Squad Assessment going into the Summer

[paulbefc]

Have a go all you want but....

Sell Fellaini.

Hes the only one worth big money, we need to pay the bank and buy players.

Diame from Wigan is a free to replace him.

Lool why would we do that when we have an average player in Rodwell there worth probably double figures? Fellaini is one of the first names on the team sheet and we don't have another player like him. We need to keep our best/most important players (or soon to be best players) in Baines, Fellaini, Jelavic, Barkley (hopefully with pienaar added) and build the squad around them. Rodwell is not one of those players. In the same way that we didn't need Bily, we don't need Rodwell. He's capable of starting games and has some qualities like Bily, however we need creativity. He doesn't offer that + he's worth big money = we should look to sell him. We sold Bily and brought in players who we actually needed and now we've sorted our striker problem and half our creativity problem.

 

[Connor]

Just realised our RB Position is quite awful.Coleman there on the overlap like Baines does and that seems a good idea. Id try everything to sign Royston and just give him a big hug and he'll be sorted. Gueye,Barkley and Junior are good prospects but need more time in and around the 1st team. A replacement for Cahill needs to be signed up. Sell Rodwell and bring in 1 or 2 players with what we can spend.

 

[Summerskin]

We've needed a right sided midfielder since Andrei Kanchelskis left...15 years ago.

 

[dholliday]

he's worth big money = we should look to sell him.

As much as I like Rodders and hope he becomes a key player, I would understand if the club sold him. I just don't see us getting double-figures, tho'. Even as a 20-year old Englishman, his performances the last 2 seasons and injury record (and the fact that everyone knows we have to sell-to-buy) may mean we can expect maximum about 8m for him, even with the long-term contract he's on (until 2015, I think).

I'd prefer we keep him. He seriously looked good playing alongside Fellaini in the games leading up to the first derby...if he can recapture that form regularly he'll be worth more to us than 8m in the bank.

 

[kenada_blue]

Lool why would we do that when we have an average player in Rodwell there worth probably double figures? Fellaini is one of the first names on the team sheet and we don't have another player like him. We need to keep our best/most important players (or soon to be best players) in Baines, Fellaini, Jelavic, Barkley (hopefully with pienaar added) and build the squad around them. Rodwell is not one of those players. In the same way that we didn't need Bily, we don't need Rodwell. He's capable of starting games and has some qualities like Bily, however we need creativity. He doesn't offer that + he's worth big money = we should look to sell him. We sold Bily and brought in players who we actually needed and now we've sorted our striker problem and half our creativity problem.

You've contridicted yourself there. Rodwell is average, yet well get big money for him? How?

If United etc for eg buy him for big money...whos the mugs? Us or them?

You can't build a team without money. And felli is the only one bar Baines where we can get enough money to change and add to the squad.

 

[billycopper]

The squad doesn't need major surgery.

Goalkeepers- Mucha is pointless. We may as well have Hahneman as the senior reserve and bring in someone younger and on less money.

Defence- We're well covered at rightback for Pip's eventual retirement. Distin has got at least another year in him. We could do with a deputy for Baines until Garbutt or Bidwell are ready to step up. Maybe Figueroa or Pranjic on a free?

Midfield- Tie Drenthe down. Hopefully get Pienaar back on another season-long loan. If we're lucky, we can get enough for Yobo to pay Blackburn's compensation for Hoilett.

Strikers- I'd expect Straq to sign for a nominal fee. I'd personally like to see Kalou come in on a bosman. We'll have enough bodies but we could do with more variety and goal threat.

Young lads like Duffy, Barkley, Vellios and Baxter should fill out the squad a bit more and we could pick up another couple of loans or freebies. There isn't an awful lot of dead wood left to get rid of.

 

[kenada_blue]

The squad doesn't need major surgery.

Goalkeepers- Mucha is pointless. We may as well have Hahneman as the senior reserve and bring in someone younger and on less money.

Defence- We're well covered at rightback for Pip's eventual retirement. Distin has got at least another year in him. We could do with a deputy for Baines until Garbutt or Bidwell are ready to step up. Maybe Figueroa or Pranjic on a free?

Midfield- Tie Drenthe down. Hopefully get Pienaar back on another season-long loan. If we're lucky, we can get enough for Yobo to pay Blackburn's compensation for Hoilett.

Strikers- I'd expect Straq to sign for a nominal fee. I'd personally like to see Kalou come in on a bosman. We'll have enough bodies but we could do with more variety and goal threat.

Young lads like Duffy, Barkley, Vellios and Baxter should fill out the squad a bit more and we could pick up another couple of loans or freebies. There isn't an awful lot of dead wood left to get rid of.

which is my point.

Problem is, there's only Barkley that moyes will let near the first team...so were still a winger/s and striker short

Drenthe won't sign. Pienaar will be at spurs under new management. Back to the drawing board.

But with the likes of nev, hibbo, and Vic still breathin...i suppose thats a "squad"

 

[slimspek]

thanks for the great replies!

We need to sell to buy but we haven't really got anyone that we can afford to sell. Unless we can sell a bunch of less important players for us (eg. Anichebe, Yobo, Gibson, etc.) and get somewhere around 10 million. We got 4 million for Beckford alone so I'm sure we could manage it. Luckily we've got a manager who knows how to get the best players for little money.

My worry about the youth players is that maybe they're not premier league quality. It wouldn't be good if we ended up filling up the senior team with players who can't cut (even with the squad now you could make a case for it). We have a major reliance on this upcoming group of young players. :/ We seem to be asking a bit much of them. It's a shame for them that we have such a small squad that we can't afford to let Vellios/Barkley/Gueye go out on loan.

 

[paulbefc]

You've contridicted yourself there. Rodwell is average, yet well get big money for him? How?

If United etc for eg buy him for big money...whos the mugs? Us or them?

You can't build a team without money. And felli is the only one bar Baines where we can get enough money to change and add to the squad.

Young? Check. English? Check. Overrated? Checkety check check.

 

[Abraders]

Loan out Vellios and Gueye for much needed experience.

Sell Rodwell if big money is offered, sell Yobo for 3-5 Million,

Buy Pienaar and sign Drenthe and Stracq on frees or next to nothing

 

[paulbefc]

Loan out Vellios and Gueye for much needed experience.

Sell Rodwell if big money is offered, sell Yobo for 3-5 Million,

Buy Pienaar and sign Drenthe and Stracq on frees or next to nothing

Reckon we'd even get a fee for him? They wouldn't pay anything last summer.

Also Pienaar should set us back a pretty penny based on the fact Spurs wanted £5m in January. Sucks to be us, financially.

 

[Chang Elephant]

Rodwell (20) CM - Young English international. A load of potential but has yet to deliver. Seems like he might be injury prone but it's a bit to early in his career to call it.
Osman (30) CAM/CM - The only somewhat creative CM. A good, consistent player. However he is past 30.
Felliani (24) - CM/CDM One of the best players at the club and in the league. He is young and tied down to a long term contract.
Coleman (23) RM/RB - makeshift RM. Overall good player and potentially (hopefully) a future at RB.
Barkley (18) CAM - Supposedly our new Rooney however he is lacking in experience. Seems to have a disappeared the last couple months.
Gueye (21) LW - In and around the first team. Doesn't seem like a bad player but hasn't impressed either.

Rodwell (20) CM - Young English international. A load of potential but has yet to deliver. Needs a manager and coach capable of working on his psychology and aggression. Needs to **** off pronto therefore before Moyes ruins him.
Osman (30) CAM/CM - An abomination of a premier league player. Can't pass, tackle, retain the ball or run. Gives excellent head.
Felliani (24) - CM/CDM One of the best players at the club and in the league. He is young and tied down to a long term contract. Excellent talent even in the absence of any visible coaching or tactics from the manager.
Coleman (23) RM/RB - makeshift RM. Overall good player and potentially (hopefully) a future at RB.
Barkley (18) CAM - He is lacking in experience as a result of being disappeared the last couple months. Needs to take lessons from Osman in blowing the boss.
Gueye (21) LW - Very very average and unlikely to improve given the complete absence of coaching and guidance at EFC

 

[kenada_blue]

Young? Check. English? Check. Overrated? Checkety check check.

only the rs over pay for averageness.

Any other top team sees something they will pay over the odds for.

Sadly, rodwell needs a full season. If he wasn't injured in November on the form he was on,hed be gone in the summer.

Can't see it now

 

[Abraders]

Reckon we'd even get a fee for him? They wouldn't pay anything last summer.

Also Pienaar should set us back a pretty penny based on the fact Spurs wanted £5m in January. Sucks to be us, financially.

I'm pretty sure LCAB said that he'd definitely coming back for the price they paid us? I'd believe that tbh. Pienaar won't want to stay imo so.

Hope we get a fee for Yobo, weren't they not willing to pay up though because of some match fixing scandal?

 

[Simon Andrews]

as much as I love the guy's excellent work rate and he had a couple of great games against City and Chelsea Denis isn't good enough. Nowhere near.

This! Said as much on the way to the game yesterday, pretty much word for word!