Strengthening for next season.

epfou1 said:

I would like to see and i have ranked them in terms of priorities:

1. Goal scoring center midfielder - Tim Cahill would be perfect
2. Backup goalkeeper
3. Left winger - basically the clone of Lennon for the left side. A fast, attacking winger thats gets to the byline.
4. Striker - Maybe, depends what happens with Gudjohsen and Keane.

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1. where would Tim Cahill play in a 4-4-2?

3. Gareth Bale

epfou1 said:

I would like to see and i have ranked them in terms of priorities:

1. Goal scoring center midfielder - Tim Cahill would be perfect
2. Backup goalkeeper
3. Left winger - basically the clone of Lennon for the left side. A fast, attacking winger thats gets to the byline.
4. Striker - Maybe, depends what happens with Gudjohsen and Keane.

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1. where will he play unless we're getting rid of 1-2 out of modric, hudd, palacios, sandro, jenas.

2. yes we need one. no idea who though

3. ashley young

4. a drogba-like striker after getting rid of either keane or pav

epfou1 said:

3. Left winger - basically the clone of Lennon for the left side. A fast, attacking winger thats gets to the byline.

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That's the future for Danny Rose.
Hope we don't buy too many players, there need to be some space in the squad to come through as a youngster as well. Most of our key players in the current squad grew into the team from teenage years (Bale, Lennon, Hudd, Dawson, King)

The key signings have to be upfront as our recent run of games has demonstrated we lack a striker of the rooney/berba/drogba/torres/van persie quality. This would be the one area where we should look to spend 20mil (Dzeko looks the obvious candidate if we can persuade him) elsewhere it is more about back up, first for Gomes and secondly for Lennon/Bale

TEESSIDE1 said:

We should still be looking for upgrades....but I don't mean wholesale changes.

Despite how well we've done, we still had some poor loses against the rubbish teams and were not leagues above Man C or Villa.

Back up GK is a must - someone like Lewis/the previous young keepers we've been linked with.

I personally think BAE has a tendancy to go AWOL.... how about the converted left back N'Zogbia?

If Woodgate is finished... maybe take a punt on Kjaer?

Pacey cover/experienced cover for Lennon/Bale.

If Jenas and/or O'Hara are to leave, another experienced centre mid would be welcome, especially with the amount of games were likely to play next season.

Upfront... our strikers are way too hit and miss.... Dzeko, definately and a pacey forward... maybe a cheeky bid for Agbonlahor. Ditch Keane and Crouch with the assumption that Gudjohnsen goes back to Monaco.

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This happens with every team...even Champions (just look at the Chavs this year).

The last time I looked Bale was , by definition, a full-back who can also play (very well) on the wing, and is doing so because we have an injury crisis:shrug:

ziggy said:

Or maybe someone to give him some real chances on goal ? Since Lennons injury he hasn't had a lot of real service to pounce upon has he ?

So maybe it;s not the strikers but the playmakers ?

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90 something attempts on goal and 0 goals in the games against Hull, Stoke, Wolves and Pompey would suggest otherwise.

I do think we should offload Keane now while he still has value, anything over £8 million I think would be a good deal now.

O'Hara will probably fetch us £5 million, likely destination, at a guess I'd say Fulham.

Jenas, with Sandro coming in now I can't see much first team football for him, £7.5 million for him maybe giving us a total of £20.5 million to play with.

That would buy us Dzeko's right leg :lol:

Just posted this in another thread:
I really hope we keep the comings and goings to an absolute minimum.

To come in, I'd like to see:
Young back up keeper (say one of Loach, Westwood or Lewis)
Joe Cole if we can get him without breaking our wage structure
A top striker

It would also be good to continue the policy that has served us so well of signing good young players. We've already been linked with Conor Wickham but I'd also be keen to see the likes of Miles Addison at Derby, Nathaniel Clyne at Palace and Adam Lallana at Southampton come in.

What with the new squad limit of 25 players ...

GK - Gomes / Cudicini / ?
RB - Corluka / Naughton
CB - Dawson / Kaboul
CB - King / Bassong
LB - Bale / Ekotto
RM - Lennon / Bentley
CM - Palacios / Sandro
CM - Modric / Huddlestone
LM - ? / Kranjcar
CF - Defoe / Pavlyuchenko
CF - ? / Crouch

Plus ... Gudjohnsen, Woodgate

OUT ... Keane, Jenas, Hutton, O'Hara, Giovani, Taarabt should bring in over £20m

We haven't just spent big money on Naughton, to then go splash out even more on what would be our fourth right back.

Woodgate fitness permitting, as like Gudjohnsen, his experience will be invaluable.

Plus we need to continue our policy of investing in youth.

Leaving ...

YOUNG GOALKEEPER - One of Loach/Westwood/Lewis/Schmiechel

LEFT MIDFIELDER - Ashley Young (or someone else with pace similar to Lennon)

CENTRE FORWARD - Edin Dzeko (or another clinical finishing big no.9)

... and to sign up Eidur Gudjohnsen.

*this is providing Harry doesn't see Bale as a Left Midfielder, then we'd need a left back ... who though? Can't really see anyone realistically better than Ekotto, meaning back-up for which we've got Kyle Walker.

Cudicini is out of contract shortly.

I'm not convinced we need a LM - I'd rather see Rose or Townsend given a chance.

mil1lion said:

We need a few experienced players who have played in the Champions League.

Darijo Srna, Marcos Senna, Luis Fabiano and a backup keeper.

