Fulham manager and the end of the season is quickly approaching, you are comfortable in the knowledge that you are safe in the premiership again for another season. Europe is a possibility. Your chairman approaches you and says, providing you get some baggage of the payroll you can have 10 million to spend in the summer. But spend wisely as I have been burnt in the past. Who would be scouting and getting in contact with? Kakuta - renewing loan deal for sure. Aaron Ramsey - loan deal Darren Gibson - permanent - 4 million Tamir Cohen - ????? Danny Welbeck - 5 million Mark Noble - 4/5 million Nico Kranjcar - 5/6 million Matt Jarvis - 5 million Craig Bellamy - 2 million Pace and youth, except Bellamy that is. What are you thoughts?
Interesting post Froggy. I'd go with keeping Kakuta - He'll rarely get a match at The Bridge. Ramsey would be a good loan, but maybe unlikely. Of the 4-6m players, I'd go for Matt Jarvis. In addition, I still take O'Hara if the opprtunity arose. MH's signing of Steve Sidwell has changed my opinion of our midfield needs.
I don't think an overhaul is needed this summer, but it is of course pleasing to see new faces come to the club. I can't pick a single thing wrong with the people you have listed, although if Cardiff get promoted I have a feeling Bellamy will want to stay where he is. Kranjcar is always a name we are linked with but he seems determined to fight for his place at Spurs. Neither Welbeck or Gibson will go for that cheap though.
I agree we don't need too many changes but I'd love to see Aaron Ramsey at the club. As for Craig Bellamy - No Thanks, too mouthy for me.
Being a proud Welshman maybe I'm a little biased Simon Davies is my favorite FFC player afterall, but you can't deny his quality, I can't stand Barton, but he's a good player and if he was interested in coming here I would welcome him.
Great idea for post, frog-meister. If I were the manager I'd take an inventory of the team by position. Left and right wingers, Fulhum is set with Dempsey, Kakuta, Davis, Duff and Gera (if he stays). Center backs, with Baird and Sendros backing up Hughes and Hangeland, we're OK. Left and Right back is our biggest immediate problem - Baird, Kelly, Briggs and Salcido (if he stays). That's thin in my book. We need a starting right back - Baird is good, but he's backup to the center backs and midfielder. If he goes down, we're left with Kelly ugh! Midfielders - we only have two complete, quality mids here: Murphy and Sidwell. Greening, Etuhu and Baird are really defensive mids. Bringing in one more box-to-box midfielder, young enough to apprentice under Murphy. Strikers (Johnson, BZ, Dembele) ??? With three quality strikers, it's hard to argue we need another, but earlier this year all three of those guys racked up serious injury time. Dempsey can cover, but that's not the best solution. Keeping Gudjonson would be my vote and maybe bringing in a young speedster to run the gaps should we lose Johnson again. With that, I'd do the following: Keep: Gudjonson, Kakuta and try to talk Gera into staying another year. Dump: Greening, E Johnson and the rest of the players we're not using - or loan them out to keep them fresh and pay their wages. Bring in: German Sidney Sam (Leverkusen) - young, lightning-fast midfielder/striker, Brazilian ball control Poland Eric Lichaj, Villa right back loaned out to Leeds - fast, young, smart American midfielder Michael Bradley (M. Gladbach on loan to Villa) - young (23) and scored 38 goals in two years for Heervenveen in the top Dutch league.
Of the players listed by frogman i'd take on of them except gibson (how many years can a player in their mid twenties be 'one for the future') and I'm not sure ramsey or wellbeck are realistic, as their clubs may want to keep them. That being said, sparky's welsh connection might persuade ramsey. O Hara would be fantastic I think, I went to see pompey a few times last year as my mate supports them and o hara was consistently their best player, in the same way parker runs the west ham midfield and could form a partnership with sidwell/murphy. I'd like kakuta for another year, I think he could be superb. On the topic of chelsea youngsters, if we could get him, how about josh mceachran on loan for a year? Similar to wilshere but a bit younger. (18 i think) Just think about how well the loan at bolton worked out for wilshere. As DR pointed out however, a new right back is necessary and possibly a left back until briggs comes through. Maybe a right back like alan hutton as he can't get many games at spurs or someone from man city who doesn't get many games, boyata or richards for example. Possibly a centre back to cover for hughes and hangeland as well, though once senderos is back then this won't be an issue.
