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The re-build

thebenjamin

Well-Known Member
Jul 1, 2008
12,164
38,545
Well robertson went down with Hull and is now one of the best LBs in the world and on the other side it was a youth team RW who played there in an emergency. Dont look down on players in relegated sides. As their full backs looked miles ahead of ours every time weve played them

I get that but paying £80m for the pair?!
 

Chirpystheman

Well-Known Member
Jan 22, 2019
501
1,610
Only thing with that is somewhere we need to bring in some home growns or England U21s to make sure we're compliant.

That is true however we need probably 8/9 players. Signing 4 or 5 freebies and shifting a few non-homegrown players we could go all out for the likes of Aarons and grealish which would help with the HG issue. Cant see grealish going for more than 60-70m if they go down. As there will surely be some clauses and some agreements made with the player. There are also quite a few good homegrown players at the potential relegation teams.

Rice, Cresswell at west ham
Lewis, godfrey, Aarons, cantwell Norwich
Fraser, king, brooks (lost a season to injury), wilson at Bournemouth
Heaton, Mings, grealish at Villa
Ben Foster at watford (on a free)

All are home grown players and would offer something to the squad and could be obtained at reasonable prices except maybe rice if those teams were to go down. I didnt mention non-HG players but there are a few of those throughout those teams.

We just need to be decisive and swift in the market. We could even offer Norwich the likes of Sess, Clarke, foyth, CCV KWP, Skipp, Parrott on loan/swap to some of these clubs killing two birds with one stone.
 

homer hotspur

Well-Known Member
Dec 7, 2014
2,868
4,637
That is true however we need probably 8/9 players. Signing 4 or 5 freebies and shifting a few non-homegrown players we could go all out for the likes of Aarons and grealish which would help with the HG issue. Cant see grealish going for more than 60-70m if they go down. As there will surely be some clauses and some agreements made with the player. There are also quite a few good homegrown players at the potential relegation teams.

Rice, Cresswell at west ham
Lewis, godfrey, Aarons, cantwell Norwich
Fraser, king, brooks (lost a season to injury), wilson at Bournemouth
Heaton, Mings, grealish at Villa
Ben Foster at watford (on a free)

All are home grown players and would offer something to the squad and could be obtained at reasonable prices except maybe rice if those teams were to go down. I didnt mention non-HG players but there are a few of those throughout those teams.

We just need to be decisive and swift in the market. We could even offer Norwich the likes of Sess, Clarke, foyth, CCV KWP, Skipp, Parrott on loan/swap to some of these clubs killing two birds with one stone.
What is this ' decisive and swift' of which you speak.? Is it some kind of ancient language?
 

Chirpystheman

Well-Known Member
Jan 22, 2019
501
1,610
What is this ' decisive and swift' of which you speak.? Is it some kind of ancient language?

I dont know. I feel Mourinho will be a bit more direct and decisive in his demands. There is a clip going round from when he was at Inter and he went to the board with a clear list after they exited the CL. I feel poch was too friendly with players and dithered a little at times. Will be an interesting summer. I think all the rumours about him wanting the Lille forward must have some truth hence the not wasting funds in Jan. Also with the poor season Levy will be under increasing pressure before it really gets toxic and Jose is defo someone that will ram home his power when it comes to trying to get his way. Poch had a ring of Yes man about him. Best case now is the season gets delayed for a couple months we get everyone back fit and scrape 5th or even better it gets cancelled and we can act as if it never happened
 

homer hotspur

Well-Known Member
Dec 7, 2014
2,868
4,637
I dont know. I feel Mourinho will be a bit more direct and decisive in his demands. There is a clip going round from when he was at Inter and he went to the board with a clear list after they exited the CL. I feel poch was too friendly with players and dithered a little at times. Will be an interesting summer. I think all the rumours about him wanting the Lille forward must have some truth hence the not wasting funds in Jan. Also with the poor season Levy will be under increasing pressure before it really gets toxic and Jose is defo someone that will ram home his power when it comes to trying to get his way. Poch had a ring of Yes man about him. Best case now is the season gets delayed for a couple months we get everyone back fit and scrape 5th or even better it gets cancelled and we can act as if it never happened
I'm sure levy would love to act as if it never happened and just try again with the same squad next season!
Back to reality though. Jose may be more demanding but I doubt it will lead to much change in the way in which we operate.
 

