Others might be out. Stones and Ake can't stay fit. Bobb will need some serious time to get back to his best after a lengthy injury, surely, We are overplaying Haaland, so let's see if he can stay fit. I wouldn't rely on the whole squad staying fit. It's not going to happen.
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It's Quiet 18 - Wanna ring the bell?
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Of course not, but the level of injury and illness is unparalleled in Pep's tenure, and before.Others might be out. Stones and Ake can't stay fit. Bobb will need some serious time to get back to his best after a lengthy injury, surely, We are overplaying Haaland, so let's see if he can stay fit. I wouldn't rely on the whole squad staying fit. It's not going to happen.
Two additions - full back and central midfield - is probably sufficient.
Please don't think that I do not feel we need to buy, just not at the scale that some are proposing. A loss on derby day can be emotionally tumultuous.
I too knew a drop was coming but you are missing the point. Stones and Ake are injury prone, can't accommodate both if that continues. KDB, Walker, Gundo and silva are MASSIVE players for us and almost always 4 starters. Yes doku and savinho are prospects so we need an actual direct forward who can produce and start. I do hope bobb can contribute. But if you include ederson who looks done mentally. That's 5 players minimum who need to be replaced and a further 2 to 3 to supplement areas that aren't reliable through injuries or inexperience. We need 4 starter level signings at minimum and 2 to 3 back ups. Anywhere between 7 to 10 new players will be in that changing room by 2026I disagree, partly.
It is certain that all of KDB, Gundogan, and Walker would have had reduced roles. Injuries to Rodri, Bobb, Kovacic, Stones, Akanji, Grealish, Foden, and Doku has meant that each has had to play more than we would wish, or has had to return too early.
Bobb will return.
Echeverri will arrive.
Kovacic will be back.
Akanji will be back.
Stones will return.
Ake will return.
Football is cyclical, and we have broken that with record-breaking achievements.
It would be natural for our performances to drop off this year, after the treble and the four-peat.
When you add the injuries and illness the situation has been exacerbated.
We will buy, but I disagree with some of what you say, especially about Doku and Savinho, who I believe to be outstanding prospects. Again, they are playing more than they would have because of the injuries and illness we have suffered.
The end is close for KDB, Walker, Gundo, and Silva, IMO, but a wholesale cull is not required, IMO.
By 2026, you may well see more arrivals, of course. Doing it in January 2025 is not realistic. There is no point missed.I too knew a drop was coming but you are missing the point. Stones and Ake are injury prone, can't accommodate both if that continues. KDB, Walker, Gundo and silva are MASSIVE players for us and almost always 4 starters. Yes doku and savinho are prospects so we need an actual direct forward who can produce and start. I do hope bobb can contribute. But if you include ederson who looks done mentally. That's 5 players minimum who need to be replaced and a further 2 to 3 to supplement areas that aren't reliable through injuries or inexperience. We need 4 starter level signings at minimum and 2 to 3 back ups. Anywhere between 7 to 10 new players will be in that changing room by 2026
Vester
Well-Known Member
Nobody is ignoring that we have injury problems. But injuries is not the difference between being contenders and winning 1 in 11. It might partly explain a bad run, but when it's this bad over a period that long, the problems obviously run a lot deeper than that. Not to mention it seems foolish to assume our injury problem will be over in a month when we still have a squad of several aging players that struggle to even play even once a week, several injury prone players combined with a ridiculously small squad when facing a record number of fixtures. We only need 2 injuries and we are down to more or less not being able to rotate our players at all without significantly weakening the quality of our starting XI, leading to even more overload leading to even more injuries. This since we no longer have several elite options on the bench like we used to a couple of years ago, when we could rotate 3-4 players each game without it having any major impact on the XIs strenght.Nobody disputes that we are on a bad run.
Ignoring the scale of our injuries is folly, IMO.
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Well of course but I was just saying a cull is needed and it will last right through to summer 2026. I'm just thankful we have the best CM in the world so we will still be competitive once he returns next season as long as we make 3 to 4 starter level signings from January to the summer. CM, CAM, RB and direct forward. I'd sign a young CB too but that isn't an area that's as desperate as other areas.By 2026, you may well see more arrivals, of course. Doing it in January 2025 is not realistic.
Pin this post.We've just not recruited well the last 2 years. Apart from Gvardiol, none of the players are an improvement or on par to what we had in the treble winning season. Add to that, our best players of the treble winning season are all in their 30s now. Rodri papered over the cracks last season because he's so good, without him we wouldn't have won the league. Doku & Savinho are young talented players but not a patch on Mahrez. He always provided goals and assists for us, neither of these two provide consistent output for us. Nunes just isn't at our level whatever position he plays. Kovacic is decent but he's not as good as Gundagon at the same age.
Walker, Gundo, KDB have all been magnificent players for us, but sadly they're just not as effective as they were. Walker has become a liability. Gundo and KDBs legs have gone, they can no longer cover the ground going backwards and forwards like they used to. Kovacic and Bernardo both in their 30s. I think just replacing those 3 of Walker, KDB, and Gundo with quality additions would improve the 1st team fairly dramatically, but in reality to improve the squad we probably need 4 or 5 more on top of that (CB and forward need to be on the radar).
We have to make some moves in Jan to salvage this season.
I would add that maybe one day Doku & Savinho can reach the required standards, but they are not at this level yet. They, understandably, need a few more years. Nunes is a decent squad player, but the fact that he has been one of our most instrumental players this season is very telling, and I like him.
Where are the KDB, Bernardo, Walker, Gundogan heirs? Someone who can take over from Stones and Ake? These two can't stay fit, so it would be nice to have someone pushing for the spot. It needs to be a top quality talent, though, not average. It doesn't have to be some massive name requiring game time every week, though. Guys like Conor Bradley from Liverpool who can pocket Mbappe and take over from guys like Kyle? I am not even naming some world superstars, but normal players like Bradley who sort of made a name for themselves, and can one day potentially become top-quality.
We have some talented lads on the team that one day might be some of the best in the world (Gvardiol, Savinho, Doku, Bobb, Echeverri joining us), but other than Gvardiol, these guys are not capable of playing at the highest level every week yet, providing the goals and assists that we need when things are not going well. Lifting the team when things are not going well. There is no bridge between our youngers and aging superstars. The balance of this team is off, and that's the result of complacency in the recent transfer markets. Getting squad players instead of top-quality talent. Who is going to replace all of these big names we have? Currently, we are replacing them with squad players, so we are getting mid-table results, at best.
Vester
Well-Known Member
If it was just a loss on a derby day it would be one thing. But when the team has failed to win in 10 out of its last 11 attempts its not just a derby day loss is it?Of course not, but the level of injury and illness is unparalleled in Pep's tenure, and before.
Two additions - full back and central midfield - is probably sufficient.
Please don't think that I do not feel we need to buy, just not at the scale that some are proposing. A loss on derby day can be emotionally tumultuous.
I've been clear that we are on a bad run - we all know it.If it was just a loss on a derby day it would be one thing. But when the team has failed to win in 10 out of its last 11 attempts its not just a derby day loss is it?
When that happens, and it hasn't for years, there is a tendency to start throwing players under the bus and demanding wholesale change. We are the defending league champions. 6 weeks ago (about) we were the only unbeaten team in all divisions and we were top of the league.
We will make some additions, and they are needed, but anyone thinking that six new players are being bought in January is wide of the mark.
In my opinion, we will buy two, possibly three players. I don't think that this was intended, but will be driven by the recent run. This will be in addition to the arrival of Echeverri.
In the summer, I think we will probably buy two more, and some players will go.
I hope that we will see some academy talent given their opportunity too.