The Squad planning thread

[Matt Diablo]

Reckon for a while Rodders is off this summer. Valverde swap would do

 

[supercity88]

The way to get better is to get starters to challenge your starters.

Anderson qnd Diomande should be our 2 main targets and then back up at Keeper and fullback

This.

We have recruited well defensively in order to keep Dias and Gvardiol on their toes.

We need to do the same in central midfield and attack.

This summer isn't time to be drastic, it's to bring in additional quality that puts a rocket up everyone.

Then see who sinks and who swims and make the further changes required next year.

Lots of talk about Reijnders, Marmoush etc. We can't just be focussing on them, will Semenyo and Doku deliver for us week in week out in the PL and CL? We need everyone to be fighting for their place.

 

[robbieh]

The way to get better is to get starters to challenge your starters.

Anderson qnd Diomande should be our 2 main targets and then back up at Keeper and fullback

Indeed..If Diomande ousts Semenyo or Doku then it becomes their job to improve.

 

[christened at st marks]

Anderson and Tonali needed keeping Nico G, if Rodri goes

 

[Sir Joe Aguero]

The way to get better is to get starters to challenge your starters.

Anderson qnd Diomande should be our 2 main targets and then back up at Keeper and fullback

100%. We missed out on Olise & Neves, we can’t miss these two - especially with Pep going.

 

[Dax777]

100%. We missed out on Olise & Neves, we can’t miss these two - especially with Pep going.

Thats the key. Now that we don't have Pep, we have to always farm for the best talents.

For me Diomande is the best Wide player not at a big club. Go get him. Anderson is the best CM in the prem not at a big club. Go get him too

These are the Gvardiol's of their positions. Go get them. Its looking like Rodri will be off so we need to find the best DM not at a big club too

 

[akrh215]

Kova, Nico G and Reijnders need to go. They are shit players, we are definitely not winning the Champions League with them.

I see a lot of people on here who are quite happy with our current midfield. But this transfer window is absolutely massive for us. Just look around: United, Pool, and even Chelsea are starting to build, and Arsenal are obviously the champions. We need to get moving right now, and strengthening the midfield has to be the absolute priority. That's where it will be decided how strong we actually are.

Rodri is the foundation, but the other two spots just aren't there. If Rodri leaves, we'll need three new midfielders, but it has to be done if we want to win anything. Anderson looks absolutely class, but we still need one more genuinely top player. I'm thinking someone like Enzo Fernández. Tonali would be more of a Rodri replacement, but he's quality too.

Basically, we need someone with a high work rate, high football IQ, a great first touch (so the ball doesn't just bounce off him) and elite passing. I don't know Morgan Rogers well enough to say if he fits the bill.

Oh, and from what I've seen so far, Cherki and Foden simply cannot play together. Foden look finished anyway, but he'll do fine off the bench, and having quality depth matters too.

 

[oldius]

Kova, Nico G and Reijnders need to go. They are shit players, we are definitely not winning the Champions League with them.

I see a lot of people on here who are quite happy with our current midfield. But this transfer window is absolutely massive for us. Just look around: United, Pool, and even Chelsea are starting to build, and Arsenal are obviously the champions. We need to get moving right now, and strengthening the midfield has to be the absolute priority. That's where it will be decided how strong we actually are.

Rodri is the foundation, but the other two spots just aren't there. If Rodri leaves, we'll need three new midfielders, but it has to be done if we want to win anything. Anderson looks absolutely class, but we still need one more genuinely top player. I'm thinking someone like Enzo Fernández. Tonali would be more of a Rodri replacement, but he's quality too.

Basically, we need someone with a high work rate, high football IQ, a great first touch (so the ball doesn't just bounce off him) and elite passing. I don't know Morgan Rogers well enough to say if he fits the bill.

Oh, and from what I've seen so far, Cherki and Foden simply cannot play together. Foden look finished anyway, but he'll do fine off the bench, and having quality depth matters too.

We have the same statements made every year, but your opening paragraph is nonsense.

 

[pee dubya]

We have the same statements made every year, but your opening paragraph is nonsense.

Yeah, even just factually Kovacic has won the CL 4 (four) times already.

 

[Sheikh rattle and roll]

Kova, Nico G and Reijnders need to go. They are shit players, we are definitely not winning the Champions League with them.

