The Squad planning thread

[supercity88]

Still think we should be looking at Tonali from the barcodes. Bruno is an excellent player undoubtedly but I think Tonali would really complement our midfield options. More defensively sound than Reijnders and would give us a bit more balance. I think he is a brilliant footballer technically and doesn't seem to shy away from sticking the boot in either.

 

[Coatigan]

I wonder if the Bobb sale gives us some room to push for Kayode now?

It does not. Bobb is CT and doesn't takw up any of the 21 limit squad spaces, which are now full. Excluding Phillips and Ortega.

 

[Dax777]

Just a thought on centre halves, aside from Guehi, Gvardiol and Dias, the rest of our options next season are very inexperienced, Reis, Bah, Khus, Alleyne.

We’ve never once brought through a centre half into the first team under Pep from the academy, and buying young centre halves is the same idea. I honestly think it just won’t work because the club want instant success.

We’re not Brighton, we can’t wait 3 years for all these young centre halves to go on a trajectory like Van Hecke. You’re not at the top of your game in that position till you’re mid 20’s ordinarily. Even Gvardiol isn’t the finished product.

Big change in tact by the club, maybe a lack of foresight. Pep just wont play them as often as they need to play.

It is hard to be exceptional at the CB position at a young age. It takes senior game time to do that. Sending your young talented CBs out to gain experience is normal at top clubs.

 

[NordStrike]

Squad for the rest of the season, following the departure of Bobb and the very likely departure of Ortega.

There are other names (not on the pic) that appear occasionally and are useful to the team, like McAidoo , and there is after all Phillips. Who is just there...

 

[Paul1970]

View attachment 182281

Squad for the rest of the season, following the departure of Bobb and the very likely departure of Ortega.

There are other names (not on the pic) that appear occasionally and are useful to the team, like McAidoo , and there is after all Phillips. Who is just there...

When you look at it our midfield doesn’t really have much bite and we are missing an enforcer who just patrols the middle of midfield like ferdy used to do for us also atm foden and reindeers need to really up their game aswell .

 

[NordStrike]

When you look at it our midfield doesn’t really have much bite and we are missing an enforcer who just patrols the middle of midfield like ferdy used to do for us also atm foden and reindeers need to really up their game aswell .

Yes, we’re on the same page—Kovacic is unusable, Rodri is still finding his feet, and Bernardo is exhausted to an unbelievable extent.
Next season requires Anderson plus one more player.
Alternatively: Anderson, Rodri, and Nico Gonzalez, with Nico O'Reilly getting more minutes in the midfield.

Because Ait-Nouri has shown he can be relied upon at left-back, and we have Gvardiol there as well, so NOR does not have to play every single minute there.

 

[Gabriel]

View attachment 182281

Squad for the rest of the season, following the departure of Bobb and the very likely departure of Ortega.

There are other names (not on the pic) that appear occasionally and are useful to the team, like McAidoo , and there is after all Phillips. Who is just there...

Squad looks impressive but in terms of creativity, either the whole attack needs to click and start functioning better, so as to create more opportunities/goals from possession, or Cherki alone is going to be doing a lot of heavy lifting.

 

[hilts]

View attachment 182281

Squad for the rest of the season, following the departure of Bobb and the very likely departure of Ortega.

There are other names (not on the pic) that appear occasionally and are useful to the team, like McAidoo , and there is after all Phillips. Who is just there...

I would swap foden and Cherki, sell savinho, we need 2 or 3 midfielders if one can be greedy.

 

[Paul1970]

End of day how many too teans have midfield players at fullback and left:right back and expect to get away with it every week . Nunes has done well but we need proper recognised players in right positions because atm we will not win anything playing like this .

 

[WallyA]

We need players who can keep the ball and slow the game down. The squad is packed with "runners"

That's why Bernie, Doku and Cherki influence is so evident, and why Reijnders lack of it shows.

Elliot Anderson can do that, run the hard bits and keeps the ball well.

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

View attachment 182281

Squad for the rest of the season, following the departure of Bobb and the very likely departure of Ortega.

There are other names (not on the pic) that appear occasionally and are useful to the team, like McAidoo , and there is after all Phillips. Who is just there...

There’s a real lack of world class players in this squad - I know there’s not many around now, but more importantly barely any proven winners or experience at the top level

 

[sutty66]

Think we need to start buying very good- excellent players who been quality for awhile… instead of a season or two good players from average teams in our league or one season wonders abroad…

 

[NordStrike]

Anderson
Tonali
Bruno Guimmares

 

[wolves99]

pedri ??

 

[Double R]

Clearly our centre midfield has ran its course, they are knackered after 45 minutes. 2 new midfielders needed, Anderson and Wharton the obvious choices.

 

[simon23]

I think who we can move out of the club is going to affect who we can move in

We MUST get rid of:

Stones
AKe
Rico Lewis
Nunes
Reijnders
Savio
Grealish (permanently)
Marmoush - only because he doesnt really fit into our team
Phillips - hahahahaha

None of these are ever going to be good enough again or in the future.

Im guessing Bernardo will also go.

Im not sure I trust Vianna to get the prerequisit quality back in however....

You are having to replace Stones, Ake and Bernardo who for many seasons have been truly world class or not far off. ...can Vianna do that....we have enough project players/some ok sighings who are prem standard but not beyond type players .....replacing the 3 named above requires better than that

 

[johnny crossan]

Our midfield 7 are all in trouble, Kova finished, Rodri hobbled, Bernie out of legs, Reinjders rubbish, Phil lost the plot, Rico never found it and Gonzo looking a lost boy...
Deadline day and not a lifeline to be seen apart from NOR filling in at DM.

Desperate times.

 

[Quinny851]

We need players who can keep the ball and slow the game down. The squad is packed with "runners"

That's why Bernie, Doku and Cherki influence is so evident, and why Reijnders lack of it shows.

Elliot Anderson can do that, run the hard bits and keeps the ball well.

Is it possible to slow the game down more? We need players who have the ability to move the ball forward with pace and control. Not to take 3 or 4 touches before turning round and passing back to our centre halves

 

[VOOMER]

View attachment 182281

Squad for the rest of the season, following the departure of Bobb and the very likely departure of Ortega.

There are other names (not on the pic) that appear occasionally and are useful to the team, like McAidoo , and there is after all Phillips. Who is just there...

An average, ageing unbalanced squad.

 

[John Wayne]

Is it possible to slow the game down more? We need players who have the ability to move the ball forward with pace and control. Not to take 3 or 4 touches before turning round and passing back to our centre halves

It's a mad world, isn't it? Some saying we need to slow things down, others saying we need to speed things up (I'm with you, btw). We've got some saying we need to move on Nunes and some saying he's a candidate for POTY.