It's Quiet 18 - Wanna ring the bell?

[Fordyboy46]

Week from the start of the season and the major concerns still haven't been addressed in that we have no midfield cover for Rodri, We are short at the back and are also about to be critically short upfront once alvarez's exit is confirmed.

The obvious big offloads of the summer in Phillips and cancelo still haven't happened yet either.

fair to say Txiki needs to pull his finger out and get some business done pretty soon. Been an unusual window so far, We usually get our main business of the summer done early doors, yet the only thing we've done is a deal between a club we own. Wonder why thats the case this summer, perhaps main targets falling through? Still enough time to do what we want, no need to panic but lots of work for him to do.

I think it's one of two things why we've been so quiet 1) Pep isn't renewing, funds going to new manager
2) saving money for next summer when the rebuild could be big, several big players out of contract, ageing

 

[nmc]

I think it's one of two things why we've been so quiet 1) Pep isn't renewing, funds going to new manager
2) saving money for next summer when the rebuild could be big, several big players out of contract, ageing

Not saying we should spend spend spend. But by next summer there could be more severe spending restrictions.

 

[decmancity]

I think it's one of two things why we've been so quiet 1) Pep isn't renewing, funds going to new manager
2) saving money for next summer when the rebuild could be big, several big players out of contract, ageing

It would be a huge shift from the club to just decide not to back Pep. They aren't going to let this season just be a procession because hes going, that isn't how we operate.

I think quite clearly there is no value in the market in positions we need, I think it speaks volumes that Liverpool and as much as I hate them are very similar to us in structure and they have signed no one also.

 

[ninjamonkey]

I think it's one of two things why we've been so quiet 1) Pep isn't renewing, funds going to new manager
2) saving money for next summer when the rebuild could be big, several big players out of contract, ageing

Dont believe any of those are remotely plausible in my eyes.

Even if Pep goes which I don't believe he will, The plan remains the same, we play this way now, a new manager comes in and works under the same infrastructure, he'll have input of course but signings won't be down to the manager, we will be run the same with or without pep. Do you honestly think we won't have continuity plans in place for Pep departing? Not a chance that has anything to do with it. You'd also query that if it was his last season, Why wouldn't you give him absolutely everything and push for another treble season.

We don't need to save money. We're on a 3 year profit projection, we can spend big this summer and next if we want to and for future seasons its much more preferable if spending is spread otherwise one season of massive spending has a bigger impact on soending for the following 3 years. In addition to that, leaving ourselves needing a huge rebuild in one summer is precisely what we've avoided doing for thr last decade and a key reason why we've been successful. The hierarchy are always forward planning, there is no reason to presume they are suddenly going to deviate from that.

 

[dubblue]

Not saying we should spend spend spend. But by next summer there could be more severe spending restrictions.

Exactly,and there more than likely will.

 

[Paul1970]

There is no cover for Rodri, I can't believe people keep saying this. You are not getting better than Kovacic, we should be thankful we have him.

Short at the back, where exactly because we have several players who are already going to be sat on the bench next weekend because our defense is stacked.

If there was any business to be done, we would do it. Our squad is already bigger than what Pep wants, there is no space for anyone else.

If we are not getting cover for Rodri and we are gonna use kova then let’s hope Rodri doesn’t get injured and can play virtually every minute because if he gets injured we are cooked .

 

[decmancity]

If we are not getting cover for Rodri and we are gonna use kova then let’s hope Rodri doesn’t get injured and can play virtually every minute because if he gets injured we are cooked .

Well of course we hope Rodri doesn't get injured but there is no one better than Kovacic who is joining to sit on the bench, surely that is obvious?

If Rodri is fit, he plays. Pep has made sure that everyone knows that.

 

[ninjamonkey]

There is no cover for Rodri, I can't believe people keep saying this. You are not getting better than Kovacic, we should be thankful we have him.

Short at the back, where exactly because we have several players who are already going to be sat on the bench next weekend because our defense is stacked.

If there was any business to be done, we would do it. Our squad is already bigger than what Pep wants, there is no space for anyone else.

I'm certainly not underappreciating him, go read the kovacic threads, I'm a massive fan of kovacic and backed him throughout, he's simply not a 6. He plays alongside rodri, he can't do rodri's role, never has been able to do that and isn't going to learn it at this stage.

Our defence is stacked? Since when? Did you not see pre-season where we spent most of it with midfielders filling in? We have 6 defenders in the squad for 4 positions. That is far from stacked. Arsenal list 9 defenders, Liverpool 11. United 10, we've got 6

Who would you sign as a viable backup option to Rodri?

Fuck knows mate, I'm not Txiki. I don't accept saying there's nobody out there simply because us fans who at most have played a bit of football manager, cannot put forward a suggestion. we have an extensive global scouting network, arguably the best on the planet with dozens upon dozens of scouts solely focused on identifying targets, there isn't a chance we cannot identify multiple viable options for every single position.

 

[decmancity]

I'm certainly not underappreciating him, go read the kovacic threads, I'm a massive fan of kovacic and backed him throughout, he's simply not a 6. He plays alongside rodri, he can't do rodri's role, never has been able to do that and isn't going to learn it at this stage.

Our defence is stacked? Since when? Did you not see pre-season where we spent most of it with midfielders filling in? We have 6 defenders in the squad for 4 positions. That is far from stacked. Arsenal list 9 defenders, Liverpool 11. United 10, we've got 6

Well we better just adapt when Kovacic plays then, we aren't going to sign a specific 6 just to take up a squad space.

I saw pre season yeah, nearly every defender was having a break after their efforts in the Euros, whats that got to do with anything?
Stones, Dias, Akanji, Lewis, Ake, Gvardiol and Walker. 7 defenders. 2 that play at LB, 4 that play at CB and 4 that can play at RB.

How is having a ton of defenders working out for them?
Oh, won fuck all in the past several years I see. We should follow that I guess?

 

[Ken92]

I'm certainly not underappreciating him, go read the kovacic threads, I'm a massivIe fan of kovacic and backed him throughout, he's simply not a 6. He plays alongside rodri, he can't do rodri's role, never has been able to do that and isn't going to learn it at this stage.

Our defence is stacked? Since when? Did you not see pre-season where we spent most of it with midfielders filling in? We have 6 defenders in the squad for 4 positions. That is far from stacked. Arsenal list 9 defenders, Liverpool 11. United 10, we've got 6

Fuck knows mate, I'm not Txiki. I don't accept saying there's nobody out there simply because us fans who at most have played a bit of football manager, cannot put forward a suggestion. we have an extensive global scouting network, arguably the best on the planet with dozens upon dozens of scouts solely focused on identifying targets, there isn't a chance we cannot identify multiple viable options for every single position.

I still don´t get why we don´t sign a left back...

 

[Gaz (FMwkdsoul)]

I still don´t get why we don´t sign a left back...

we did we bought Josko, we does whatever we need from LB.

 

[ninjamonkey]

Well we better just adapt when Kovacic plays then, we aren't going to sign a specific 6 just to take up a squad space.

I saw pre season yeah, nearly every defender was having a break after their efforts in the Euros, whats that got to do with anything?
Stones, Dias, Akanji, Lewis, Ake, Gvardiol and Walker. 7 defenders. 2 that play at LB, 4 that play at CB and 4 that can play at RB.

How is having a ton of defenders working out for them?
Oh, won fuck all in the past several years I see. We should follow that I guess?

Why arent we? We literally spent £42 million and signed phillips for that very role you are claiming we wont fill, he just didnt work out.

Lewis describes himself as a midfielder, he's a midfielder playing in defence because we don't have defenders. Even pep said he wanted to play Rico in midfield on tour but we had no defenders so couldn't.

Of those 6 defenders in our squad, it's 50/50 whether stones gets out of bed injured on a daily basis, ake has his fair share of injuries too and walker's 34, we are far from stacked in defence. The versatility of the defenders is fantastic but it doesn't make up for the sheer lack of numbers, they can't play 2 positions at once. Even with a fully fit and available squad, we are 2 players away from looking at a makeshift defence. Fact is we got away with it big time last season, wasnt any real length of time where we had more than 2 defenders out at once, gambling on that once more seems insane to me.

2 years ago we brought in Akanji last minute because pep didn't think we had enough defensive cover in the team, (we don't win the treble without him) at that time we had 8 defenders, we now have 6.

I still don´t get why we don´t sign a left back...

Wouldn't say no to one but I think right back has arguably overtaken left back as the priority in defence now, ake and gvardiol are as good as any left back whereas walker is aging and his days are numbered.

 

[decmancity]

Why arent we? We literally spent £42 million and signed phillips for that very role you are claiming we wont fill, he just didnt work out.

Lewis describes himself as a midfielder, he's a midfielder playing in defence because we don't have defenders. Even pep said he wanted to play Rico in midfield on tour but we had no defenders so couldn't.

Of those 6 defenders in our squad, it's 50/50 whether stones gets out of bed injured on a daily basis, ake has his fair share of injuries too and walker's 34, we are far from stacked in defence. The versatility of the defenders is fantastic but it doesn't make up for the sheer lack of numbers, they can't play 2 positions at once. Even with a fully fit and available squad, we are 2 players away from looking at a makeshift defence. Fact is we got away with it big time last season, wasnt any real length of time where we had more than 2 defenders out at once, gambling on that once more seems insane to me.