I see a lot of people on here who are quite happy with our current midfield. But this transfer window is absolutely massive for us. Just look around: United, Pool, and even Chelsea are starting to build, and Arsenal are obviously the champions. We need to get moving right now, and strengthening the midfield has to be the absolute priority. That's where it will be decided how strong we actually are.

Rodri is the foundation, but the other two spots just aren't there. If Rodri leaves, we'll need three new midfielders, but it has to be done if we want to win anything. Anderson looks absolutely class, but we still need one more genuinely top player. I'm thinking someone like Enzo Fernández. Tonali would be more of a Rodri replacement, but he's quality too.

Basically, we need someone with a high work rate, high football IQ, a great first touch (so the ball doesn't just bounce off him) and elite passing. I don't know Morgan Rogers well enough to say if he fits the bill.

Oh, and from what I've seen so far, Cherki and Foden simply cannot play together. Foden look finished anyway, but he'll do fine off the bench, and having quality depth matters too.

Is this the same Kovacic that has played for Madrid Chelsea and City won multiple trophies and played for Croatia in a World Cup semi final ?
Ever thought of being a manager ? - perhaps football isn’t for you !

 

[akrh215]

We have the same statements made every year, but your opening paragraph is nonsense.

Which part is nonsense exactly? Kova hasn't played properly in two years, he's fine as a squad player and nothing more. Nico G barely got on the pitch, and when he did, nothing happened. And Reijnders looks lost here, he's slow thinker and the Premier League just doesn't suit him, even on the ball he's not what he was at Milan. We're not a development club. If a player isn't cutting it, you sell and upgrade, simple as that. Look at what we had with KDB, Rodri and Gundi, that's why we were the best team in the world. Now PSG have that quality in midfield and they showed exactly what it means in the Champions League. You need top quality there, full stop.

 

[akrh215]

Is this the same Kovacic that has played for Madrid Chelsea and City won multiple trophies and played for Croatia in a World Cup semi final ?
Ever thought of being a manager ? - perhaps football isn’t for you !

Yes the same Kovacic who collected four cl medals without ever starting a single final. Not once. That's literally his career in a nutshell, a squad filler who rides the coattails of better players. And now he can't even do that, because he's been injured and invisible for two years. So yes, he needs to go.

 

[Sheikh rattle and roll]

Yes the same Kovacic who collected four cl medals without ever starting a single final. Not once. That's literally his career in a nutshell, a squad filler who rides the coattails of better players. And now he can't even do that, because he's been injured and invisible for two years. So yes, he needs to go.

I could agree with you but then we would both be wrong!
I accept it is time for him to move on,but he’s won over 100 international caps appeared in multiple World Cups (later stages) and won something like 19 major trophies, at several clubs in the top 10 in world football.
So he’s not shit is he

 

[Gabriel]

Which part is nonsense exactly? Kova hasn't played properly in two years, he's fine as a squad player and nothing more. Nico G barely got on the pitch, and when he did, nothing happened. And Reijnders looks lost here, he's slow thinker and the Premier League just doesn't suit him, even on the ball he's not what he was at Milan. We're not a development club. If a player isn't cutting it, you sell and upgrade, simple as that. Look at what we had with KDB, Rodri and Gundi, that's why we were the best team in the world. Now PSG have that quality in midfield and they showed exactly what it means in the Champions League. You need top quality there, full stop.

Vitinha had been disappointing at Wolves and then went back to Porto before heading to Paris. We signed Gonzalez from Porto and is coming to terms with the physicality of the League. Neves is a fine player but, much like Lewis, would find the physicality in England harder to endure. We need a squad that is big enough to give us a consistent chance on two hard fronts. The key word there is consistent, not peaking once with a few starts and then requiring a complete rebuild.

We never won the Champions League with great players such as Toure, Silva, and Nasri, and we had to wait for ‘development’ players such as Rodri and de Bruyne to peak so as to reach the promised land, and we did so with a remarkably small squad. I don’t think it could ever be repeated with so few players, the game has just become über physical, but I’m confident that the larger squad we’re assembling will give us the best chance of reaching those heights again.

 

[oldius]

Which part is nonsense exactly? Kova hasn't played properly in two years, he's fine as a squad player and nothing more. Nico G barely got on the pitch, and when he did, nothing happened. And Reijnders looks lost here, he's slow thinker and the Premier League just doesn't suit him, even on the ball he's not what he was at Milan. We're not a development club. If a player isn't cutting it, you sell and upgrade, simple as that. Look at what we had with KDB, Rodri and Gundi, that's why we were the best team in the world. Now PSG have that quality in midfield and they showed exactly what it means in the Champions League. You need top quality there, full stop.

