Mail article

[Uncle Cyril's handlebars]

Sack the lot of them, they've all been by and large shiiiiiiiiiite all season

 

[sageyefc]

Baines's game is based around intelligence and reading of the game, not his physical attributes. He can play at the top level for quite a few years yet.
For all that Garbutt has shown promise and attacking flair he has also shown he has distinct flaws to his game defensively. Positionally he gets caught out and doesn't really ever get close enough to attackers to snuff out and block balls into the box. Certainly not a complete player yet.
You don't sell your best players. If anyone goes Oviedo or Garbutt does. Besides I highly doubt we'd get 15 million given his age, so not enough to make it worthwhile selling him.

This ^


I agree if we could get a certain amount for him we should sell before we have another cahill or even arteta moment were we hang on for a year or 2 too long and dont get the true value. But i cant see anyone giving us enough to make it worthwhile to sell him, he still has his uses for a season or two yet

 

[marty mcfly]

I don't think any of them apart from Distin and Alcaraz are coming to the end of their contracts because if not they will be here next season.

I would add Mirallas to that list whether he wants to go or not. He's 27 so this would be our last opportunity to get decent money, he plays for himself and his attitude sucks and now the Europa League is gone I would give him permission to talk to other clubs and let him train with the U21s. There's honestly no reason to play him now in the league and I wouldn't want him getting injured.

We wouldn't get much for Baines and Baines wouldn't want to go so lets not even have that discussion. He stayed with us and has been fantastic and I'm more than happy to allow him to see out his contract or until he wants to leave to go to the MLS or whatever. The only question is how to we organize the team so Garbutt is either or 1st choice or plays the majority of the games. At 22 I can understand that he needs to.

The rest are fine.

 

[marty mcfly]

Martinez should be told now what cash he can expect this summer so he can plan the outgoings. This season he knows he made a massive mistake in retaining players he should have got rid of. He cant make that error again. I'd like to see a lot of players coming into the club and promotion of players we have already.

Hands up: Garbutt is the future at LB not Baines. He needs signing quickly. He's not brilliant, but he's better than Baines right now. The likes of Ledson and Long need their chances handed to them. Browning looks ok and should be given more game time too. No idea about Galloway, but let's hand him an opportunity pre-season. Robles needs to be promoted to GK #1 and a deputy for him found (or other way around).

Players we need rid of: Howard, Pienaar, Alcarez, Distin, Hibbert, Kone.
Players I wouldn't much care if we let go: Barry, McGeady, Jagileka, Mirallas, Naismith.

(All those in bold I expect to be gone for one reason or another this summer).

Why do you think that?

Except for Distin he still plays them every game when he can.

 

[messymascot]

I agree it will be nearer to £10 million but its still more than the other 2. His form is already dropping off and its only going to go one way. Also defensively in my opinion he's never been great but that was covered up by how much of an asset he was going forward. At 30 his defensive play is unlikely to improve at 21 Garbutt has the potential to improve. I'd keep Oviedo as he is more versatile and given he plays for Costa Rica being a non starter won't affect his international career.

 

[Caolam]

It is a new low when the Mail seems to be able to identify the problems in your club better than the manager. There are some massive decisions to be made at the end of the season. I'm not confident the Roberto Martinez is the man to make those decisions. This summer will shape the fortunes of our club for the next 5 years.
We need to clear out a lot of dead wood, most of whom won't bring in big money, we need to tie down some of our developing talent and buy good players. It is a big ask.
We live in nervous times.

 

[Sarnia Kevin]

The madness on this forum! People are trying to say we have the most talented squad ever seen, and then turning round and saying the squad is full of deadwood that needs getting rid of. You can't have it both ways people!!

 

[marty mcfly]

The madness on this forum! People are trying to say we have the most talented squad ever seen, and then turning round and saying the squad is full of deadwood that needs getting rid of. You can't have it both ways people!!

I think the reality is that the drop in form due to age and the amount of injuries probably also due to age has taken a lot of people by surprise this year including the manager.