If we're talking about a budget of ã10million, I'd be tempted to blow the whole lot on Daniel Sturridge, if Chelsea are open to letting him go. I'd be very happy with Jarvis, but if he leaves Wolves it will be to a bigger club than us. I'm not sure that we would get both Ramsey and Kakuta on season-long loans (I'm sure there's a limit to how many of those you are allowed each year - does anyone know what it is?) but either would potentially be good. What our current crop of permanently signed wingers lacks is genuine pace, so we should be looking for a young flyer with a reliable delivery. In the centre Mark Noble would be useful but I wouldn't be surprised to see him pledging his future to West Ham if they go down - he seems the type to not just cut and run after a relegation. O'Hara would be good if we were looking to replace Danny Murphy, but I don't think he'd move here to be a squad player. It depends on whether Hughes is ready to pension Danny off or not. As I've said before, I think we need someone who will be happy to wait for his chance rather than someone to go straight into the first team, so we might be better looking for someone outside the Premier League, such as Wes Hoolahan (if Norwich don't go up), or Lewis McGugan if Forest don't make it through the play-offs. As well as a new partner for Bobby, we need a targetman cover for him. Again, someone who will be happy to be a squad player rather than a regular starter and who can do the specific holding-up role. Steven Fletcher's goal on Saturday has put him at the forefront of my mind, and he'd be a useful player to have on the bench or deputising for Bobby - him or someone like him. I'd like to see us sign a quality right back and some cover for Salcido (if he stays) at left back. All the RB candidates mentioned by Robespierre could do. I'm more excited by the rumours linking us to Martin Montoya, a 20 year old at Barcelona B. Apparently Valencia want him but we are rumoured to be interested too. He would cost us ã2.5mil apparently. For left back, I'd like us to take a punt on Rhoys Wiggins, a 23 year old from Bournemouth who I've mentioned before on other threads. I imagine we'd get him for a few hundred thousand. He's put in a transfer request and there has been interest from Championship sides. I could see him doing well if brought in to a Premier squad and given time to acclimatise (he might not need it, but it's a big step up). As a back-up to Salcido and possible challenger for his place he would be worth the relatively low sum he would cost. If we don't sign him, he's precisely the type of signing we should be looking to make in an attempt to get full value out of our relatively small budget compared to the bigger boys. If we have to let one of our keepers go, I think Schwarzer is the better keeper right now but I'd sell him in order to keep Stockdale. Of course, best would be to keep both and for Stockdale to happily sit on the bench and wait for his chance, but I suspect this summer Hughes is going to have to choose between them. If Schwarzer does go, we need a relatively cheap experienced back-up. We were linked to Speroni at Crystal Palace earlier in the season and I've always rated him. Maybe an exchange deal involving Dikgacoi might make that happen. In summary: Two new full backs - a new first choice on the right and a squad player on the left (if Salcido stays), a new reserve goalkeeper if Stockdale isn't happy to be number 2, an apprentice for Danny in midfield, a pacy winger (preferably left-sided), a new goalscoring partner for Bobby and a squad player to take Bobby's place when necessary. I'm not asking for much.
I agree with the Captain, but I think the new partner for Bobby can come from the academy. Marcello Trotta anyone? Big, strong and left footed. That's Italian Bobby Zamora! Kerim Frei in the centre of midfield too. New winger is Alex Kacaniklic (Left sided). Maybe Neil Etheridge as back up keeper too.
If any and all of the named youngsters (throw in Lauri Dalle Valle, who's been doing well on loan at Bournemouth and Keanu Marsh-Brown at MK Dons) are ready to be promoted, all well and good. I hope that some of them are, but my experience of the last few years is that the club sings the praises of our up-and-coming youngsters, raising our hopes and then releases them without playing them. I saw Wayne Brown playing for Bristol Rovers yesterday; it was only a couple of years ago that we were talking about him as the one to fill Danny Murphy's boots. Trotta seems to be regarded as not quite as far along in his development as Dalla Valle and Danny Hoeson among the young strikers. I'm still hoping that once we get another win under our belts (tomorrow night, hopefully) we might see Kacaniklic get a run out this season. The coaching staff know much better than us, so I'm working on the negative basis of assuming none of the youngsters are up to it yet while leaving room to be pleasantly surprised. A rare instance of me taking the glass-half-empty position. I'm not saying that they aren't ready, simply that I'm in no position to judge for myself that they are. As for Etheridge, I'd be very worried about going into a season with two inexperienced keepers. Stockdale seems ready, and I've no reason to think that Etheridge won't be a good keeper for us one day, but I wouldn't want us to trust to the pair of them without an experienced option around the place. Premier League history is littered with teams who sold their first choice keeper, trusted to youth and got relegated as a result - Middlesbro were the most recent example when Schwarzer joined us.
