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Squad

Hearing Rumours here that we are sniffing around Jota because his SA move isn't going to plan.

Prefer gil or santiago get a chance. Johnson should be fit soon. Also have son and richarlison that can play there. Which would give veliz minutes.

A no from me. Sends totally the wrong message to the academy players.

I may very well be wrong, but in theory if he is or gets released we could sign him outside the transfer window? But we currently have the maximum of 17 non home grown players registered. I don’t think we can change that registration outside the transfer window, so would have to be in January?

I wouldn't be against signing a really elite, or best we could possibly sign type wide attacker. Even more so if that's also a player that can play centrally in Maddison's role if needed. Someone like Eze would be perfect for example.

I don't know enough about Jota to know, but doesn't strike me as elite at this level at this point. May be wrong.

Another player who fits the system, is good, but not great for the wide attacking roles I'm definitely less enthusiastic about.
 
If he gets released, and he is the player Ange wants, then get him in early and let him get extra training with the team.
And pay his wages before we can even play him? Can't see that happening.

Sent from my XQ-BC72 using Fapatalk
 
And pay his wages before we can even play him? Can't see that happening.

Sent from my XQ-BC72 using Fapatalk

I'm assuming if he gets released he will get his contract paid up.
So we would just be offering facilities so he can train and stay fit. Just added bonus if he can get time with his future teammates
 
A few comments (I've been absent)

- Sancho is a no go, players who lose years of development are a dead end, Sancho, Havertz, Pulisic, etc will never hit what they were expected to. Multiple years of not enough games, no fixed position and low confidence means they are pretty much done.

Re the squad immediate needs

- LB & CB are scary thin right now
- In attack the question will be do we settle on Son as our first choice in middle, then try to add a top level AM/Winger type? (Jota, Mitoma, Eze?)
- What is our plan for the academy/youth? beyond Veliz & Gil, we have 3 or 4 that are pushing hard (More, Santiago, Donley) from Academy, do they see minutes?

Question for the board

- Would you go for Mitoma if it meant no more AT options (so Son in middle, rotate Richi & Veliz) as we would likely pay >£60M (think his contract is running out but Brighton will squeeze)
- Jota, higher wages, less fee, no PL experience, younger
- Go for a central striker?
- Or go for a right winger, someone to push Deki?
- Where does Johnson fit if we add attacking options?
 
A few comments (I've been absent)

- Sancho is a no go, players who lose years of development are a dead end, Sancho, Havertz, Pulisic, etc will never hit what they were expected to. Multiple years of not enough games, no fixed position and low confidence means they are pretty much done.

Re the squad immediate needs

- LB & CB are scary thin right now
- In attack the question will be do we settle on Son as our first choice in middle, then try to add a top level AM/Winger type? (Jota, Mitoma, Eze?)
- What is our plan for the academy/youth? beyond Veliz & Gil, we have 3 or 4 that are pushing hard (More, Santiago, Donley) from Academy, do they see minutes?

Question for the board

- Would you go for Mitoma if it meant no more AT options (so Son in middle, rotate Richi & Veliz) as we would likely pay >£60M (think his contract is running out but Brighton will squeeze)
- Jota, higher wages, less fee, no PL experience, younger
- Go for a central striker?
- Or go for a right winger, someone to push Deki?
- Where does Johnson fit if we add attacking options?
The main January need is a CB.

I think we can make do with our forward options for the rest of the season, mainly due to the lack of games. It'll also shake out who is useful (in various positions) or fits the system. To that end I'm sure he is going to give Bryan some minutes to see what he offers, and likewise Sess when fit again. Plus Veliz

Johnson hopefully just fits in :)...as he cost £50m. Probably best as the right sided attacker so a option with Deki. With the option of Deki playing more creative CM or Johnson having a go at CF.

All the out and ins lined up once again for next summer.

There's an absolute stack of attacking youth talent that could be called on (not forgetting Devine and Scarlett still to come back). The European tournament we land in next season might dictate our plans with each of them. Donley I'd keep around as he looks the type to transition to 1st team minutes without much fuss.

In the open market, I like Mitoma but he is 26, not old, but older than you'd think. So if he's expensive it a harder deal to add up. Neto is returning to his old levels. We have to remember we are looking for stay out wide winger, who can cross...less options these days given the cut inside nature of tactics.

