Away Toon Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 We won't need 7 signings to stay up. 2 or 3 good signings and we'all be fine under Rafa. 4/5 tops. I think we need 7 new starters and that's presuming that the four we currently have who might be good enough in the Premiership actually are. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkie Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 We need a winger, a full-back and a better supporting forward/centre-mid to stay up. 7 is ridiculous. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happinesstan Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 Can't help wondering if our transfer policy extends to managers. Sign him on a 3 year contract, fail to back him up in the first year, and somebody poaches him and we get massive compo. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Optimistic Nut Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 Better left back, experienced centre back, new holding midfielder, new creative midfielder, at least 1, probably 2 wingers, new AM and new striker. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Away Toon Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 We have Darlow, Ritchie, Shelvey and Gayle who might be good enough for us to survive in the premiership, though there are justified doubts about all of them. The rest of the squad is nailed on relegation fodder like the last time. IMO. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 We need a winger, a full-back and a better supporting forward/centre-mid to stay up. 7 is ridiculous. To make a decent go of it - which Rafa will want to ensure - we'll need 2 centre backs, 2 full backs, an attacking mid, a winger and a striker. That's if Krul returns, too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
STM Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 Sometimes I think it's lost on people that it's a team game. There's no chance in hell that we got relegated last year with Rafa in charge for the full season. He would have has us solid, disciplined and organised. I don't think we would have been pulling up trees but we would have been comfortably lower mid table. If we get promoted I'd expect similar. An organised side which doesn't throw away daft points, gets some decent wins away and generally is pretty comfortable. Even with the squad we have now. Rafas sides aren't about individuals, it's a team thing and I think we'd need an awful squad not to survive with him at the helm IMO. Give him the money that McClaren got (83m was it?) and I see no reason why wouldn't be around mid table next year. Anything more than midtable is fantasy world, for now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 We need a winger, a full-back and a better supporting forward/centre-mid to stay up. 7 is ridiculous. To make a decent go of it - which Rafa will want to ensure - we'll need 2 centre backs, 2 full backs, an attacking mid, a winger and a striker. That's if Krul returns, too. Would like to give Yedlin a chance in the PL, looking better and better each time I see him. Think Rafa can continue to improve him. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
STM Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 We need a winger, a full-back and a better supporting forward/centre-mid to stay up. 7 is ridiculous. To make a decent go of it - which Rafa will want to ensure - we'll need 2 centre backs, 2 full backs, an attacking mid, a winger and a striker. That's if Krul returns, too. What's a decent go of it? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkie Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 To simply stay up I think we could just about manage it with even the current squad, but it would be a stretch. There'd have to be absolutely zero injuries and a good amount of luck. But the point is; we don't need wholesale changes. We don't need to absolutely rip the squad to bits and start again, as we did last summer. It needs a fair amount of work, certainly; and I'd hope for a bare minimum of about four signings in the summer. Three of which could come straight into the side, ideally. We can't just go tipping the desk over every transfer window and start again. We've got the bones of a decent Premier League squad at the moment; I'd hope that we would retain some continuity - chop and change a wee bit - and just build on it. Much in the same way that we did the last time we were promoted. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEMTEX Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 I don't think we'd have a great chance of survival with the squad in it's current form like. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Optimistic Nut Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 We need to spend a fortune to stand still imo, apart from Sunderland & Hull, I reckon everyone else has a bigger, better squad, of who will strengthen even more in the summer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkie Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 I don't think we'd have a great chance of survival with the squad in it's current form like. I agree, it'd be really tough. I'm just trying to demonstrate the point that we don't need vast amounts of changes in order to comfortably consolidate a place in the Premier League. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiotes Witch Doctor Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 Personally think the bottom half of the premier league is absolutely dire, with solid backing in the summer we should be immediately aiming for top 10 IMO. It might seem a bit much at first but why not? A manager of Rafas experience and CV in the premier league, a decent but not great base of players to start from already, and if hes backed with the money McClaren was we should be aiming for 10th and beyond. Then again we still have to get promoted yet, still a lot of work to do. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkie Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 Typical side during the Championship campaign 2009/10: Harper Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Enrique Routledge, Nolan, Guthrie, Gutierrez Carroll, Lovenkrands Team that beat the Mackems 5-1/Arsenal 1-0 a few months later: Krul Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Enrique Barton, Tiote, Nolan, Gutierrez Carroll, Ameobi Literally only Tiote amongst the squad that season who was not in the squad prior. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Howaythetoon Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 Our team at current would struggle to stay up. Gayle wont be anywhere near as prolific in the PL and Shelvey won't be afforded the kind of space he needs to thrive. Defensively we will ship in goals too. We need at least 5 top players, three in central positions basically down the spine of the side, a genuine winger with pace and a playmaker too. Give Rafa 100m and he would transform our first 11 not into mere mid-table fodder, but a side capable of challenging for a top 6 place and a cup. That won't happen and even if it did, I guarantee Carr's recommendations will be favoured over Rafa's... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiotes Witch Doctor Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 Typical side during the Championship campaign 2009/10: Harper Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Enrique Routledge, Nolan, Guthrie, Gutierrez Carroll, Lovenkrands Team that beat the Mackems 5-1/Arsenal 1-0 a few months later: Krul Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Enrique Barton, Tiote, Nolan, Gutierrez Carroll, Ameobi Literally only Tiote amongst the squad that season who was not in the squad prior. Why did we ever get rid of Hughton man Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 Typical side during the Championship campaign 2009/10: Harper Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Enrique Routledge, Nolan, Guthrie, Gutierrez Carroll, Lovenkrands Team that beat the Mackems 5-1/Arsenal 1-0 a few months later: Krul Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Enrique Barton, Tiote, Nolan, Gutierrez Carroll, Ameobi Literally only Tiote amongst the squad that season who was not in the squad prior. I made the point earlier that we basically had a PL side for the second half of that promotion season. We certainly don't now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Spaceman Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 Typical side during the Championship campaign 2009/10: Harper Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Enrique Routledge, Nolan, Guthrie, Gutierrez Carroll, Lovenkrands Team that beat the Mackems 5-1/Arsenal 1-0 a few months later: Krul Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Enrique Barton, Tiote, Nolan, Gutierrez Carroll, Ameobi Literally only Tiote amongst the squad that season who was not in the squad prior. Why did we ever get rid of Hughton man Would have loved Hughton in charge through the shitty years that followed. He wasn't the greateat tactician or owt but at least he wasn't satan. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFEE Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 Typical side during the Championship campaign 2009/10: Harper Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Enrique Routledge, Nolan, Guthrie, Gutierrez Carroll, Lovenkrands Team that beat the Mackems 5-1/Arsenal 1-0 a few months later: Krul Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Enrique Barton, Tiote, Nolan, Gutierrez Carroll, Ameobi Literally only Tiote amongst the squad that season who was not in the squad prior. Why did we ever get rid of Hughton man His unlucky break (excuse the pun) was Ben Arfa breaking his leg after 4 games of his career here. His story here might've of be very different if he had him for a full season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkie Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 Typical side during the Championship campaign 2009/10: Harper Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Enrique Routledge, Nolan, Guthrie, Gutierrez Carroll, Lovenkrands Team that beat the Mackems 5-1/Arsenal 1-0 a few months later: Krul Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Enrique Barton, Tiote, Nolan, Gutierrez Carroll, Ameobi Literally only Tiote amongst the squad that season who was not in the squad prior. Why did we ever get rid of Hughton man His unlucky break (excuse the pun) was Ben Arfa breaking his leg after 4 games of his career here. His story here might've of be very different if he had him for a full season. Hughton was always destined for the chop. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hhtoon Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 I wouldn't expect Rafa to be happy fighting it out for mid-table if we get promoted. I also can't imagine we'll sign the 6-7 players needed to be pushing higher. It's a tough one, can only assume some of the summer signings were supposed to comfortably make the jump up. Motn sure how many of them fit that bill... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 His unlucky break (excuse the pun) was Ben Arfa breaking his leg after 4 games of his career here. His story here might've of be very different if he had him for a full season. Nah, we were 11th (I think) when Hughton was sacked so it wasn't really a decision based on results - given that Pardew finishing in 12th was perfectly acceptable. Barton's autobiography offers pretty good insight into it, actually. In our Championship season Hughton was told who to play which created bad precedent with the players and as much as they liked him he didn't carry the weight (as Ashley and Llambias saw it) to convince them to accept the bonus-related pay scheme. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkie Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 His unlucky break (excuse the pun) was Ben Arfa breaking his leg after 4 games of his career here. His story here might've of be very different if he had him for a full season. Nah, we were 11th (I think) when Hughton was sacked so it wasn't really a decision based on results. Barton's autobiography offers pretty good insight into it, actually. In our Championship season he was told who to play which created bad precedent with the players and as much as they liked him he didn't carry the weight (as Ashley and Llambias saw it) to convince them to accept the bonus-related pay scheme. Is there a fair bit of Newcastle in there? I'm hasten to pay £20 for that book, or whatever it costs. Imagine it would be decent fodder for the train, though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 There's more about Newcastle than any other club, tbh. Just get one from eBay for £5. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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