The Squad planning thread

Skrastins said:
Livramento to me is like Stones - potential to be one of the greats, but is injury prone


everything else depends on outgoings, i'm certain that outgoings might be

Ortega - contract ends and not needed anymore
Ake - contract ends and no talks about extension
Stones - there is talks about extension
Nunes - not required in CM and Khusanov practically has ousted him out of RB
Kovacic - a lot talks about move to KSA and Turkey
Silva - contract ends and no talks about extension

we need an RB, Midfielder, CB

RB - i'd would pull all the stops to get Singo, solid, can play multiple positions, fairly injury free, physical, fast, can dribble, ok passing ability. and price is fairly fair - 60mil. Livramento are injury prone, Vanderson has similar build to Lewis
CB - Vitor Reis will need one more year on loan, he is clearly not ready for Prem, Juma Bah started strong but has fizzled out recently, proably one more year on loan, most sensible option would be Guehi - great market opportunity or no one at al, if we sign Singo, then he could play there if needed and put Khusanov/Lewis in RB

DM/CM Manu Kone/Javi Guerra/Wharton/Barrios would be great shouts

so i'd expect 3-4 signings

we are stacked in attack as is, doubt we would move for Yildiz
Olise maybe, if we sell Marmoush, Doku or Savio

give time for Mukasa and Mcaidoo
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Expect Khusonov to move to centre back ,and Reis probably return too early to tell though, so a right back definitely though Nunes might stay as a decent back up. Centre mid think depends entirely on how Gonzalez and Reijnders progress and how Rodri recovers and whether we see O'Reilly as a 6/8 long term plus Nypan's progress.
 
richards30 said:
I think the following are gone by the end of next summer latest:

Ortega
Stones
Ake
Nunes
Bernardo
Kovacic


Savinho i reckon is gone in two years time latest as his book year will be basically nil and they would get at least £30m for him.
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Yes but some have possible or likely replacements
Ortega -no replacement needed
Stones- Khusonov
Ake - Reis /Bah
Nunes / - think he'll stay as rotation backup but yes a right back would be needed
Bernardo/- Bobb /Echeverri/ Mukasa
Kovacic/- Nypan
Savinho - that's a complete guess no way of knowing ,I'm sure 2 months ago Doku would have been on the list.

Now not saying all those things will happen but some will and the more the better,that's what we should be hoping for,far too early to be thinking and hoping we need to buy to replace everyone on your list.
 
blueparrot said:
Yes but some have possible or likely replacements
Ortega -no replacement needed
Stones- Khusonov
Ake - Reis /Bah
Nunes / - think he'll stay as rotation backup but yes a right back would be needed
Bernardo/- Bobb /Echeverri/ Mukasa
Kovacic/- Nypan
Savinho - that's a complete guess no way of knowing ,I'm sure 2 months ago Doku would have been on the list.

Now not saying all those things will happen but some will and the more the better,that's what we should be hoping for,far too early to be thinking and hoping we need to buy to replace everyone on your list.
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Doku was never on that list for me as he offered something completely different than we had? End product is improving as well so he`s a huge member of the squad. I dont think we will see Nypan, Bah or Reis with the first team in the next two years at least as with their ages, playing competitive football is way better than league cup games and 5 minutes here and there. We do actually run that side as a business as well though? Buy them at a price, see how they go and if it isnt going to work out then we still seem to make a nice tidy profit on them and the players themselves do well out of it? Echeverri is an interesting one though as it was a big fee and his reputation is high yet he is hardly playing for Leverkusen? Seems we can end that loan in January if we want so if it doesnt change i would think about doing that and getting him somewhere to play more.
 
Where are the 2 geniuses who were telling me I didn't know what I was talking about when I said we should be looking at Semenyo. Not now but months ago, before he was linked to any big sides.
 
JewelZee said:
Where are the 2 geniuses who were telling me I didn't know what I was talking about when I said we should be looking at Semenyo. Not now but months ago, before he was linked to any big sides.
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yea, he is in equal talent level with Marmoush + we could get another HG player for the same price
 
JewelZee said:
Where are the 2 geniuses who were telling me I didn't know what I was talking about when I said we should be looking at Semenyo. Not now but months ago, before he was linked to any big sides.
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I haven’t watched him at all. Can he unlock deep blocks ?
 
Skrastins said:
yea, he is in equal talent level with Marmoush + we could get another HG player for the same price
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He's levels above Savinho at this point in his career. Who is the home grown player we could get at 65-70 mil? Anthony Gordon? Don't fancy him.
 
It's hit me today that 4-2-3-1 might be the most ideal way to get the best out of this current set of players we have.

There are virtually no issues with the back four - at the moment anyway. Pep seems to have found that Donnarumma behind a traditional flat back four (that wins headers and duels first) is a method/formation he's happy with.

Midfield is where the problems start. Basically, for a dozen reasons now, we're not as confident in Rodri, Kovacic, or Reijnders as a lone #6. Gonzalez seems to be the only player we have capable of doing that job.

BUT playing a lone #6 at all forces Foden and Reijnders (two forward players/goal-scoring #10s) to operate as "free #8s" a la De Bruyne, Bernardo. Reijnders is doing okay, but he's having trouble acclimatising as a result.

The same goes for Foden, who's having good spells in games but is also having spells where he goes missing. Him and Reijnders are sometimes arriving into the exact same space and it's tough watching them get used to each other.

Foden's best form during his 23/24 POTY season (23 G/A in 26 games) came primarily during a period when he was played inside left, with Rodri and Kovacic behind as two defensive pivots and Bernardo and KDB up alongside him.

We've got issues out wide. Savinho, Bobb, and Doku are all players who thrive closer to the box. Having them be touchline wingers is leaving them with far too much to do, hence the low G/A output and trouble finding Haaland.

Would it not be better to have Nunes and Ait-Nouri providing that width (a la Zabaleta and Kolarov from back in the day) as the wingers tuck in to provide support to a lone #10, backed up by two defensive midfielders behind him?

I think this would especially help Bobb, who's composed and skillful but maybe lacks the pace and strength to get beyond his man and whip a ball in for Haaland. Maybe we need to start creating overloads on the edge of the area?

And while we're much stronger defensively this season, we do still sometimes have a tendency to get caught beyond the ball when we give it away, allowing opposition midfielders the chance to run at us (Villa did that once or twice).

Something like:

Donnarumma
Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, Ait-Nouri
Rodri, Gonzalez
Cherki, Foden, Marmoush
Haaland

Trafford
Khusanov, Stones, Ake, O'Reilly
Kovacic, Bernardo (Lewis)
Doku, Reijnders, Bobb (Savinho)
(Haaland)

We're definitely heading in the right direction, but I think what we're currently dealing with is a squad that can't get a run of games together due to injuries and isn't really operating in a system that fits to the parts it currently has.

Khusanov is the better defender out of him and Nunes - no doubt about that - but Nunes is much stronger arriving in the final third. He has 7 G/A in the 25 starts he's made at RB under Pep and should get the nod, if only for now.

I'd also take some pressure off Reijnders and rest him. Let him watch from the bench for a few games so he can focus on the patterns Pep wants, and then we ease him back in. Whenever he plays, Foden can move to the right.

We have lots and lots of exciting options. Lots of players around Haaland who are capable of scoring more than enough. Cherki (12), Reijnders (15), Marmoush (28), Foden (13) - all hit double figures for goals last season.

The problem we've got is that Cherki and Marmoush have both been injured, while Foden and Reijnders are having a tough time getting used to each other. Hopefully a more narrow 4-2-3-1 formation from Pep is on the horizon.
 
What is amazing is that virtually every recent signing we have made has been fucked by injury. Cherki Mamoush alt Nouri who I’d imagined forgot about the kusanov it’s fuck bizarre how we can’t keep players fit .
 
The rebuild has been a disaster.

We need rid of
Nunes
Lewis
Stones
Ake
Ait-Nouri
Kovacic
Bernardo
Reijnders
Bobb
Savinho
Doku
Cherki
Marmoush.

Replacing all that with the quality required is going to take several windows.

What a mess.
 
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brian the blue said:
The rebuild has been a disaster.

We need rid of
Nunes
Lewis
Stones
Ake
Ait-Nouri
Kovacic
Bernardo
Reijnders
Bobb
Savinho
Doku
Cherki
Marmoush.

Replacing all that with the quality required is going to take several windows.

What a mess.
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Some nonsense there, already getting rid of Ait Nouri, Reijnders,, Bobb, Cherki, Savinho,Marmoush,Doku, have you learnt nothing at all over the last 10 years. Glad we know the club have some sense.
 
A disaster. A rebuild.
Do people know what a rebuild is? Sadly we ain’t in the Bundesliga or La Liga where we can rebuild and still win the league. It’s the premier league. Gotta accept 1-2-3 weaker seasons. The times of winning 4 in a row are over. Some don’t seem to get it or accept it.

Stones, Ake, Kovacic and Bernardo are most likely gone by the end of this season and might be replaced by the loans + some homegrowns. I have no worries about the future of this club.

A RB and a right winger should be priority though unless Bobb/ Savinho somehow start to score goal after goal
 
King Jay said:
A disaster. A rebuild.
Do people know what a rebuild is? Sadly we ain’t in the Bundesliga or La Liga where we can rebuild and still win the league. It’s the premier league. Gotta accept 1-2-3 weaker seasons. The times of winning 4 in a row are over. Some don’t seem to get it or accept it.

Stones, Ake, Kovacic and Bernardo are most likely gone by the end of this season and might be replaced by the loans + some homegrowns. I have no worries about the future of this club.

A RB and a right winger should be priority though unless Bobb/ Savinho somehow start to score goal after goal
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I have a feeling we will have to replace the biggest need in the squad. A number 6.

Rodri has apparently already tuned down a new contract, looks possible he won't sign regardless, and if that is the case the club will not allow him to run down his contract so will likely move him on next summer.
 
Gorbachev said:
I have a feeling we will have to replace the biggest need in the squad. A number 6.

Rodri has apparently already tuned down a new contract, looks possible he won't sign regardless, and if that is the case the club will not allow him to run down his contract so will likely move him on next summer.
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Well Madrid have options in a deal if he wants to go there
 
blueparrot said:
Some nonsense there, already getting rid of Ait Nouri, Reijnders,, Bobb, Cherki, Savinho,Marmoush,Doku, have you learnt nothing at all over the last 10 years. Glad we know the club have some sense.
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Over the last 10 years we signed great players and made them world class.

Now we’re signing okay players and wondering why we’re at best a top 4 team.

Cherki is another Bojinov. Completely wrong profile for us and will be gone within a year having barely played for us.

Marmoush isn’t a winger. He can’t play as a 10 as he isn’t good enough on the ball, and he’s okay as a striker but we have Haaland. Can’t keep a bloke on £250k a week on the bench in case Haaland gets injured.

Reijnders is just an average player in his prime years. He’ll do okay against the shit teams but that’s it.

Ait-Nouri was never good enough.

We don’t need a new striker to backup Haaland, We need proper wide forwards who can score and play alongside him. Not soft, slow wingers with a nice touch like Savinho and Bobb. In the treble season we had Mahrez and Foden who could score from out wide and Gundogan and De Bruyne who could score from midfield. Now we have a below par Foden and nothing else. It’s a mess.
 
brian the blue said:
Over the last 10 years we signed great players and made them world class.

Now we’re signing okay players and wondering why we’re at best a top 4 team.

Cherki is another Bojinov. Completely wrong profile for us and will be gone within a year having barely played for us.

Marmoush isn’t a winger. He can’t play as a 10 as he isn’t good enough on the ball, and he’s okay as a striker but we have Haaland. Can’t keep a bloke on £250k a week on the bench in case Haaland gets injured.

Reijnders is just an average player in his prime years. He’ll do okay against the shit teams but that’s it.

Ait-Nouri was never good enough.

We don’t need a new striker to backup Haaland, We need proper wide forwards who can score and play alongside him. Not soft, slow wingers with a nice touch like Savinho and Bobb. In the treble season we had Mahrez and Foden who could score from out wide and Gundogan and De Bruyne who could score from midfield. Now we have a below par Foden and nothing else. It’s a mess.
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Whatever,lets see where we are this time next year shall we,because almost those players will still be here.
 
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