Obviously we could end up (after the season shake out) realising we 100% need to focus on a CF that is going to hit the ground running and be at the club for the medium turn (remembering Sonny isn't getting any younger).
 
Johnson is a starter for Ange. It has been made clear Johnson was a priority signing for Ange, and with his first game of being available and fit - away at Arsenal he is given a starting position. We haven't spent 50m for him to be sitting on the bench.

The only position where we don't have true cover for in the attacking department is Kulus position but I guess Bryan can play there.

Seems pretty clear to me if there is any position to focus on strengthening it should be CB....
 
How do we find a CB better than Phillips or Dier, who is happy to sit on the bench?
Even without PEH, we have Bissouma, Bentancur, Sarr and Skipp competing for two spots.
It feels like we've got that many attacking forwards, we can cope with injuries there.
Our back-up full backs are obviously less attacking, so we may need to address that.
The one player we will really feel the loss if he gets an injury is Maddison.
 
How do we find a CB better than Phillips or Dier, who is happy to sit on the bench?
Even without PEH, we have Bissouma, Bentancur, Sarr and Skipp competing for two spots.
It feels like we've got that many attacking forwards, we can cope with injuries there.
Our back-up full backs are obviously less attacking, so we may need to address that.
The one player we will really feel the loss if he gets an injury is Maddison.

Lloyd Kelly seems a done deal so that's the middle ground back who can play two roles.

Then go for the Paalce CB in the summer...one can dream
 
Lloyd Kelly seems a done deal so that's the middle ground back who can play two roles.

Then go for the Paalce CB in the summer...one can dream
Guess it depends what sort of impression Phillips makes this season, I’d want to leave some sort of path to the 1st team for him though. 100% need one in there in Jan and Kelly seems sensible.
 
Guess it depends what sort of impression Phillips makes this season, I’d want to leave some sort of path to the 1st team for him though. 100% need one in there in Jan and Kelly seems sensible.

Likewise, will be interesting what's seen as depth, 1/1 in many roles or flexible players.

I'm actually excited for where we are considering where we were and expect it to only get better
 
I'd just sign Lloyd Kelly to cover CB and LB and leave the rest till the summer. We're well enough covered in the other areas, even if Hojbjerg and Lo Celso go.

Part of our new approach has got to be leaving pathways for academy player. We need to be seeing about 3 of Phillips, John, Donley, Santiago, Veliz etc. on the bench every week, instead of the bed blockers the last 3 managers filled their squad with.
 
How do we find a CB better than Phillips or Dier, who is happy to sit on the bench?
Even without PEH, we have Bissouma, Bentancur, Sarr and Skipp competing for two spots.
It feels like we've got that many attacking forwards, we can cope with injuries there.
Our back-up full backs are obviously less attacking, so we may need to address that.
The one player we will really feel the loss if he gets an injury is Maddison.

Not sure I agree, either CB would be a massive loss, the current partnership is sexy and adding Dier or Davies in there throws a bucket of cold water on the sexiness of it. Added to that, none of the other forwards we have put up numbers anywhere near Son's because they don't offer the same level of threat and finishing so Son out long term would be rough too... Plus Davies instead of Udogie would mean losing a lot of potency on the left.....We can't really hope to get through a full season relying on Son Madders game on game out, same goes for the CB partnership.

As you say it's not easy to get in quality players to sit on the bench so it's not an easy fix, especially with no European football but come January hopefully we'll still be looking on course to get back in for next season so that'll be a plus for potential signings.

As said on the glory podcast, if we'd had the same injuries at LF/ LW in the CB position we'd be well and truly farked but at least CM is looking solid so we've not had to rush Bentancur.
 
How do we find a CB better than Phillips or Dier, who is happy to sit on the bench?
Even without PEH, we have Bissouma, Bentancur, Sarr and Skipp competing for two spots.
It feels like we've got that many attacking forwards, we can cope with injuries there.
Our back-up full backs are obviously less attacking, so we may need to address that.
The one player we will really feel the loss if he gets an injury is Maddison.

Quite easily in the case of Dier as he is not at all suited to the way we play - without getting in to the debate regarding his quality as a player, it's clearly a square peg round hole situation with him now, which makes his position in the squad untenable.

Backup for Maddison is a good point and will need addressing sooner or later.
 
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