Positions where we need to sign players

[Indy_Bones 441]

Our current squad is:KeepersRuddyRuddSteerLeft BackTierneyRight BackR.MartinWhittakerFrancombCentral DefR.BennettAyalaWardBarnettCentral MidFoxJohnsonCroftsSurmanSmithHowsonAdeyemiLeft WingPilkingtonLappinRight WingE.BennettAttacking Mid/Behind Front ManHoolahanButtefieldC.MartinStrikersHoltMorisonVaughanJacksonFor me the key areas have to be at LB to cover/replace Tierney (depending in injury), A proven CB with experience to help players like Ayala and Bennett out (Ward and Barnett simple backup), a right winger to provide backup and competition for E.Bennett and possibly another on the left as I''m not convinced Lappin is good enough for an extended period of time at this level, and potentially a striker in the event Vaughan gets yet another long term injury.I therefore feel that our priority in order of need is:LBCBRWLWSTRI think between R.Martin, Whittaker and Francomb there''s enough at RB, however if we could sign someone of high quality such as Naughton then either Whittaker or R.Martin could be used more centrally meaning we don''t need another CB.Left Back has to be the key priority though as I don''t fancy Lappin covering this job for long and we don''t know what''s going on with Tierney.Similarly I think we need strong cover for E.Bennett on the right wing as otherwise we''ll end up sticking either Korey or Crofts out there as cover and neither is a proper winger. The most obvious option would be someone like Hoilett, however we could get quickly outpriced on that one although I think we should at least ask the question and go from there. Chris Burke has also been tipped for a move (probably only due to CH coming), but we could do a lot worse assuming the price is sensible.Depending on the future of Chris Martin (or whether CH thinks Jacko is good enough for this level), then we may need another striker and we have to be looking further afield on this one if you ask me. UK based players like Rhodes are being horribly overpriced and often aren''t anything special, whereas a classy signing from Europe could be an excellent move at this stage. Someone like Daniel Ginczek from Dortmund would be worth a look, along with some other options from the Bundesliga.Thoughts?

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

Some will need loaning out or moving on, I think CH wants a better look at training. But as you show there are a couple of glaring shortages. This is not a balanced squad.

[PurpleCanary 5,554]

We lack real pace, Elliott Bennett apart, and he isn''t that quick.

[Lets be aving you! 0]

For me, left back is the glaring hole to fill, then a striker in case Holt gets injured.

 

Nice icing on the cake, but not "essential", would then be: centre back, defensive midfielder, winger.

[Bovril 219]

You don''t necessarily need raw pace from players, you need the pace upstairs in the brain.

Using the extreme best example, Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas. These are not renowned for their pace (although the latter two aren''t slow either) but have a lightning fast football brain to match their technique.

We scored a large percentage of our goals from counter-attacking football last year with the only real change in the squad (pace wise) being Kyle Naughton.

I agree with the OP with where additions are needed with maybe another loan coming in for full-back and a lethal finisher / a penalty box striker to utilise the amount of creativity we now have in the squad (pilkington / howson/ butterfield / hoolahan)

[GJP 79]

[quote user="Indy_Bones"]
Someone like Daniel Ginczek from Dortmund would be worth a look, along with some other options from the Bundesliga.

Thoughts?
[/quote]

What''s he like? Playing style? What can he do with the ball? I can''t see I''ve ever seen him play but then I don''t watch much Bundesliga either.

 

From what I can tell he has played very little first team football.

[Thirsty Lizard 3,155]

Absolutely agree Bovril - A journalist once asked the late, great Bob Paisley who was the quickest, Kevin Keegan or Kenny Dalglish?

Paisley thought for a second and then replied: "Keegan runs faster, but Dalglish is thinking while he''s running!"

[Salopian 1]

Unless there is some reassurance about Vaughan''s fitness, I think that we need another striker, and this should be nearer the top of the priorities. I am not convinced by Jackson as a goal scorer at this level - he needs to have a bit more than being able to tap the ball in, but I do not question his work rate or his commitment nor, increasingly, his supply to others .

