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Squad and Assessment End of Summer '21.

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Omobamidele. That's one player who will not go out on loan and one I expect to shine in the prem. I said in another thread that there is something about the lad that so far says class.

I hope to be proved wrong but I still don't see Cantwell as a prem player. Why I don't know but maybe too lightweight.

I think we all know that Pukki's diet of through balls and clever thinking will be way less effective against a better defence ( although he did better than I expected last time )

Its going to be a very interesting closed season for sure but I don't see anyone being able to work it better than SW / DF and the background team we have .

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2 minutes ago, Mr Tea said:

I hope to be proved wrong but I still don't see Cantwell as a prem player. Why I don't know but maybe too lightweight.

I honestly thought he was better in his Premier League season than this season in the Champs. I also wouldn't say him being on the slight side takes away from his game, he still looks after the ball well, draws fouls and runs past people.

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In our last Premiership season our possession stats looked OK but most of it was in our defensive third.

Sure we played out from the back very well but we also got high pressed to death by Burnley, West Ham and Chelsea.

In the end most sides had worked out that two CBs on Pukki and the rest pushed up was a recipe for an easy result against us.  

Pukki and the other attacking players need to operate higher up the pitch than we did last time at this level. 

I don't like the idea of Pukki dropping back deep to receive the ball too often because this means that we have either been out numbered or out muscled in midfield or that he's been isolated by the defending tactics of our opponents.

The signings of Skipp and Sorensen was an acknowledgement of this issue. Placheta was perhaps a signing for the ball over the top to counter this type of pressing.

I hope we go a step further in this direction next season by signing a couple of CDMs and a CM preferably all from the planet Krypton plus another wide attacking player with some serious gas. 

This side already has goals in it but we just have to be able to win the arm wrestling competitions so that more of our possession stats are in the middle or final third. 

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1 hour ago, Tetteys Jig said:

Harry Wilson looks like he'd be available... I'd take him for a not-too-much fee.

 

58 minutes ago, king canary said:

I know he's a bit of a **** but I would too.

However if we're taking someone from Liverpool in that position I'd go for Harvey Elliott, although that would only be a loan.

I'd take him too, but I think he'll cost too much. Apparently Liverpool were trying to sell him permanently last summer but were holding out for about £20m, which is why there were no takers and he ended up having to have a Championship loan. Even if the price drops to £10-15m, we've probably got bigger priorities.

Edited by Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man

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Krul, Nyland, Mcgovern, Mumba, Byram, Hanley, Gibson, Zimmermann, Omabamidele, Giannoulis, Sorensen, Rupp McLean, Buendia, Cantwell, Dowell,  Stiepermann, Hernandez, Placheta, Hugill, Pukki

+

NEW - CB, RB, CM, NO10, WINGER, STR

 

Lots of younger players getting loan moves. BARDEN, MAIR, FAMEWO, MARTIN, IDAH, SOTO, MCALLUM ETC 

Vrancic and Tettey let go.

 

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2 hours ago, Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man said:

 

I'd take him too, but I think he'll cost too much. Apparently Liverpool were trying to sell him permanently last summer but were holding out for about £20m, which is why there were no takers and he ended up having to have a Championship loan. Even if the price drops to £10-15m, we've probably got bigger priorities.

Harry Wilson is so over rated, people only think he's good because he scored a couple of good free kicks

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2 hours ago, Mr Tea said:

Omobamidele. That's one player who will not go out on loan and one I expect to shine in the prem. I said in another thread that there is something about the lad that so far says class.

I hope to be proved wrong but I still don't see Cantwell as a prem player. Why I don't know but maybe too lightweight.

I think we all know that Pukki's diet of through balls and clever thinking will be way less effective against a better defence ( although he did better than I expected last time )

Its going to be a very interesting closed season for sure but I don't see anyone being able to work it better than SW / DF and the background team we have .

Because of his age, I think he will stay at the club and we will look at bringing in another CB to compete with Hanley and Gibson and Zimmermann being 4th choice.

Famewo will be loaned out again.

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I think the 3 most obvious positions are a CB, CDM and a Striker. Having a fully fit Gibson and Hanley would see us with a bottom half/midtable pairing in my opinion, but they moment one of those goes off form or is injured I think we are in trouble. I think Zimmerman is a great 4th choice and always the professional but he is vunrable to be turned and hasn't really featured this season. We need someone in who could compete for the starting position and also be a viable alternative if the worst was to happen. He would cost a bit, but Id love Fry from Middlesborough, he's one of the few this season who marshalled Pukki and effectively kept him at arms length.

 

CDM is the tricky one, I have no idea if its to our advance Jose is gone... we know he rated Skipp and my only hope is that Spurs get some big time charlie manager who doesn't want to use unproven youth and we can snap him up. If we cant get Skipp then I hope we will be looking to splash out a little on this position as it was a massive part of what went wrong last season, and a strong partner would also bring out the best in Rupp and McClean.

