Priority position for the summer?

[buzza]

In order of priority:

Centre Back/s

Creative "all rounder" centre midfield

Defensive midfielder

Cover for wing backs

Striker (youngster/up and coming)

Left winger (assuming zog goes)

[buzza]

4 class players (cb, cb, dm, am)

4 squad players & two promises for the future (but who would still get into the team)

[CPL]

Definately CB for me as we need two minimum! I'd like to see Faye as a defensive midfielder too next year.

 

 

 

 

 

Hes such a beast at center half i rather keep him there

[Baggio]

three midfielders and a centre back.

[Yorkie]

three midfielders and a centre back.

 

If we we're gonna sign four players to go straight into the first team, that's what it should be.

[Shak]

three midfielders and a centre back.

 

If we we're gonna sign four players to go straight into the first team, that's what it should be.

 

Address the midfield 3 times before getting another striker in?

 

Take Viduka out of our team and we're absolutely bummed, nobody to lead the line. I agree with HTT's post on the previous page, a top class center forward has to be very high on the list of priorities, if not at the very top.

[olliemort]

Tough one between attacking and defensive midfield but went for defensive midfielder.But really should be going for both positons

[Beren]

three midfielders and a centre back.

 

If we we're gonna sign four players to go straight into the first team, that's what it should be.

 

Address the midfield 3 times before getting another striker in?

 

Take Viduka out of our team and we're absolutely bummed, nobody to lead the line. I agree with HTT's post on the previous page, a top class center forward has to be very high on the list of priorities, if not at the very top.

 

Can't agree with that. We have three very capable forwards, and Carroll [who I rate higher than perhaps is warranted from the evidence thus far!].

 

We don't know whether Keegan will stick with the 4-3-3 or not once he has the opportunity to bring in his own players, but if we revert back to 4-4-2, I think we'll certainly be fine up front. Any more real quality we purchase up front would create an unhealthy level of competition - which we, as a non-CL side, couldn't handle/justify. Any forward we bring in should be very much as back-up [unless we sell Owen, Viduka or Martins].

 

By contrast, our midfield is malnourished.

[Guest shearer_united]

I voted for Attacking Central Midfielder..

 

I would like to see a new player coming in like a very much updated version of Scott Parker.

[LooneyToonArmy]

I voted for Attacking Central Midfielder..

 

I would like to see a new player coming in like a very much updated version of Scott Parker.

 

Rob Lee more like

[Shak]

three midfielders and a centre back.

 

If we we're gonna sign four players to go straight into the first team, that's what it should be.

 

Address the midfield 3 times before getting another striker in?

 

Take Viduka out of our team and we're absolutely bummed, nobody to lead the line. I agree with HTT's post on the previous page, a top class center forward has to be very high on the list of priorities, if not at the very top.

 

Can't agree with that. We have three very capable forwards, and Carroll [who I rate higher than perhaps is warranted from the evidence thus far!].

 

We don't know whether Keegan will stick with the 4-3-3 or not once he has the opportunity to bring in his own players, but if we revert back to 4-4-2, I think we'll certainly be fine up front. Any more real quality we purchase up front would create an unhealthy level of competition - which we, as a non-CL side, couldn't handle/justify. Any forward we bring in should be very much as back-up [unless we sell Owen, Viduka or Martins].

 

By contrast, our midfield is malnourished.

 

Problem with going back to 4-4-2 is that Viduka & Martins is the only pairing from our current group of strikers that has any real chance of being a good partnership.

 

And, with Owen very much a key figure for us moving forward by the looks of things, I can't see that being the way to go. Viduka and Owen offers absolutely no pace, while Owen and Martins just won't work as far as I can see. You need one of your strikers to be adept at playing with his back to goal and offering some sort of size for high balls.

 

Be very surprised if Keegan tries to switch Owen back to his old style of game, because I just don't see how it'll work with the amount of pace he has lost.

 

Viduka has been good in recent weeks, but can you imagine what a really top center-forward, one who can offer a physical force and aeriel threat as well as the good link-up play and finishing that Viduka gives us could do in his role, and how much that would help the game of both Martins and Owen?

 

We do need midfielders too, no doubt, but the single biggest impact on our team would come from a really top center forward, IMO.

