How many new players do we need?

[stozo]

Just saw the bit on .com about our first team squad.

 

We currently only have 22 first-team players on our books and 4 of them are goalkeepers. That leaves 18 outfield players and we are including Carroll and LuaLua in that and they surely can be considered no more than fringe players at best atm. This leaves us with barely enough to fill he bench (7 subs this season) so surely based on that we can be expecting a lot more than the 3 or 4 Kegan has talked about.

 

How many does everyone think we need? Personnally I think we are looking at needing atleast 6 new faces in order to ensure our squad is big enough to cope with the inevitable injuries we will pick up throughtout the season.

[relámpago blanco]

I think 4 is enough.  We don't want to bring in more otherwise we'll have to go through another 'transitional' season as it will take a while to adapt.  A squad of 26 with a decent reserve and youth squad (which I believe we have) is enough.

 

By the way when Keegan said 3 or 4 he also said the same amount of youngsters who can be fringe players which I believe is what will happen.

 

It will probably be 3/4 prem players plus the same amount of youngsters most likely from the continent.  France if Wise gets his way.  Spain if Jimenez does.

[SUPERTOON]

At least

 

1CB

1LB

2CM

1RW

1CF

 

this at the moment expect morewith more leaving

[chicago_shearer]

We need 5 or 6 capable of playing in the first team.  A transitional season is inevitable.  Some of them can be young and inexperienced, but they need to be of sufficient quality to compete in the Premiership.  At the moment, the only positions we have any sort of cover for are up front and on the left wing.  Ridiculous situation for a club aspiring for better things next season.  With what?  Habib Beye won the player of the year contest by a landslide because everyone else was so f***ing s*** we ended up in a relegation battle.  And we only need 2 or 3 players to get back in contention?   

[KaKa]

Eleventeen.

[Dave]

I think 4 is enough.  We don't want to bring in more otherwise we'll have to go through another 'transitional' season as it will take a while to adapt.  A squad of 26 with a decent reserve and youth squad (which I believe we have) is enough.

 

By the way when Keegan said 3 or 4 he also said the same amount of youngsters who can be fringe players which I believe is what will happen.

 

It will probably be 3/4 prem players plus the same amount of youngsters most likely from the continent.  France if Wise gets his way.  Spain if Jimenez does.

 

[Guest shearer_206]

I would say around 6 to be fair. 4 of which that will improve the first team and maybe 2 of them good quality youngsters who can maybe make an impact as squad players nearer the end of the season and for many seasons to come! I do think we need more than 4 when you consider:

 

1: We didn't have enough players last season

2: There are now 7 subs

3: Our squad is one of the most injury prone in the league

[The College Dropout]

The current first XI isn't all that good and they are ageing.

 

I'd like 2 first team central defenders, a new midfield partnership, a right sided attacking midfielder and another striker.

 

That's 6.

 

I'd like any number of cheap youngsters with ability and potential.

[gdm]

a few more might leave as well

[Shak]

3 new first teamers are absolutely essential IMO.

 

CB, a ball playing midfielder and a center-forward.

 

3 good signings in those positions would improve us dramatically. After that, a new DM to take over from Butt would be next on the list, but I don't see that as absolutely imperative.

 

Other than that we need to replace anyone who leaves with squad players, preferrably younger prospects.

[BONTEMPI]

7 for me

 

1 Striker

2 Creative Midfielder's

1 Defensive Midfielder  (Essien like please)

3 Defenders  Top notch CB and LB and a decent Right back as cover for Beye

 

And please get rid of Smith asap!!!

[Guest koye]

I think we need 4 or 5...

 

A quality centre back and a quality central midfielder can make a big difference to our team! That should be our first priority!

[thewellander]

If we want to be competitive, we need at least 6 new players. We have to replace Emre, plus at least one more central midfielder, another left back, another central defender, another striker, and backup at right back.

[Guest Heneage]

We need more than we will get.

[Skirge]

We had a small squad anyway and a few have gone already also a few more will probably go, so up to now I say we need at least 6 top players.

1 CB

1 LB

1 CF

1 DCM

1 ACM

1 RW

 

If Duff is sold then we will need another left winger too, but ad to that list maybe another CB..

 

[Disco]

CB,DM,CM,CF for the first team at least

LB,RW,LW (if Duff leaves) for reserve

As many good youngsters as we can possibly attract

[Rich]

No matter what formation we play, we need a centre-half. Either one who can walk straight into the team or someone at least capable of challenging Faye and Taylor for a starting role, preferrably the former (obviously.) Faye and Taylor are no great shakes as a partnership as it stands, but if one of them gets injured then you're looking at Cacapa and Edgar as their replacements. Cacapa AND Edgar as a partnership would be a fucking disaster, if you ask me, so we'd be bollocksed if both Faye and Taylor got injured.

 

Added to this, there is absolutely zero cover for either of the full-back positions. People will harp on about Kadar and Tozer (who can both play LB) but I highly doubt either to be ready for that kind of responsibility. On the right, there's absolutely chuff-all as far as natural positions go. So this leads me to think we need both a LB and a RB, again capable of challenging Enrique and Beye for their starting roles (I don't think either fullback should be replaced in the team, based on their performances last term.)

 

So that's us at 3 so far, and we're not even out of the defence.