 

A striker is also essential, Drmic was a flop and it left us with Srbeny as our next in line for a top flight attack which sort of says it all. Pukki is a fantastic striker but there is no way we can go back into the top flight and expect him to single handedly score 20 goals to keep us up. We need to hope he bags 10 and we can get someone in who also gets us 10 or so, we just cant depend on only one person being the source of our goals, we do that and we are sunk the moment he has a sticky patch or gets injured. Idah has to go out on loan, and Hugill will have games and moments that will suit his style but cant be seen as the complete answer for us. 

Edited by birchfest

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Hanley and Gibson will definitely start next season, assuming they are fit and we don't get a huge bid for either of them. So will Dimi and Krul, plus Aarons if he's still here (and I don't think anyone will pay what we want for him yet). That's the back 5. Back up's are Zimbo with either Famewo or Omabamidele - probably Famewo who has had almost a whole season of higher level League One football and is 22 - though a bit injury prone. I see Andrew O going on loan. Getting a 5th CB will I think depend entirely on whether we can get a bargain in this position - Sorenson can play there too.

Mumba and McCallum as back up full backs. I've ruled out Byram. We also have Rob Nizet coming through. Bushiri would have made it through by now if he was going to. Rupp also capable at full back.

Everyone seems to have forgotten Josh Martin - a very capable back up to Cantwell. I don't expect anyone to pay what we want for either Cantwell or Buendia so they'll both also start. As will Dowell and Pukki.

That leaves CDM - If we can get Skipp again great, but we still need another very solid player here - this is where I'd spend most of our money. We then have Sorenson and Kenny as back ups.

Up front, Omotoye hasn't pulled up any trees on loan and Idah isn't ready to start. Nor is Silani or Soto, apparently. So Pukki to start with Hugill as back up and a cheap third striker - a Shane Long or someone experienced like him to keep Idah's place warm.

Placheta, Rupp and Hernandez good enough for squad places but won't get much game time.

Note that some of the youngsters could develop massively in summer and pre-season so ruling nothing out for them but at the moment I don't see any of them being in the mix.

Unfortunately the rest of the old guard will be exited. Hopefully Tettey will get a club role. Imagine how useful the likes of Vrancic, Stiepermann etc will be to clubs like Forest or QPR who have hopes for next season, or the 3 teams who don't make it out of the playoffs.

I also think Harry Wilson could be turned into a great player by Farke - a Mason Mount type player. I also think we could get him for £10m or so which would be a bargain in terms of his potential. Loftus-Cheek on loan too please - great player.

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Famewo at 22 might be given a chance or loaned out but Bushiri at 21 would have been played more... We'll have to see. I don't disagree but I don't think it is to do with the reasons you gave sgncfc.

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4 hours ago, KeiranShikari said:

Thankfully I think Webber and Farke are thinking quite a bit bigger than this.

Bigger than Harry Wilson (who Liverpool valued at £20m) and Loftus-Cheek who has 10 England caps? I think you're going to be sorely disappointed!!

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Liverpool 'valued' him at 20 million, didn't get it and then loaned him to Championship Cardiff. He had an okay season but other than setpieces he's not an improvement on anything we have. Ruben Loftus Cheek did very little in a relegated Fulham side. I don't think he's really over his injury yet.

Safe to say I'm not going to be disappointed as I'm already more excited about the 2 we have already signed.

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I saw some posters suggest that there should be a replacement for Grant Hanley. How absurd is that? Another solid centre back is very reasonable as back up, but when thinking on improving the strating XI the back 4 is settled in my mind. Grant Hanley has been incredible these last few games. When the team is under assault he gets in a massive amount of blocks and tackles, he can play with the ball. If your eyes arent convinced he is the 5th highest rated player on whoscored in the championship. Think some people still remember his own goal at Anfield last season and are just generally too traumatized to see how excellent he has been. Players can improve you know, centre backs especially have late primes.

 

Midfield needs strenghtening as has been said. Skipp and Tettey are on their way out probably, Sörensen is pretty untested in midfield. Vrancic, Steieperman, Rupp and Dowell can all play attacking midfielder. Rupp and Dowell will clearly stay. Will both Vrancic and Stiepermann stay? I have my doubts. Vrancic is a luxury player, but he is no longer the best at anything in the club, not even his trademark freekicks, is he even able to play 90 minutes? Probably on the way out. On the other hand for large parts of the season he was relied upon by Farke. Stiepermann I think stays, despite not quite being PL level, he is an insurance that there is someone other Buendia at the club who has a psychic connection with Pukki. But ideally there would be someone else that could replace him, add something in the midfield no 10./furthest forward mifelder role that would add something new or just be high quality enough to challenge and push Dowell. 

