Sissoko heading for the exit?

Be a brave man to put him back in the middle. He has looked very poor when played there. I prefer Anita alongside Tiote to be honest. You can't then put Sissoko in there too because there would be a complete lack of guile. We need to replace Cabaye. We also need to look at what we have for cover in the middle. I assume our 1st choice system is the 3 man midfield deployed last season of a destroyer (Tiote), a box to box (Anita) and a creator (Cabaye). I like that and think you have good variety. We now only have two of those components. As for cover, from what I can, we have only Abeid. Gosling is gone, and hopefully HBA and Marveaux are too. Out wide we have Sissoko, and what I would would consider a cover player in Gouffran. We have no cover which is good enough. You might aswell flog Jonas, Obertan, Sammy as none are good enough.

I see our team like this:

First team:

Krul

Debuchy
Left back (none are first choice material for me)
Colo
Centre back (none of the other 3 are first choice material)

Tiote
Anita
Centre midfield

Sissoko
Wide Player
Striker

I think we could do with as many as 5 new first team players. At this level that is a lot of money.

Cover:

Keeper (Eliott is not good enough)

Right Back (we don't have one)
Willo
MYM or Saylor (sell one or both)
Haidara

Defensive midfielder (do we risk Bigi who I'm not convinced with?)
A box to box player
Abeid

Gouffran
Wide Player
Striker

So you could need as many as 6 cover players. This would mean 11. I'm not suggesting for a second that would happen, this is far from ideal world/club. You'd have the likes of Santon, HBA, Marveaux, Ferguson, Vuckic, Obertan, Jonas, Tavernier, Amalfitano, Ameobi, Dummett leaving to generate some funds (not a lot). Then the wages of Ameobi Snr and Gosling. I could maybe only see the option of shifting Santon wide as a viable solution and maybe retaining Tavernier if he has improved as much as some think from his loan spell? You'd still need 9 players. You'd still have to shift 11 on. I think we are up **** creek personally because the squad is a mess. No wonder they haven't bulleted Pardew, who else would want the job of sorting this **** out and be soft enough to agree that only minor tweaking is needed.

 

Agree completely. We have to then take what's reality and add more unpleasant reality of Pardew being in charge. What I mean is Santon is likely considered 1st team, as is Willo, as is Gouffran. MYM may continue as our emergency right back, Santon can be classed as covering too, assuming we won't spend there either. We might bring in a centre back, but I can't see it as I believe Pardew either rates Saylor/Willo/MYM, or the board believe he SHOULD rate them. I doubt we'll be bringing in a single defender unless one goes.

Big hope in replacing Cabaye, but it may be that's again all we do and we end up with a decent threesome in there (!), but no-one of note behind. Abeid looks ok, but there's no destroyer to replace Tiote, no energy to replace Anita.

Sissoko wide right is his best role and he's been at his best there, for the sake of sanity I hope he stays on. Gouff is first choice on the left at the moment, perhaps a move for someone better might come off, but it might not. In Armstrong and Ayoze we seem to have two players with no place in this system, which is yet more frustration. Both could perhaps be the horribly termed "false 9", but we're not exactly fcking Barca.

I imagine it will be a long, fruitless Summer. It could get worse a long time before it gets better - a few purchases may convince Sissoko/Debuchy to hang around, but if - as is likely - we're kicking off with Sammy, Obertan and Marv on the subs bench with Ben Arfa smiling from a directors box, I imagine the only remaining talent we have will want out.

 

Krul

Richards
Cresswell
Shawcross
Caulker

Tiote
Anita
Hughes

Sissoko
Ince
Ings

Cover:

McCarthy

Trippier
Willo
Colo
Haidara

Bigi
Colback
Abeid

Gouffran
Redmond
Beharino

There you go, job done. Incoming Richards, Shawcross, Caulker, Cresswell, Hughes, Ince, Ings, McCarthy, Trippier, Colback, Redmond, Beharino. So just the 12. Outgoing Debuchy (inevitable), Santon, MYM, Saylor, Dummet, Tavernier, Vuckic, Sammy, Shola, Gosling, HBA, Marveaux, Ferguson, Obertan, Jonas, Amalfitano, Cisse, Remy so just the 18. Surely this makes sense in Mikes world, we have trimmed our squad by 6! The remaining births in our 25 can be filled by Aarons, Campbell, Armstrong and Kemen.

This squad building lark is easy

 

If MA see's this he'll probably be getting in touch with you to sign you up. You could sit and have your 10's with Pards.

 

If Ryan Taylor comes back as good as he was before his injury that'll be great news.

Can cover either full back position or RM fairly well. Also offers a decent set piece delivery.

 

Raylor can get the ball over the wall.