You said they were shit - they are not. It is a nonsense phrase. Kova is a multiple title winner and Reijnders is Serie A midfielder of the year and a full international. That is why stating that they are shit is nonsense.
No successful team has 22 superstars.
O'Reilly is a development player. Foden was a development player. Khus is a development player. KDB at 21 was at Genk. Mahrez at 24 was playing reserve team football.
There is space for superstars and for player development.
It is clear that some of your post is thoughtful, so just cut out the nonsense and contribute in a constructive way.

 

[akrh215]

Vitinha had been disappointing at Wolves and then went back to Porto before heading to Paris. We signed Gonzalez from Porto and is coming to terms with the physicality of the League. Neves is a fine player but, much like Lewis, would find the physicality in England harder to endure. We need a squad that is big enough to give us a consistent chance on two hard fronts. The key word there is consistent, not peaking once with a few starts and then requiring a complete rebuild.

We never won the Champions League with great players such as Toure, Silva, and Nasri, and we had to wait for ‘development’ players such as Rodri and de Bruyne to peak so as to reach the promised land, and we did so with a remarkably small squad. I don’t think it could ever be repeated with so few players, the game has just become über physical, but I’m confident that the larger squad we’re assembling will give us the best chance of reaching those heights again.

Quality depth matters, Foden and Kova are fine off the bench, nobody is saying otherwise. But there's a difference between squad players and starters, and right now our starting midfield simply isn't good enough.

And yes, not every signing works out, that's football. PSG got lucky with Vitinha too, same as we did with KDB and Rodri. But that's exactly why you sell what isn't working and reinvest. Reijnders didn't work out here, it happens, move on.

Where we definitely agree is that this window is massive. We cannot afford to get it wrong, because if we do, we're not just standing still, we're falling behind.

 

[Quinny851]

Yeah, even just factually Kovacic has won the CL 4 (four) times already.

Kalvin Philips has won the CL so that metric means absolutely fuck all

 

[Quinny851]

Kova, Nico G and Reijnders need to go. They are shit players, we are definitely not winning the Champions League with them.

I see a lot of people on here who are quite happy with our current midfield. But this transfer window is absolutely massive for us. Just look around: United, Pool, and even Chelsea are starting to build, and Arsenal are obviously the champions. We need to get moving right now, and strengthening the midfield has to be the absolute priority. That's where it will be decided how strong we actually are.

Rodri is the foundation, but the other two spots just aren't there. If Rodri leaves, we'll need three new midfielders, but it has to be done if we want to win anything. Anderson looks absolutely class, but we still need one more genuinely top player. I'm thinking someone like Enzo Fernández. Tonali would be more of a Rodri replacement, but he's quality too.

Basically, we need someone with a high work rate, high football IQ, a great first touch (so the ball doesn't just bounce off him) and elite passing. I don't know Morgan Rogers well enough to say if he fits the bill.

Oh, and from what I've seen so far, Cherki and Foden simply cannot play together. Foden look finished anyway, but he'll do fine off the bench, and having quality depth matters too.

Kovacic, Nico G & Reijnders aren't shit, they just aren't good enough to be pushing for a regular start at a club with ambitions like ours.

 

[lightning Rodri]

In short, I reckon Donnarumma and Trafford will compete this season,

Hope so. New manager(i.e Maresca) should give them both chances and pick the one that works out better. I wouldn't mind seeing a little bit of early Pep ruthlessness from next manager.

 

[Quinny851]

Vitinha had been disappointing at Wolves and then went back to Porto before heading to Paris. We signed Gonzalez from Porto and is coming to terms with the physicality of the League. Neves is a fine player but, much like Lewis, would find the physicality in England harder to endure. We need a squad that is big enough to give us a consistent chance on two hard fronts. The key word there is consistent, not peaking once with a few starts and then requiring a complete rebuild.

We never won the Champions League with great players such as Toure, Silva, and Nasri, and we had to wait for ‘development’ players such as Rodri and de Bruyne to peak so as to reach the promised land, and we did so with a remarkably small squad. I don’t think it could ever be repeated with so few players, the game has just become über physical, but I’m confident that the larger squad we’re assembling will give us the best chance of reaching those heights again.

People said that David Silva wouldn't be able to cope with the physicality of England and look how that turned out. Neves is absolutely world class