Strikeb4ck

Well-Known Member
Aug 8, 2010
4,483
9,409
DMs we wouldn't have to pay an arm and a leg for...and are 27 or younger...that are pretty good:

Mikel Merino (Sociedad)
Wilmar Barrios (Zenit)
Erick Pulgar (Fiorentina)
Pierre Emile Hoijberg (Southampton)

Diadie Samassekou (Hoffenheim)
Yangel Herrera (Granada)
Boubakary Soumare (Lille)

LBs in the same mold:

Alex Grimaldo (Benfica)
Sergio Reguilon (Sevilla)
Jonny (Wolves)
Nico Tagliafico (Ajax)

Max Mittelstadt (Hertha)
Dalbert (Fiorentina)
Diego Rico (Bournemouth)
Layvin Kurzawa (PSG)

I bolded the ones I think would be very realistic and that I've personally been very impressed with.

Obviously if we can spend and pick up Thomas Partey and Theo Hernandez then let's do that. But I don't think that's the situation we're in.
 

punkisback

Well-Known Member
Apr 10, 2004
4,410
7,278
Wouldn't be considering Sanchez in these discussions - we've way bigger problems to deal with and he's been pretty good under Mourinho i reckon.
Agree, people are like Sell him and Dele! These players need to be improved on rather than sold. We add more quality by turning our first teamers into squad players and buying improvements; rather than selling them and having to buy twice for depth! Its come to point now where we need to buy players as we lack backups rather than backups not being good enough!
 

dondo

Well-Known Member
Jan 4, 2006
8,603
14,091
Seems unlikely we will replace the keeper this summer. And with reason. We're a much better side with him in it as a rule. Would be good to give him a stable back four and to get him properly fit again. If he was our only issue then I'd be all for it, but we have far more pressing concerns. Captaincy should go to Kane though. Don't think Hugo is a leader of men when they're not a great side.

Lloris is one of the main issues, his erratic performances create panic in a already poor defence. Mourinho is ruthless and I expect lloris to be one of the first name out in the summer
 

Chirpystheman

Well-Known Member
Jan 22, 2019
501
1,610
I'm sure levy would love to act as if it never happened and just try again with the same squad next season!
Back to reality though. Jose may be more demanding but I doubt it will lead to much change in the way in which we operate.

A clearer approach might help. I feel poch never bought players that fit the system he wanted to play and then kept adapting the system. The best coaches have a system and then keep improving the squad for the system. Thats where it failed under poch. Went from a successful formation to a diamond. The prime example is sissoko. He did not fit the system we had. You could also add lucas to that not the correct wide player to replace son in that system. Never got an eriksen or alli replacement. Look at liverpools recruitment. The midfield options all do the same work hard retain the ball and get it forward. The forward line. Shaqri offers similar to salah not same standard obviously. Origi can play the role of dragging defenders around like firmino does. At least Jose will stick to his squad and buy accordingly
 

Locotoro

Prince of Zamunda
Sep 2, 2004
9,326
13,915
All the Football Manager players on here with their odd abbreviations of positions and their in depth knowledge of a semi accurate simulated transfer market are nailing these rebuilds!

If I were in charge I'd log into the player editor and change the potential of all our players to 200 and then put the all on intense training. Then save two line ups and choose between the two for each match until they became world beaters.

Bob's your uncle
 

GetSpurredOn

Well-Known Member
Jun 18, 2006
5,022
8,922
I think one of the key factors is style and tactics. You look at Liverpool and City, they have a clear style of play, and fairly stable tactical setup. When players are swapped in and out, then setup remains fairly consistent, everyone knows their role. Currently we seem to chop and change our setup based on players fielded and opposition, ot crates instability, and a lack of fluid understanding in the team. Currently our play is awful. We have a weak menalty, lack of confidence, and lack of w and dynamism. It’s dreadful to watch. Losing is bad enough, but losing with such utter surrender and lack of adventure is embarrassing.
First and foremost, Jose needs to settle on a style of play, then a tactical setup. Get the current players used to it, so they either fit into it seamlessly game to game, or else it becomes obvious they are not part of our path forward. If we have to play younger players, then let’s go with it.

