What Do We Need Next Season

We need to cut our losses on Stranded Larsen and beg Mateta to stay. Pay JP what he wants and give him a 3 year deal. Might as well try keeping Kamala as well because Lerma and sadly Hughes just aren’t first XI players anymore.
Lol, the irony. Both Lerma and Hughes are superior players. Different, sure. But better. Both are known quantities at this level and should be retained. Yes from a pure numbers point of view we need to replace Kamada - it’s a great opportunity to do so with someone who will contribute offensively. Exciting times.
 
Interesting analysis. In my view we would be mad to sell Wharton at any price. If we assume Kamada is going, we have no quality at all in centre midfield unless Doucoure recovers to proper fitness (very questionable). It pains me to say so but Hughes is now miles off what we need, his physical weaknesses (both strength and uspeed) being increasingly exposed with each game. I think we stand little chance of attracting Hackney as I think bigger clubs will want him, but I would be delighted if he came to us.

I still think Pino could turn into a big player for us - he has the technical ability that we are so lacking, but isn't delivering enough. I may be over-optimistic here as I pinned some hopes on Max Meyer for longer than most, but I do think this guy could turn into a really good player for us.

I was questioning JP's value earlier this season, but the difference he has made coming on for JSL in the last 2 league games is pretty scary. Though JSL has not had much service, he needs to be a much better finisher than JP if he is going to be any sort of replacement, as it is clear his hold-up play and nuisance value are way below JP.

Esse has done nothing at Coventry to suggest he can make a decent impact for us in the PL, and the others in your bottom list should all go.

Overall we need to limit the departures to marginal players plus Kamada and JP (don't want either to go but assume they both will) so in particular we must keep Munoz and Wharton. We need a strong new defensive midfielder, and in my view a flair player in attack / attacking midfield, maybe instead of Johnson or Guessand.
🤣

On another note, we should absolutely keep Pino. He’ll flourish.
 
All I would like is a player that can do something special without letting defensive duties slip , not the easiest thing to find
 
First the most obvious, a manager. With Oli on his way out the door, we will need to act quick and get’em through the door, so we are able to plan accordingly. Not suggesting that we may not have already done so behind the scenes, obviously we don’t know as fans.

I would say we have the numbers now in the squad, after a long time where we were short. So as far as squad-building goes; incomings should match any number of major outgoings. That probably suits Parish’s sensibilities too, assuming we don’t shell out more than we bring in after we’ve had a few splurges recently.

Get Guessand on permanent terms as a priority. If the prior agreement can be negotiated down then of course do it, but they may stick firm with it. He had a great impact initially and if he stays fit I see him only doing more.

Uche will return to Madrid, good luck to him, he will make it in the game somewhere, but not here. So we will need to fill that space, hopefully with someone more fancied by the next coaching group.

I’m happy for Clyne to stay on if he’s happy, but his role will become more and more reduced over time even if he does stay, so a competitive squad RWB to push on Munoz or fight for that spot with him is a priority IMO.

Equally Sosa probably isn’t pushing that much for Ty’s spot, and he may leave for an alternative option to compete for LWB.

I’m in the minority who are more supportive of Nketiah in his time here, but that’s likely reached its conclusion now. Anyone coming in should be EPL / UEL ready, not a project player.

Jaydee and Riad are sufficiently filling the Guéhi gap now, if we stick with 3 at the back we are covered, and if we do end up in a 4 then we’re doubly so.

Move on JRS and probably Romaine Esse. Their futures are not with us, alas.

If Mateta still wants to go then we have to be very careful to bring in a target man who can hopefully be ahead of Larsen in the pecking order (or may play alongside JSL in a new system.)

Hopefully we can hold onto Wharton.

So that’s pretty much six in (AM/ST, AM/ST, RWB, LWB, AM/ST, ST) and technically seven out (AM/ST, RB, LWB, AM/ST, RW, RW, ST)

A busy window then, more so than we’ve seen for quite a while, probably since Paddy’s first window. An opportunity for the new man to make us his own right from the off, but with a strong core to build on.
 
Lol, the irony. Both Lerma and Hughes are superior players. Different, sure. But better. Both are known quantities at this level and should be retained. Yes from a pure numbers point of view we need to replace Kamada - it’s a great opportunity to do so with someone who will contribute offensively. Exciting times.
in your opinion.

In my opinion their role in the team should be nothing more than shutting up shop to protect a lead.
 
in your opinion.

In my opinion their role in the team should be nothing more than shutting up shop to protect a lead.
Yes of course. Sorry, it’s a fan forum, everything is opinion. Didn’t think I needed to state that 🙂

They certainly are great at shutting up shop and giving us defensive solidity.
 
A good manager, a fair few good new players, and pray that some of our more recent purchases turn out to be a lot better than what they've currently offered i.e Johnson, Strand-Larsen, Guessand (if god forbid we cough up 28m), Nketiah (if he has any hamstrings left), Esse (if he's able to complete more than a half of football before getting hauled off) and França (presuming he's not injured, not on loan somewhere, not missing due to non-footballing reasons etc).

On a positive note I think Ozoh and Imray might become useful members of the squad which would be nice. Drakes-Thomas and Benamar also continue to look great prospects but I think they're a bit further away on the development line.
 
All I would like is a player that can do something special without letting defensive duties slip , not the easiest thing to find
I agree, it can all seem a bit laboured these days, too much tippy tappy sideways passing because they don’t know what to do with the ball because there’s no one forward who can do something with the ball, that player like Wilf Bolasie Eze or Olise who can give you that flash of brilliance and get us off our seats
 

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