If we are to be a top 6 side

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

I know premature given we need to avoid the drop - but how many of this squad are good enough.

Meslier
Koch
Struijk
Phillips
Rapha
James
Bamford
Rodrigo
Firpo?

Haven’t included the youngsters as too young to properly tell and they need more time.

Of the others Dallas and Foreshaw maybe but getting older.

Shows the size of the task ahead in terms of recruitment and how long it is going to take.

[joellufcprice]

GK- Meslier
RB-
CB- Struijk
CB- Koch
LB- Firpo (I think he is going to come good, he looked really good yesterday till that bizarre 3rd goal)
CDM- Phillips
CM-
CM-
LW- Rapha
ST-
RW-


Back up 11:

GK-
LB-
CB- Llorente
CB- Cooper
RB- Dallas
CDM-
CM- Forshaw
CM- Rodrigo
LW- Harrison
ST- Bamford (because of his injury record, he can't be depended on)
RW- James

Future/squad players for now:
Gelhardt
Cresswell
Hjelde
Bate
Drameh? Lol

Need to be moved on:

Klich
Roberts
Ayling (again injuries and is hopeless against anyone with skill, no doubting his heart or desire)
Shackleton (injuries, no consistency, don't know his role)
Harrison (might seem harsh but he turns up once every 10 games, love his effort but it isn't working)
Klaesson (horrific even at U23 lvl)


That's where I see us being right now and that let's be honest is with one of Phillips/Raphinha/Meslier definitely going this summer. To me our midfield and lack of back up striker is what is costing us most and if we lost Phillips in the summer i'd be incredibly concerned. Don't see us 'challenging' for top 6 within 3 years as hoped anymore, they needed to strengthen properly for this year and they've just not done that.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Yep - suspect it will either be Phillips or Rapha that goes if a silly offer comes in.
The other thing that doesn’t make sense about the transfer policy is that if you bring a few in each year you can integrate them and evolve whereas pretty soon this side will need major surgery.

Not to slag any of them off - have very happy memories of the last 4 years but the cycle for a few in this group is coming to an end.

The lad who played against us last summer for Ajax - Gravenbirch - is exactly the sort of player we should have looked at (but suspect he was too expensive even for a ****ager.

He had a touch of the Rijkaards about him with a thunderbolt of a right foot.

[bathlad61]

In black & white, just goes to show how small, limited squad we really have. Huge re-building task ahead, even with 2-3 of U23 lads step up.
GK, LB, RB, poss CB, 2 x CM, 2 X Strikers. Even if done on the cheaper side, must be looking at 100 Mill

[george_kaplan]

In black & white, just goes to show how small, limited squad we really have. Huge re-building task ahead, even with 2-3 of U23 lads step up.
GK, LB, RB, poss CB, 2 x CM, 2 X Strikers. Even if done on the cheaper side, must be looking at 100 Mill

I think that’s exactly where we are at mate, right at the crossroads now. Some more pieces to be put in place before we can play the game.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

I think that’s exactly where we are at mate, right at the crossroads now. Some more pieces to be put in place before we can play the game.

Look at the players signed in Jan

Alvarez from River Plate to City for 20m
Guimares to Newcastle 40m

Those are exactly the sort of players we should be looking to get over the line if we want to improve

If you pay peanuts you end up with ……

[george_kaplan]

Money, money, money…..it’s a rich man’s world! y’ave to live within your budget, if you ain’t got it…..well we know that little road we went down.

Hoping we can get some cash spent on decent players….hoping. I’ve no idea, all I know is I have my own bills to sort out living within my means.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Agreed but we haven’t spent anything like the money we legitimately could with PL money.

Smacks of just trying to get through this year and make do and mend until ownership and manager futures clearer.

[george_kaplan]

Agreed but we haven’t spent anything like the money we legitimately could with PL money.

Smacks of just trying to get through this year and make do and mend until ownership and manager futures clearer.

Exactly and my point. We are bluffing our way through this season hoping things work out (they will imo) but meanwhile non of us has any fingernails left.

[Billyni]

We should have been pushing for top 6 this season.
We were more of an attraction to sign players end of last season when we were on the up and able to hold onto our good ones.
Now when we’re relegation fodder and top players probably leaving, who’s gonna want to sign now.
Strike while the irons hot. Instead we sat on our ar&e.