Centre back options

[silvasdreamyfringe]

Laporte. will. never. sign. here.

Fair enough I know very little about which young CB are showing potential at the moment he was the first I could think of to make my point. Which looking back on was just speculative and dull anyway aha.

 

[BlueDeadHead]

If one replaced Clichy, Kolarov, Sagna, Zabaleta and Otamendi in exchange for Mendy, Alaba, Walker, Bellerin*, Alderweireld and VVD, It would mean replacing 5 "Foreign Players" with 4 "Foreign Players" and 2 "Home Grown Players"*. Thus signing Mendy, Alaba, Bellerin, Alderweireld and VVD on alongside Walker on its own would reduce the number of "Foreign Players" within the squad.

However to be fair you are correct in stating that adding D.Silva, B.Silva, KDB, Sane, Jesus, Aguero and Sanchez alongisde Ederson, Lloris, Bravo, Mendy, Alaba, Alderweireld, VVD, Fabinho, Gündoğan, Fernandinho and Touré would indeed be above the 17 player limit of "Foreign Players" (if only by 1 player). However this can be addressed by selling/loaning either Bravo* or Toure to deal with issue, thus with this minor tweak it would indeed be possible to have such a backline and meet the quota.

*One of the reasons why I suggested Bellerin is that according to PL rules, he is Home Grown.

**It would however mean brining Hart or Gunn back from loan to cover the 3rd Goalkeeper slot.

Clichy wasn't foreign.

 

[ADegenerate]

Fair enough I know very little about which young CB are showing potential at the moment he was the first I could think of to make my point. Which looking back on was just speculative and dull anyway aha.

I was a jerk and out of line TBH. Sorry about that. It's a shame Laporte had a change of heart.

 

[Blue1880]

Clichy wasn't foreign.

My mistake (again) and one I should have been aware of myself. Reguardless even if you take that into account it still remains the case that by replacing Clichy, Kolarov, Sagna, Zabaleta and Otamendi with Mendy, Alaba, Walker, Bellerin*, Alderweireld and VVD. You would be replacing 4 "Foreign Players" and 1 "Homegrown Player" with 4 "Foreign Players" and 2 "Homegrown Player's". Which would help matters when it comes to sticking within the quota.

 

[Blue1880]

Reputation! It's why I flap when we overpay. Not for that instance but how it will definitely affect future negotiations. It's hard to shed the reputation of the overpaying team. I hope the goal is to take it now, but make the team so attractive be winning a lot that years from now players will force their way to come join the team.

With Sanchez at least it is already starting to be the case. Likewise it would also help (in the long-term) when it comes to attracting youth talent in the future (both domestic and overseas.

Since the takeover we've always been a few players short of a great squad. Even when we won the league we were highly dependent on the first 13/14.

Agreed, for me it is this reason more than any other which has hampered our progress in winning more trophies and titles than we have currently have to date.

So every summer we've been chasing players. Clubs knew that we needed to buy. If we get to the stage where we're just looking to replace a couple of players every summer, and young players are coming through, we will have much more clout in the market.

For me the only way we can get to that stage* is if we adress the various issues in our squad over a single transfer window. That way would able to only purhcase players if firstly if a player retires or moves on from the club and secondly there is no one in the youth teams to take their place.

*A stage which clubs like Real Madrid are currently in.

 

[Blue1880]

Also makes you think of Kolarov's worth....is the plan to replace Kolarov next summer with his contract running out? With a new signing or perhaps Tosin? Or will he get an extension? I could think of worse 4th choice CB's.

For me the only (proper) replacement for Kolarov is David Alaba, especially since there is no better player who is adept at playing as a LB and as a CB.

In fairness we didn't need Bernardo either as we had 3 options at AM and was likely to sign a third option in Sanchez for the wide position. Yet I love that we got Bernado.

If Pep is going to stick with having 2 AM's up front, you are going to need 4 AM's within the squads to allow for a proper rotation policy, thus buying B.Silva does actually make a lot of sense.

If we get a truly WC CB I'd be happy too. I just don't think the position is a need. And I find those who think its a paramount need a bit silly. But WC players at any position are always welcomed. :)

Considering how our (poor) defence cost us the chance at winning the PL, the FA Cup and our progress in the Champions League and considering the injury record of Kompany. We do actually need another WC CB (even if we end up with 4 WC Full Backs).

You think he'll return to this "nightmare"? I guess cash has a convenient way of making dreams better.

When he was here, he was going though some personal issues, was being played in the wrong position and did not have a good working relationship with the coaching staff. None of which would apply if he did decide to return, especially the last 2 points.

 

[BlueDeadHead]

My mistake (again) and one I should have been aware of myself. Reguardless even if you take that into account it still remains the case that by replacing Clichy, Kolarov, Sagna, Zabaleta and Otamendi with Mendy, Alaba, Walker, Bellerin*, Alderweireld and VVD. You would be replacing 4 "Foreign Players" and 1 "Homegrown Player" with 4 "Foreign Players" and 2 "Homegrown Player's". Which would help matters when it comes to sticking within the quota.

Not really. We can only have 4 HG so if we have a 5th HG player they will have to be classed as foreign. The question is what becomes of Delph if we don't sign Bertrand. If we sell him then we do need another HG to maximize our squad size which I am not sure is a priority for Pep.

 

[Dax777]

If Pep is going to stick with having 2 AM's up front, you are going to need 4 AM's within the squads to allow for a proper rotation policy, thus buying B.Silva does actually make a lot of sense.

I got that. Was just saying compared to the need for a LB or RB. Of which we had none it wasn't as important of a need.

Considering how our (poor) defence cost us the chance at winning the PL, the FA Cup and our progress in the Champions League and considering the injury record of Kompany. We do actually need another WC CB (even if we end up with 4 WC Full Backs).

This is a fallacy that gets repeated often and people believe.

In 2012/13 We scored 120 goals and conceded 37. We won the league.

In 2016/17 we soref 80 and conceded 39 and came 3rd.

If we had scored 80 goals in 2013, we would not have won the league... Similarly ift we had conceded 37 goals at best we'd have finished exactly where we did.

It is so blatantly obvious that our regression was more offensive related than it was defensive in nature.

Like I said, a WC player at any position is great, but needs wise CBs don't rank as a priority.

 

[revisisland]

If Kolarov goes, can Dennayer not be the 4th CB or do we need more depth if we play the 3-4-3 a lot more?

 

[BimboBob]

I got that. Was just saying compared to the need for a LB or RB. Of which we had none it wasn't as important of a need.


This is a fallacy that gets repeated often and people believe.

In 2012/13 We scored 120 goals and conceded 37. We won the league.

In 2016/17 we soref 80 and conceded 39 and came 3rd.

If we had scored 80 goals in 2013, we would not have won the league... Similarly ift we had conceded 37 goals at best we'd have finished exactly where we did.

It is so blatantly obvious that our regression was more offensive related than it was defensive in nature.

Like I said, a WC player at any position is great, but needs wise CBs don't rank as a priority.

We didn't win it in 2012/13 nor did we ever score 120 goals.

Once again, wrong.