Jump to content
Sign in to follow this  
The Voice Of Reason

8 New Players

Recommended Posts

Not sure we need that many tbh. I''d rather we concentrated on getting 2 or 3 real quality players like RVW. Continuity is important and signing 8 players, unless many of them are u21, is going to mean a fair bit of last season''s 25 man squad will be off.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Well if that 8 includes RVW and Garrido it may not be too far wide of the mark. I agree that we do not want or indeed need wholesale changes but we have released quite a lot of fringe players whose contracts have expired and there are other contracted players who will be fortunate to get much if any football with us this coming season. Whilst 6 may be on the high side we know we need cover at LB and Centre Half. Another winger and midfielder have been talked about and possibly another striker. We want better quality and also strength in depth. There must also be the possibility of an odd departure which may not be expected although I hope not

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

[quote user="Dandy Mountfarto"]Not sure we need that many tbh. I''d rather we concentrated on getting 2 or 3 real quality players like RVW. Continuity is important and signing 8 players, unless many of them are u21, is going to mean a fair bit of last season''s 25 man squad will be off.
[/quote]

I would disagree here?...the biggest reason as to why we tailed off so badly in the 2nd half of the season was through the fact that although Hughton named a squad of ''25'' in January...to all intents and purposes ,we were actually running with a squad of about 16.

rightly or wrongly Hughton had decided that a large proportion of our squad were simply not good enough, either to be in a matchday squad or to come off the bench and make a difference in a game. We were threrefore left flogging the same players using the same tactics week in ,week out, with no alternatives.

Our priority is ,come 1st Sept to have a full list of 25 players who are ''all'' capable of doing a job at Premiership level when called upon.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I agree with a lot of what has been said so far.

If you look at the players we have left from last season and that have contracts into the new season and will count towards the 25:

GK: Ruddy, Bunn, Rudd.

DF: Martin, Whittaker, Bassong, Turner, R.Bennett, Garrido, Barnett and Ayala.

MF: E.Bennett, Fox, Surman, Johnson, Tettey, Howson, Pilkington, Snodgrass, Hoolahan, Butterfield.

STR: Holt, Becchio, RVW, Vaughan.

25 players including RVW and Garrido. So the question is who would you cut to make space for the other six?

Although to be fair, if they are like Redmond and young enough to not have to count towards the 25 then it is a bonus.

I''d say any of the following are on unsteady grounds (in no particular order): Barnett, Ayala, Fox, Vaughan, Butterfield and probably due to a lack of football last season Surman. I have said before that E.Bennett could be the shock mover but I think he is probably valued more highly than the others.

The key will be hanging onto the players we want to keep although strangely I see all this new money will probably make teams think they can do better . . . .

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

A new striker, attacking midfielder, 2 wingers and left back cover.

The last few seasons we have brought in 8 or. So players in to the team. I do think we will loan out players again and hence our squad numbers will diminish.

Butterfield, fox, Vaughan, Ayala I would not expect to see at carrow road in the 25 man named squad. I do think eb may need to look at where he will get games from. I do think we will get in players that will add genuine quality but it will be good to move our team as a whole up a grade as our midfield ad strikers last season struggled.

Can''t wait for this summer

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
It''s not based on how many we believe to be correct, the number 8 was simply the words McNally used, he ought to know.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Excellent news - plenty  of scope (& need) to get 6 better quality players into the squad from front to back and I would say there are may not even be 6 players in that 25 who are guaranteed starters next season and thats why we need to buy. 

 

so glad we are not sitting on our laurels and are looking to up the quality.  

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
If Barnett and Ayala go I think we''ll almost definitely get another CB in. You really need two players for each position at the back. Especially if you think there were times last season where we were missing two players out of Turner, Whittaker and Bassong. Luckily we survived most of that without suspensions but one more player gone and we could have been shafted.

CB, LB, AM and either one striker and two wingers or two strikers and one winger.

