I am very impressed with how things are going this seasons with transfers, cannot fault anything at the minute, and no one out either, but July is going to be busy, just hope that we keep Bony and I think we will. Michu will probably go, and maybe Ben, but if Ben stays we could well see Taylor move on, Hope Huw sticks out for £10 or 12 Million for Ben though at the very least, seems for the first time in a very long time, we now have plenty of fire power up front at last, and plenty of competition in the final third, looking to be a great first season for Garry Monk, if our transfer dealings are anything to go by. So where else do we need to strengthen? I'm thinking CB, looks like we are keeping Tiendalli, If Michu goes then maybe Siggy will be back, though that is all speculation at the minute, by the way Sam Ricketts has come out and credited Monk with some very good improvements to our scouting system, so all in all a very good early term report, well done Garry.
What "improvements" has he made to the scouting system? At the moment we are down Erik Larsen and up Port Vale's chief scout. Anyone see that Post article the other day claiming that the "Monk pulling power" has been put to bed? Anyone can sign a player if you are offering the most money (see: Monk's signing of Gomis) Pulling power is signing players even though you have less money to offer them (ie. Canas was offered more money from West Brom but chose us due to Laudrup....Pozuelo had a number of offers to choose from but chose us because Laudrup and Larsen persuaded him to) or managing to keep players who are being offered a lot more money elsewhere (see: Michu) Also signing players you have heard of before is not necessarily good business. The proof that Fabianski for example is a good signing isn't available yet.....It was the same the summer we signed Michu and Chico (Who have both subsequently proved to be top class signings)
So far so good by monk but the real test will be whether his technical ability on the pitch will be good and i believe it will be. I can see him having a Plan A, B and C in place and we will give the premiership a good go this season. We will obviously lose games but as long as we give a good account of ourselves then we cant complain, we will win more than we will lose with the caliber of players we have and now we know Ash is staying we have someone who can organize the back 4...I think it's going to be our best season ever....
You will have to ask Ricketts dear, now stop throwing strops over Laudrop, he's been filed away under L for loser!.................
That's what I'm thinking too Dai, good to see some sense being spoken on here, well said mate!...................
I think we'll have a good season but best season ever would mean either two trophies or higher than sixth (depending on your view)- both very big asks!
come on we beat a league two side in the final so that showed how much interest there was that season for winning cups, wigan won the FA cup and was relegated ffs. ..We can beat our points record held by Brendan and that's what counts as a better season. cups are a lottery and nothing else....
Yes and we earned the RIGHT to play that League Two side by stuffing Liverpool at Anfield and beating the reigning European Champions over two legs without conceding a goal. As for our best season, I hope you're right and it would be great to see Gomis (high on Laudrup's wish list) contribute to that.
That league 2 side beat Arsenal and Villa on the way to a final. lets not take away from what we achieved that year. Whether you like or dont like ML what we achieved that year was absolutely outsatnding for a club of our size.
Regarding the OP, provided we don't lose any key players, I would say we need a right back. As much as I love Rangel he was caught out by pure speed a few times last year and he ain' getting any younger. Plus an animal in midfield
Winning cups is a lottery in many ways, Dai is correct on that, remember the 'ball boy'? anyway I took what Dai was referring to as the League, and he is correct on that in my view..............
A true midfield general would be a dream, a Bodde type player don't come along that often it seems. as for right back we have Tiendalli ?