 

The jury must be out a little on Morison. How many goals could he score in a full season? We just do not know.

 

We need a striker who can convert chances regularly and well. Holt has demonstrated that he can, but we need another striker with mobility and a good shot with either foot.

 

To some extent we ought to find more goals coming from defence - Whittaker, and midfield - Butterfield to add to Surman, Pilkington (and Bennett E, I hope.) We are too dependent on Holt. The only time it seemed that he not risen to the challenge was when he took several weeks to recover from a knock. If he had a similar period short of full mobility, we could be introuble. In the same way last season Morison, too, struggled  after he recovered from injury. Strikers do get knocks, because they can''t hold back, and I feel that our resources in this area are a little limited.

[mrs miggins 0]

has lappin gone?

[Bethnal Yellow and Green 1,557]

[quote user="Indy_Bones"]Similarly I think we need strong cover for E.Bennett on the right wing as otherwise we''ll end up sticking either Korey or Crofts out there as cover and neither is a proper winger. The most obvious option would be someone like Hoilett, however we could get quickly outpriced on that one although I think we should at least ask the question and go from there. Chris Burke has also been tipped for a move (probably only due to CH coming), but we could do a lot worse assuming the price is sensible.

Depending on the future of Chris Martin (or whether CH thinks Jacko is good enough for this level), then we may need another striker and we have to be looking further afield on this one if you ask me. UK based players like Rhodes are being horribly overpriced and often aren''t anything special, whereas a classy signing from Europe could be an excellent move at this stage. Someone like Daniel Ginczek from Dortmund would be worth a look, along with some other options from the Bundesliga.

Thoughts?
[/quote]

Hoilett has gone to Borussia Monchengladbach and Ginczek has gone to St Pauli. Keep up man [;)]

 

Personally I would like to see a CB come in, we are still a man down after Zak left and I have doubts about Leon and Ayala - an experienced player to go alongside Ryan Bennett would be great.

 

Whittaker can play left-back fairly comfortably.

[nutty nigel 7,509]

I don''t think you can ever have too many strikers for the reasons Salopian says. But the difficulty is attracting goalscorers to the club without virtually guaranteeing first team football. A proven premier league striker would expect to start when fit so the policy of signing young hungry players making a step up is a good one. But it''s still abit of an "informed wing and a prayer". Holt was such a player last season but is now proven. Morison is a long way to being proven too. Jackson hasn''t really had an extended run but has looked good ikn all but his finishing. And Vaughan we really have no idea.

 

 

[Jacko 0]

The priority is definitely a left back and another central defender. An additional centre forward would also be nice but I still think Steve Morison can be very effective for us this season and I hope he gets given the chance to show it. He can get goals at this level as he showed between September and Christmas.

[Indy_Bones 441]

[quote user="Bethnal Yellow and Green"]Hoilett has gone to Borussia Monchengladbach and Ginczek has gone to St Pauli. Keep up man [;)][/quote]That''s odd because as of today I was under the impression that Hoilett was dragging his heels on a move the Germany as he''d prefer to stay in the prem - something that''s also alluded to here:[url]http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/9795706.Sunderland_to_rekindle_their_interest_in_Hoilett/[/url]Also Ginczek is purely on loan so unless there''s a non-recall clause as part of the deal, we could easily bring him in if we wanted to.As for what sort of player he is, he reminds me of a quicker, more technical Peter Crouch, but who isn''t quite as strong in the air. He''s certainly got a mean shot on him, and he''s still pretty raw, although 2 in 5 for the Germany U21 side isn''t bad either, and he''d probably have got more games if it wasn''t for the high level of competition in their squad.I agree that a CB should be a priority, although if we were to sign Naughton I''d be happy enough with either Martin or Whittaker in the middle.

