What might the side look like in a few years?

[Bruce Wayne]

It seems reasonable to suggest that Martinez will want to stamp his identity on the squad and build a team in his image. He's already changed our style of play a lot, but with a few players getting into their twilight years we could see people like Osman, Pienaar, Distin et al moved on for younger players.

Who do you see as the core of any future team and which areas need improvement over the next few seasons?

 

[TheFinnFan]

McC is the core.

 

[bluejock]

FOOTBALL MANAGER ALERT THREAD.

Right, including signings and youth coming through, I'd expect to see in about 5 years

Robles

Coleman Stones Souttar Garbutt

McCarthy Gibson

Mirallas Barkley Kennedy

Long​

Obviously it's impossible to predict how players are going to develop and who will and won't be sold but that's a team with a huge amount of potential.

 

[Great Dane]

While I agree with you on Martinez wanting to mould the team in his own shape, I think he will only make small changes.

The core of the team will be:

Goal
Howard and Joel will swap roles.

Defence
Coleman, Jagielka, Baines.
Stones will be the new CB with Jagielka. Duffy might be 3rd pick. Young cover for both Baines and Coleman will be needed.

Midfield
McCarthy, Barkley, Lundstram, Gibson, Mirallas.
Barry will get a 2-3 contract, and RM will need to find two wingers and a central midfielder. Oviedo might be converted into a left winger. Otherwise I would like to see a move for James Morrison from WBA, class player who would fit into RM's system well.

Attack
This is where the focus needs to be, but then again it depends on the progress of Chris Long and Hallam Hope. Both of them might be the real deal. I still believe Kone will be an asset for us, even in two years time. And of course if Lukaku becomes available we should pull out all the stops to get him. Mirallas looks a good option up front as well.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Interesting that Garbutt and Kennedy make your team Jock. Both seem reasonably old now (compared to Souttar anyway) and haven't seemed close to first team action, or even the bench. Hopefully they're late bloomers like, but have you seen much to suggest they'll make it?

 

[roydo]

Would be nice to think de barca lad would still be here. Doubt it though.

 

[Christiffa25]

FOOTBALL MANAGER ALERT THREAD.

Right, including signings and youth coming through, I'd expect to see in about 5 years

Robles

Coleman Stones Souttar Garbutt

McCarthy Gibson

Mirallas Barkley Kennedy

Long​

Obviously it's impossible to predict how players are going to develop and who will and won't be sold but that's a team with a huge amount of potential.

Can guarentee that will not be our team in 5 yrs!

Don't think Robles, Garbutt, Kennedy, Long will turn into regular starting x11. Gibson will always be injury prone and eventually replaced or remain a squad player. Mirallas will be gone in 5yrs time the moment a Spanish team come knocking. Coleman will be a life long blue I'm sure though and Barkley will drop deeper eventually I think partnering McCarthy.

 

[bluejock]

Interesting that Garbutt and Kennedy make your team Jock. Both seem reasonably old now (compared to Souttar anyway) and haven't seemed close to first team action, or even the bench. Hopefully they're late bloomers like, but have you seen much to suggest they'll make it?

To be honest, I haven't seen enough of them, apart from OS highlights, to really know whether or not they'll make it but Garbutt going out on loan to gain first team experience could be a way to preparing him for first team duties in the next couple of years.

It's impossible to tell as it's still early in Roberto's reign but I think after this season, we'll see more and more youth on the bench and edging into the first XI. There's the Ledson kid as well that everyone is raving about and apparently that Jonjoe Kelly lad looks to be a star.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Hopefully so. A good flow of youngsters is a great way to provide depth to a squad when you don't have a lot of cash to throw around.

 

[caught]

I have a feeling he'll ultimately look to play with a back three, once he's had a few transfer windows to bring in the right personnel. A kind of 3-4-3 system similar to the one Liverpool have used recently.

Of the youth, if we keep Barkley he'll obviously be involved. Lundstram and Stones are the two for me who look good enough to make it, and Long looks promising but I've only seen him a couple of times. Obviously there's the likes of Ledson and Green, too, although I've never seen them play so couldn't comment.

Stones looks comfortable on the ball so would fit well, and Lundstam's passing range is really impressive for a teenager. I see him sitting deep alongside McCarthy, with Barkley playing as a false 10 reverse cowgirl.

 

[evilwebby]

It's difficult to see which players will be here in 2 years' time, never mind 5.

We'll need to give him 2 years before we can really say that the team has been built in Martinez's image. At the moment it's still 70% Moyes' squad, albeit playing with the panache instilled by the short time they've been working with their new manager.

Obviously I'm hoping that the likes of Barkley, McCarthy, Coleman & Mirallas are still here, and here for the right reasons.

 

[harry]

Can guarentee that will not be our team in 5 yrs!

Don't think Robles, Garbutt, Kennedy, Long will turn into regular starting x11. Gibson will always be injury prone and eventually replaced or remain a squad player. Mirallas will be gone in 5yrs time the moment a Spanish team come knocking. Coleman will be a life long blue I'm sure though and Barkley will drop deeper eventually I think partnering McCarthy.

If not by the end of this season i think Robles will be number one before the beginning of next season.

 

[TheFinnFan]

If not by the end of this season i think Robles will be number one before the beginning of next season.

i have a strange feeling that our beard will play in MLS next season

 

[Little Ralphy]

Whatever he does I think we need to start getting a more mobile, physical midfield. Spurs over ran us yesterday at times, players like Osman and Pienaar are not mobile enough to get up and down to be effective both on and off the ball.

Neither really offer enough quality in possession to make up for that fact either.

 

[TheFinnFan]

I think we will see some interesting action in next window.