When people say we have the best squad ever they are talking really about what they thought they had at the start of the season. The reality is different. Of course if you look at the ages and the signs from last year it shouldn't have taken people by surprise.

The only positive is that we don't have Europe so therefore we don't actually need to replace most of them.

We have a few utility players so there's no need now to have 2 or even 3 players in every position. We should be clearing the deadweight and investing in the first 11. We just need to buy two quality wingers and we will raise the funds for one from the sale of Mirallas.

 

[cduff]

I wonder if Chris Long will be in the squad next year. Looks like he is doing well at Brentford. I would hope that he gets a bit of game time next season. If developed properly then he could be one for the future.

 

[SunKing]

I'd be happy enough letting all these players go if we had replacements lined up or good enough youth players to break into the squad, but I'm not sure if we do? The only one I can see definitely going is Distin. Crazy to say 'get rid of Barry', a terrible season but he's still got a year left in the squad just not as a regular starter.

I'd add to that Mail list Mirallas and any other player that doesn't want to play for this club. Whilst he has moments of brilliance; he's selfish and not as good as he thinks he is. It's cliched but I'd genuinely prefer players who actually want to play for this club whatever there ability. They are the one's who bail you out in tough times.

 

[Caolam]

The madness on this forum! People are trying to say we have the most talented squad ever seen, and then turning round and saying the squad is full of deadwood that needs getting rid of. You can't have it both ways people!!

I don't think anyone is saying we have the most talented squad ever seen. We do have a squad that is much better than our league position. We do need to play those players in the right position and in the right system. We need to buy 3 or 4 good players who will make the squad better. We seem to have a number of older players, presumably on good wages, who don't look like they are going to figure in in team. They are the dead wood.
The big summer decision is to work out a style of play that best suits the players we keep and bring in a number of new ones who will enhance the ones we have.

 

[marty mcfly]

Although younger Galloway looks the better of the two to me, Browning looks clumsy (all over the place in the mini derby) - don't see him being an answer long term.

I thought Browning looks excellent in the derby. Galloway does seem more highly rated although I've never seen him play.

 

[MACCA75]

The problem with the list - and it's pretty on the money - is when you add in Lennon and Atsu, that is 9 players leaving and virtually no money for any of them.

Now we won't need as big a squad next year, but we would still have to bring in at least 5 quality replacements, when we will likely only have the budget for one big signing.

 

[marty mcfly]

I'd be happy enough letting all these players go if we had replacements lined up or good enough youth players to break into the squad, but I'm not sure if we do? The only one I can see definitely going is Distin. Crazy to say 'get rid of Barry', a terrible season but he's still got a year left in the squad just not as a regular starter.

I'd add to that Mail list Mirallas and any other player that doesn't want to play for this club. Whilst he has moments of brilliance; he's selfish and not as good as he thinks he is. It's cliched but I'd genuinely prefer players who actually want to play for this club whatever there ability. They are the one's who bail you out in tough times.

70K a week is a lot of money to play on a squad player that I wouldn't trust in any game.

 

[marty mcfly]

Probably all correct in that article. However, I have not got much faith in Roberto's eye for a player to replace these if he did get shut of them. He chose to bring Alcaraz, Kone and Robles and I'm afraid they all appear dodgy to me.

Alcaraz is simply not good enough. Kone is def not worth £6m. Robles was improving during Howard's absence but still did not inspire confidence in those around him.

All these decisions made by RM - they look like sentiment to me.

I much prefer a passing game to Moyes' brand of percentage football but at least DM could pick a latent talent and develop it. Martinez doesn't have that capability.

It's all down to RM's ability to learn and adapt. I said exactly the same thing about Moyes after we froze 1-0 up against Liverpool in the FA Cup semi and lost - he sent them out scared and jittery and the inevitable followed. Moyes wouldn't adapt.

Can RM change his spots? Not sure but am very scared that the answer is a resounding 'no' just as it was for Moyes.

Moyes signed plenty of stinkers too.