big mistakes Hughes made, and we really need to avoid a repeat of that. Never want to hear about problems with "gelling" ever again. We have players whose contracts have expired, or who have been on loan, who can still do a job for us. Keep a few of them, and the core from last season, and then we will only need about 5 as the man says.
I think the OP of this thread is too speculative. Business will be done. At this stage not a lot is certain but your worries could be turned around by a few contract extensions. There are definitely several that I would resign. I would have taken Yossi if he didn't move and I'd give Krancjar one year.
Were down if we sign just 5. Wed be ten point adrift by Xmas if that was the case. We need 3-4 forwards alone.
I think if we keep the core from last season, and the best players on our books, then bring in about 5 very good players in the summer, and if needs be up to another 5 very good ones in January, then we will have a chance of staying up. Do what Hughes did again, and bring in too many too quick, and too many old, past it pensioners, then we will destroy the spine and spirit of the team that got us up those last few games, and with a squad full of past its, I expect we will go down again.
Hughes bought in the wrong players. It wasn't the amount, palace bough in loads of players, so many that some new signings did take the 25, they had no problems staying up.
I'm with Flyer - 5 transfers does not add up to a team that will give us a fighting chance. We should go for 3 keepers (unless we take a gamble on that front) so will need to sign one more assuming one of the big two departs (seems likely). I'm not sure what striking options we have at all to be honest - Remy won't come back. We have Austin on the books, might give OBZ a year. new contract for AJ and buy one or buy two more? That leaves two transfers left (or three with a gamble on AJ), one for CM where Faurlin is the only under 30? Where else do we need at least cover (or preferably improvement) - right wing, right back (unless we drag Ned out of position)? That's two without thinking about the left (unless Hill for Yun and Traore for Hoilett is sufficient cover).