 

Things get a bit more complicated in midfield, not least because of the formation stuff. You've got old legs in Geremi and Butt, who I'd imagine are both nailed-on to be kept, but then from there what else is there? Barton is up in the air, Milner and N'Zogbia are both well worth keeping but have been subject to a lot of speculation and everyone feels the same about Duff/Smith (on here at least). Emre's already on his way, and it's left us looking woefully short. If we're going 4-4-2 then we need a right-winger, because there's only Milner, and who the heck knows for the left-wing? We could end up keeping N'Zogbia and Duff, with the former being first choice, meaning I'd be happy enough with that. However, a 4-4-2 means that the centre of the park looks incredibly pedestrian. I'd say we're looking at 2 midfielders coming in, at the very least. I honestly couldn't say in what positions they should play. Depending on Barton/Duff/Smith, it could be pushed up to needing 4, as we'd only have the two young wingers and the two old central midfielders left. Oh dear. Lua Lua isn't good enough to be considered first-team, IMO.

 

Up front is complicated as well, due to the formation stuff. I think at least 1 striker is needed no matter what formation we play, as Viduka isn't reliable enough and Carroll probably won't cut it, unless we're happy with 12th place or thereabouts again. We've got Owen and Martins, who we really have to keep, but who could struggle to form an effective partnership if asked to play up top in a 4-4-2, unless the midfield was absolutely top-drawer.

 

I'm quite depressed after being made to think about this, because as it stands our squad looks like this (if we put people in their favoured/natural role):

 

GK: Harper, Given, Krul, Forster (good but overstocked, expect the latter two to go on loan unless Given gets crocked/sold)

 

RB: Beye. (oh dear - no cover)

 

LB: Enrique (oh dear - no cover)

 

CB: Faye, Taylor, Cacapa, Edgar (oh dear - Cacapa/Edgar not good enough cover, Faye/Taylor not exactly brilliant anyway)

 

RM: Milner (oh dear - no cover, not particularly good enough anyway)

 

LM: N'Zogbia, Duff (happy enough, although both could leave and Duff may well be finished)

 

CM: Butt, Geremi, Barton (oh dear - slower than treacle, one is in jail)

 

CF: Owen, Martins, Viduka, Carroll, Smith (oh dear - question marks over Owen's ability in a 4-4-2 and over Owen/Martins together, Viduka crocked, Carroll too young/raw and Smith needs no explanation)

 

At the least we're looking at 6 (LB, RB, CB, M, M, CF), if we lose more players then it could go up to 8, easily.

[Skirge]

If KK is planning on sticking with a 4-3-3 then I think we may sell Milner and opt for SWP, if he is looking at 4-4-2 then we need to keep Milner and still look at getting SWP.

 

[Yorkie]

5 main signings altogether, 3 of which definitely going into the first team: a striker and two midfielders (a new CB for the first team would be good but not as essential imo).

 

And then another 4 or 5 more youngsters for the reserves/youths. That's the more surprising thing for me; when you consider we conducted five youth transfers in the January window, and none as yet. I'm not in the slightest bit surprised we're quiet on the main transfer front... a little more suprised about the youths given our toils in Jan.

 

My main answer's 5, though. CB, LB, CM, R/CM, ST

[Guest Wally_McFool]

Need at least 12 new players, or at least we will when Duff, Ameobi, Barton and Smith are shown the door.

[Skirge]

4-3-3 (7subs next season?)

 

---------------Given

 

Beye----Faye------who?-------Enrique

 

---------------who?

---who?-----------------------Zoggy

 

--------------Owen

---Martins--------------who?

 

BENCH

Harper

Cacapa

Taylor

Butt

Duff

Geremi

Viduka

 

4-2-2

 

---------------Given

 

Beye----Faye------who?-------Enrique

 

Milner---who?-----who?-------Zoggy

 

----------Owen----who?

 

BENCH

Harper

Cacapa

Taylor

Butt

Duff

Geremi

Martins

[Yorkie]

I wouldn't cry into my pillow if Taylor and Faye were still the first choice pair going into next season. We do need a centre-back though.

 

 

 

(Though i'd still argue that Caçapa/Faye early in the season looked better than Taylor/Faye ever has, but that's not really the point)

[Guest shaun11177]

Its 5 for me and then replacements for anyone else leaving.

Confusion might happen with the formation as with the 433 you are clearly looking for 6 central midfielders whether Milner and Zog could play in those roles i dont know, nor am i convinced Owen is a long term answer to the player behind the front 2.

The club has a tremendous amount of work to do pre-season as it isnt going to be easy attracting the players in and it might be a case of end of August again for some positions.

[Guest f***thepress]

Eleventy  :  )

[relámpago blanco]

I wouldn't cry into my pillow if Taylor and Faye were still the first choice pair going into next season. We do need a centre-back though.

 

 

 

(Though i'd still argue that Caçapa/Faye early in the season looked better than Taylor/Faye ever has, but that's not really the point)

I think Cacapa could do a decent job in a settled defence.  That injury he had that kept him out of the Man City game seemed to knacker him up and then when he played against Pompey he was carrying an injury and never recovered as all people remember now is that game.  It really annoys me when you see him on the Prems worst transfer lists.  You can tell the people that make them watch 1 maybe 2 games if you're lucky.