Too many midfielders. Who goes?

[UpperLeftBlue]

I like McCarthy but he's not getting a look in against Gueye, Scheniderlin, Besic, Davies.

A player who deserves playtime but such is the competition in the midfield, I'll think he'll be finding a new club.

McCarthy is miles ahead of Besic. McCarthy makes himself useful more times than not, while Besic can hardly make himself fit and available. I'd bite your hand off at an offer for either, but in an ideal world we could hold onto JM and offload Besic as he's not likely to contribute anything in the forseeable future.

 

[windymiller]

How many central midfielders do we need now?(not many) How many will we need in the future when, hopefully, we are involved in more matches).

Locks for next season:

Gueye
Schneiderlin
Barkley
Davies

This leaves

Barry
McCarthy
Besic

I think Barry will see out his contract (1 more year), but I think/hope he will be relegated to a more elder statesman role and will only play in cup matches and as injury cover.

Besic could be sold, but I think he plays how Koeman likes and with his injuries you won't get much for him. He is worth the risk of putting on the squad and hoping he has a healthy year.

McCarthy has shown this season (Arsenal, Liverpool, end of the city match) that he does provide something to the team and I do think Koeman likes what he brings to the table and would like to keep him. However, I don't think he would be a starter and at his age I don't think hed be satisfied playing in a subs role. You also would be able to get the most money for him.

I think McCarthy is the most likely to be sold and he makes the most sense.While a summer deal may be the when this happens, since we are out of the cups and the emergence of Davies, I think we can afford to let him go at the end of the winter window if teams can pay the appropriate price (20M+). Newcastle does make a good amount of sense. They do pull in a massive amount of revenue and seem favorites to go up. So I don't think McCarthy would mind doing 4 months in the championship and being closer to home (I assume he still thinks of Scotland as home), rather then going to a PL this window that looks more likely to be going down.

I wouldn't bet on Barkley being here next season. There is definitely something amiss between him and RonKo. I've got a bad feeling he'll ship Ross out.

 

[LydiateLee]

Gareth Barry before either

 

[Klinker]

I wouldn't bet on Barkley being here next season. There is definitely something amiss between him and RonKo. I've got a bad feeling he'll ship Ross out.

I disagree. While Ross has been dropped a couple of times, he is almost always in the team sheet and his performances have been picking up in quality the past month. A lot of this just seems like British papers doing what they do where they tear down England's next "big star". You'll notice Koeman has stated that "maybe he has been to honest" because he realizes that the papers will go overboard with his constructive criticism of Barkley and it doesn't help anyone.

 

[windymiller]

I disagree. While Ross has been dropped a couple of times, he is almost always in the team sheet and his performances have been picking up in quality the past month. A lot of this just seems like British papers doing what they do where they tear down England's next "big star". You'll notice Koeman has stated that "maybe he has been to honest" because he realizes that the papers will go overboard with his constructive criticism of Barkley and it doesn't help anyone.

I hope you're right.........................................................................................just got a bad feeling about it though.

 

[Jacko93]

IMO Koeman has said no to McCarthy leaving this window as he wants to assess his needs for next season when we know what competitions we'll be involved in. Besic will likely go, as he offers no more than Gibson at the minute and today's inflated market I would hope that we can get at least £2m for him, but would take less. If he's still injured than we could just send his other leg in the post after the medical and hope they don't notice. Moyes would have him and he might be able to do a good job as a squad player at Sunderland.

 

[Bud McBlokeski]

Much as it pains me, Besic. He's injured ALL THE TIME.

 

[Mountfield1985]

I wouldn't bet on Barkley being here next season. There is definitely something amiss between him and RonKo. I've got a bad feeling he'll ship Ross out.

Complete media hype all that, mate.

Koeman has gone above and beyond to get a reaction out of Barkley because he knows how important he will be for us going froward. Starts him every week, puts alot of responsbility on him, and has even given him the armband earlier in the season. There's no issue between them. If Koeman didn't want Barkley he'd have been bombed out like the rest of them.

 

[jtl60]

I dont want either to go, but if you were saying one had to go and we were offered the same amount for each player - I'd sell Mo

 

[Papa Shango]

If 1 of these 2 then I rather sell Besic. He never gets fit. We need players who make contribution not on the treatment table all the time. McCarthy can be a useful DM as he does the pressing and chasing.

McCarthy is just as injury prone as Besic....

Besics are freak injuries more than anything. He was fine with them until he came to Everton.

Sounds familiar that...

 

[Papa Shango]

Besic is obviously leaving tbh, I forgot he was still at the club.

Plastered all over our advertisments though.

Obviously thats not the biggest reason to keep someone but i would like to think that the club has the nous to ask the manager if the bloke who they are about to shill all our products with is actually going to be in his plans going forward.

Then again Ged is used a lot too so who knows....

 

[Frank Gallagher]

little cigarette legs has got to go, brentford or mk dons .. £850,000

@MoutsGoat

 

[Pittsburgh Footy]

There is room in the squad until the summer for Gana/Schneids/JMac/Besic/Davies/Barry. Barry will morph into a player/manager role and is good to have in the squad from an experience perspective. JMac can do a job when needed and based on the tactics a match requires. Davies is the future, which could be now. Besic is crocked and we need to see more. Then we can see how the summer plays out. No reason to sell any players now unless we get an offer we can't refuse. Depth is not a bad thing.

That being said, anything we can get for Gibson we should take.

 

[hktoffee]

McCarthy is just as injury prone as Besic....

Besics are freak injuries more than anything. He was fine with them until he came to Everton.

Sounds familiar that...

Not exactly. McCarthy played 100 league games in 3 1/2 years. Besic played 35 leagues games in 2 1/2 years. Besic is similar to Oviedo in terms of injury records?

 

[SerenityNigh]

Jumping the gun here. The lads know they have half a season to impress. Let's see what results. Plus, if by some stroke of fortune/unexpected success there is a European campaign next go, there will be need for another CM or two.