I have to agree about a back striker being needed. FFC, I would love it if we could bring through one of our academy strikers. I have to admit that when I saw Trotta against Watford I was not convinced that that performance would justify his place on the bench. That said we did not play too well in that game so probably a bad one to use as an example of his ability. As for Danny Hoeson, my daughters boyfriend was in the academy a few years back and he said Hoeson was a serious talent, arguably the pick of the bunch. Added to which he got recently loaned would suggest he is more likely to get a chance. I have suggested Felipe Caicedo i the past. He now plies his trade for Levante I think and has scored 13/14 this season. I always thought he was big and strong with pace as well. He could finish well too. Hughes will know him well from Man City.
I know I'll probably get shouted down but I'd really like to see Bellamy come in and AJ go. I realise he could start a fight in an empty house but he's a great goalscorer and i can see him working well with Bobby. Alternatively, I wouldn't mind Samba coming in - he's a good defender and actually gets a few goals. If Blackburn drop through the trap door he will probably be available. Probably wouldn't be able to get him but Henderson looks quite handy as well.
Fulhaman, I know what you mean about Bellamy. Getting rid of AJ though, I cannot totally agree. If an offer that was good came in then I would be tempted to let him go. What I must say though is that Roy brought in both players I think and that he must have had a plan for AJ and Bobby to partner each other. I think the 2 of them have not had too much game time together so it's possible we have not the best of them yet. I would still see Bellamy as awinger/striker, seems to be better suited to 4 - 5 -1. Obviously if BZ plays up on his own someone like Bellamy could be lethal. As for Samba, I cannot see him coming to us. We have one of the most solid centre back pairings in the league, his chances of regular football are minimal. That said he is an excellent player and I am sure someone will pick him up, possibly Arsenal ??? Dempsey my friend, I am intrigued by Michael Bradley. He has often got rave reviews and something of an unknown to me. Attacking midfielder??? He clearly scores a few goals. Would he relish a chance to play in the premiership alongside Dempsey? Also, what is Landon Donovan doing at the moment, he was quality when he played for Everton. As for the others you have mentioned, I like the sound of a young fast winger, I think that we are desperate for some pace on the wings. Davies, Demps, Duff, Gera are all quality players with the ball, a fast winger offers quality without the ball, getting into positions to receive high up the pitch and stretch the back line to open up space. I think we have lacked this for some time since Boa Morte in fact. Jarvis from Wolves would be right up there in terms of pacey wingers but my gut instinct tells me bigger fish may come knocking on his door. I think that Captain has got it spot on. I feel that Konch will be a Fulham player again. Not sure about who could slot in at right back, have to say that Baird has been fantastic and I think he has deserved some regular game time after his season last year. Definately cover for Murph's, the list of suitors is pretty large, for me Gibson would be great, although I am intrigued by Bradley. Kranjcar and Jarvis for the wings and a decent young prospect in the mould of Bobby. ã10 million should cover that nicely !!!!! COYW
I wouldn't want Konch back, not because of any grudge about him leaving us but because we need to rejuvinate the squad, not sign players who are pushing 30. I'd prefer someone younger. Here's a couple of thoughts, although they may both end up going to bigger clubs than us: Peter Odemwingie and Charles N'Zogbia. Both would add pace and a goal threat, and both are rumoured to want moves this summer. PO has, apparently, said he wants to play European football. If rumours of Spurs' interest come to nothing, we might be in a with a shout.
I've just checked and seen that Odemwingie is 29, the same age as Konch! Apologies for my inconsistency of age-related policy. Somehow Konch seems a lot older.
I'd get Warnock from Villa to cover LB and I'd get Alan Hutton from Spurs at RB. I could see Wright-Phillips joining in the summer as well.
