Looks like Diarra's heading to Spurs. Another option would be Scott Parker, again on loan. I'd prefer a season long loan cos I think we do have potential in this area (Fletcher, Pogba), it's just not immediately available to us.
To be honest I only watched him in the first part of the season - as soon as it became obvious you had no chance of challenging for the title I stopped paying attention to your results and performance. If he's so good, why were so many of you hoping Juve exercised the option earlier in the window? Even KPR, who usually defends any Liverpool player to the death, seemed to be hoping / expecting he would leave. Not sure Silva would be any more ideal than Sneijder - both of them seem to play better with a narrow midfield and two supporting CMs behind them. The success of Silva and Sneijder would depend on their ability to adapt to a fluid 442 with wide attacking wingers. I'd be very happy if we got Tiote - I think he's more Utd's type of DM than someone like Lucas or Mikel.
Lol, "Hargreaves out for eight months after slipping disc on Swiss ball". Sounds about right for him...
if all he's gunna get is a pay as you play, why don't we offer him one? if fit i reckon he'd be first choice CM anyway.
Cleverly - Ando partership could be "world Class" I just dont see that - EVER. Both good young players but together and our future I hope not, we need to be alot stronger in the middle if we are to go on wining titles etc.
All I'm sayin is Sneijder, Sneijder, Sneijder ! {;us we also need a pitbull type of player to break up play and allow our more key players to wok better. It hurts me to say it but yes I totaly agree, David Silva would be lovely and slot right in etc. Plus someone like "Yaya Toure" would suit us completely (lets hope Paul Pogba can turn into this type of player for us, would be amazing if so)
Didn't want Diarra - never really rated him. But we do need a creative mid. I would guestimate that a decent creative mid would turn at least half of last year's away draws and defeats into wins.
Our woes away from home last season had nothing to do with a lack of an attacking midfielder. It was all due to these things- one, we sat too deep and let the opposition have far too much possesion and two, when we did have possesion, we didn't do enough with it and lost it too easily, probably something to do with sitting too deep and allowing the opposition to almost set base in our half. Diarra would be very good, I think he is a cracking player, much more than just a destructive force, when he was at Pompey, I often saw him willing to run with the ball and seemed very assured with the ball at his feet. Personally I think we need a Carrick type player that is more mobile. I liked what I saw of Javi Martinez at the Euro u21s this summer and was part of Spain's World Cup winning team in SA so I think he is a player in the making that would be suited to us. Schwienstieger is often banded about although it is highly unlikely that he will leave Bayern.
I've never been convinced by Fletcher's basic footballing ability. Yes he's improved and he won't let the side down, but for me he just isn't good enough technically. What's worse is that he's "lowered the bar", and I think that the deterioration of our midfield can be traced back directly to SAF's indulgence of Fletcher. Keane warned that standards were slipping, and he was right. Personally I think a defensive midfielder is more of a priority than a creative one. Cleverly looks an excellent prospect. In the West Brom game I was struck by the fact that the game was passing Cleverly by in the early stages, but he managed to get himself more and more involved as the game progressed. He knows what he needs to do, and seems to have confidence in his own ability.