People keep going on about new strikers, but I think the trio Pukki/Idah/Hugill compliment each other well. I do take the points that relying on a Pukki who is getting older and playing a lot of football 100% exclusively isnt sustainable. Hugill is very agricultural by PL standards, but he has some finesse and does what he does well, Idah is clearly very good and could develop suddenly. Also, both Buendia and Cantwell will be two years older, more experienced and I think both have become better goalscorers. Behind Catnwell and Buendia its pretty thin. As much as we all like Onel, he hasnt been healthy and even when he is he mostly runs around in circles and passes too late. I think it could be smart to add a type of winger that can and will add goals, instead of mainly doing nice flicks and nice through balls to Pukki can dribble at pace, run to the flag and put in a good ball to Hugill. People are talking about plan B with strikers, but we already have a plan B in that way, just need a way to compliment the plan B I think. 

 

Over all a few safe, quality signings are needed, especially in midifeld. Previously the reqruitment department have taken small gambles in attack, (Pukki, Buendia, Hernandez, Placheta, Roberts etc etc) that often have paid off and other times came to nothing. Cant the club now afford to employ the same philosophy but take more expensive gambles. Find the outcasts, misfits, near do wells that have an even higher ceiling and therefore have been prohibitively expensive before. I just want the club to get their very own Ilicic, as a fan you want some new shiny toys to look at, Placheta, Dowell and Hugill have turned out alright but havent been that fun compared to the old toys

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Last time we failed because we were totally out muscled. It often looked like boys v men. 
we need a BIG imposing CB and bigger midfielders. The skill of Kenny et al isn’t the problem - their size is at the top level. 

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8 hours ago, KeiranShikari said:

Liverpool 'valued' him at 20 million, didn't get it and then loaned him to Championship Cardiff. He had an okay season but other than setpieces he's not an improvement on anything we have. Ruben Loftus Cheek did very little in a relegated Fulham side. I don't think he's really over his injury yet.

Safe to say I'm not going to be disappointed as I'm already more excited about the 2 we have already signed.

Loftus Cheek would be an awesome signing, think he's a bit out of our league tho. Fulham are probably paying £50k a week towards his wages that we certainly wouldn't be paying.

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9 hours ago, KeiranShikari said:

Liverpool 'valued' him at 20 million, didn't get it and then loaned him to Championship Cardiff. He had an okay season but other than setpieces he's not an improvement on anything we have. Ruben Loftus Cheek did very little in a relegated Fulham side. I don't think he's really over his injury yet.

Safe to say I'm not going to be disappointed as I'm already more excited about the 2 we have already signed.

You can't be serious. You just can't be. 😂

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I'll yield on RLC if you've been watching him this season regularly. I haven't but haven't been particularly impressed with what I've seen.

We defo have better than Wilson.

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2 hours ago, Move Klose said:

Loftus Cheek would be an awesome signing, think he's a bit out of our league tho. Fulham are probably paying £50k a week towards his wages that we certainly wouldn't be paying.

On 60 grand a week, not happening- And that's only half of what his regular wages are at Chelsea.

Edited by cambridgeshire canary

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Gibson might have a permanent weakness after his injury, Byram is always likely to break down. Hanley is historically prone to injury and Zim has had a poor run of injuries too. 

We need another CB and FB. 

I am not concerned about DM as I believe Sorensen is going to be top drawer. 

I'd keep young Omo in the squad and give him the game time. 

If we sell Buendia we need to replace him with physicality. A couple of 6'2" snarling Serbian, for example because we are just too lightweight overall. 

Not concerned about Pukki and Hugill and note how Hugill came on against Watford and put himself about. We need a bit more of that streetwise attitude. 

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On 24/04/2021 at 14:03, Ramrod said:

Gibson might have a permanent weakness after his injury, Byram is always likely to break down. Hanley is historically prone to injury and Zim has had a poor run of injuries too. 

We need another CB and FB. 

I am not concerned about DM as I believe Sorensen is going to be top drawer. 

I'd keep young Omo in the squad and give him the game time. 

If we sell Buendia we need to replace him with physicality. A couple of 6'2" snarling Serbian, for example because we are just too lightweight overall. 

Not concerned about Pukki and Hugill and note how Hugill came on against Watford and put himself about. We need a bit more of that streetwise attitude. 

Omobamidele won't get the game time next season. He's only getting it now because we have two defenders injured. He's done well, but if we've learned anything from last time, it's super unfair to rely on young, inexperienced players who need to make mistakes to develop as players, do it in the top flight where even slight mistakes can be horrendously punished. At 18 he has plenty of time ahead of him. A year out on loan will give him regular footy.

Happy for Farke to prove me wrong but the evidence is all there. Farke had no problem starting Aarons ahead of Pinto, Omobamidele hasn't started ahead of anyone yet and has been played due to injuries. So lets not heap too much expectation on him just yet. 

