January Transfer Thread 2017

[PhilM]

New full back as full backs are an important key position these days as we have two failing.

They're certainly underperforming as part of the system, yet there's at a minimum three or four more pressing issues that need addressing first.

New full backs aren't going to rectify our lacklustre and crab like midfield, our lack of a play maker or a shoddy central defence.

 

[JJK]

Absolute nightmare that we need an entire new squad going into a January transfer window.

 

[Jags..class]

They're certainly underperforming as part of the system, yet there's at a minimum three or four more pressing issues that need addressing first.

New full backs aren't going to rectify our lacklustre and crab like midfield, our lack of a play maker or a shoddy central defence.

Coleman and baines should be helping with the creative attacking side as coleman is just wasting his crosses or losing the ball in crucial areas where baines doesn't do anything attacking wise.

 

[kenada_blue]

Team needs.

Andy Carroll
Lee Cattermole
Ryan Shawcross

 

[Seathestars]

Absolute nightmare that we need an entire new squad going into a January transfer window.

True, I wouldn't even know where to start, every time I think of one position that needs improving another pops up.
It's suddenly dawned on me that we are poor, really really poor.

 

[PhilM]

Coleman and baines should be helping with the creative attacking side as coleman is just wasting his crosses or losing the ball in crucial areas where baines doesn't do anything attacking wise.

I agree that they should, but it's a much smaller aspect of our overall failing to date. The crux of our problem is we have a static, fruitless spine!

If our midfield actually had the ability to instil some tempo and creativity to our game, it would arguably free up wide players much more so.

Changing our full back may have some influence, although overall it would be ignoring the real issue in our squad and not make drastic changes.

Said it before and I'll say it again, one or two key additions down the spine of our midfield (a centre mid and number ten) are our urgent concern.

Then it would be sensible to look at our central defence and someone who can genuinely support, challenge and question Rom up top.

Everything else would then be additional factors that would help improve our overall game but are not as urgent as of yet.

 

[Eggsyblueskin]

I agree that they should, but it's a much smaller aspect of our overall failing to date. The crux of our problem is we have a static, fruitless spine!

If our midfield actually had the ability to instil some tempo and creativity to our game, it would arguably free up wide players much more so.

Changing our full back may have some influence, although overall it would be ignoring the real issue in our squad and not make drastic changes.

Said it before and I'll say it again, one or two key additions down the spine of our midfield (a centre mid and number ten) are our urgent concern.

Everything else would then be additional factors that would help improve our overall game but are not as urgent as of yet.

Absolutely. Our midfield consists of too many defenders and it has for years. Midfielders need to have a grasp of attack and defence , but Barry and McCarthy excel only in defence. Gana has been a revelation this season because he's an actual midfielder who can defend and attack. Besic can also do both. We need to rebuild our midfield retaining only Gana and Davies. Hopefully Besic can return eventually as well.

 

[PhilM]

Absolutely. Our midfield consists of too many defenders and it has for years. Midfielders need to have a grasp of attack and defence , but Barry and McCarthy excel only in defence. Gana has been a revelation this season because he's an actual midfielder who can defend and attack. Besic can also do both. We need to rebuild our midfield retaining only Gana and Davies. Hopefully Besic can return eventually as well.

For me Besic has had real glimpses of fulfilling our needs, yet they've merely been short term due to his lack of selection and his frequent injuries.

Due to that, personally I still have doubts whether he can fulfil the role we require of him - squad player yes, but first XI is still questionable.

The issue for me is the mould of player that we have shackles us offensively, dictates our whole tempo (or lack of) and ensures we're toothless.

We need someone to sit next to Gana or Barry, who I still think is elegant in his role but his legs have done, that dictates tempo and looks ahead.

Schneiderlin would be perfect as he's strong, determined, can pass well but also wants to play nice football from the centre of midfield.

Right now it's just two touch, slow football that goes from side to side in front of our opposition who then ultimately pounce and rip us a new one.

However, we then need someone in front of the midfield who can maintain this tempo, unlock defences and let our wide players move freely.

You look what Gylfi does for Swansea and he's surrounded by dross. Compared to Eriksen, Ozil, Coutinho, Mata, Silva et al we have nothing.

I feel like I am repeating myself over and over, but I think those subtle changes would change us dramatically and induce a huge improvement.

Then we could look at making the finite changes to our squad that would tweak us further, while right now we need a massive overhaul.

 

[Paul w]

Team needs.

Andy Carroll
Lee Cattermole
Ryan Shawcross

Yep just what we need 2 injury prone players and a sending off waiting to happen.

 

[Jags..class]

For me Besic has had real glimpses of fulfilling our needs, yet they've merely been short term due to his lack of selection and his frequent injuries.

Due to that, personally I still have doubts whether he can fulfil the role we require of him - squad player yes, but first XI is still questionable.

The issue for me is the mould of player that we have shackles us offensively, dictates our whole tempo (or lack of) and ensures we're toothless.

We need someone to sit next to Gana or Barry, who I still think is elegant in his role but his legs have done, that dictates tempo and looks ahead.

Schneiderlin would be perfect as he's strong, determined, can pass well but also wants to play nice football from the centre of midfield.

