Transfer Rumours JANUARY TRANSFER THREAD

How many managers does it take to get the potential out of our current squad?

 

T

Too many!
Time for a clear out

 

We need a steady, veteran head at the back. Gary Cahill would be an excellent choice for me.

 

I worry that this ‘team’ is irreparably broken. Nothing short of a clear out of players will fix it. We are heading towards 100 games for this squad and for much of this time they have been impotent and fragile. New signings have been dragged down and four managers have come and gone, so far to no effect. Whatever is done it will have to be drastic and dramatic IMO.

We are past the point of keeping faith with anyone in the squad now. There’s not an individual in the side who is worth more than have a decent team winning mentality.

 

So you include the Puel season in the 100 games. That side looked so different to this one.... yet it’s mostly the same players.

Admittedly the big difference is not having one of the best CBs in the league.

 

Cahill on loan in Jan would be a great start.

 

Guys one player is not going to make that much difference at the moment no matter how good he is. The whole teams attitude has got to change. The team does not have an on the field leader unfortunately. They may now have an off the field leader.........Which is a good start....but they have to believe....when they begin to, a natural field leader is likely to emerge!!

 

Hopefully we can finally wrap up this Matt Holland deal in January...

 

I agree in principal, however here’s a thought: this defence is basically Ouel’s defence less VVD, so it is possible the right, experienced and quality CB could come in and lead a decent back four. This in turn could give the midfield more confidence and thus free uk support to the front players. Add Ings who had looked sharp and you could see a different team. Confidence is a big factor.

For the record, I think we need to bring in two or three.

 

We need a settled back 4 which possibly may help........someone said they were zonal marking. If they are then thats part of the problem but in my eyes they're not even doing that......(Just my opinion) They seem so disorganised no one defender doing anything pacific.......all seemingly getting in each others way. I could go on but we've all been there and seen it for our selves.

 

They were using zonal marking at corners specifically, but with a certain amount of man to man marking. The problem was, as you say, the lack of organisation, which is really down to not having a defensive leader like Virgil or Fonte used to be. I thought Yoshida would play that role but he doesn’t seem to be doing it.

 

Were they all at sea and oceans apart from each other

 

I thought it was quite a well Arcticulated comment!

 

Ralph needs to find a back four and stick with it...the players will surely improve if they play together more often and learn their role.
You'd think
Now which back four? I've done my bit Ralph, now over to you.

 

Bloody predictive text .....S.p.e.c.i.f.i.c......is what I thought I said................

 

I do include it. Puel had different problems but the team never worked that brilliantly for him either. The balance was all wrong, but I think the problems now inherited by Ralph are psychological and personality more so than balance or talent. I'm pretty sure any individual player if you shipped them out to another club would perform pretty well but as a unit, these guys are damaged goods. I think it'd be easier to bin and rebuild than to fix them up. They need serious shakabuku.

 

Regardless of whether that is or isn't true, it won't be happening next month. No-one sells the bulk of their squad, and signs the bulk of a new squad, all in the space of one month. Whilst playing matches. Be prepared to put up with many of these players for sometime to come.

 

We need quick fix in January and then rebuild in the summer. Depends how long Ings is out for but I’m thinking we need a CB, striker and wide attaking player.

 

Yep. I'm expecting a maximum of a couple out and a couple in. But they'd better start making concrete plans on Feb 1st to turn the roster over. In an ideal world, we'd be turfing something like 10+ players* and bringing in 6-7. That probably isn't realistic, but we should be aiming to get as close to that as possible.

*Forster, a CB or two, Long, Austin, Davis, Targett (regrettably), Cedric, Carrillo, Boufal, Clasie, and that doesn't even get into the potentially controversial ones.

 

I expect a slightly more optimistic feeling come January 1st....Ralph needs training sessions and time to assess things, but it’s getting them drilled and organized. The rest all follows.