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I've just updated the original thread with the information we now have with McGovern signing a new contract and the confirmation that Tettey and Vrancic are not being offered new contracts and that Quintilla's future lies elsewhere. Skipp, the club would obviously like to retain, but we don't have an answer on that one yet.

So as predicted so far bar perhaps McGovern, though even that was rumoured/suggested a while back now.

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Central midfield is going to be interesting this summer.

Right now we're looking at McLean, Sorenson and Rupp. I'm wondering if next season we actually see McLean or even Rupp playing further up the pitch rather than a traditional number 10. So we're going to need to add some bodies here, even if Skipp can be brought back for another season.

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I think Sorensen may be a long term solution in the CM role but he’s just not had enough games there this season for me to feel confident he could play there in the premier league. Hope to see him get 90 minutes there on Saturday but definitely a strong CDM top of the shopping list. 

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1 hour ago, king canary said:

Central midfield is going to be interesting this summer.

Right now we're looking at McLean, Sorenson and Rupp. I'm wondering if next season we actually see McLean or even Rupp playing further up the pitch rather than a traditional number 10. So we're going to need to add some bodies here, even if Skipp can be brought back for another season.

McLean actually looked better in the ten role last season than as a central midfielder, for me.

But I think we need two central midfielders, because neither McLean nor Rupp showed enough last season to convince me that they're Premier League starters, and Sorensen is still very much an unknown quantity for us in his natural position as he has spent so little time there. 

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Loftus Cheek is so far out of our league, you might as well throw in Pogba or Phil Foden. They're about as likely. 

Pink Un has suggested a central defender and defensive midfielder are on the list. We've heard from Farke directly that a goalkeeper is also on the list, be it Nyland or another as 2nd choice. So that's 3 positions we definitely know about.

I think we can all recognise the need for another striker. Pukki is undoubtedly our first choice, but we saw last time what happens when his goals dry up. A back up would take so much pressure off him. 

To me, Max is almost certain to leave. I think a new RB with Byram/Mumba as back up is likely. But if Max stays, ignore the mentions of RB below. I'd assume it's going to happen, though.  

I also suspect McCallum will be given the chance to show he's up to being LB back up. It seems silly to go and spend money on something when we have a decent young left back there. Again, if there's money available or a cheap loan going or for whatever reason Farke isn't convinced by McCallum, maybe this is something that might be looked at.  

I don't think we need a number 10. Dowell, Rupp, Stiepermann and McLean can all play there. I'd expect Dowell and Rupp to be competing for that spot. 

How I see it?

GK

Krul
Signing/Nyland
McGoovern

RB

New signing
Byram
Mumba

LB

Giannoulis
McCallum

DC

Gibson
New signing
Hanley
Zimm

DMC
New signing
Sorenson

MC
McLean
New Signing
Rupp

Attacking Players
Buendia
Cantwell
Onel
Placheta 

No. 10
Dowell
Rupp
Stiepermann

Strikers
Pukki
New Signing
Hugill

Assuming Nyland stays, that's five signings in total. For me, I think the DM and RB have to take priority (if we sell Max) as they are the positions that we must fill. 

I'd like to see Idah, Big Andy and Josh Martin given a chance to go out on loan. If we have resources left over, I'd sign another attacking player and let Placheta out on loan, but that would be a low priority for me.

I'll post tomorrow on some ideas of possible targets.

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Good post and probably not far off what will transpire.

Some folk on social media seem to think we will be having a clear out to sign a dozen new players which is cloud cuckoo land for so many reasons. Adding quality to what we already have and using the experiences of last time is the only way to do it.

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I agree with most that has been written. 
 

if Skipp doesn’t return I’m thinking Rupp can do his job. They both worked well prior to Christmas before Rupp got injured and Sorensen as backup.

I’d definitely send Idah, Martin, Barden, Famewo and Big Andy out on loan at Championship level. If they make a decent fist of it at that level then they will be prime to play for us should we get relegated again. 
 

One player I’d really like to see play for us is Defoe. I appreciate he’s probably too old and wages might be too high, but I feel he can do a job coming off the bench. He’s quick and clinical and may want one last go at the PL.

I feel Buendia, Max and maybe Cantwell will be gone. This will net us £90-100m.  If Norwich are to be bold why not buy Ivan Toney? Villa signed Watkins last season why not go for Toney? If he does well we’ll make on the deal, if he doesn’t cut it he’ll be great for the promotion campaign the following season if we get relegated. 
 

Who we replace Buendia will is the $100m question. If we can solve this then we’ll be fine next season, otherwise I feel we’ll be a bit toothless in attack. 

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2 minutes ago, Jersey Canary said:

One player I’d really like to see play for us is Defoe

 

E1B5B79B-D68A-4648-A506-CE5A5AF4BDEF.jpeg

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