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Preparing for the Premier League


Altamullan

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Ritchie is our only right winger (I'm not counting Atsu as he is on loan) and Aarons (who was injured all season) is our only left winger. We must get cover otherwise we'll end up having to play players out of position.

 

Gayle and Ritchie are our only regular goal scorers. We need to bring in more goal scorers. Gouffran is our 4th highest scorer with 5 league goals. http://www.nufc.com/2016-17html/goalscorers.html

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Around 200 Million= Challenge for the top 6

Around 100 Million= 7-12th

Around 75 Million= Mid table security/mediocrity

Around 50 Million= Relegation fight

Around 30 Million= Relegation

 

Yeah, that's how it works :lol:

 

Well actually that's pretty much how it works everywhere in professional sport. The team that spends the most money and pays the highest wages are at the top of the pole. Leicester were an exception but this season sees everything reverting back to normal. The rich are at the top, the poor at the bottom. If we spend a lot of money I'm sure we will do well, if we don't, we won't.

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First of all, we are a newly promoted Championship side. Secondly, we have Mike Stingy Ashley. And third, remember what position we ended at last season  - after spending what you claim would get us much higher up the table. 

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A lot of people have put a striker as a "must have", and we do need to improve our options up front, but we're going to have spend a heap of cash to get an upgrade on Mitrovic. Remember, he cost a lot just two years ago. I'd rather we plug the holes in the starting line up before we start improving the bench.

 

I think a top striker is an absolute MUST for the premier, it's what sent us down last time round and it's kept Sunderland up for two seasons longer than they deserved. I'm a fan of Gayle, but he's relatively unproven at that level, and Mitro and Perez didn't produce last time round....or in the championship if we're being brutally honest.

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A lot of people have put a striker as a "must have", and we do need to improve our options up front, but we're going to have spend a heap of cash to get an upgrade on Mitrovic. Remember, he cost a lot just two years ago. I'd rather we plug the holes in the starting line up before we start improving the bench.

 

I think a top striker is an absolute MUST for the premier, it's what sent us down last time round and it's kept Sunderland up for two seasons longer than they deserved. I'm a fan of Gayle, but he's relatively unproven at that level, and Mitro and Perez didn't produce last time round....or in the championship if we're being brutally honest.

 

it's also something rafa has a history of, getting a top class striker as the focal point for his system :thup:

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Question is WHO do we see as "proven" but also realistic when it comes to price and possibility to attract the player? The quality striker we should and probably are looking for will probably be the hardest one to find I'd imagine. Do we go for a striker from on of the other leagues? It can take a lot of time before a player gets going in a new league. I really struggle to come up with names in my head when I think about this particular position. My guess is that we'll have to take our chances on someone, I just can't see us getting a player that will guarantee goals. Hopefully Rafa has a few aces up his sleeve.

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I'm obviously massively biased but I reckon we will have massive pulling power with Benitez in charge next season. Howay man, playing in the top flight of English football, with one of very few world class managers in charge and 52,000 there each week. This could be the start of something special and the players we go for, if they do their homework will also think the same.

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I'm obviously massively biased but I reckon we will have massive pulling power with Benitez in charge next season. Howay man, playing in the top flight of English football, with one of very few world class managers in charge and 52,000 there each week. This could be the start of something special and the players we go for, if they do their homework will also think the same.

 

I think eventually we will, but this summer might be too soon for all that. I hope to be wrong obviously.

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Not sure what kind of players I dare to hope for, but I guess it's fair to say that we're not gonna be like a "normal" club that just got promoted because we'll probably have quite a bit more pulling power.

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Aye, for me like I reckon players of current Premier League clubs would be willing to come here. Like even if they're starting elsewhere.  I'm not necessarily saying him but the likes of your Troy Deeney's. I'm not necessarily saying I'd want him but they're the sort of player we can attract I reckon. Players at average PL clubs.

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Aye, for me like I reckon players of current Premier League clubs would be willing to come here. Like even if they're starting elsewhere.  I'm not necessarily saying him but the likes of your Troy Deeney's. I'm not necessarily saying I'd want him but they're the sort of player we can attract I reckon. Players at average PL clubs.

Those kind of players cost loads though and most of them aren't that good

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Need to find a signing like Loic Remy/Demba Ba (what they were then) or similar, which is easier said than done. No point in spending tons of money on average PL players that probably need to be replaced later on anyway if we're to progress as a club.

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I'm obviously massively biased but I reckon we will have massive pulling power with Benitez in charge next season. Howay man, playing in the top flight of English football, with one of very few world class managers in charge and 52,000 there each week. This could be the start of something special and the players we go for, if they do their homework will also think the same.

