ShipOfTheseus
Clint Dempsey
Yep. He simply goes to his little black book of experts in human psychology and motivation, and finds just the right way to engage team doctors and expensive misfits. Proven.
-
Dear Guest, Please note that adult content is not permitted on this forum. We have had our Google ads disabled at times due to some posts that were found from some time ago. Please do not post adult content and if you see any already on the forum, please report the post so that we can deal with it. Adult content is allowed in the glory hole - you will have to request permission to access it. Thanks, scara
Upgrading the Team
- Thread starter SpurMeUp
- Start date
Yep. He simply goes to his little black book of experts in human psychology and motivation, and finds just the right way to engage team doctors and expensive misfits. Proven.
StephenH
David Ginola
Just being pragmatic. I will never condone his eye gauging and his other past conduct. Poch though was a tease promised so much but just didn't deliver.
I'm coming round to the old adage 'no grit, no pearl'
SpurMeUp
Les Howe
Once we sign Hojberg I find it hard to see which positions we should prioritise and sign players for. It likely depends on who we can sell.
I think JM wants another Striker. If the finances are okay - not too much competition to sign him and reasonable wages - Callum Wilson makes sense, as we need English players for our quota.
Right and left-back. Everyone bangs on about RB, but we have Aurier, Foyth, and Tanganga. We'll probably have to sell one of Aurier and Foyth before we upgrade (Max Aarons fits our buy young promising players and is homegrown).
Davies is a solid pro. For me he's an ideal squad player. I'd love him to prove me wrong as he's a likable guy, but for me he isn't quite good enough at either end of the pitch. Rose has had his day with us. Too much water under the bridge you feel. Unless Mourinho thinks he can bring about a renaissance in Rose, it seems likely we'll sell. Of our current left-backs, Rose is closer to CL level for me. With potentially just Davies, and Sessengon untried, signing a left back is arguably more pressing than a right back.
Then we have Ndombele. Trust him to kick on next season, and we won't need another CM. Sell him and we will need more quality in the middle. I hope we keep him, and Mourinho builds him up. Gets him focused doing the simple things well. His immense talent will shine through if he can do the 'basics' - tracking back, training well, keeping in shape etc.
I think JM wants another Striker. If the finances are okay - not too much competition to sign him and reasonable wages - Callum Wilson makes sense, as we need English players for our quota.
Right and left-back. Everyone bangs on about RB, but we have Aurier, Foyth, and Tanganga. We'll probably have to sell one of Aurier and Foyth before we upgrade (Max Aarons fits our buy young promising players and is homegrown).
Davies is a solid pro. For me he's an ideal squad player. I'd love him to prove me wrong as he's a likable guy, but for me he isn't quite good enough at either end of the pitch. Rose has had his day with us. Too much water under the bridge you feel. Unless Mourinho thinks he can bring about a renaissance in Rose, it seems likely we'll sell. Of our current left-backs, Rose is closer to CL level for me. With potentially just Davies, and Sessengon untried, signing a left back is arguably more pressing than a right back.
Then we have Ndombele. Trust him to kick on next season, and we won't need another CM. Sell him and we will need more quality in the middle. I hope we keep him, and Mourinho builds him up. Gets him focused doing the simple things well. His immense talent will shine through if he can do the 'basics' - tracking back, training well, keeping in shape etc.
Last edited:
braineclipse
Steve Sedgley
I think Foyth is on his way out, just a question of time. I think the same is true with Rose.
I think Tanganga will end up being a centre back and more of a makeshift solution at full back. That leaves us with Aurier at the only real right back.
At left back one might argue that it's the same situation with Davies, but it's more uncertain imo. Does Mourinho see Sessegnon as a left back option for the upcoming season? Where is Cirkin in his development? Impossible to know, but Mourinho might be fine with our current options.
Striker backup, right back. Then Ndombele is as you say the big question mark. Left back seems to me more of a "if possible it would be good to upgrade" position and less of a priority.
Similar
RB -> KWP gone, Foyth is timing and Aurier is being negociated
LB -> can't see Rose playing for us again, seems Jose is ok with Tanganga and Cirkin (he mentioned he will get game time) as backup
ST -> We need one, simple
CM -> another creative (not particularly a goal scoring AM as we have a lot of those), but someone that can rotate/compete with Lo Celso and N'dombele
JerusalemMan
Chris Perry
Now that Hojbjerg is here, we have hit the 17 foreign players limit for European competition and are at 16 for the Premier League - and that's after Vertonghen and Vorm's departures!
So that's got to be a significant consideration over both incomings and outgoings. Aurier, Foyth and Lamela out would give us leeway on recruitment. Losing Rose is a pinchpoint, as is the likely loss of Skipp on loan for the season. CCV and Amos out could be counterbalanced by foreigners in but only young ones. It's tempting to think of upgrading or switching the team to move on Winks and Alli, but their homegrown status means we surely cannot countenance their departures at the moment.
So that's got to be a significant consideration over both incomings and outgoings. Aurier, Foyth and Lamela out would give us leeway on recruitment. Losing Rose is a pinchpoint, as is the likely loss of Skipp on loan for the season. CCV and Amos out could be counterbalanced by foreigners in but only young ones. It's tempting to think of upgrading or switching the team to move on Winks and Alli, but their homegrown status means we surely cannot countenance their departures at the moment.
Bedfordspurs
Mark Falco
It’s why I’ve said I can see us going for Zaha .. yep some people think he is brick but he will this summer be available for less money than in the past by all accounts and his usual suitor in Arsenal are signing another player in his position, and everton still seem like a mess of a club recruitment wise. He would tick the homegrown box and is IMO an upgrade on a lamela as well as another who can play as a “striker”
Aaron’s is English, with so much scope to step up and there are other RBs too that tick the box
eze is the perfect creative addition
Imagine a window where we bring in no one from overseas
JerusalemMan
Chris Perry
I think Zaha's age and the price that Palace can still demand will seriously count against him in this time when our recruitment is curtailed by the financial constraints and also because I get the feeling that this close season is all about Jose getting a bit of squad churn done so he can start the season with more of the weapons that we wants.
If it was a less-restricted time, where we only needed two or three signings then maybe Zaha would be on the table. But even if he's gettable now for (say) £40 million compared to £70 million previously, that's still money that I think Jose can use better to get a couple of other players in that will go further to reshaping the squad into a state that he is happy with.
Bedfordspurs
Mark Falco
Yeah I agree but he could be a game changer, he stays fit, is prem proven and home grown
Lamela for all his good points misses a third of every season as a minimum
Issue of course is the balance of sale fo him vs cost of Zaha for example
I’ll add that I seem to be the only person linking us with him So what do I know
The home grown thing is huge imo
Yeah I agree but he could be a game changer, he stays fit, is prem proven and home grown
Lamela for all his good points misses a third of every season as a minimum
Issue of course is the balance of sale fo him vs cost of Zaha for example
I’ll add that I seem to be the only person linking us with him So what do I know
The home grown thing is huge imo
Home grown is an issue, but Zaha is off the table, 40M+ and his stupid wages will make him highly unattractive to most.
- I see Aaron's purely because of the homegrown thing, similar on our 3rd keeper (as low priority as that is)
- Homegrown is also why there is probably zero chance Foyth plays next season (sold or loan), too easy a spot in squad to free up
Bedfordspurs
Mark Falco
Arrons for me or another home grown RB like maybe Cash from Forrest is hug as Aurier is woeful
Yeah Zaha is just my shout and one that’s not been linked anywhere
1st transfer window in the last 8 then.
Bedfordspurs
Mark Falco
true but watch this space
Finney Is Back
Luka Modric
It is one of the reasons why Ollie Watkins makes so much sense to me as a potential signing.
JerusalemMan
Chris Perry
I wish I knew enough to comment but I've only heard his name seriously in recent weeks and haven't watched Brentford last season to observe how he plays.
[Though I appreciate the nature of the internet and fan forums means that my lack of knowledge should not restrain me from vociferously commenting all the same]
Last edited:
parklane1
Tony Galvin
Personally i would rather we kept Winks.
We'd be £40m down on the deal and no further forward.
Gazza Dazzla
Chris Perry
Grealish would be competition for Dele, Lamela or the 2/3 behind Kane, not for CM in the sense that Winks, GLC, Ndombele, Sissoko or PEH play it.