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The Squad

Nelsen should've taken 5, Saha should've taken 9, Walker should've taken 2 at the start of the year.
 
Yermiyahu said:
Please explain why you don't rate Daniel Levy!
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I think he has set to high a price on some of our players which has left us with players we don't want we could have sold them for a little less and got in players who would be of use to us and help us push on.

I did not like how he treated jol and will not forgive him for that, he got lucky finally with redknapp but he had run out of ideas. I disliked him for trying to take us to stratford and i dislike how he screws us for so much money. All that said i can see he has done a good job, i just do not like him.
 
chichester said:
I think he has set to high a price on some of our players which has left us with players we don't want we could have sold them for a little less and got in players who would be of use to us and help us push on.

I did not like how he treated jol and will not forgive him for that, he got lucky finally with redknapp but he had run out of ideas. I disliked him for trying to take us to stratford and i dislike how he screws us for so much money. All that said i can see he has done a good job, i just do not like him.
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But surely liking him and rating him are completely different things, for what it's worth I think he's been brilliant for the club overall. I honestly can't think of a better chairman in the Premier league. I'm not looking to argue with you, I was just kinda mystified as to why you didn't rate him.
 
I don't understand why Bentley loves rolling his shorts up. Who needs to see that much leg?
 
Are we set out for the future, squad wise?

I was trying to post a team in the St. Evenage thread that I thought would give our first teamers a rest but still allow us to win. I was having difficulty naming a team without using first team players who I do not want to risk in our run in. All in all this shows how thin our squad is compared to the rest of the top 4. We cannot field adequate replacements for both king and Kaboul so one of them has to play. Likewise at RB we have Smith back who is unproven and Kaboul who is our first choice CB. We are having problems with replacing the creativity in our team when Rafa or Modric are out.

In fact listing the team we can see that we are not really set out for the long term. We don't seem to have any decent youth coming through in attacking or creative positions, Nor enough fit defensive cover.

GK
Gomes - Frozen Out
Friedel -aging
Cudicini - aging

RB
Walker
Smith - unproven

CB
Kaboul
Dawson
King - injury prone
Nelsen - Injury prone and aging
Gallas - injured and injury prone

LB
BAE
Rose

CM
Livermore
Sandro
Parker - injury prone and aging
Hudd - Injury prone
Modric

Rw
Lennon - injury prone
Gio - frozen out/ doesn't want to be here


Lw
Bale
Krancjar - potentially wants out

AM
Rafa - injury prone

FW
Defoe
Saha - injury prone, aging, short term signing
Ade - not ours


Ok so from my crazy key you can see the players in Blue are those who are frozen out; green are those unproven yet at prem level; orange those who are ageing and don't have too long left or those who are probably only viable in the short term at the club and red those who are at their peak or younger who are injured.

We seem to be getting injuries in key positions and don't have viable replacements to come in. I'm very worried about the look of our squad in a couple of years time. Can all these potential issues with the highlighted players be solved within the next year?
 
TOM Caroll has a good future, and like Livermore Im sure loaning him out will benefit. Also have Kyle Naughton at full back not mentioned.

Why say Lennon is injury prone? He's played over 20 games every season he's been here?

I'd say from the info you've provided the main positions to address are CB, winger (or two) and CF - and to be fair with who we've been linked with (Ajax defender, Hazard, signing Ade permanently etc) it seems we are looking to sort these issues out.

No cause for concern, the future is bright IMO.....
 
I think we need some changes. I do think our squad has gone stale a bit and definitely needs some revitalising. It needs three or four players to lift it up again.

I think our squad is overrated and find it strange how people constantly say that our squad is one of the strongest when infact its not. If Walker doesnt play then who? if Lennon/Bale dont play then who? If BAE doesnt play then who? If Ade doesnt play then who?

Key positions need replacements/back ups.
 
smith is a decent player , and if the future is what you're looking at then caulker, townsend, and mason should all be in thoughts . livermore i have to say is a VERY good SQUAD option. then who knows what the future will bring...
 
You can tell by a few of our recent acquisitions that we are definitely looking at the future, coulibaly being the one example I can remember, but goes to show we're not being completely blind. My honest feeling is that we've gone for experience to get us a CL place, then when Harry buggers off in the summer, we have got alot of older players on shorter contracts that can be offloaded so a new manager could mould the team to his liking
 
Exactly steed we are all set up for a new boss in the summer and two or three big signings he will want to make to put his stamp on things.

Maybe thats one place AVB went wrong , didnt get the chance to really bring in his men other than Sideshow Nob
 
I've been very impressed with the progress made by Walker, in particular, and Livermore this season. I'm hoping Caulker and Townsend will be next seasons Walker and Livermore.
Would love to see Caulker become a semi-regular in the team and Townsend establish himself as an adeqaute back-up for Bale
 
paxtonwolf said:
I've been very impressed with the progress made by Walker, in particular, and Livermore this season. I'm hoping Caulker and Townsend will be next seasons Walker and Livermore.
Would love to see Caulker become a semi-regular in the team and Townsend establish himself as an adeqaute back-up for Bale
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Obviously Walker is now first choice really, so he can't count as backup. Livermore has been impressive and very mature. Caulker definitely looks like he could make it for us. Mason and Carrol are now 19 and 20 respectively; they should be commanding a first team spot at a lower prem team like bolton or QPR if they have any aspirations of being a CL quality midfielder. I would have rather kept them then loan them out to Championship teams who play against cloggers on bad pitches; they would have learnt a lot more being around the first team. Up front and attacking midfield is definitely an Issue. I think the DM position is sewn up in the long term, but I want modric understudy who can also deputise for rafa and on the wing too if needs be. An 19 years old wonderkid of some sort would be nice, maybe kovacic?
 
Good thread.

I think how well and how quickly we address these squad issues is dependant on our CL placing, assuming we finish in the top 4.

Top 3 finish = easier/quicker resolution of issues
Top 4 finish slower progress/one or two gambles

Future looks good though
 
We really are not that far away from competing for the title season in season out. We just need a top class striker, a new keeper in 2-3 years time, a left back as some competition for Ekotto and possibly another midfielder who could get double figures goals wise.
 
I would be shocked if Caulker and Naughton were not part of the first team squad next year. Potentially Townsend and David Button as well and maybe an unexpected success like Livermore this year - perhaps Falque.

You've also completely left out Corluka, Pienaar and Bassong, all useful players doing well on loan.
 
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