Squad additions

[Zatara]

On a slightly different theme from my last two threads regarding our squad and youth I'd like to explore whats needed in terms of numbers and also player type.

Goalkeeper
Howard/Robles

Howard is unlikely to improve and his contract runs until 2016 so we have 1-2 years to see if Robles is able to oust him. I imagine that would be Howards last season as he would be 37/38years old by then.Cant see much happening on the keeper front for the next 2seasons.


Full Backs
Baines/Oviedo/Garbutt-Coleman/Hibbert/Browning

I was expecting Baines to be sold and Hibbert to not have his contract renewed leaving 2 first choice full-backs and 2 youngsters to push through. This seems to be the case for the right side still I believe but possibly on the left we will see Oviedo covering the whole left side and either Garbutt loaned out again or kept as understudy to Baines or even sold. Looking forward to seeing Garbutt and Browning as two english kids coming in as cover.


Centre Backs
Jagielka/Stones/Distin/Alcaraz/Duffy

I still say that Alcaraz was a pointless signing, he and Distin have a shelf life of one more season and also due to Martinez's style it's popular opinion that Duffy will be sold. This leaves Jagielka and Stones beyond 2015--they are both right sided and right footed and so we will need to bring in either a young left footer this summer to slowly integrate into the side OR sign an established player to slot straight in at the end of next season.


Centre midfield
Barkley/McCarthy/Barry/Osman/Gibson/Lundstram

Hopefully Lundstram can break through onto the bench and we can see Gibson will most likely be consistently injured until his contract expires so could be ideal timing to force his way through. It's common knowledge that we need another centre midfielder even after signing Barry (pretty much an open secret he will sign), ideally a left footer as everyone else is right footed other than Barry himself.


Wingers--Wide Midfield
Pienaar/McGeady/Mirallas

Solely looking at ages, Pienaar is no spring chicken and someone needs to be brought in to replace him. Its possible Martinez sees Mirallas and McGeady as able to fill both flanks with a younger player slowly coming off the bench for gametime.


Forwards
Kone/Naismith

Martinez commented that Kone was a great all rounder + said the same about Lukaku and now we see another similar type in Traore signing on loan. So in summer it seems logical we move for Lukaku then another similar type.


Thats a squad of 24 players and we would still ideally need to add;

Left sided centre back (If were looking at a partner long term for Stones then I would ideally like to see what young English players are out there, I think a Vidic type rather a Rio ferdinand type would fot Stones best)

Central midfielder (I'd like to see us add a young playmaker to come in alongside McCarthy. I think this opens up doors for us when teams park the bus and also it would really add another dimension to link defence and attack.

Wide midfielder/winger (For me, im hoping we can keep deulofeu for another season).

Centre forward (Contrary to others I fully believe Lukaku will sign for us.at the end of the season. If for any reason he doesnt then I think Martinez will go for a similar type player though other than seeing how traore does on loan I wouldnt have much idea who else to go for that matches-benteke?). We may evem be able to keep lukaku on loan another year.


What do you think about the above? 3-4 players maximum on permanent deals and 2 only really necessary in summer transfer window -- sounds a lot better than the doom and gloom recently.

I think we will have 30mil to spend with additions and this is going off the sales and tv money and looking back at the lescott money being splashed etc and current circumstances with new manager etc.

I think 2 loans will come in and Martinez will make 2 big money young signings.

 

[Whitty]

We'll need to expand the squad even further if we get European football next season.

 

[Zatara]

We'll need to expand the squad even further if we get European football next season.

Would we though? Didnt Mourinho comment that his ideal squad size was 20players (and im sure hed be including european football).

 

[Toffeelover]

Watched MOTD last night, while Barklay was silly to get caught like that and then rant which left the Villa player to run. Have to say I thought Howard should messed up, should never have been a goal, have to ask what was he playing at, should have gone out quicker to take the ball of the player's feet.

I have seen Howard cock up like this before so I think we do need to look at finding a Goalie to bring in, do not think Robles is good enough and never will be.

 

[formerly manx toffee]

Could take Lescott on a free and hold off CB for another year.

Barry and Lescott on frees. 3 loans, cos we love a loan and a couple to proper signings.

