Stay or Go?

[sycophantia]

Semedo I'm conficted, he's much improved his defensive game since he got here and he's quick, athletic with a good engine, but when he gets anywhere near the opposition box looks a bit bewildered

 

[AndyWolves]

One thing Jeff and Fosun have talked about is getting value. Well, this summer will present an excellent opportunity to get players at below what their market value would be in normal times.

Significantly improving the squad will never be cheaper than it will be this summer.

 

[Nando]

Pretty much the whole squad is unbalanced.

We don't have anyone who would say playing RCB is their best position. We then have 3 LCB's, two of which can only play there and moving them elsewhere is a car crash. We then have to move our best centre back to the right, as we have done for most of the last 12 months, or risk a disasterclass from Saiss or Kilman. It is staggering that we're still in a position where we've not upgraded on Bennett, but have then have double downed on it by throwing our defensive balance to compensate for it.

We have three senior central midfielders who can't beat a man going forward and are now also prone to being run over going the other way. I have no problem with one of them not being the most mobile, but they need balancing out. Neves is the one we should be building around given his age and ability, but he needs legs next to him and I fear he'll be nabbed this summer in any case. Someone like Bissouma who can help nick the ball in the middle of the park and then have the ability to drive forward would be ideal. Donck has been fucking woeful all season, but I'd be minded to give him the benefit of the doubt with a summer out. We'd be looking at taking a loss on him if we were to move him on which is a far cry from the £25m rumours last summer.

It is clear as day that Nuno has no trust in Vitinha or MGW. Morgan needs to move and settle somewhere for the sake of his career and I'd probably not bother taking the option on Vitinha if we're supposedly going to be short on funds, unless Ruben does move on.

I'm still at a loss as to what Podence is supposed to be. He's far too easily bullied out of it before you even factor in his inability to keep the ball. Combine the two and you have the complete opposite of a modern day forward player at this level. Like Donck, I don't see how we have any option other than to give him the benefit of the doubt though. Couple that with Adama likely to depart and Neto out long-term, he is currently looking like the only real option for August that we currently have on the books. Great stuff.

Jose can get in the sea. I'm not comfortable going into next season with just Raul and Fabio given their respective circumstances, but we're then most likely to back into playing Sagbo roulette as I cannot see us spending big money on another striker when we already have £70m worth in the squad.

All things considered, I'd expect something along the lines of the following:

Patricio, Ruddy

Semedo, Hoever, Ait-Nouri, Jonny

Boly, Coady, Saiss, Marcal, NEW

Neves/Vitinha, NEW, Moutinho, Dendoncker, Otasowie

Neto, Podence, Guedes (inevitable)

Raul, NEW, Fabio

 

[AndyWolves]

Can't see us getting that much. I know he's only 21 (but then Bright was "only X" for how many years) but he's started 12 league games for anyone, ever, and scored one goal.

No-one knows where he plays.

You don't get £10m+ for that.

Swap deals never happen but I'd see if Brentford are interested and see if we could get money off Josh DaSilva or Ivan Toney.

 

[Tony Towner]

Relatively low fee to a Championship club that will be targetting promotion with large incentives and sell on fee would be best for all concerned. Hughton's history would suggest he'll have Forest challenging next year so that may be a fit. Swansea won't be able to afford him unless they come up

 

[sycophantia]

Can't see us getting that much. I know he's only 21 (but then Bright was "only X" for how many years) but he's started 12 league games for anyone, ever, and scored one goal.

No-one knows where he plays.

You don't get £10m+ for that.

I guess it depends how a manager/recruitment team assess him, its probably a shame for him we bought him back from Swansea, looked a player there

 

[Keef]

Happy with all that, tbh, I'd just say, the board know it's not illegal to sign non Portuguese players don't they? Probably the uncle Jorge connection is to blame for that

 

[Tony Towner]

Semedo I'm conficted, he's much improved his defensive game since he got here and he's quick, athletic with a good engine, but when he gets anywhere near the opposition box looks a bit bewildered

Semedo would have been a reasonable signing at half the cost, but that cost is now sunk so I think we have other areas in need of prioritisation

 

[YoungWolf]

Don't think this squad needs so much of an overhaul as we think. Recent injuries to Jonny and Neto have possibly added to what we need to do. But the signings in key positions, CB/CM really good need to be spot on to lift this team.

Team:
Patricio
Semedo Boly CB RAN/LB
Neves CM
Traore Vitinha LW
Raul

Subs: Sarkic, Hoever, Coady, Saiss, Donck, Joao, Podence, Silva

Doubt we'll getanyone come in for Marcal, just keep him as an extra squad option because he is quite good when actually on the pitch.

Not factoring Neto and Jonny in immediate plans

Imagine MGW will go out on loan.

Sell Mir, Vinagre etc

 

[AndyWolves]

Fuck it, buy ASM and have a game plan of pass the ball to Traore or ASM and see what happens.

 

[prawnking]

Don't think this squad needs so much of an overhaul as we think. Recent injuries to Jonny and Neto have possibly added to what we need to do. But the signings in key positions, CB/CM really good need to be spot on to lift this team.