I also think some of the players that come in might be a little bit more tactically flexible. As in they could be a striker that is capable of playing on the wing or like Ola Toivonen a player that can play in midfield or up front.

It appears to me that Hughton wanted more choice last season but wasn''t able to do much with a team that had been set up to really only play one way the previous season.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

[quote user="Number 9"]It''s not based on how many we believe to be correct, the number 8 was simply the words McNally used, he ought to know.[/quote]

 

Well I''m blowed.  Someone going with the asserted facts and not just riding a hobby horse.

 

Almost a first.

 

And, incidentally, McNally was at a charity event this weekend.  See his twitter for details.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I''m sorry for my appalling thread, reporting facts rather than imagining things, try this;

My friend, who knows a part time cleaner for someone living on the same complex as someone close to an unamed source, has it on good authority that we will be signing a player before the end of the transfer window.

This may or may not include Garrido.

You heard it here first.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
The problem is we don''t have infinite money. If it came down to getting rid of Fox, Surman, and Butterfield, and then buying 3 new centre mids for £3/4m a piece, or keeping 2 of them and splurging on a real quality £8-10m midfielder, I think the latter is a better option.We know Surman and Fox are capable squad players at this level, although Hughton clearly disagrees with that with respect to Fox, and Butterfield impressed me a lot playing for Barnsley so I''d hope we''d give him a chance this season to see if he''s over his injuries.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I can''t see us getting rid of Butterfield, the guy still has three years left on his contract. Unless someone puts in a bid equal to what we paid (around the 1 million mark) I can''t see us getting rid of him yet.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I think we were always going to need several spots filled, based on guys released (Tierney in particular) and with a few likely to go (Leon et al). I believe we currently have a squad of 23, and that is with 2 signings already; 8 is probably top-end of expectations but I''m not going to argue with our CEO!

When you consider that our second XI lost to Luton, you could easily argue that we need greater depth in most places. We will be after a mix of first-choice picks and back-up, all strengthening our options.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Based on Chicken''s list  and assuming RVW, Garrido and Toivonen all form part of McNally''s eight:GK: Ruddy, Bunn, Steer (who is under 21 and so doesn''t count) in place of Rudd.Fullbacks: R Martin, Whittaker, Garrido, a new left-back/versatile defender.Centrebacks: Bassong, Turner, R.Bennett, (plus R Martin?), a new centre-back in place of Barnett and Ayala.Wingers: Surman, Pilkington, Snodgrass, a new winger in place of E Bennett (or Surman).Centre midfield: Johnson, Tettey, Howson, Hoolahan, a new midfielder in place of Fox and Butterfield.Strikers: Holt, Becchio, RVW, Toivonen in place of Vaughan.

That brings in seven players in all (including RVW, Garrido and Toivonen), so allowing for either another addition to make McNally''s eight, or settling for seven, since things don''t always go as planned. It provides a squad of 23 players over 21, so flexibility to hang on to a player or two on the margins, or to bring in that extra player (possibly even a late loan deal).But it does assume we will get Toivonen, and that we want him primarily as a striker. Neither might be true. Even if both are true where this putative squad looks thinnest is in the striking department.Of those needed to be got rid of Rudd could go on loan for the season, as could some of the others. My guess is that Barnett will be sold, and probably Ayala, and Fox.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
You need a mix - so long as squad players are better than what they are replacing, they improve what we have and by definition increase the quality of the squad. I don''t think, with the best will in the world, that we can afford to buy 8 first-choice starters in one transfer window, and nor do I think we would want to as gelling them into a team could take a while.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

[quote user="Branston Pickle"]You need a mix - so long as squad players are better than what they are replacing, they improve what we have and by definition increase the quality of the squad. I don''t think, with the best will in the world, that we can afford to buy 8 first-choice starters in one transfer window, and nor do I think we would want to as gelling them into a team could take a while.[/quote]

 

Probably true, BP, but it is so much a squad game now. Looking back, in the summer of 2011, ie our first back in the PL, we brought in eight players and let go 11, and last summer brought in seven and let go six. So the idea of eight this summer is not at all far-fetched, especially as it is Hughton''s first real chance to shape the squad with some long-term perspective.

