Private Dancer
8:30 Wed Jul 19
Re: Balanced Squad at last?
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Let's get one thing straight here, Noble WILL be playing.
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Trevor B
8:25 Wed Jul 19
Re: Balanced Squad at last?
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Yep, I can see us leaving out Cresswell and Masuaku for a forward.....
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franksfat&slow&wank
8:19 Wed Jul 19
Re: Balanced Squad at last?
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******************Hart*********************
********* Reid ***** Fonte **** Ogbonna
Antonio ************************************ Arnie
**************** Obiang. Wilshire
************************Lanzini
******************Balde. Hernandez
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Private Dancer
4:26 Wed Jul 19
Re: Balanced Squad at last?
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I wouldn't say it's a 'big if' at this point with the 3 coming in.
When folk say we lack creativity in midfield, apart from Lanzini, that can also translate to Snograss and Fegs are shit, as they are meant to be creative players. So, I can see a proper creative player coming in still, with at least 1 of the aforementioned 2 departing..
We still need another striker, if Hernandez was to get injured we are back to relying on the 2 cripples again.
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claret on my shirt
3:00 Wed Jul 19
Re: Balanced Squad at last?
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How do we call this a balanced squad, we have 3 strikers at present, 2 who can't manage 20 games between them and a kid, even if we buy Hernandez (and that's not guaranteed) we still have no cover up top.
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Mart O
2:32 Wed Jul 19
Re: Balanced Squad at last?
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Eerie Descent 1:01 Wed Jul 19
Now that could be some fucking side...
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fraser
2:19 Wed Jul 19
Re: Balanced Squad at last?
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Eerie Descent 1:01 Wed Jul 19
Good team but Noble (who I like a lot) needs to be upgraded.
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Spandex Sidney
1:39 Wed Jul 19
Re: Balanced Squad at last?
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I agree, I think Noble isn't first choice anymore. Except he will be while Bilic is here.
We do need him though as a back up.
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Vexed
1:06 Wed Jul 19
Re: Balanced Squad at last?
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Kouyate and Obiang is the midfield for next season.
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Eerie Descent
1:01 Wed Jul 19
Re: Balanced Squad at last?
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----------------------- Hart ------------------------
Zabaleta ---- Reid ---- Ogbonna ---- Masuaku
------------- Obiang ---- Noble ----------------
Antonio ---------- Lanzini ------------ Arnautovic
------------------ Hernandez --------------------
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Sniper
12:58 Wed Jul 19
Re: Balanced Squad at last?
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Jacob Murphy would be a good young punt. £12m
Is hardly a steal but you're unlikely to get a decent youngster for less
Having missed the boat on redmond twice and also gray now at Leicester, I'd like to see we've learned a lesson and are keen to start trying to snap up u21 wingers from the championship
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Sir Alf
12:37 Wed Jul 19
Re: Balanced Squad at last?
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Agree, its an improvement in quality in some areas if we get all of Hart, Arnautovic and Hernandez but is not enough IMO either.
As a one eyed man with an eye patch can see we need pace in central midfield. Noble has good technique (passing, control ) but sorely lacks pace and physicality / height whilst Kouyate is a better version of Diame but lacks the technique , positioning and work rate to be relied upon to control the midfield alongside Obiang.
We also need another striker even if we get Hernandez. This other striker you would like to think would be mobile and strong, good finisher etc. But they cost a lot and there are not too many about. So we will have to settle for someone who can at least stay fit, has some pace and holds it up / can get on the end of things. Not sure who that is though.
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Vexed
12:15 Wed Jul 19
Re: Balanced Squad at last?
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IF they sign it would be more balanced but at the moment we're marginally better off than last season. One old stop gap right back and a down on his luck but previously decent keeper.
Forgive me if I dont get too excited yet.
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Nagel
12:10 Wed Jul 19
Re: Balanced Squad at last?
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Too many 30 somethings?
Our 3 goalkeepers are all 30, which is not old at all for a keeper.
We have 3 defenders over 30, only one of whom is likely to be in the first choice XI.
Outside of that Noble is the single only other player over 30 (by 2 months).
There's nothing wrong with the age of the squad at all. Creativity, mobility, pace and goalscoring ability is what we're lacking.
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Alex Bunbury
11:55 Tue Jul 18
Re: Balanced Squad at last?
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It's not balanced in terms of age. Too many 30 somethings. Desperately need to inject some youth and as others have said we need two strikers.
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Romfordboy
10:24 Tue Jul 18
Re: Balanced Squad at last?
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Tony Henry did say we were a couple of signings away from a very good team... I reckoned n we might see some young punts as well but we are defo looking better than last season if all the signings happen
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Lertie Button
10:10 Tue Jul 18
Re: Balanced Squad at last?
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Can't believe anyone is still counting Carroll and Sakho as options.
I guarantee neither will play more games than last season.
We lack creative quality in midfield, pace and any goal scoring threat
The fat boy who used to play for United isent the answer
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chedylan 2
8:20 Tue Jul 18
Re: Balanced Squad at last?
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Forgot Carroll and sakho!
We need 2 strikers strikers in. One as back up for the other. No one else in our current squad can be relied on in this position. You only have to look at last season.
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Infidel
7:58 Tue Jul 18
Re: Balanced Squad at last?
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Sniper - spot on.
We need to inject some pace into this midfield or we are going to struggle.
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DoubleDouble
2:46 Tue Jul 18
Re: Balanced Squad at last?
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Fair point about Lanzini.
Im not as pessimistic though. I wouldnt say its flimsy.
Dont forget we have real threat from Antonio, Kouyate at set pieces in the air. Arnautivic can play in that 10 role too.
Defensively we still have genuine talent in the likes of Burke. Cullen could also step up for a possible Noble injury.
Cant see Snodgrass and Fegouli being around so still possible better replacements there. Its all ifs and buts though
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Sniper
2:36 Tue Jul 18
Re: Balanced Squad at last?
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Agreed Mike
As it stands the squad is
Adrian
Randolph
(Hart -tbc)
Cresswell
Arthur
Byram
Zabaleta
Reid
Fonte
Ogbonna
Collins
Noble
Kouyate
Obiang
Fernandes
Lanzini
Snodgrass
Ayew
Feghouli
Antonio
(Arnautovic - tbc)
Carroll
Sakho
Fletcher
That's sort of roughly breaking them into positions, though kouyate can play centre back and ayew can play up top, I don't like the idea of double counting
That's a pretty flimsy squad. You can add Hernandez or another striker to it and still see that we need a few more in here. There's little pace or threat in wide areas (or midfield in general) and I don't see why, when we've got rid of arbeloa, calleri, zaza, tore and sold nortveildt, we should need to sell any more to buy anyone - that's a shit load saved in wages already, and if their dare try the old ffp trick, isn't the ruling about the amount you can increase by each year - so we've got all those savings less whatever zabaleta is on, plus the additional allowance to play with.
You have to keep improving year on year just to stay in the same place or you sink like a stone (see 2002/03) and seeing as we generally get about 50 injuries a season, it's pointless selling another player to bring in someone new - unless it's cashing in on feghouli to sign the new messi.
I also think there's so many mitigating factors for last seasons horror show that need to be taken into account that it's almost unfair to judge feghouli on that alone, whilst ayew had a shocking injury but still came back with goals for us, and proved he could do it at Swansea before that.
We need more creativity, pace and flair as we didn't just fail to score last season we also created fuck all and movement from a good front man was only part of that.
I'd Lanzini getting injured would be a huge blow as we really don't have anyone else who can play that role in the middle at all
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