The right two midfielders away from a beautifully balanced squad?

Robert California

Well-Known Member
I think so.

Two Goalkeepers that you could select for any match.

Tav, Paterson for RB, with Balogun also capable if those two were missing at same time.

Borna, Bassey at LB, with Aribo more than capable, as above.

Goldson, Balogun, Helander, Simpson to choose from at CB, with options on what to do with Katic and Edmundson in the summer, maybe a loan and a sell, or loan both out?

Up front centrally, we have Morelos, Roofe , Itten and Sakala, likely Defoe will move in.

RHS of attack , Roofe, Hagi and Aribo all offer something different.

LHS of attack can see Kent backed up by Wright.

Lastly, midfield. Davis, Kamara and a fully fit Jack, supported by Arfield’s functionality and fact Aribo can also play deeper (but to less affect) is good, we wait and see if Ofobohr is ‘match ready’ but I think we could be 1-2 short of having one one the most balanced and versatile squads I’ve ever seen.

Thoughts, agreements or arguments welcome.
 
I think so.

Two Goalkeepers that you could select for any match.

Tav, Paterson for RB, with Balogun also capable if those two were missing at same time.

Borna, Bassey at LB, with Aribo more than capable, as above.

Goldson, Balogun, Helander, Simpson to choose from at CB, with options on what to do with Katic and Edmundson in the summer, maybe a loan and a sell, or loan both out?

Up front centrally, we have Morelos, Roofe , Itten and Sakala, likely Defoe will move in.

RHS of attack , Roofe, Hagi and Aribo all offer something different.

LHS of attack can see Kent backed up by Wright.

Lastly, midfield. Davis, Kamara and a fully fit Jack, supported by Arfield’s functionality and fact Aribo can also play deeper (but to less affect) is good, we wait and see if Ofobohr is ‘match ready’ but I think we could be 1-2 short of having one one the most balanced and versatile squads I’ve ever seen.

Thoughts, agreements or arguments welcome.
I think we need a striker good in the air too as a different option. No point in constantly slinging in all these high crosses if we don’t have that.
 
I think we need a striker good in the air too as a different option. No point in constantly slinging in all these high crosses if we don’t have that.
Absolutely, always good to have another dimension if we are struggling in a game. I thought Itten would have gave us that but even for a big guy he actually seems better with the ball on the deck.
 
Good assessment of the squad the challenge is making it sustainable. For that in all we need to sell at a good profit pretty much every year depending on European participation. With that comes the even greater challenge of filling the void with cheaper potential to keep the cycle going.
As we can all enjoy across the city when that cycle is broken you end up in a whole heap of rebuilding mess.
 
I think so.

Two Goalkeepers that you could select for any match.

Tav, Paterson for RB, with Balogun also capable if those two were missing at same time.

Borna, Bassey at LB, with Aribo more than capable, as above.

Goldson, Balogun, Helander, Simpson to choose from at CB, with options on what to do with Katic and Edmundson in the summer, maybe a loan and a sell, or loan both out?

Up front centrally, we have Morelos, Roofe , Itten and Sakala, likely Defoe will move in.

RHS of attack , Roofe, Hagi and Aribo all offer something different.

LHS of attack can see Kent backed up by Wright.

Lastly, midfield. Davis, Kamara and a fully fit Jack, supported by Arfield’s functionality and fact Aribo can also play deeper (but to less affect) is good, we wait and see if Ofobohr is ‘match ready’ but I think we could be 1-2 short of having one one the most balanced and versatile squads I’ve ever seen.

Thoughts, agreements or arguments welcome.
Lot of good assessments but an awful lot will depend on who and how many leave.
Not the likes of Edmundson,Jones,Defoe but more others regularly in the team.

It's who goes and how we replace them that will be key imo,on top of one or two additions to the midfield.
 
2 midfielders certainly. I agree with comment above - it’d be nice to have an aerial threat up front to exploit the many crosses we throw in. I think we could do with a fast centre half ( any more will depend on who goes).
 
Yes, I was working on the basis of not losing any core players via a sale, but appreciate this is a possibility, especially if we do t make group stage of UCL, and as a lifer above stated, we need to be able to to react quickly if that happens.

Disagree with comments about Bassey, I think he’s as good a deputy as we can hope for at our stage, impossible to have an equal ability deputy for every position who will sit on bench regularly.

