Squad looks thin on class and raw talent without Phillips and Raphinha. I predicted Raphinha and Rodrigo would go. Thought Phillips would stay. instead Phillips is going but not heard any rumours about rodrigo. We need more strike power for us to stay up. In our 1st season up, Dallas got a few good goals, which he unfortunately could not, last season. Of course Bamford only playing 9 games didn't help.
No-one will come knocking for Rodrigo. 57 games over two seasons and 13 goals (Including (I think) the one that was a cross from Raphina that didn't quite connect but was claimed!), from a player who "plays as a striker", bought for £27m, market value now £10.8m. Another Roberts/Costa/Casilla, paid a lot, worth next to **** all.
Can't argue with those mentioned as being wasted money...but has anyone actually gone through the exercise of listing the other PL clubs and how many deflated valued players each have listed or sold in the last couple of seasons? Surely we aren't the only ones buying duds are we? Or is our ratio higher than all the other clubs? 😮
I'm pretty sure that there will be others (the likes of Citeh scooping up loads of players they consider potential threats that never materialise etc), but I think we are probably quite "special" in "rewarding" some players (certainly the three I mentioned) with extended contracts on enhanced terms (Roberts/Costa) and/or stupendously well paid for doing not very much (Casilla), or risking £m's on a player who played almost never (JKA). There are others, but everyone groans when I start to list them!
As interested in who leaves as to who else we sign. Accumulating a lot I. The departure lounge area
Costa
Casilla
Bogusz
Jenkins
Shackleton?
Poveda?
Robert’s?
Davis
Summerville?
Rodrigo?
Llorente? To make way for the younger players albeit I like him
Drameh?
Klich?
Harrison - Newcastle lurking
Various others out on loan who came back
Players who may step up this year
Greenwood
Bate
Hjelde (stand in LB?)
Summerville (if he signs a new contract and isn’t sold)
McGurk?
McInstry?
Of those you have for departure, I'd like to see Summerville (you have him in both lists?) and Drameh stay (no matter how much Drameh has put some noses out of joint, he wants to play 1st team footballs and has shown he is good enough to do so (compared to some of our 1st teamers I mean!)). We should tell Newcastle to f00k off and keep Harrison, and the same for Cresswell (not listed) who needs to given 1st team minutes with LUFC, he is good enough.
I know we haven't even kicked a ball in training yet but a fiver on us being relegated looks pretty easy.
we can't seem offload any of the deadwood
Are you surprised? Looking at the genuine deadwood (taking HO's list as a starting point), would you spend good money on these;
Costa
Casilla
Bogusz
Roberts
Rodrigo
Llorente
So of those HO listed, around 50% simply aren't saleable, and have contracts that mean they are on easy street for a considerable period of time if they want to just sit around doing nothing (some of them are already in the habit!)
I've taken out some names (Like Poveda, Shackleton etc) as they have played in the 1st team, haven't disgraced themselves and perhaps could be developed, especially as replacements for other more regular 1st teamers at times of cup games etc)