Squad rebuild 50% complete

[Zatara]

To that list you can add Coleman, Keane, Walcott,Lossl who will be kept on as part of the squad.
This would mean that we would have maybe four or five players to add to build a very strong team and squad.

We are not going to sign nine or ten players in 2020, we simply could not afford that . It is better to keep the four listed in the squad as we will not get back anything close to what we paid for Keane and Walcott and concentrate on bringing in better quality players.
Hopefully, there will be a player or two from the academy pushing through as well.

Its a mid-long term outlook.

Theres 15 Ive listed + 2 Backup keepers = 17. So we would need 6 more players to fit Brands desired squad number.

Im a bit lost on the 9 or 10 mentioned(?) and also keeping Walcott, Coleman and Keane makes no sense to me...

Walcott has 18months left so doubtful he'll be around mid-long term...Coleman looks like hes close to finished and Keane doesnt look to be in favour...

 

[Big Neville Southall]

Squad probably is 50% complete, we just need the 11 players good enough to start, the 11 that will make up the subs and reserves are all sorted.

 

[blueblue]

Its a mid-long term outlook.

Theres 15 Ive listed + 2 Backup keepers = 17. So we would need 6 more players to fit Brands desired squad number.

Im a bit lost on the 9 or 10 mentioned(?) and also keeping Walcott, Coleman and Keane makes no sense to me...

Walcott has 18months left so doubtful he'll be around mid-long term...Coleman looks like hes close to finished and Keane doesnt look to be in favour...

You listed Gibson who will possibly not even be at the club next season. That is thirteen if you exclude the keepers. You generally want at least two players for each position and that means you need a minimum of seven outfield players added.
If we get rid of the four mentioned it will probably cost 60-80 million to replace them and yet we still have not addressed the problem areas and deficits in our team.

We need squad players of a high standard, but not so high they are banging on the managers door after every game they are not in the starting eleven.

I think we need a high quality centre back 30-40m
We need at least one high quality central midfielder 40m
We need a quality right sided midfielder 40m
We will need cover at left back to replace Baines 15m.

That is possibly 120-150m spent without even signing a striker. I don't think we will spend that much without adding another 60-80m on top.

 

[Zatara]

You listed Gibson who will possibly not even be at the club next season. That is thirteen if you exclude the keepers. You generally want at least two players for each position and that means you need a minimum of seven outfield players added.
If we get rid of the four mentioned it will probably cost 60-80 million to replace them and yet we still have not addressed the problem areas and deficits in our team.

We need squad players of a high standard, but not so high they are banging on the managers door after every game they are not in the starting eleven.

I think we need a high quality centre back 30-40m
We need at least one high quality central midfielder 40m
We need a quality right sided midfielder 40m
We will need cover at left back to replace Baines 15m.

That is possibly 120-150m spent without even signing a striker. I don't think we will spend that much without adding another 60-80m on top.

Im not sure how this post is relevant to the thread aside from the point about Gibson?

Youve ignored what Ive written Brands has said about squad size and that this is looking at the mid-long term.

If you want to keep Walcott / Coleman and Keane for another 3+ seasons then im not sure anyone else would agree

 

[Bluebonic]

Sell Davies and DCL

Bring back Stones and Barkley and stick Kenny on the bench.

Ezpz

Just for wanting fat-head back you deserve to have yer pipes pulled through with a Christmas tree!

 

[blueblue]

Im not sure how this post is relevant to the thread aside from the point about Gibson?

Youve ignored what Ive written Brands has said about squad size and that this is looking at the mid-long term.

If you want to keep Walcott / Coleman and Keane for another 3+ seasons then im not sure anyone else would agree

It is relevant because you have listed up to fourteen players which should be kept and the others moved on.
That means we need to add a minimum of seven players which in the short term simply will not happen in 2020.

I believe the manager will try to bring players into the team rather than players into the squad . I think they will established recognised players ready to make an immediate impact generally speaking and will be expensive.

I do not believe there will be a radical shake up of the squad.

I think Baines is probably on his last season, I think Schneiderlin will leave if a buyer can be found which is by no means certain .
I think Sigurdsson could be sold but not cheaply and that could cause a problem . I think Tosun is one of the players that will be more easily sold.
I hope Kenny is brought back but I don't think any other loan player will be. I don't think Sidibe will be with us next season.

I cannot see Michael Keane being sold for less than 20m pounds. I think we would be lucky to get even that and now we need to sign two centrehalves and one is third or fourth choice probably.
We let Walcott go and we now need two right sided players at what cost and one is largely back up.

I think the squad transformation will be more gradual. I think we will sign established players, not overhaul the squad and let the four that I mentioned stay and work out their contracts as back up in the squad.

 

[marsh]

We need to know how we want to play and buy players who can play that way/in that system rather than buying random players who just don't fit in anywhere or ones who just aren't very good!

 

[Diogenes the Cynic]

@Zatara

I'm pretty sure that you would institute a Logan's Run scenario to mercilessly cull a player when he hits his 25th birthday.

I support this endeavour, although player motivation when they are 24 might be a problem.

 

[bilyaletdinov_]

Pickford
_____ Mina Holgate Digne
_____ _____ Gomes
_____ Kean Richarlison
​

Realistically I think we still need 4, if not 6, starters (please feel free to swap Kean to Calvert-Lewin if you’re not a Kean believer like me). Hopefully Gbamin comes in and is a good player filling one of those midfield spaces. For me RW is probably the most important position - we have lacked anyone with a genuine goal threat from there for ages!