 

I agree, and I also believe that Rafa not only commands enough respect in the game to attract proven players, he's also knowledgeable enough to know where to look to find someone who will do the job. Might have to ditch the policy of buying only assets that will grow in value. I think striker is such a crucial position that we should just pay what it takes to bring in quality even if he's 30 yrs old. Again, think back to Keegan signing Beardsley when we got promoted in the 90's.

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Aye, for me like I reckon players of current Premier League clubs would be willing to come here. Like even if they're starting elsewhere.  I'm not necessarily saying him but the likes of your Troy Deeney's. I'm not necessarily saying I'd want him but they're the sort of player we can attract I reckon. Players at average PL clubs.

Those kind of players cost loads though and most of them aren't that good

 

I agree, particularly with Englishmen or from English clubs. However, the same applies to Spanish, French, German clubs too though. I think the Premier League looks promising to any of them and actually I think probably higher level teams abroad (excluding maybe Spain) will have players looking for an opportunity to go for big bucks. Let's face it, most players are mercenaries these days...

 

If I was at Nice or Hertha Berlin for example I'd probably be inclined to make the jump, playing for a Rafa Benitez led PL side...

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I'm obviously massively biased but I reckon we will have massive pulling power with Benitez in charge next season. Howay man, playing in the top flight of English football, with one of very few world class managers in charge and 52,000 there each week. This could be the start of something special and the players we go for, if they do their homework will also think the same.

 

I agree, and I also believe that Rafa not only commands enough respect in the game to attract proven players, he's also knowledgeable enough to know where to look to find someone who will do the job. Might have to ditch the policy of buying only assets that will grow in value. I think striker is such a crucial position that we should just pay what it takes to bring in quality even if he's 30 yrs old. Again, think back to Keegan signing Beardsley when we got promoted in the 90's.

 

It's interesting, because for me I'd rather pay for a higher quality CB as a priority (maybe because I am a CB). I think a Coloccini type signing would be brilliant for us right now. Not the Coloccini before he left like, the one just after he got settled in. :lol: It'd potentially settle a lot of nerves and naivety.

 

We have players who can get goals if they can play with enough freedom. Hard to judge really.

 

It's just for me, and our style of play / formation we rely more on control, solidarity and stability, a top quality CB adds to that. Whereas a top quality CF adds to our goal threat. Regardless, both are necessities like... :thup:

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What is crystal clear is that we aren´t that confident in Lascelles, neither Gayle for the prem, who we all wish will prove us wrong. Gouff will no longer be here and we need more than atsu and ritchie for the whole season. Add to that we need another central midfielder to replace Cack Colback:

CB

Nº10

Striker

Winger

Centre midfield

I would go for big spend on CB & Nº10, then secondary spend on other three.

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I'll be honest like, I've never been completely anti-Carr. I could be wrong but didn't he help bring in the likes of Cabaye, Remy and Ba? Not sure...

 

Benitez needs control regardless.

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I'll be honest like, I've never been completely anti-Carr. I could be wrong but didn't he help bring in the likes of Cabaye, Remy and Ba? Not sure...

 

Benitez needs control regardless.

 

Yeah i agree, just mean in the sense of buying the right players for the system Rafa wants to employ.

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I'll be honest like, I've never been completely anti-Carr. I could be wrong but didn't he help bring in the likes of Cabaye, Remy and Ba? Not sure...

 

Benitez needs control regardless.

 

Yeah i agree, just mean in the sense of buying the right players for the system Rafa wants to employ.

 

:thup:

 

I wouldn't kna where to start with players from abroad like :lol: I barely know any in this country these days. Has to be plenty options about though...

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If Rafa thought he could tame him, Balotelli would probably be available from Nice without breaking the bank. He's had a good season at Nice, and just scored a great goal against PSG. He's strong and fast, runs the lines and is suited to playing up front by himself. At 26 he's a good age and still has room to improve.

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I'll be honest like, I've never been completely anti-Carr. I could be wrong but didn't he help bring in the likes of Cabaye, Remy and Ba? Not sure...

 

Benitez needs control regardless.

 

I'm not anti-Carr, if Rafa tells him to go an find a player for a certain position and he does that then fine, if he's going out and buying players without the managers knowledge then I'm against it.

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Our left flank is tragic, we desperately need a new LB and LW, but we really need to focus on an attacking mid to sit behind Gayle. Finally some competition for Shelvey.

 

TBH there's a case for almost every position, which tells its own story.

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If Rafa thought he could tame him, Balotelli would probably be available from Nice without breaking the bank. He's had a good season at Nice, and just scored a great goal against PSG. He's strong and fast, runs the lines and is suited to playing up front by himself. At 26 he's a good age and still has room to improve.

 

Good player on his day but he's been sent off 3 times this season. He's still a liability.

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