Team:
Patricio
Semedo Boly CB RAN/LB
Neves CM
Traore Vitinha LW
Raul

Subs: Sarkic, Hoever, Coady, Saiss, Donck, Joao, Podence, Silva

Doubt we'll getanyone come in for Marcal, just keep him as an extra squad option because he is quite good when actually on the pitch.

Not factoring Neto and Jonny in immediate plans

Imagine MGW will go out on loan.

Sell Mir, Vinagre etc

I think that looks a bit over-optimistic. Unfortunately I think DW has it about right.

What happens when Boly is injured or at the ACN? I reckon we need some kind of stellar CB signing and a usable back-up in a 4 as well. Not sure about Vitinha justifying being first choice in that role either, and we've still got huge problems if Raul isn't fit 90% of the time

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Swap deals never happen but I'd see if Brentford are interested and see if we could get money off Josh DaSilva or Ivan Toney.

Never going to happen if they win the playoffs, that's for sure.

Great post Nando but a) don't think Ruddy will be here, so it's Sarkic/Sondergaard or a new back up GK, and b) Guedes is absolutely shite. I am not on board!

 

[Nando]

Never going to happen if they win the playoffs, that's for sure.

Great post Nando but a) don't think Ruddy will be here, so it's Sarkic/Sondergaard or a new back up GK, and b) Guedes is absolutely shite. I am not on board!

I'm completely with you on Guedes - he offers nothing, but it is one I can see happening.

 

[YoungWolf]

I think that looks a bit over-optimistic. Unfortunately I think DW has it about right.

What happens when Boly is injured or at the ACN? I reckon we need some kind of stellar CB signing and a usable back-up in a 4 as well. Not sure about Vitinha justifying being first choice in that role either, and we've still got huge problems if Raul isn't fit 90% of the time

If Boly gets injured then we put either Saiss/Coady next to the new CB - they are fine as back up IMO unless you are wanting us to be top six

 

[sycophantia]

I think that looks a bit over-optimistic. Unfortunately I think DW has it about right.

What happens when Boly is injured or at the ACN? I reckon we need some kind of stellar CB signing and a usable back-up in a 4 as well. Not sure about Vitinha justifying being first choice in that role either, and we've still got huge problems if Raul isn't fit 90% of the time

I'll be surprised if we bring in more than one quality CB, Boly and 1/2 of Coady, Saiss will have to cover the other(s)

 

[Jinky]

Great post. Looks like a two year job to me, so we'll have to all get our patient hats on and perhaps lower expections a little.

Up to Nuno to get an effective team out of that and the transfers, doesn't have to be perfect, but we have to look like we're heading somewhere

Missed this first time around and I agree that it's definitely a "two year job". The problem is, this was supposed to be the first year of the transition/squad development - but they've managed to royally fuck it up. So it's probably going to be more like a "three or four year job".

At least the last window or two have now universally been called out for how poor they were, which is what some of us were told to get back in our boxes for questioning at the time!

 

[prawnking]

If Boly gets injured then we put either Saiss/Coady next to the new CB - they are fine as back up IMO unless you are wanting us to be top six

Top 10 would do me! I know we can't mitigate for every scenario, but I'd prefer an affordable, proper career CB in the squad as well as our stellar signing.

If Nuno won't play Saiss or Coady in a back 4 now when we have absolutely nothing to play for in a dead season then I'm not sure we should be relying on them to step in next to Boly or the new guy (or both!!) next year.

If we only sign one CB, we have to have a workable 3 CB system as another option IMO

 

[AndyWolves]

Missed this first time around and I agree that it's definitely a "two year job". The problem is, this was supposed to be the first year of the transition/squad development - but they've managed to royally fuck it up. So it's probably going to be more like a "three or four year job".

At least the last window or two have now universally been called out for how poor they were, which is what some of us were told to get back in our boxes for questioning at the time!

I thought, when we first got promoted, we'd add maybe 1,2 or 3 quality players per window but that hasn't happened.

I hope it does now, I think the hardest thing promoted teams have to do is change the core of their team at the right time. We're getting close to having to do that now so it might be bumpy for another year or two.

 

[YoungWolf]

Top 10 would do me! I know we can't mitigate for every scenario, but I'd prefer an affordable, proper career CB in the squad as well as our stellar signing.

If Nuno won't play Saiss or Coady in a back 4 now when we have absolutely nothing to play for in a dead season then I'm not sure we should be relying on them to step in next to Boly or the new guy (or both!!) next year.

If we only sign one CB, we have to have a workable 3 CB system as another option IMO

This is probably the most likely scenario as I can't see us signing two centre backs. Maybe we might sign a young one to go wiht hopefully a more established one.

I think like you say if it's a two year job to rebalance the squad, as it seems unlikely we are going to have wholesale changes. Never know I guess!

 

[northfield wolf]

I agree with Deutschwolfs list, but i would keep Traore. I know he was shit yesterday, but wasnt they all. Agree to sell Donk, BUT, dont you just know he will come back to haunt us. Not the player he used to be at the moment.