[PurpleCanary 5,554]

[quote user="Bovril"]You don''t necessarily need raw pace from players, you need the pace upstairs in the brain. Using the extreme best example, Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas. These are not renowned for their pace (although the latter two aren''t slow either) but have a lightning fast football brain to match their technique. We scored a large percentage of our goals from counter-attacking football last year with the only real change in the squad (pace wise) being Kyle Naughton. I agree with the OP with where additions are needed with maybe another loan coming in for full-back and a lethal finisher / a penalty box striker to utilise the amount of creativity we now have in the squad (pilkington / howson/ butterfield / hoolahan)[/quote]

 

I agree only up to a point. If it''s a binary choice between someone who is physically fast but braindead and someone who is not fast but thinks quickly then I''ll take the latter. But physical pace is an asset in a squad, to complement the quick thinking. It forces defences to adjust. And we don''t have it, apart from Jackson, who I don''t think is really PL quality, and Elliott Bennett to an extent.

[Bethnal Yellow and Green 1,557]

[quote user="Indy_Bones"][quote user="Bethnal Yellow and Green"]Hoilett has gone to Borussia Monchengladbach and Ginczek has gone to St Pauli. Keep up man [;)][/quote]
That''s odd because as of today I was under the impression that Hoilett was dragging his heels on a move the Germany as he''d prefer to stay in the prem - something that''s also alluded to here:
[url]http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/9795706.Sunderland_to_rekindle_their_interest_in_Hoilett/[/url]

Also Ginczek is purely on loan so unless there''s a non-recall clause as part of the deal, we could easily bring him in if we wanted to.

As for what sort of player he is, he reminds me of a quicker, more technical Peter Crouch, but who isn''t quite as strong in the air. He''s certainly got a mean shot on him, and he''s still pretty raw, although 2 in 5 for the Germany U21 side isn''t bad either, and he''d probably have got more games if it wasn''t for the high level of competition in their squad.

I agree that a CB should be a priority, although if we were to sign Naughton I''d be happy enough with either Martin or Whittaker in the middle.
[/quote]

Strange about Hoilett - I was told by someone at Mochengladbach that he had signed - maybe there was an 11th minute change of plan, or Hoilett is now pushing for a little more cash. Either way with the offer on the table I can''t see Norwich being able to match it.

 

A player can''t sign for 3 clubs in one transfer window so would have to wait until January at least to sign Ginczek - having seen him play a couple of times I also feel he doesn''t have anything to offer Norwich in the short term, not that Dortmund will sell him of course.

[Michael Starr 519]

Can see at least four from that original squad list which will probably not be at CR this season also:-Potential outbound loans:-SteerFrancombSmithAdeyemiPotentil outbound sales:-Martin

[Block E Buh 0]

I think Crofts and Lappin will move on, Crofts hasnt really proven himself at this level and we now have quite a large midfield. A right winger is needed if we go 4-4-2 but if we play the diamond to accommodate butterfield it might not be needed, I could see a need to replace Zak though, if we do have all this money, we havent really spent so far so a goalscorer and a centre back would probably be a good shout though.

[Indy_Bones 441]

Whilst BMG can probably offer a better financial package than we can, we can keep him in the Prem at the highest level, we have great facilities, ground and fans, along with an excellent manager who really appears to be a player favourite.Unless he''s simply looking to grab money, I''d argue that we''re the better option at the minute if he wants regular football in the top flight.I''ll be honest when I say I''m not 100% sure on the regs regarding the 3 clubs in a year rule and how this applies to loanee players, however during this window if Ginczek were to be recalled before playing a game for St.Pauli could it be argued that he''s never officially played for them so could be transferred as per normal? Even so it''s probably more hassle than the club would want to make and there''s no guarantee that they want to sell or that he''d want to come, but it''s this type of player I think we should be looking at in regards to strikers.Young, technically proficient, not lacking in pace and who won''t cost the earth or demand to play every single week.I think the could do a job as an impact sub for us at this point, whereas in a couple of years he''ll probably one of the first names on the teamsheet for whichever club he''s at by that point and we won''t be able to afford him...