Secondly, we need a DoF to overhaul our approach to transfers, in and out.
Incoming - Create lists of attainable players that suit our actual needs, not endless wish lists of players who we can’t get over the line, or else scattergun signings who don’t suit our play but are available. We are a (so I read) 2bn sports club, we should be making astute aquisitions to maintain that, not just winging it. There are plenty of players out there, we just seem to look (predominantly) at known quantities where we can’t (or won’t) compete financially with other interested parties.
Outgoing - we have talented players in our academy, but struggle to utilise loans properly. Chelsea have an ability to get good loans for their players, that either develops skill sets through exposure to senior football which sets them up to come back and challenge for first team opportunities, or at the very least puts them in the shop window to set them up for careers at a level, and extract a healthy fee for the club along the way. We need to be better at this. How many of our development players end up stagnating through barely playing, or through badly chosen loan deals, either bad stylistic clubs or lack of playing minutes.

Is Jose the man to deliver this? I’m not so sure. When he was appointed, I bought into the initial hype. A serial winner, refreshed and reenergised, with a point to prove after his Utd tenure. His ego will drive him to justify he’s not a spent force, and is still on or above the levels of Pep and Klopp. His interviews were bright and insightful. He talked of understanding his mistakes and not repeating them. He talked of fresh ideas, fresh team around him. A few months down the line, and we look aimless as a team, and Jose looks tired already, bereft of ideas. Should we blame the injuries, they play a part maybe, but we lack structure and vision. Above all we lack identity.
Under early Poch, we were a team greater than the sum of our parts. We were a young exciting team, full of energetic and hungry players, built off a strong core of English players, coupled with some astute overseas signings. Our transfer strategy was a bit ‘moneyball’ at times but it was decisive. If we needed a CB, we bought one. Sometimes successful (Toby) sometimes not (Fazio). If we needed a DM, we bought one, sometimes successful (Wanyama), sometimes not (Stambouli). When we played, you knew the formation, and opposition managers knew the style that was coming, but the hunger, intensity and dynamism was such that the result was still probably inevitable. It wasn’t all rosy, we still had off days, but even when we lost, it was whilst having a go. In the early days, obviously latterly that wasn’t the case.
Now, we seem to approach games not to lose, rather than going out to win. Let’s not forget when Jose took over, he had Kane and Son fit, but were we really any better than currently? I’m not seeing the basis of a longer term recovery plan. I’m not seeing the foundations being laid for a new all conquering stule of play. As has been said, Jose has a semi free hit of a season, CL is beyond expectations really, opportunity to embed a system and get players to buy into it, but ultimately we are playing mixed up formations with ill fitting (or unfit) players. The results match that approach. We got outplayed and outworked by bottom of the table Norwich, who didn’t even risk their star striker.... let that sink in.

What’s next? Sort the style and tactics. Be bold. Bring in a DoF, to a source players that fit that style. Take the hit on outgoings, there may be some departures we as fans arent happy with, but if it brings a greater balance, then that’s a pain we have to suffer. A season or so of Europa, not CL, whilst we regroup. Ideally keep Levy away from the football side. Levy should give the DoF a budget, and let him shuffle the pieces round the board to the best of the managers needs.
 

rossdapep

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2011
21,905
78,640
I'm enjoying this 'sell Kane for more quality players" across the board suggestion.

Has anyone been paying attention to our previous centre forward signings?

Soldado
Adebayor
Janssen
Llorente

None have even come half as close as to being as important as Kane has for us.

How about we keep Kane and use the money to buy players like Bergwijn, who don't cost the earth but can become big players.
 

Yiddo100

Well-Known Member
Jan 16, 2019
9,894
52,009
Why wasn’t we looking at Ighalo? Seriously question our scouting network.
Im willing to let the fact we didn’t sign a 30 year old who’s been playing the last few years in China slide and not question our scouting.
 
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Jay.

Well-Known Member
Apr 17, 2016
548
1,068
Im willing to let the fact we didn’t sign a 30 year old who’s been playing the last few years slide and not question our scouting.


haha i'll give you that. Not working out too bad for them though. Free tranfer though in our state? What was there to lose. Still pissed we didnt wrap up Bruno Fernandes though.
 

Yiddo100

Well-Known Member
Jan 16, 2019
9,894
52,009
haha i'll give you that. Not working out too bad for them though. Free tranfer though in our state? What was there to lose. Still pissed we didnt wrap up Bruno Fernandes though.
Don’t think he was a transfer though, thought united are paying £4m plus 100k per week wages, or the wages were included in not sure
 

sweyid

Well-Known Member
Jun 25, 2011
2,963
3,854
I think we should look at PL players. It has worked well for the likes of Liverpool and Leicester.

GK - Pope has been very impressive.
RB - Max Aarons
CB - Ake
CDM - P-E Hojbjerg

And bring back Mitchell...
 
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