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

[quote user="Bert sneakers"]Purple...

You change that to hooper in place of becchio and that could just be there[/quote]

 

Or better still in place of Holt...[;)][:D][:D]

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
[quote user="GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary"]

[quote user="Dandy Mountfarto"]Not sure we need that many tbh. I''d rather we concentrated on getting 2 or 3 real quality players like RVW. Continuity is important and signing 8 players, unless many of them are u21, is going to mean a fair bit of last season''s 25 man squad will be off.[/quote]

I would disagree here?...the biggest reason as to why we tailed off so badly in the 2nd half of the season was through the fact that although Hughton named a squad of ''25'' in January...to all intents and purposes ,we were actually running with a squad of about 16.

rightly or wrongly Hughton had decided that a large proportion of our squad were simply not good enough, either to be in a matchday squad or to come off the bench and make a difference in a game. We were threrefore left flogging the same players using the same tactics week in ,week out, with no alternatives.

Our priority is ,come 1st Sept to have a full list of 25 players who are ''all'' capable of doing a job at Premiership level when called upon.

[/quote]I disagree. Far better to maintain a team spirit with a smaller nucleus of quality players than just fill 25 places for the sake of it. I''d rather have a few more top quality players that can play regularly than a lot of extras that never make the match day squad. Also, keeping a smaller squad will allow us to pay better and attract quality rather than average down the wages and keep ''dross'' that will never play a Prem match in a 25 man squad.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

[quote user="Number 9"]I''m sorry for my appalling thread, reporting facts rather than imagining things, try this; My friend, who knows a part time cleaner for someone living on the same complex as someone close to an unamed source, has it on good authority that we will be signing a player before the end of the transfer window. This may or may not include Garrido. You heard it here first.[/quote]

 

Thank you "Number 9" - that''s far more plausible than the original factual offering!

 

Can you imagine the melt down this board would go into if people kept reporting facts?? [Y]

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
[quote user="paul moy"][quote user="GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary"]

[quote user="Dandy Mountfarto"]Not sure we need that many tbh. I''d rather we concentrated on getting 2 or 3 real quality players like RVW. Continuity is important and signing 8 players, unless many of them are u21, is going to mean a fair bit of last season''s 25 man squad will be off.[/quote]

I would disagree here?...the biggest reason as to why we tailed off so badly in the 2nd half of the season was through the fact that although Hughton named a squad of ''25'' in January...to all intents and purposes ,we were actually running with a squad of about 16.

rightly or wrongly Hughton had decided that a large proportion of our squad were simply not good enough, either to be in a matchday squad or to come off the bench and make a difference in a game. We were threrefore left flogging the same players using the same tactics week in ,week out, with no alternatives.

Our priority is ,come 1st Sept to have a full list of 25 players who are ''all'' capable of doing a job at Premiership level when called upon.

[/quote]I disagree. Far better to maintain a team spirit with a smaller nucleus of quality players than just fill 25 places for the sake of it. I''d rather have a few more top quality players that can play regularly than a lot of extras that never make the match day squad. Also, keeping a smaller squad will allow us to pay better and attract quality rather than average down the wages and keep ''dross'' that will never play a Prem match in a 25 man squad. [/quote]

all fine in principle but a few injuries or suspensions down the line and what then?......or not having the real ''quality'' to come of the bench to affect a game if we''re behind?

we must never,never again be in a situation where we''re playing the likes of Harry Kane up front on his own in a Premiership match.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Purple...

I should imagine holt would be more beneficial to the squad than becchiWho, especially as CH didn''t even want to use him when we was gagging for a striker.

Bet he wished he had stayed at Leeds now.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I was there as well. To be fair he said 5,6,7 or 8 new players. Including some international signings. Also said some of existing squad would have to move on

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

×
×
  • Create New...