[sempuki]

ACM - hopefully Big Mike gets his wallet out.

[Guest Dev]

 

 

Viduka has been good in recent weeks, but can you imagine what a really top center-forward, one who can offer a physical force and aeriel threat as well as the good link-up play and finishing that Viduka gives us could do in his role

 

So... got any ideas of CF in the world who exists and provides all of this stuff? Let alone one that would come here!

 

Incidentally V-Bomber is not an inconsiderable physical force, and he can score with his head a bit. It's just we don't have many good crossers of the ball in the team.

 

I think replacing him will be very expensive and we should probably just make do for another season, given the gaping holes in our midfield. Also going to be hard attracting quality strikers to a team that has stank as badly as ours for most of this season, and has no players capable of providing consistently good service.

 

Obivously we need 2 CMs (attacking defensive, whatever you like), but we also don't have any good right wingers to match the Zog. I'd get 2 CMs in and a RW. Not to say we shouldnt continue with 3 in the midfield but it's healthy to have the option to change it up if necessary.

 

I think defensively we are OK, just need a bit of consistency. Taylor/Faye/Beye/Cacapa/Roz even is not the worst lineup of CBs you can have available, even if it isn't top 6 material.

 

[Beren]

three midfielders and a centre back.

 

If we we're gonna sign four players to go straight into the first team, that's what it should be.

 

Address the midfield 3 times before getting another striker in?

 

Take Viduka out of our team and we're absolutely bummed, nobody to lead the line. I agree with HTT's post on the previous page, a top class center forward has to be very high on the list of priorities, if not at the very top.

 

Can't agree with that. We have three very capable forwards, and Carroll [who I rate higher than perhaps is warranted from the evidence thus far!].

 

We don't know whether Keegan will stick with the 4-3-3 or not once he has the opportunity to bring in his own players, but if we revert back to 4-4-2, I think we'll certainly be fine up front. Any more real quality we purchase up front would create an unhealthy level of competition - which we, as a non-CL side, couldn't handle/justify. Any forward we bring in should be very much as back-up [unless we sell Owen, Viduka or Martins].

 

By contrast, our midfield is malnourished.

 

Problem with going back to 4-4-2 is that Viduka & Martins is the only pairing from our current group of strikers that has any real chance of being a good partnership.

 

And, with Owen very much a key figure for us moving forward by the looks of things, I can't see that being the way to go. Viduka and Owen offers absolutely no pace, while Owen and Martins just won't work as far as I can see. You need one of your strikers to be adept at playing with his back to goal and offering some sort of size for high balls.

 

Be very surprised if Keegan tries to switch Owen back to his old style of game, because I just don't see how it'll work with the amount of pace he has lost.

 

Viduka has been good in recent weeks, but can you imagine what a really top center-forward, one who can offer a physical force and aeriel threat as well as the good link-up play and finishing that Viduka gives us could do in his role, and how much that would help the game of both Martins and Owen?

 

We do need midfielders too, no doubt, but the single biggest impact on our team would come from a really top center forward, IMO.

 

Difficult to say what our overall plan is, but given the fan's/Keegan's past record of favouring wingers, and putting crosses into the box, I understand why you'd say that. I would also go as far as to agree that Viduka isn't as much of an aerial threat on goal as you'd expect of a 'big man' forward, though he does lead the line and compete well enough.

 

I can't help but feel that having better creative midfielders would obviate the necessity for the kind of striker you refer to. I wouldn't rule out the Martins/Owen combination until we have some pace in midfielder, some guile out wide and someone better than Butt threading balls through for 'em!

 

Also, agree with Dev that defensively we're okay and no substantial investments need to be made. Seems strange saying that when we've got battered by 3+ scorelines on a regular basis for parts of the season, but I very much believe that was a team issue.

[Jamie]

f****** hell lads has to be CB

 

we dont have one capable of getting us anywhere near the top 4

 

Here here

 

Nor did we when we came top 4.

Woodgate ?

[Jamie]

I know it's a big ask, but :

 

1 Quality CB, another decent CB as cover

1 Quliaty Attacking Midfieder

A decent Defensive midfielder

A couple of decent wingers

New Keeper

Maybe a few decent squad players, cover for Viduka,e.g, Harewood, K.Davies, J.Roberts