Finney Is Back
Barry Daines
Looking at our squad (and the abundance of players we have out injured at the moment ("For fcuk sake Ange!") I think there are a few areas in which we are weak assuming a fully fit squad.
IMO the most pressing needs and left back and goalkeeper.
We lose too much of an attacking threat on the left playing the (very) right footed Spence on the left hand side. Worse than that it also often leads to us having to defend because our pattern of play that sees the ball go out to the fullback from the keeper or centre back, usually sees a reasonably simple ball or run down the line for the fullback than often results in a throw in to us at worst. Spence instead turns back infield and towards trouble. Who we go for to provide competition to Udogie depends on whether we have decent funds or not.
If we have a decent pot to spend then Antonee Robinson or Theo Hernandez would be great signings, though it might be hard to sign them and keep them happy. A younger alternative who I think is going right to the top is Nathaniel Brown at Frankfurt. Rico Henry is a good shout and I think a move to a big club would appeal to him at this stage of his career and I wonder whether Brentford would allow him to go for a not too ridiculous fee with him being out of contract this summer. Also has the advantage of having worked with Frank previously.
If looking to the championship then, as I've said before Leif Davis has a lot about him (though I think Ipswich would want upwards of £25m). The other left backs who have impressed me in the Championship have been Harrison Burrows at Sheffield United and Liam Millar at Hull (I thought he looked very good last season when on loan at Preston).
On to the goalkeeper.... while Vic's shot stopping is largely very good. I don't think we can continue to carry a keeper who isn't great (to say the least) with his feet and constantly rooted to his line and poor at dealing with crosses. There are shedloads of keepers better than him out there IMO, or at least ones more suited to the physicality of PL football. Again it depends on how much we've got to spend. If big money then Kobel at Dortmund is very good. Obliak at Atletico Madrid is another who is superb but I think only a bid well over the odds persuades either team to sell. We therefore probably have to look to do something a bit more clever..... Maybe a move for Mike Maignan from AC Milan. He is out of contract this summer and getting him in would allow us to loan out Kinsky (who I think needs to play to develop). Try to a pre contract deal for him in January and then persuade Milan to sell for a few million after securing him for the summer.
Otherwise I don't think we need that much. We look short of a centre forward but a lot of that is Solanke being out and Muani then being injured. I think with Solanke, Muani, Richarlison and Tel (and Scarlett) we have that position covered. Probably not with enough quality but I see Summer as being the right time to address that and not January.
I think we're well set at centre back with Romero, Van Der Ven, Danso, Dragusin back soon, Takai (assuming he isn't a perma-crock) and Phillips and Vuskovic out on loan for longer term options).
We're also well set at right back with Porro and Spence.
We have options on the right with Kudus, Johnson and Bergval.
Same on the left with Odobert and also the likes of Simons, Richarlison, Tel and even Muani being able to operate from the left as well as Mikey Moore out on loan.
We have Palhinha, Bentancur and Gray who can play as the deep midfielder.
We have Sarr and Bergval who can both play the 8 role, I think Gray could also do a good job there.
We have Maddison, Simmons and Kulu who can all play as a number 10 type, as well as a few players like Kudus and Tel who can probably fill in there).
Left back and goalkeeper are the glaring weak spots for me and those would be my january priority.
IMO the most pressing needs and left back and goalkeeper.
We lose too much of an attacking threat on the left playing the (very) right footed Spence on the left hand side. Worse than that it also often leads to us having to defend because our pattern of play that sees the ball go out to the fullback from the keeper or centre back, usually sees a reasonably simple ball or run down the line for the fullback than often results in a throw in to us at worst. Spence instead turns back infield and towards trouble. Who we go for to provide competition to Udogie depends on whether we have decent funds or not.
If we have a decent pot to spend then Antonee Robinson or Theo Hernandez would be great signings, though it might be hard to sign them and keep them happy. A younger alternative who I think is going right to the top is Nathaniel Brown at Frankfurt. Rico Henry is a good shout and I think a move to a big club would appeal to him at this stage of his career and I wonder whether Brentford would allow him to go for a not too ridiculous fee with him being out of contract this summer. Also has the advantage of having worked with Frank previously.
If looking to the championship then, as I've said before Leif Davis has a lot about him (though I think Ipswich would want upwards of £25m). The other left backs who have impressed me in the Championship have been Harrison Burrows at Sheffield United and Liam Millar at Hull (I thought he looked very good last season when on loan at Preston).
On to the goalkeeper.... while Vic's shot stopping is largely very good. I don't think we can continue to carry a keeper who isn't great (to say the least) with his feet and constantly rooted to his line and poor at dealing with crosses. There are shedloads of keepers better than him out there IMO, or at least ones more suited to the physicality of PL football. Again it depends on how much we've got to spend. If big money then Kobel at Dortmund is very good. Obliak at Atletico Madrid is another who is superb but I think only a bid well over the odds persuades either team to sell. We therefore probably have to look to do something a bit more clever..... Maybe a move for Mike Maignan from AC Milan. He is out of contract this summer and getting him in would allow us to loan out Kinsky (who I think needs to play to develop). Try to a pre contract deal for him in January and then persuade Milan to sell for a few million after securing him for the summer.
Otherwise I don't think we need that much. We look short of a centre forward but a lot of that is Solanke being out and Muani then being injured. I think with Solanke, Muani, Richarlison and Tel (and Scarlett) we have that position covered. Probably not with enough quality but I see Summer as being the right time to address that and not January.
I think we're well set at centre back with Romero, Van Der Ven, Danso, Dragusin back soon, Takai (assuming he isn't a perma-crock) and Phillips and Vuskovic out on loan for longer term options).
We're also well set at right back with Porro and Spence.
We have options on the right with Kudus, Johnson and Bergval.
Same on the left with Odobert and also the likes of Simons, Richarlison, Tel and even Muani being able to operate from the left as well as Mikey Moore out on loan.
We have Palhinha, Bentancur and Gray who can play as the deep midfielder.
We have Sarr and Bergval who can both play the 8 role, I think Gray could also do a good job there.
We have Maddison, Simmons and Kulu who can all play as a number 10 type, as well as a few players like Kudus and Tel who can probably fill in there).
Left back and goalkeeper are the glaring weak spots for me and those would be my january priority.
. We should be giving our all to win every competition and then see how it lands. I doubt most of us truly believed we could reach the Final in 2019, yet we did. And if not for an absolute piece of flimflam referee decision, we could well have won the competition.