Right now it's just two touch, slow football that goes from side to side in front of our opposition who then ultimately pounce and rip us a new one.

However, we then need someone in front of the midfield who can maintain this tempo, unlock defences and let our wide players move freely.

You look what Gylfi does for Swansea and he's surrounded by dross. Compared to Eriksen, Ozil, Coutinho, Mata, Silva et al we have nothing.

I feel like I am repeating myself over and over, but I think those subtle changes would change us dramatically and induce a huge improvement.

Then we could look at making the finite changes to our squad that would tweak us further, while right now we need a massive overhaul.

Signing Gylfi and schnieiderlin this Jan is what we need but swansea won't sell where schnieiderlin is more attainable

 

[PhilM]

Signing Gylfi and schnieiderlin this Jan is what we need but swansea won't sell where schnieiderlin is more attainable

True, although I was talking hypothetically and merely using them as an example of what mould of player we require. Would love both though.

Our only hope is that Swansea get back to free-falling out of the league and he and the club are tempted by money come the summer.

We simply need people who can pull the strings down the spine of the team and let other players try to rekindle the form that we require.

For one, I think it would take a huge amount of pressure off Barkley's fragile shoulders and let him find a position in the team where he can thrive.

 

[Eggsyblueskin]

For me Besic has had real glimpses of fulfilling our needs, yet they've merely been short term due to his lack of selection and his frequent injuries.

Due to that, personally I still have doubts whether he can fulfil the role we require of him - squad player yes, but first XI is still questionable.

The issue for me is the mould of player that we have shackles us offensively, dictates our whole tempo (or lack of) and ensures we're toothless.

We need someone to sit next to Gana or Barry, who I still think is elegant in his role but his legs have done, that dictates tempo and looks ahead.

Schneiderlin would be perfect as he's strong, determined, can pass well but also wants to play nice football from the centre of midfield.

Right now it's just two touch, slow football that goes from side to side in front of our opposition who then ultimately pounce and rip us a new one.

However, we then need someone in front of the midfield who can maintain this tempo, unlock defences and let our wide players move freely.

You look what Gylfi does for Swansea and he's surrounded by dross. Compared to Eriksen, Ozil, Coutinho, Mata, Silva et al we have nothing.

I feel like I am repeating myself over and over, but I think those subtle changes would change us dramatically and induce a huge improvement.

Then we could look at making the finite changes to our squad that would tweak us further, while right now we need a massive overhaul.

I agree you except I believe Barry has become part of our problem ,and with hind sight always has been. I should say I have always been an admirer of his , but the reality is he is pre dominately a defender playing a midfield role this is accentuated by his age and increasing lack of pace. We have struggled in past seasons to connect our midfield to our attack because we have too many defenders in midfield roles and Barry sadly is one of those and needs replacing with an actual midfielder.

 

[toffeejack]

True, I wouldn't even know where to start, every time I think of one position that needs improving another pops up.
It's suddenly dawned on me that we are poor, really really poor.

yeah, i think our squad is quite good, but before the watford game i did realise we need a player in every position.

We definitely need a new first choice keeper (koeman wants 3 so this will be addressed eventually, thankfully), coleman has no backup, we definitely need another centre back, left back position now is strong in quantity but weak in quality, we need another central midfielder, despite the vast numbers, we need something a bit more attaking, we need another winger now, we've needed an attacking midfielder for ages and well imo we need 2 strikers.

The summer will finally be the time lukaku goes imo, unless we make some massive signings now and have a dream second half to the season, would anyone replace him with benteke? i don't think palace would be willing to let him go too cheap so you're looking at bids around £45-£50m, but i've always believed him to be just a tad better than lukaku because of his all round play. I was sceptical about his bad injury haunting him and thought it may have showed at liverpool, but it turns out they were just useless at using him. I think he'd be the perfect fit.

 

[JJK]

True, I wouldn't even know where to start, every time I think of one position that needs improving another pops up.
It's suddenly dawned on me that we are poor, really really poor.

Shocking isn't it!
New goalkeeper
Every position in the back four needs replacing
New centre mid
Two new wingers
A number ten
New striker
That's the minimum that we need!

 

[toffeejack]

i wouldn't be selling mccarthy just yet tbh. I think due to the stones sale, we can offload smaller assets like cleverley and still be able to carry out our hopeful january spelling spree. When we start assessing things in the summer and probably need to spend even more, that's when we can do our firesale and fund our business better, players like mcarthy who can generate say £15m without hindering the team. I think with all the other midfielders we have who are constantly injured we may need him for a few games until the end of the season.

Look ryan mason had no reputation, done nothing in the prem, barely got a look in in a poor swansea centre midfield last season. He still went for £13m, teams down there will pay silly money and that's what we need to start doing with fringe players. We need to follow spurs' model, they're constantly selling fringe players for double figures, despite them never playing for them.

Joe allen is another perfect example of someone who was mocked at liverpool, yet has had a revalation at stoke. It's not that these players aren't talented and can't be an asset to the bottom half of the league, so you do have to sell them better than what we currently do. The way we sold yakubu for a measly £1m was the biggest indicator of this in our history i think.