2 years ago we brought in Akanji last minute because pep didn't think we had enough defensive cover in the team, (we don't win the treble without him) at that time we had 8 defenders, we now have 6.

It didn't work out and now we are fucked because Kalvin isn't useful for anything else other then emergency CB and hes still here! We aren't putting him in the stands so we can get someone else in.

Lewis can say what he likes, he isn't getting gametime in midfield any time soon is he, way too much competition in there.

Again, we can't just stockpile world class defenders just in case something happens. Clubs do it and they end up fucked with millions burnt on players that add nothing to their team.

If Walker and Stones leave next summer then we replace them, as it stands, no space.

 

[ninjamonkey]

It didn't work out and now we are fucked because Kalvin isn't useful for anything else other then emergency CB and hes still here! We aren't putting him in the stands so we can get someone else in.

Lewis can say what he likes, he isn't getting gametime in midfield any time soon is he, way too much competition in there.

Again, we can't just stockpile world class defenders just in case something happens. Clubs do it and they end up fucked with millions burnt on players that add nothing to their team.

If Walker and Stones leave next summer then we replace them, as it stands, no space.

Him not being upto standard has no bearing on the need for it, we bought him because we needed that role covered. We ultimately bought poorly and Pep has publicly rules him out as even an option now but that doesnt change the need for the role to be covered.

It's not stockpiling when you only have 6 options to fill 4 positions, we are well below whats widely considered a normal number of defensive options to have within the squad and below what pep himself considered not enough 2 years ago. I really don't see how anybody can possibly argue 6 defenders is enough, that is not a controversial thing to say.

i never said they need to be world class did I? I'm not saying we go spend £90 million on a defender, Again. Akanji was bought for £17 million after nobody wanted him all summer and wasn't considered even close to world class when we signed him.

There is space.

 

[better dead than red]

He's a full Argentinian international. Maybe we should loan him to a mid to top table championship club.

Millwall? He'll come back from his loan and think he's in paradise because it isn't a war zone after matches. :)

 

[decmancity]

Him not being upto standard has no bearing on the need for it, we bought him because we needed that role covered. We ultimately bought poorly and Pep has publicly rules him out as even an option now but that doesnt change the need for the role to be covered.

It's not stockpiling when you only have 6 options to fill 4 positions, we are well below whats widely considered a normal number of defensive options to have within the squad and below what pep himself considered not enough 2 years ago. I really don't see how anybody can possibly argue 6 defenders is enough, that is not a controversial thing to say.

i never said they need to be world class did I? I'm not saying we go spend £90 million on a defender, Again. Akanji was bought for £17 million after nobody wanted him all summer and wasn't considered even close to world class when we signed him.

There is space.

Well the club are scarred now because of it. We have an ageing player on big wages that no one wants. There is no backup for Rodri. Pep needs to make something else work should the worst happen but if Rodri is fit he will play so it's pretty irrelevant.

It's not 6 is it. It's 7 defenders. 7 quality defenders, of higher quality than anyone else in the world.
It's relevant what Lewis has said, He literally played RB today and is listed as a defender on the website. Stop saying it's 6. We have At least two options for every spot in the backline. All quality in their own right. No need to add anyone else.

There isn't space. The bench is full and we will have players sat at home next weekend because there's no room.

 

[neph27]

The question everyone needs to be asking is:

What are we getting from Bobb, savio, mcatee, Rico?

Anyone you are bringing in is going to cut into the minutes these guys play.

I'm not normally an advocate for holding steady but in my eyes a few of these guys have earned regular minutes, increases from their contribution last year.

We shouldn't splash cash just to do it.

My shortlist of desired moves for this summer is very short to almost non existent

 

[doobyedoobye]

We can't be too concerned about our defensive depth if we let Doyle go on loan to Norwich

 

[Coatigan]

The question everyone needs to be asking is:

What are we getting from Bobb, savio, mcatee, Rico?

Anyone you are bringing in is going to cut into the minutes these guys play.

I'm not normally an advocate for holding steady but in my eyes a few of these guys have earned regular minutes, increases from their contribution last year.

We shouldn't splash cash just to do it.

My shortlist of desired moves for this summer is very short to almost non existent

The last sentence nails it for this summer.

I don't mind if bobb mcatee lewis get sidelined and have to wait for their minutes, if we can get better players in that can make an impact and win things. That's what we are there for.

But I can't think of any that can, that are available or affordable. So till then, the boys it is.

 

[Blu3m00n91]

I honestly think the club feel as long as Pep is here this squad will compete for the titles also the lack of quality in the rival teams isn’t worrying us. I think we’re gonna see a big rebuild next summer. Walker,KDB,Bernardo,Stones? I could see quite a few players leaving next year