 

[TheBigIguana]

Pickford
_____ Mina Holgate Digne
_____ _____ Gomes
_____ Kean Richarlison
​

Realistically I think we still need 4, if not 6, starters (please feel free to swap Kean to Calvert-Lewin if you’re not a Kean believer like me). Hopefully Gbamin comes in and is a good player filling one of those midfield spaces. For me RW is probably the most important position - we have lacked anyone with a genuine goal threat from there for ages!

I'm not done with Kean but there's no real justification for putting him in a long term outlook over Dom right now.

I wouldn't pencil in anyone as a long term starter but Digne and Richarlison myself. Questions about everyone else.

 

[bilyaletdinov_]

I'm not done with Kean but there's no real justification for putting him in a long term outlook over Dom right now.

I wouldn't pencil in anyone as a long term starter but Digne and Richarlison myself. Questions about everyone else.

Tbf those two plus Gomes were my only real concrete ones and that’s only providing Gomes returns from injury fully and Digne turns his bleak current form around (which i’m sure they both will). Valid shout regarding Kean as well - I’m just hoping he turns out to be the player i envisaged

 

[TheBigIguana]

Tbf those two plus Gomes were my only real concrete ones and that’s only providing Gomes returns from injury fully and Digne turns his bleak current form around (which i’m sure they both will). Valid shout regarding Kean as well - I’m just hoping he turns out to be the player i envisaged

Gomes needs to show me he can go 10 games without having a complete horror show. Even then I'm not sure he can be top level without a strong partner next to him.

Digne is playing fine right now. I'm not sure why people are so down on him.

 

[LEONARD]

Digne is playing fine right now. I'm not sure why people are so down on him.
[/QUOTE]

Brilliant last season, not so hot this season.

Still love him though.

 

[Zatara]

It is relevant because you have listed up to fourteen players which should be kept and the others moved on.
That means we need to add a minimum of seven players which in the short term simply will not happen in 2020.

I believe the manager will try to bring players into the team rather than players into the squad . I think they will established recognised players ready to make an immediate impact generally speaking and will be expensive.

I do not believe there will be a radical shake up of the squad.

I think Baines is probably on his last season, I think Schneiderlin will leave if a buyer can be found which is by no means certain .
I think Sigurdsson could be sold but not cheaply and that could cause a problem . I think Tosun is one of the players that will be more easily sold.
I hope Kenny is brought back but I don't think any other loan player will be. I don't think Sidibe will be with us next season.

I cannot see Michael Keane being sold for less than 20m pounds. I think we would be lucky to get even that and now we need to sign two centrehalves and one is third or fourth choice probably.
We let Walcott go and we now need two right sided players at what cost and one is largely back up.

I think the squad transformation will be more gradual. I think we will sign established players, not overhaul the squad and let the four that I mentioned stay and work out their contracts as back up in the squad.

The 2 highlighted parts above...

1: Again, the entire point of the thread is mid-long term. NOT 2020. It doesnt appear that you've read the thread.

2: Yes it will be gradual which is why the thread talks about the next 3 years.

Perhaps read the thread before posting about players sales and transfer fees -- which should be in the transfer threads or something

@Zatara

I'm pretty sure that you would institute a Logan's Run scenario to mercilessly cull a player when he hits his 25th birthday.

I support this endeavour, although player motivation when they are 24 might be a problem.

Its called 'The DiCaprio' philosophy.

Or as the Japanese say 'The Xmas tree'.

Bin them off at 25.

Pickford
_____ Mina Holgate Digne
_____ _____ Gomes
_____ Kean Richarlison
​

Realistically I think we still need 4, if not 6, starters (please feel free to swap Kean to Calvert-Lewin if you’re not a Kean believer like me). Hopefully Gbamin comes in and is a good player filling one of those midfield spaces. For me RW is probably the most important position - we have lacked anyone with a genuine goal threat from there for ages!

Ancelotti usually favours 442

 

[Zatara]

@blueblue the point of the thread was to show:

A: The number of players in the squad worthwhile keeping over the mid-long term (2-3 years minimum)

B: The overall squad size and how many more players are needed until its complete

C: Contract expiries and possibility of who will be binned off and when, allowing further purchases.


What Ive seen is that from October when it looked like we had 16 players who it would seem their existing contracts would be extended. That lead to a core of 11 players who seemed likely to be here in a few years time...

Now it seems to me that we have 14 players (as follows;

BEFORE in October;
GK - Pickford
RB -
LB - Digne
CB - Mina
DM - Gbamin
CM - Davies / Gomes
AM - Iwobi / Richarlison / Bernard
CF - Kean / DCL


NOW in Jan;

GK - Pickford
RB - Kenny
LB - Digne
CB - Holgate / Mina
DM - Gbamin
CM - Davies / Gomes
AM - Iwobi / Bernard / Gordon
CF - Kean / DCL / Richarlison

Brands has said he wants a squad of 23 players so we are 9 short (7 outfield players + 2 goalkeepers).

By my reckoning we had 11 in October out of 23 (50% squad build) and now we have 14 or 15 out of 23.