If you look at it this way. We need two wins. No guarantee of course we’ll get them. Burnley and Everton probably need four to be safe. They won’t both get that. It’s a huge ask for them both
Technically Villa aren't safe, even though 36pts should be enough. They have to play Burnley twice, after a decent start, Stevie G is getting some adverse comments from the Villa faithful , especially how they folded against Wolves, he needs a few wins to get them back onside.
Carlos Corberan did it again last night and look like already secured play off place for Hudds. If Bournemouth dont get auto place today, they may lose out to Hudds
Man City when the U23 league title with some Kids Pep spent a lot of money on. Our 23s in danger of relegation but last night were better than City and were unlucky not to win. Relegation will be a shame and all because the better players havent been able to play, due to first team injuries. Cresswell played the whole match because we have first team CBs back and Summerville played 60 mins because we have 3 first team wingers available, but last night was crying out for Joffy to help Mateo Joseph up top, but needed for the first team. The facts are that our 23s were good enough for challenging City for the title, but were not able to put out their best team since September when we were 2nd behind City after smashing Liverpool 0-4 at There place. Then first team injuries meant the course for the whole club changed
I heard that one of the Citeh players should have been sent off, and Leeds given a penalty just before half time.
Yes there keeper who was one of their best players keeping out McGurk, Summerville and Joseph 4 times. He took out Summerville in a clear cut “cleanout” to stop him scoring. Should have been a red but only got a yellow?
Jesse Marsch was at ER last night so got to see some great performers. He has a big problem now because he said yesterday that Cresswell is a first team player now and needs to play? That can only suggest that either one of the CBs is leaving or Charlie will be sent out on loan? Joffy and Charlie now confirmed first team players and in the brave new world of 18+4, be interesting to see who will be leaving, will Summerville and Greenwood be part of the 18 because no way will they be part of the 23s next season, or will they be sold?
He's absolutely right. By August the average age of our back four with be 29, one of the oldest in the Premier League. Not only that, they they have proved this season that they are the weakest link.
This is how difficult its going to be to comply with the 18+4 policy Meslier and Kleasson Drameh and Ayling Firpo and new player Llorente, Koch, Cooper and Struijk Phillips and new player James and Summerville Dallas and new player Harrison and Rodrigo Bamford and Gelhardt theres 20 players including 3 new signings and then assume that Greenwood and Cresswell out on loan but Marsch did say we need a striker so that would be 21 players. No Klich and no Forshaw, no Roberts, no Shackelton i really dont think the 18+4 policy will work next season because we all know we need at least 4 new signings next seasons +4 would be Kenneh, Hjelde, Bate and McGurk
not so true of our centre backs though… only coops is the wrong side of prime, but has shown he is likely first choice. If he seriously thinks Creswell us ready for first team Prem action it may well mean exit for one of llorente/Koch/struijk.
Cooper and Struijk play the left side role well, and not many left sided CB specialists around but we have 2. In fact we also have Hjelde who is a left side specialist and no more than another few months away from being first team ready?
Not sure you can blame the defence solely. They were pretty exposed for the most part. Firpo has been useless. Ayling has done OK at right back and at centre back. Struijk had a great season until just after Christmas when the pressure seemed to have got to him. Hopefully he will learn from this. He's still young. Koch has hardly been used at centre back and has been filling in at DM (and poorly imo but I can't fault his commitment or effort) Llorente has gone backwards this season. He oozed class at the back end of last season but looks a bit shell shocked this time around. Cooper has hardly played. Cresswell and Hjelde haven't let anyone down and are shoe ins for the future if we can keep hold of them. The midfield have offered no protection all season.
If we kept everyone we have opportunities to send players out on loan. Struijk, Cresswell and Hjelde would all benefit from having a year on loan somewhere. Obviously not all can go and the others are for the 23's. That would leave Llorente, Cooper, Koch and Ayling to cover the central roles with Dramah covering RB and Dallas LB.
Personally, I'd rather play Firpo as a CF than Ayling as a CB. He's awful in that role & always has been. If you look at games we've played him as CB, he's usually responsible for at least one goal against, and most often it's because he's playing their team onside as he hasn't followed our back line moving out. Great RB, awful CB.
The new strker could be someone nobody here has ever heard of and done at a bargain price like Raphinha. Or could we see Marsch getting his way and us buying Minamino from the scousers. Hes on £75k per week and should be available for £12m. Or is we spend £25m and pay £100k per week we could get Gabriel Jesus as he is leaving City this Summer. Hes a £45m player but going into the last year of his contract. Minamino has played for Marsch before and scored goals for him as well as create assists. Jesus is a better version of Minamino and neither are big standard centre forwards?
I doubt either will be an option. I think we'll get Aaronson as that sounds like negotiations are ongoing. Then we will probably get another 9 to push Bamford but it will be someone unheard of knowing how Orta works. That's if we stay up of course.
As we're pretty much always analysing the squad I thought I'd just take a look at what we had in Bielsa's first season when we finished 3rd. Goalkeepers Peacock-Farrell Blackman (injured returned to parent club) Huffer Kiko (Jan) Defenders Ayling Pontus Coops Douglas Beradi Davis Halme Midfielders Phillips Forshaw Pablo Klich Alioski Dallas Shackleton Izzy Brown Siaz (left before xmas) Lewis Baker (returned parent club Jan) Forward/wingers Bamford Roofe Roberts Edmonson Harrison Jack Clarke Jordan Stevens Some good players in there who have gone on to make reliable PL footballers but also glaringly weak in certain areas. Samual Siaz and Lewis Baker weren't replaced In January and that probably cost us promotion.
Yeah, I get that. He'd be the last resort. I just think long term it might be better to deal with Ayling at CB for a couple of games whilst a couple of the youngsters gain valuable experience elsewhere.
