Sandro was coming back from a long lay-off following an ACL injury, so he wasn't going to go straight back into the team at the level he was before the injury and, given the added Europa League fixtures in the early part of the season, it made a lot of sense to have cover in that position. Besides, nobody had an issue when we had Parker and Sandro vying for one place under Harry...
Remember Sherwood never assembled the squad, he openly said when he took over that we don't always have to look outside the club for players so the balls up Avb and Baldini in signing too many players and leaving areas weakened mean there will be players that don't fit into Sherwoods plans.
So where are we looking within the club for : - backup GK - backup LB - striker who can chip in with 5+ goals if Adebayor and Soldado are out
Yeah definitely a back up keeper, not sure which "good" back ups would be available in the summer, maybe someone from the Championship who may be interested in stepping up to the Prem as an understudy with the possibility of becoming first choice in the future (based on whether we can keep Hugo)? Alex Smithies would be a good shout I reckon. I'd rather a first choice LB though. Rose doesn't convince me to be a starter for a team challenging for top 4/5 positions. Started the season pretty well but his positioning and rash decision making can and will prove costly. Luke Shaw would be perfect but we've no chance in getting him, Criscito possibly? I've got a feeling Soldado may be off in the Summer. It's just not worked out for him here so far and unlike Lamela, he doesn't really have time on side. So on that basis, I reckon two strikers maybe chased, unless Sherwood feels Kane's ready by then. Wouldn't mind a move for Danny Ings if Burnley don't get promoted. Or Nakhi Wells, I know he's only just joined Huddersfield but he has that raw explosive talent that I think could surprise a few in the Prem. Vucinic of Juve may is likely to be available, though do we risk bringing in a striker from Serie A?
Yeah Austin's a good shout, what a move and story it'd be for him if that happened. About 2-3 years ago he was a Bricklayer!
Oh dear, Spurm, have you been chatting to SOS too long as Charlie Austin isn't far off Stephen Fletcher. The day we sign these type of strikers to help us regain top four is like going back to the days when Rocket Ronnie was viewed as a good signing!
You're right, lets sign Messi as our backup, or spunk another £30m on a guy that can't score for toffee. Much better ideas
Jokes aside, could Fletcher honestly be any worse than what Soldado has been? £26m on a guy whose only got 1 league from open play is surely beatable by someone like the Fletchmeister. I did say Shane Long as one of the other players we could've looked at, he's not had a bad start for Hull since joining them
You making it a hat trick of dodgy suggestions! Shane Long? these players like Fletcher & Long will do a good job for smaller clubs but not good enough for a team vying for champions league football. But going with the dodgy suggestion theme, Steve Sidwell is scoring quite freely for Fulham, we may aswell sign him as we need goals from midfield.
So has Lamela, Holtby, Chadli, we could run through loads of foreign players that haven't settled, that doesn't mean you sign average british players who couldn't hack it playing for a club trying for the champions league.
I've said the same. However, he is from my neck of the woods and my boss knows him well. Apparently he's a total and utter pratt.
As back up strikers I can't see how you could go wrong to be honest. We've gone down the root of bringing in high profile foreigners recently (Pav/ Soldado) and they've failed to make the desired impacts. Saha took a lot of stick for being an oldie/ freebie/ non-glamorous name but I think he got 3 league goals and 1 in the cup in about 10 appearances which for a 2nd/ 3rd choice striker is decent. The likes of Long, Fletcher, Austin and co aren't glamorous names but they get the job done. An on form Ade has shown just how good he can be, when he plays like this you don't need another big name but someone who'll be desperate to prove themselves when given the chance.
Depends what you'd class as average mate, high profile foreigners have proved to be average and so I think sometimes going for the "safe bet" is possibly the best alternative. Everton got Barry on loan and signed James McCarthy for £13m, both aren't glamorous players and many would consider "average" yet both have been key to Everton's fight for a top 4 finish. Henderson is having a great season for Pool. We relied on Crouch, Defoe, King, Woodgate, Dawson, Hudd, Jenas and Lennon to get us into the Champions League. With King and Woodgate aside (and injury free!), none of those would be considered a top quality player (at least not on a regular basis) but definitely a solid, safe bet that'll do well.
I think we need to set up differently against teams that will sit back. We have to have Eiriksen and Paulinho to help us break down a parked bus. Against top teams, we need Capoue to firm up our defending. It seems to me we've looked notably better in general with Capoue. I'll grant he's a bit of a bull in a china shop, but considering we're trying to give the china shop pause, that's not all bad. But this brings us back to the who do we drop problem. I'd say it's Bentaleb, maybe with the proviso we play everyone who doesn't start in the Europa. It might cost us the Europa, but I don't think we have much chance anyway--too many games, and Sherwood does not seem like a cup coach--and it would be worth it. If we then rotate Capoue for Eiriksen or Paulinho, or maybe Dembele, we can field teams that make some sense and have some shape, unlike the one that started against Everton.
I've no issues with British players in general and we definitely need more, plus I've been big supporters of the names you mention like Defoe, crouch, Lennon and Co but these players where purchased when we where at a different stage and while not world beaters, they where talented and under rated. Plus Redknapp excelled in getting the best out of them. As a club we have moved on so players like Lennon and Defoe have helped us progress but to now move up we can't be looking at Long, Fletcher or Austin, not even as backup as that's why we have a academy.
But would you not say you're underrating Long/ Fletcher and co? Long has had a respectable goal record at all clubs he's been at and those clubs won't provide half the ammo we could, same goes for Fletcher. As funny as it sounds, Fletcher was actually scouted by Real Madrid in his Hibernian days, albeit nothing came about of a formal bid but surely the mere fact the likes of Madrid were scouting shows he has some sort of ability which attracts top clubs. What other strikers can we get that will either give the on form Ade a run for his money or provide good back up when needed? Soldado isn't providing anything and I don't like the idea of going abroad again, whether they'll be expensive or not on a player who may or may not adapt. At least with the names I mentioned, these are players who know the English game and wouldn't need a long settling in period. Sometimes I think the unspectacular players are the ones that can be most vital in reaching something spectacular providing you have the right mix.