 

[Zatara]

Watched MOTD last night, while Barklay was silly to get caught like that and then rant which left the Villa player to run. Have to say I thought Howard should messed up, should never have been a goal, have to ask what was he playing at, should have gone out quicker to take the ball of the player's feet.

I have seen Howard cock up like this before so I think we do need to look at finding a Goalie to bring in, do not think Robles is good enough and never will be.

I think we've got till summer 2016 till howards contract expires. At the moment i can see us (failing a huge disaster) going into 2014/15 season with him and robles in the same positions as now BUT in 12months time I think we're going to either be discussing howards replacement or a new contract.

Asmir Begovic I think could be signed from stoke as they have sorensen and butland as cover. Only 26 still as well but perhaps martinez wants to wait to see how robles develops?

 

[Zatara]

Could take Lescott on a free and hold off CB for another year.

Barry and Lescott on frees. 3 loans, cos we love a loan and a couple to proper signings.

Our defence would look pretty solid then I think, hard to push distin out but imagine if we had this defence when Lescott used to play for us;

Coleman - Jagielka - Lescott - Baines
..............................Barry

I think if we had these players ourselves then Lescott may not have gone to City (in fact I think barry was there as well). That really is a title winning defence.

Stones and Distin there as well of course but then Alcaraz and Duffy would need to be offloaded.

One issue Is the rumoured 70-90k a week wages from west ham.

 

[Shaun4658]

Could take Lescott on a free and hold off CB for another year.

Barry and Lescott on frees. 3 loans, cos we love a loan and a couple to proper signings.

No thanks. I don't want that Shylock back anywhere near our club.

 

[Zatara]

No thanks. I don't want that Shylock back anywhere near our club.

If you ignore the player in particular then for the purpose of this thread he would favour short-term experienced players as stop-gaps along with loans + a couple of real signings and all our cash spent on 2 players.

 

[when i score we riot]

There's also Kennedy and George Green (alternatively Hallam Hope or Conor McAleny) to be mentioned as potential academy products, personally think these might have a bigger chance of making it than the likes of Browning.

 

[formerly manx toffee]

If you ignore the player in particular then for the purpose of this thread he would favour short-term experienced players as stop-gaps along with loans + a couple of real signings and all our cash spent on 2 players.

Yes, but I have no issue with Lescott.

Build the team with great signings and shore up with quality loans and frees. Continue to strengthen over time.

 

[Maestro Haze]

Watched MOTD last night, while Barklay was silly to get caught like that and then rant which left the Villa player to run. Have to say I thought Howard should messed up, should never have been a goal, have to ask what was he playing at, should have gone out quicker to take the ball of the player's feet.

I have seen Howard cock up like this before so I think we do need to look at finding a Goalie to bring in, do not think Robles is good enough and never will be.

Completely disagree.

Howard has proven over this season that he still a top GK, the only time he needs replacing is when he loses consistency as GK's tend to play on longer.

Robles is still only 23, think he's a decent backup, got room for improvement.

 

[Maestro Haze]

Our defence would look pretty solid then I think, hard to push distin out but imagine if we had this defence when Lescott used to play for us;

Coleman - Jagielka - Lescott - Baines
..............................Barry

I think if we had these players ourselves then Lescott may not have gone to City (in fact I think barry was there as well). That really is a title winning defence.

Stones and Distin there as well of course but then Alcaraz and Duffy would need to be offloaded.

One issue Is the rumoured 70-90k a week wages from west ham.

Wouldn't want to get rid of Alcaraz, he fits our system brilliantly, real quality backup CB. And he's on minimal wages.

 

[evilwebby]

We need the center-forward position sorted, and an AM playmaker to compete with Barkley.

And we need to let go of some more of the deadwood that Moyes let accumulate:

Velios
Gueye
Hibbert

 

[Zatara]

There's also Kennedy and George Green (alternatively Hallam Hope or Conor McAleny) to be mentioned as potential academy products, personally think these might have a bigger chance of making it than the likes of Browning.

Martinez came out and identified browning as someone who would be making the first team soon-- stubbs I think was the second person to comment also stating the same. So ive just gone for him garbutt and lundstram (garbutt as now in squad due to oviedo injury-lundstram as its a light area for us and he has had solid reports).