The Squad planning thread

[Brightwell Bros.]

The strategy of not panic buying has served us well over the years, so I understand why we didn't panic buy a striker in September.

What is really painful is that this squad would be improved by adding Roméo Lavia and Cole Palmer. Maybe we wouldn't win the title with them in it, but they'd be getting a load playing time that we could have built the next five years around if it worked out.

 

[decmancity]

The strategy of not panic buying has served us well over the years, so I understand why we didn't panic buy a striker in September.

What is really painful is that this squad would be improved by adding Roméo Lavia and Cole Palmer. Maybe we wouldn't win the title with them in it, but they'd be getting a load playing time that we could have built the next five years around if it worked out.

What evidence do you have to show Lavia and Palmer would be getting a load of game time?

 

[Sir Joe Aguero]

I know it sounds basic, but we need players that can score goals. Last season, only Haaland, Alvarez, Phil & Rodri scored more than 6 league goals. Alvarez is gone, Rodri’s out for the season and Phil’s in bad form.

 

[RayCTID]

We still have the players in the squad other than Haaland who can chip in. It is coaxing them back into form is the issue and keeping them fit. Adding new players has is it is problems too as they would be under huge amounts of pressure to perform from the get go and having to adapt to a new league and country.

 

[Craig]

What evidence do you have to show Lavia and Palmer would be getting a load of game time?

I’d say one is better than what we currently have in centre mid and the other is fucking brilliant on his day and adds goals to the side from midfield.

 

[Brightwell Bros.]

What evidence do you have to show Lavia and Palmer would be getting a load of game time?

Ah come on, man, obviously it's a counterfactual so I don't have "evidence".

But one player was already scoring goals for us and has been the best player in the league this season and the other is probably the best young defensive midfielder in the league while ours is being held together by sticky tape and a cardboard cutout of Gundogan.

 

[decmancity]

Ah come on, man, obviously it's a counterfactual so I don't have "evidence".

But one player was already scoring goals for us and has been the best player in the league this season and the other is probably the best young defensive midfielder in the league while ours is being held together by sticky tape and a cardboard cutout of Gundogan.

Palmer has been the best player in the league this season?
Come off it. He's not even been the best Chelsea player.

As for Lavia, if you think he would be starting ahead of Gundogan, I've got a bridge to sell you.

 

[Keeper!]

Agreed, although I suspect that Ederson will go, so perhaps an opportunity for Ortega.

He could well do, I just hope he signs a new deal but not even a mention of him getting offered one, which is weird for me.

Maybe he wanted out last summer and we did a deal for him to give us one more year?

 

[K-Bo]

i think txiki in general has been hit and miss. I feel like he peaked from pellegrini's last year to about 2019/20? Incredible business in that period. His hit rate before that was poor and in the last 3/4 seasons his hit rate has been mediocre at best and he's made a right pig's ear of regenerating the midfield in recent years. Happy there's new blood tbh.

 

[Keeper!]

The strategy of not panic buying has served us well over the years, so I understand why we didn't panic buy a striker in September.

What is really painful is that this squad would be improved by adding Roméo Lavia and Cole Palmer. Maybe we wouldn't win the title with them in it, but they'd be getting a load playing time that we could have built the next five years around if it worked out.

Easy to say that with hindsight.

No doubt both are top players but there was not a chance they were going to get the game time they needed with us.

Same issue now with McAtee, I have no doubt in a couple of seasons we will be saying what a player we let go.

But the fact remains that Pep for whatever reason did not rate or trust them and will his record , how can we argue?