Squad Harmony

[Robbiepope]

The last few days of the transfer window seemed to throw up a series of rumours in regards to swapping a number of our players.

Hutton - Ferdinand
Bentley - Petrov
Carlo - James


Reading quotes from Harry and those from Peter Storrie it is clear that we were using some of our players as bait. It is questionable as to whether these targets would have been improvement to what we already have. The fact that we also failed in securing these deals must not be great for the moral of these existing players, they must at least question their long term futures at the club which I don't feel is the best platform for them to perform for us over the coming months when we will undoubtedly need them at some point.

If Harry identified weaknesses in the team and believed certain players were not needed then why didn't we let such players leave earlier in the window and gone after targets he wanted. Some of the deals put forward yesterday came across as desperation slightly which I thought was really strange considering the position we find ourselves.

I would like us to give some of our squad players more time and opportunity to prove their worth to the team. We have spent so much money on some of them. We have had our best start to the season in ages, how about trying a bit of stability in the playing squad, adding one or two quality players where needed and simply letting one or two leave. I just don't feel offering to swap players left, right and centre is a great way to go about building a squad in the bigger scheme of things.

 

[PT]

One of the biggest draws of being in a large squad with a peripheral chance of a regular game is that of being in a successful squad, capable of winning stuff.

While I don't for one minute suggest that Spurs have done a u-turn with pretty much the same squad in less than one year, I believe that those same players have some confidence in their collective abilities and it is transposing on to the park concluding to date with twelve points from four games.

Dissent will be minimal while we are on the up.

 

[danielneeds]

I am pretty sure both Hutton and Bentley were keen to secure more playing time, so would have been asking for moves away anyway.

I'd have though Cudinci may have been a bit miffed though...

 

[coldasice199]

I am pretty sure both Hutton and Bentley were keen to secure more playing time, so would have been asking for moves away anyway.

I'd have though Cudinci may have been a bit miffed though...

I agree.

Hopefully Gomes is back soon. If anything it could spur a top performence from Cudicini, but he could also go the other way.

 

[onthetwo]

I was just looking at the balance of our squad: -

3 Goalies (Gomes, Cudicini, Walker)
5 fullbacks (Benny, Charlie, Hutton, Bale, Naughton)
5 centre backs (Ledley, Daws, Woody, Bassong, Dervitte)
4 Centre-mids (Hudd, Wilson, Jenas, Luka)
2 RWs (Lenny, Bentley)
2 LWs (Gio, Niko)
4 Strikers

I left out a few of the loanees, but the point being that depite not having a DOF any more, its the most balanced squad we've had in years and should EASILY be able to cope with the rigours of the league and a few cups.

Well done Levy, Harry and Co.

 

[defoe18]

They were loan moves for Hutton and Bentley and thats just to get match time...

 

[Woody10]

The Carlo and James one was rubbished by Harry himself that was just speculation!!

The Hutton and Ferdinand one was apparently just an enquiry to see if there was a chance but it was knocked back straight away.

Bentley with Petrov was never going to happen, they would have been 2 individual deals if they were to go ahead...Petrov was behind Krancjar in pecking order so that never came up in the 1st place!

 

[Donki]

Il be honest and say alot of the "rumours" that were going about on the last day of the transfer window were just that and no one can say either way if they were true or false. Too many footy fans really think they can understand everythign thats going on with in their own club when this is in no way possible. Harry came out and said that Bentley was never going to go, Man City came out and say that they werent intrested. The Hutton / Ferdinand rumour appeared in the last hour of the window again totally unsubstantiated.

There is evidence of something with the James rumour but again depending which rumour you believe it could be many things,

1. James was demading a transfer and Storie refused.
2. Storie was tryign to offload James since the start of the window because of his large salary.
3. Harry wanted James, Levy said no it went no further so we wouldnt have enquired about James.
4. We offered Cudichini for James and got refused.

I wouldnt worry about how the players will feel, Hutton has had worse things said about him (absolutely horrendus), Bentley has got issues and knows he needs to knuckle down to either prove he is worth wearing our shirt or to make other clubs come in for him. Cudichini is at the moment our first team goalie and needs to improve on his past outings.

 

[sheringmann]

I was just looking at the balance of our squad: -

3 Goalies (Gomes, Cudicini, Walker)
5 fullbacks (Benny, Charlie, Hutton, Bale, Naughton)
5 centre backs (Ledley, Daws, Woody, Bassong, Dervitte)
4 Centre-mids (Hudd, Wilson, Jenas, Luka)
2 RWs (Lenny, Bentley)
2 LWs (Gio, Niko)
4 Strikers

I left out a few of the loanees, but the point being that depite not having a DOF any more, its the most balanced squad we've had in years and should EASILY be able to cope with the rigours of the league and a few cups.

Well done Levy, Harry and Co.

Agree. And the players are professionals...they can handle it.

 

[donny1013]

It is all about the professionalism of the players in question as this sort of things is part and parcel of football. Xabi Alonso for instance knew Liverpool wanted to replace him last summer, he ended up staying and being arguably their best player last season. It's harder obviously for Pav, Bents and Hutton as they are good players that want to be playing but if it aint broke don't fix it.

 

[yanno]

It is all about the professionalism of the players in question as this sort of things is part and parcel of football. Xabi Alonso for instance knew Liverpool wanted to replace him last summer, he ended up staying and being arguably their best player last season. It's harder obviously for Pav, Bents and Hutton as they are good players that want to be playing but if it aint broke don't fix it.

Xabi Alonso did have an outstanding season after the Fat Waiter tried to flog him. His relationship with Benitez was also irreparably damaged:

Xabi Alonso has admitted he resolved to leave Liverpool after the club's unsuccessful attempt to sell him last summer. The midfielder's assertion tonight that being told by Rafael Benítez he would be sold was the "moment that changed my mind" contradicts previous claims from himself and the Liverpool manager that he was happy at Anfield and had no intention of leaving.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/sep/02/xabi-alonso-rafael-benitez-liverpool-real-madrid