Not sure we need a big striker, I think we have yet to discover the real value of Cedric Itten, who looks more than capable in the air at 6’2.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cav
I think we need a striker good in the air too as a different option. No point in constantly slinging in all these high crosses if we don’t have that.
Agreed.
With the service both Tav and Borna have delivered this season a Jelavic or the like would be on about 60 goals.
 
Agreed.
With the service both Tav and Borna have delivered this season a Jelavic or the like would be on about 60 goals.
I actually think that Morelos and Roofe are more than capable in the air and for the way we play.


And our full back and ‘10’s’ very often use targeted cut backs from the wide areas, like Kent goal at Parkhead etc.

Our quality of crossing doesn’t always require a 6’4 striker, Morelos has scored some outstanding headed goals for us.
 
I actually think that Morelos and Roofe are more than capable in the air and for the way we play.


And our full back and ‘10’s’ very often use targeted cut backs from the wide areas, like Kent goal at Parkhead etc.

Our quality of crossing doesn’t always require a 6’4 striker, Morelos has scored some outstanding headed goals for us.
Both huge players for us and I'm the last to be critical of them especially wee buff, but let's keep it real neither are as accomplished at finishing with the head than the level Jelevic was at.
 
Both huge players for us and I'm the last to be critical of them especially wee buff, but let's keep it real neither are as accomplished at finishing with the head than the level Jelevic was at.
We played 4-4-2 with Jelavic, maybe more emphasis on a bigger robust striker ?

Although I do agree that Jelavic at his peak would have been an outstanding player in this group. Technically good enough to fit the style, but robust enough to lead the line completely.

He was very very good in the air, I’m sure he would approve of Morelos headed double in Feyenoord
 
We played 4-4-2 with Jelavic, maybe more emphasis on a bigger robust striker ?

Although I do agree that Jelavic at his peak would have been an outstanding player in this group. Technically good enough to fit the style, but robust enough to lead the line completely.

He was very very good in the air, I’m sure he would approve of Morelos headed double in Feyenoord

Jelavic was a brilliant forward.
I miss him a lot.
 
The best time to strengthen a squad is when your Champions. We also have to take on board.the likelihood that we may receive substantial offers for one or two of the starting squad, that if accepted, will obviously mean finding comparable replacements.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cav
We played 4-4-2 with Jelavic, maybe more emphasis on a bigger robust striker ?

Although I do agree that Jelavic at his peak would have been an outstanding player in this group. Technically good enough to fit the style, but robust enough to lead the line completely.

He was very very good in the air, I’m sure he would approve of Morelos headed double in Feyenoord
I'm hopeful we'll see the best of both Roofe and Itten next year having had a season to settle in for the latter,and time of how to manage the formers injury issues.
Both look capable in the air and being honest,Alfie isn't actually that great aerially imo.
He just makes up for it in other ways ten fold.
 
Sign Veerman and a young Scottish CM (Gauld if he is free would be decent) and I’ll be happy.
Gauld is reportedly staying in Portugal mate,and has a few decent offers there.

Can't blame the lad tbh and it seems the style of the game over there and lifestyle off the pitch suits him.
 
We need at least 2 quality additions for the midfield. As sad as it is to say we can't depend on the fitness of both Jack and Arfield. Really nieve to fully expect they will play as much as Kamara and Davis have and Aribo's best performances have been further up so having at least 2 additions here is an absolute must

(And that's before you consider the ban Kamara will have to serve in the qualifying)
 
I think we need a striker good in the air too as a different option. No point in constantly slinging in all these high crosses if we don’t have that.
Its pace up front we are looking at not height. The management team think we need that threat
 
2 quality midfield players would be good.We are missing Kamara for 3 Champion league qualifiers and Jack might not be ready in time.
 
If Ofoborh improves us more than Zungu did then pushing the boat out for someone like Veerman may be all we need for the middle.

It probably will require someone to be moved on however, for instance Kamara, in which case we’ll also need to think about replacing him too.

If Morelos stays for a crack at the Champions League we really need to see Roofe remain fitter than he was this season and Itten step up a level otherwise we look a bit short up top too.
 
I think we need a striker good in the air too as a different option. No point in constantly slinging in all these high crosses if we don’t have that.
Whilst I agree its good to have alternate options, we seem to have done pretty well from "constantly slinging in high crosses". Roofe and Morelos are both decent enough in the air to benefit from our wide deliveries. You would hope Itten develops into a better force in the air as well.
 
Back
Top