PS - Berbatov no, but Carrick maybe

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I was thinking about Fabiano too. I wonder if Sevilla would deal with us though? He would be guaranteed 25 goals in the Premier League IMO.

We can forget about Dzeko, he will only go to one of the European super clubs.

Durrrr said:

1. where would Tim Cahill play in a 4-4-2?

3. Gareth Bale

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Tim Cahill would not get anwhere near our first XI IMO

guy said:

Tim Cahill would not get anwhere near our first XI IMO

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That is bold statement... Best goalscoring midfield record outside of the previous top 4 (hehe loved writing that).

Solid cover for Gomes and a top quality striker seems to be the main theme,and i cant disagree with that.The striker is the headache though,a top notch, in the worlds top 10 kind of striker is what we need, but can we really attract such a player or afford him?

I think we need a top quality Centre Back, a quick right back (not sure about Glen Johnson, seems a bit dodgy defensively) and a Rooney-esqe Big Number 9.

I absolutely love the way we are all now able to look forward with so much more optimism now! Exciting times!

Goalkeeper should be top priority for harry methinks. Just think if Gomes hadn't been passed fit to play last night. Carlo might not play again and Alnwick might never get the chance. I don't really have any suggestions other than a cheeky bid for kirkland. Would be great back up for Gomes.

Left sided Midfielder would be good too and a Left back top challenge Ekotto. We have been seriously lacking there for years and this run with BAE and Bale playing on that side has given us so much balance it's crazy. I realise that Danny Rose is left footed but apart from "that Goal" we know very little about him, so maybe we could be doing with the cover there.

Centre Half. Controversial I know but Woody's crocked, Ledley will be th same next season (in and Out of the team). Daws and Bassong have done great this year but I still feel light there. I know Kaboul can play there (my word he was good last night against Bellamy) but maybe another who has experience, something to offer, maybe already at a Champions League club would be a good purchase.

I also feel we need a striker. Don't get me wrong, I really think that we have goals in the team with the strikers we have, but I can't help thinking that a different sort is needed. Somebody like a Berbatov (but not him) would be good.

So here is my wish list.

Kirkland - experienced Premiership keeper, good shot stopper, unfortunate to have Bramble as protection in front of his goal

Micah Richards - can play two positions, is a Harry Rednapp signing if ever there was one ie. promising player who's lost his way, would be great cover for ledley or Woody or Daws and is effective on the right.

Bellamy - I can't help thinking that if he played for us we'd all love him. His is quick, direct, carries a great goal threat and is committed when playing. Again he would flourish I feel under Harryt and his embrace and handshake and smiles with Harry after the match last night suggest a bond already there.

As for striker...........I'm really not sure about this. Maybe the world cup will throw up a few players we might not have seen so far, so for me it's a case of wait and see, however I do think one would be a good move.

Sorry this is so long, COME ON YOU SPURS

ok huge pinch of salt needed but a mate of mine works a golf course the Pat Jennings and a lot of others involved in football play at. One guy up there is a football agent and recons that Joe Cole to spurs is as good as done.

Apparently city offered him bundles but he wants to come to us.

Probably because of CL footy!! (hee hee! loved writing that bit!)


true or not, what are the thoughts of joe Cole fitting into our side?

HertsYid said:

ok huge pinch of salt needed but a mate of mine works a golf course the Pat Jennings and a lot of others involved in football play at. One guy up there is a football agent and recons that Joe Cole to spurs is as good as done.

Apparently city offered him bundles but he wants to come to us.

Probably because of CL footy!! (hee hee! loved writing that bit!)


true or not, what are the thoughts of joe Cole fitting into our side?

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I think wages would be an issue here, If he's leaving Chelsea because they won't pay his wage demands then I don't hold out much hope that we could, unless of course the whole wage demands thing is actually just spin and he wants to move and play regularly.

StartingPrice said:

But I am not talking about personal opinions. It is not my opinnion that Bale is a full-back, or that he is a better full-back than a winger. It is a fact.
Simple:
Bale says he is a full-back;
Bale says he sees his future as a full-back;
Bale practices on his defending in training to make himself a better full-back;
'Arry says he see him predominantly as a full-back;
'Arry says he see his future predominantly at full-back;
'Arry has him practice defending in training to make him a more effective full-back;
The Club list him officially as a full-back (check the OS).

Now, at no popint in those seven statements of fact have I said 'I think', or 'I want' or 'I believe'. They are seven facts coming directly from the people who matter, saying that he is a full-back...he can also play on the wing, and play there very effectively, but that is a different issue. The fact (FACT) which I stated in my original post, is that he is BY DEFINITION a full-back...i.e. the people who matter definie him as a full-back. I wasn't responding to anyone's post who siad that their opinion was that Bale would be a better winger than full-back; or that we should convert Bale from a full-back to a winger. I was specifically responding to those, who despite this being explained to them several times, still persist in referring to Bale as though he were BY DEFINITION a winger, when he is BY DEFINITION a full-back. Get it:shrug:

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Bale = Direct, pacey runner when he's got the ball. Lovely touch, control and a trick or two to beat his man. Will track back but ultimately isn't the best at defending.

These are Bales strengths, and to my mind, THE DEFINITION of a good winger.

I've just realized that I could also have been describing Lennon as well who, BY DEFINITION, isn't a full back.

A definition should set out the essential attributes of the thing defined.

He might want to play at LB but BY DEFINITION he isn't.

EDIT: At least not at the moment.:razz: