Post finishing 4th ITK

[fazza]

hehe feels weird saying that doesn't it?

Just a tad. There's always Stefan Keissling :shrug:

 

[fazza]

Whatever happened to Keirrison the Brazilian youngster, is he still at Barca?

 

[nailsy]

Because he is destined for one of the European super clubs. Milan, Real, Chelsea. He is beyond us.

So you don't think we should even try to sign him? Just because someone else might be interested? I know it's unlikely that we'll get him but we've qualified for the champions league, we have money to spend and he's not going to get champions league football with Wolfsberg. Can Milan afford him? Don't they still have financial worries? Chelsea are meant to be after Torres and Real will probably try to sign whoever the big star of the world cup is (Hopefully it will be Rooney). City probably want him, but would he go there now?

 

[McFlash]

Hmmm, not sure I'd want Et'o...
He's shit-hot, don't get me wrong but he's not quite right for our needs IMO.
Plus the fact that he's snubbed us a couple of times now (if my memory serves me right), so he can feck off - we can afford to be choosy now we're a "Big Club". A "Champions League Club". "One of the Sky 4".

(just getting used to the feel of it!!!!).

 

[The Apprentice]

We dont need Diarra - we've just spunked a load of money on Sandro.

 

[whitelightwhiteheat]

If we sign Muntari AND Lass Diarra - where are we going to play them?!

We have enough problems, for me, fitting Palacios, Modric, Hudd and the incoming Sandro into 2 positions in the middle of the park.

Even if this signals a change in formation (I was kind of envisioning 4-2-3-1, not sure though...) where would we play them all?!

I was wondering the other night, could Hudd play in behind a front two? My initial thinking was no, to be honest.

Any thoughts?

 

[jonnyp]

Break the bank for Dzeko.

 

[WhiteHart4Ever]

Tbh only read 1st and 4th page, so dunno if this has been said or not yet, but we've seen many times in the past that we go pretty far on a couple of deals for the same positions and then end up with just one. Think this was the case with the Bassong deal last summer, as Samba was always pretty much secured and then we just went for Bassong. I reckon Diarra is 1st choice and Muntari back-up. As we'll be winning both CL and the FA Cup next season we need another CM (we dont really know how good Sandro is now, do we?). Diarra, a top notch No 9 (Benzema, Dzeko) and possibly better back-up for Lennon and we're pretty much title contenders (IMEHO)..

 

[JKD76]

Would anyone class that Cadozo at Benfica as top notch ? Maybe could do well for us ?

 

[stevenurse]

As I said in an earlier post, cardozo is class mate, big and strong, good in the air and on the deck and a good finisher.

 

[Knarf44]

When I read the opinions about who we should go for I can't help but think about the comments made by Gigi Buffoon about Man City not being attractive to the World's top players and that the best players only want to play for the top 3 teams in the best 3 leagues. Unfortunately, being new members to the CL Club but having no previous track record in it, it seems likely that we may be limited to trying for players who have already fallen down the pecking order at established CL Clubs or those at Clubs who narrowly missed CL qualification.

In my opinion we would be wasting our time talking about players who are already at Clubs that have automatically qualified for the CL Group stages.

 

[spurs2986]

This makes sense to me, we need to add some steel in our Team so we can beat the likes of Stoke, Wolves and Sunderland. We have all the classy ball players we need, but we need some grit for the tough CL games that we have coming next season.

 

[yozza]

Would anyone class that Cadozo at Benfica as top notch ? Maybe could do well for us ?

Definately worthy of some serious consideration.
Dzeko would also be a great capture.

Anybody think that Bojan may be an optionnow that Pedro is banging goals in for fun?

 

[Kushal]

We need winners, experienced winners at that.

 

[chinaman]

I think we should put a 30m bid in for Rooney for a laugh. Show Man U we are not a selling club anymore.

I like that. Throw in one of our young goalie as make weight. Hahaha.

 

[spurs2986]

I want us to raid Villa for Young, Man City for Richards, Liverpool for Gerrard. Not that we actually want them but I want to pressure their team like the top 4 have pressured ours over the year.

 

[coldasice199]

Luiz Suarez of Ajax

 

[littlemandefoe]

Get aguero!

 

[markiespurs]

If were are going for a £30 million pound player, then we should put a bid in for Gerrard, after all, we can offer him Champions league football :grin:

 

[StartingPrice]

I’m sure he does love 4-4-2. But we will need to be able to play 2 systems next year, like the top sides do. He knows this. This is why he is after players that can play in both systems. Bellamy, Altintop, Pienaar, Diarra, Muntari. All these players that have been strongly linked can do just that. We also have many players already that could- Modric, Hudd, Lennon, Bale, even Bentley. Flexibility is key in modern day football. That's why so many debates about people's best position aren't that important I don't think.

We will see both systems next year is my bet. I love the way he builds a squad. I genuinely see why he is after every player we are linked with.

Yeah, I know, and I'm not saying there haven't been times when I haven't thought 'Arry would be better playing a 4-5-1 - I have.
But 'Arry is quite a simple coach in some ways. He likes to play players in position. He likes to play 4-4-2. I know he sometimes plays players out of position, and I am pretty sure he understands the 4-5-1 system and it's pros and cons. It is just, like I said, on an average day, he would, I believe, prefer to play a 4-4-2 with all the players in their proper psoition, and then it is more about his motivational skills, and the job the backroom staff have done in fitness and conditioning.
Just an observation.

No overauling of the squad - definite.

Keep most of the squad together - also a definite.

'Dead wood' to get rid of? Don't really see that many players that will be jettisoned - JJ (very probable), O'Hara (possible), Keane (possible), Bentley (improbable), Pav (now doubtful)

One thing to bear in mind is that we have two very, very important priorities next season - League performance and the Champions League.

We have to, have to, maintain or improve our League standing and finish in the Top 4 again. That has to be the Holy Grail for next season. To get in once and then fail to replicate it will be damaging to the club - players both on the books and off will not see us as genuine contenders if we can't get back in. And players such as Modric and Bale (even if they are on long contracts) may be far easier to land by other clubs if we can't offer them CL football again.

The CL is also important in order to generate revenue for the club, allowing us to offer higher wages and attract higher calibre players.

With that in mind, would four CMs -Palacios, Hudd, Modric (nominally), and Sandro be enough?

This, pretty much...but remember, everyone, Modric has been playing in the middle due to an injury crisis. I am not saying whether I would prefer him in any particular position...just it is not a given that Modric is now a central midfielder.