African Cup of Nations - What are we going to do?

[BusterPhillips]

So we will miss Yaya and Kolo for Jan / Feb for the ACON, now I'm just looking at the cover we have at the moment, and the games we will be playing.

The schedule looks like this:
01/01/12 - Sunderland (A)
03/01/12 - Liverpool (h)
07/01/12 - FA Cup Game
11/01/12 - Liverpool (h)
16/01/12 - Wigan (a)
22/01/12 - Spurs (h)
25/01/12 - Liverpool (a)
01/02/12 - Everton (a)
04/02/12 - Fulham (h)
12/02/12 - Villa (a)
25/02/12 - Blackburn (h)

So there is a lot of games, especially in Jan where the games are almost every 3 days. So the cover we have for the two positions is:

For Kolo DC:
Savic, Lescott, Kompany, Onuoha, Richards*
(*Not his best position but he can play CB)

For Yaya DMC / MC:
Barry, Milner, Hargreaves**, DeJong, Razak, Zabaleta
(** Pretty much perma injured)

If we look at CB we have our first choice pairing and two back ups in Savic and Onuoha, at worse case senario we could play Richards. I think its quite thin on the ground, all it would take is an injury and a suspention and we'd be down to the bones - maybe we do need a new face (Cahill)?

Now the MC is the position that worries me We can only rely on three experienced players in Milner, Barry and Dejong - we have some back up options in Hargreaves and Razak but I think we can rely on Hargreaves and its perhaps not the best time to introduce Razak (with the exception of the FA Cup game), we could play Zaba but can he play that position competatively at the level we need? So what do we do, buy a new midfielder or do we stick with what we have? Personally I would like to see us move for someone experienced like Lucho Gonzalez, or alternatively if we can get Javi Martinez for 15m~ then get him.

What do you reckon we should do for the best over this period, Yaya will be a massive miss when he goes, how do we plug the gap?

 

[Rammy Blue]

Sheikh Mansour will raid the piggy bank.

Job done.

 

[BusterPhillips]

I think he will but we need someone who we can agree a fee and wages with prior to the window opening so they will be available straight away.

I don't know of any players that will be available of the calibre we need whereby there respective clubs wont fanny about trying to get the best price.

I would offer Milan 500k for Van Bommell for 6mnth loan personally, we need someone like him who's been there and done it.

 

[Rammy Blue]

plus it doesn't start until the 21st Jan and finishes on the 12th Feb.

i know players will have to meet up early but Yaya should be available for first few games in Jan.

 

[BusterPhillips]

Yeah that's right, if I'm correct they meet up 3wks before.

 

[Project]

I hope we can keep hold of Yaya until after the second Liverpool home game. Games where we undoubtedly need him are Everton away, Spurs at home and Liverpool away. The rest we have more than enough to cope without any problems.

 

[SebastianBlue]

So we will miss Yaya and Kolo for Jan / Feb for the ACON, now I'm just looking at the cover we have at the moment, and the games we will be playing.

The schedule looks like this:
01/01/12 - Sunderland (A)
03/01/12 - Liverpool (h)
07/01/12 - FA Cup Game
11/01/12 - Liverpool (h)
16/01/12 - Wigan (a)
22/01/12 - Spurs (h)
25/01/12 - Liverpool (a)
01/02/12 - Everton (a)
04/02/12 - Fulham (h)
12/02/12 - Villa (a)
25/02/12 - Blackburn (h)

So there is a lot of games, especially in Jan where the games are almost every 3 days. So the cover we have for the two positions is:

For Kolo DC:
Savic, Lescott, Kompany, Onuoha, Richards*
(*Not his best position but he can play CB)

For Yaya DMC / MC:
Barry, Milner, Hargreaves**, DeJong, Razak, Zabaleta
(** Pretty much perma injured)

If we look at CB we have our first choice pairing and two back ups in Savic and Onuoha, at worse case senario we could play Richards. I think its quite thin on the ground, all it would take is an injury and a suspention and we'd be down to the bones - maybe we do need a new face (Cahill)?

Now the MC is the position that worries me We can only rely on three experienced players in Milner, Barry and Dejong - we have some back up options in Hargreaves and Razak but I think we can rely on Hargreaves and its perhaps not the best time to introduce Razak (with the exception of the FA Cup game), we could play Zaba but can he play that position competatively at the level we need? So what do we do, buy a new midfielder or do we stick with what we have? Personally I would like to see us move for someone experienced like Lucho Gonzalez, or alternatively if we can get Javi Martinez for 15m~ then get him.

What do you reckon we should do for the best over this period, Yaya will be a massive miss when he goes, how do we plug the gap?

Our cloning program has really gotten off the ground, then.

 

[KennyG]

Yann Mvilla, javi martinez, ganso, de rossi, maybe it depends on champs lge but we need a CM, CD, bring guidetti back as 4th striker as well

 

[SebastianBlue]

Yann Mvilla, javi martinez, ganso, de rossi, maybe it depends on champs lge but we need a CM, CD, bring guidetti back as 4th striker as well

I'd take Luca over John right now, as they aren't far off from each other and Luca doesn't have as large an ego.

 

[the goats backside]

Paniccccccccccccccccccccccc