I am a huge believer in the manner in which we are building, but going into the new season i have some worries: 1) We dont have a left midfielder. Most teams have at least 2. Albrighton, Mahrez and Knockaert are all far better on the right and none of them appear comfortable or over capable on the left. We clearly arent going to strengthen this area. 2) Our weakest area last year was at left back, yet we arent linked with any. Are schlupp (albeit look promising but a gamble) and konchesky (our worst player) going to be our left backs? If Schlupp gets injured or isnt up to it then we are in trouble. 3) James and DD are good, but if one of them gets injured we have no quality cover. I believe that Hammond or King would be torn a new one in the premier league and someone should be there to push DD and James and cover for an injury. 4) CB is generally ok but weak. Was is slow, Wes im putting a lot of faith in and Moore has to really really improve to stake his claim. Upson is yet to be seen. The teams around us, such as QPR and Palace seem to be really strengthening well and all i can see is it leaving us, Burnley, West Brom and Villa to scrap it out, and 3 teams have to go down...
Sounds like you're getting last minute jitters Ed. A lot of the above are unfounded fears. Have faith.
We would all like to hear that we have suddenly signed half a dozen internationals for the new season. However we have learnt from good old Sven that buying your way through the season isn't gonna work.we are missing a Left winger but we have plenty of time to seal the right man at the right price. Pearson has shown he won't be bullied into paying silly money for players. Left back same as above. King plays against international players for Wales so is slightly more experienced than most of the squad, so I don't think he will be too bad as cover and deserves his opportunity along with the rest of the squad. And in my opinion the four centre backs are as good as any teams expected to finish bottom half to middle of the table.
The thing is that i am very realistic, always have been, and never expected us to go out and sign loads of high name players - ive even said on here before how i prefere to sign the players that ive never heard of. However, its not the starting line up as such but the squad depth. We clearly are not trying to sign a LM and are going to use one of our 3 RM out left, but last season showed how much less influence this can allow them to put into the game. And whilst i understand that about King with all due respect that is for Wales where the likes of Robson-Kanu, Gabbidon and Simon Church have racked up the caps. Should one of our first choice CMs not step up, which i think they will, or get injured we are in real trouble in the centre of the park - an area where at times we might want to start 3 anyway. And we cant start the season without signing a new LB... surely!?
I understand your view completely and let's not forget we can still sign players untill the end of August. I'm honestly not worrying about who we should sign. As that's what Nigel gets paid rather well for(no more than he deserves in my opinion) Nigel was spot on at the start of last season and I see no reason to doubt him or his backroom staff, after all he was planning where he would spend his transfer kitty several weeks before the end of the season. Hence the quick transfers for Allbrighton and Upson.
I think you're worrying too much about this left wing thing. Our wide players we're often switched last season mid-game, and we looked better with Knockaert and Mahrez than Dyer, who is naturally left-sided. I think we could do with another wide player though but Pearson has never said that the spending was over. King will likely be better suited to the Prem than the Championship. I think at LB he might give Schlupp a chance, but if not, Konch has played in the Prem more than the Championship. IF we get injuries, we can always dip into the loan market. Sometimes it's good to have a look at who clubs are going to go with and who might be available. And remember, the transfer window is open until 31 Aug.
Lets be honest though, if konch was being tested that much in the champ he is going to be destroyed in the premiership. Schlupp looks good but didnt make the ghana squad in a problem area for them and in the last friendly before the squad was apparently dreadful. We just dont appear to want to sign anyone on the left side. I see what NP is doing and i agree with it, one of the reasons we were so good was the squad unity but we do have some appears which we must push on and strengthen in otherwise i can see naivety really coming back to haunt us. Say DD got an injury for 6 months, i cant see a hope in hell how we could avoid relegation as it stands.
Win those first 5 games and I will expect the Premiership title. Everton, Chelsea, Man U, Arsenal and Stoke.
