Potential Summer Transfers in and out

[Martinmarx]

Very very happy we finally got Adam in. If not a footballing signing, it is a social one like how it used to be back in the day.

Still mighty mighty concerned nothing's done to improve what must be our weekes back-4 in two decades. It's outrageus really people are talking about 4th as an already done deal despite us having one of the poorest defences in the PL.

[Tes]

Very very happy we finally got Adam in. If not a footballing signing, it is a social one like how it used to be back in the day.

Still mighty mighty concerned nothing's done to improve what must be our weekes back-4 in two decades. It's outrageus really people are talking about 4th as an already done deal despite us having one of the poorest defences in the PL.

Left back and 1 or 2 centre halves, Martin? And who, of the centre halves, would you sell?

[Tes]

Talk of Joe Cole going on loan to West Ham..
http://www.myfootballnews.co.uk/news_jump.html?team_id=3&story=131044

which personally sounds like bs to me...
the major reason being that it involves Fat Sham, he who followed fergie's mindgames when slagging benitez off in the 'gesturing that the game was over was a mark of disrespect' furore...wouldn't give Fat Sham the drippings of my nose let alone Joe Cole...
Anyways i thought West Ham hated Cole?

Is the 'fat one' trying to re-create his Bolton mark 1 team with 'over the hill' and 'forgotton' flair plays blending with the bulldozers?

Surley Villa could do with a midfielder or two. I'd try to tempt them in some way to take Cole off our hands. Plus his wife will be halfway to London.

[the dude abides]

good to see adam arrive.

we now have a decent corner and freekick taker (good penalty taker too).

*hides behind sofa, lest kopite arrives home for his tea*

 

[Tes]

good to see adam arrive.

we now have a decent corner and freekick taker (good penalty taker too).

*hides behind sofa, lest kopite arrives home for his tea*

 

It all depends whether Stevie gets the memo. *joins Dude.

[the dude abides]

 

gonna be interesting to see how our midfield lines up in august.

[Tes]

gonna be interesting to see how our midfield lines up in august.

Can't see it being a four. Adam isn't defensively capable enough, especially if Gerrard is alongside him.

Lucas and Adam in a four? Doubtful. Lucas and Gerrard in a four? Ditto.

4-3-3   Adam left, Gerrard right, Lucas central, a touch deeper. Width and supply being provided by a combination of full back and winger / wide forward? Maybe.

4-2-3-1  Adam's on the bench. He can't be one of the '2' as he's less defensively capable than Alonso was and Lucas / Spearing are. Can't be left of the '3' unless all the true width is provided by the fullback placing a lot of covering emphasis on the left sided of the '2' and the left sided centre half. Can't see him being centre of the '3' unless Gerrard is left out as where would you 'sensibly' play Gerrard?.

So in conclusion it's Aquilani and Meireles in midfield then.   

[Tes]

Jovanovic linked with Anderlecht:

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11669_7028521,00.html

Hopefully, they'll be a few more exits before the end of August.

[the dude abides]

Jovanovic linked with Anderlecht:

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11669_7028521,00.html

Hopefully, they'll be a few more exits before the end of August.

reading the other day that Jovanovic is on 120 grand a week.

what lunatic within Anfield put him on that wage?

Absolute madness.  He's not worth 40, nevermind 120.

the sooner we ditch these bosman style transfers, the better.

players arrive for all the wrong reasons.

[the dude abides]

Can't see it being a four. Adam isn't defensively capable enough, especially if Gerrard is alongside him.

Lucas and Adam in a four? Doubtful. Lucas and Gerrard in a four? Ditto.

4-3-3   Adam left, Gerrard right, Lucas central, a touch deeper. Width and supply being provided by a combination of full back and winger / wide forward? Maybe.

4-2-3-1  Adam's on the bench. He can't be one of the '2' as he's less defensively capable than Alonso was and Lucas / Spearing are. Can't be left of the '3' unless all the true width is provided by the fullback placing a lot of covering emphasis on the left sided of the '2' and the left sided centre half. Can't see him being centre of the '3' unless Gerrard is left out as where would you 'sensibly' play Gerrard?.

So in conclusion it's Aquilani and Meireles in midfield then.

interesting ideas there, Tes.

and Downing will arrive, I imagine.

I felt from day one of his reign, that Kenny is paving the way for gerrard to have a lesser role.  And I can imagine him moving him away from the centre.....to the right.

if downing is on the left.....gerrard on the right.....the odd man out is kuyt -  BTW  I see kuyt being a great foil for suarez.  I would not be surprised to see kuyt played up front, with the south american.

still leaves me puzzled tho as to our central midfield combo.

[Tes]

reading the other day that Jovanovic is on 120 grand a week.

what lunatic within Anfield put him on that wage?

Absolute madness.  He's not worth 40, nevermind 120.

the sooner we ditch these bosman style transfers, the better.

players arrive for all the wrong reasons.

Apparently Jovanovic is on £60K basic but his signing on bonus was paid over the first year giving him £120K a week for the first year of the contract.

[the dude abides]

ah, that makes more sense.

unsure though why we need to be paying a signing on fee.

I never got any signing-on fees when I started a new job.

[Tes]

ah, that makes more sense.

unsure though why we need to be paying a signing on fee.

I never got any signing-on fees when I started a new job.

Another strange law football has unto itself. Surely your reward for 'signing on' is the salary detailed in the contract. We don't seem to value 'frees' in the same way we do players under contract to a club.
Normally, there would be two seasons a player is 'on a free'. Either his club no longer wants him or he no longer wants the club. Transfer fees I understand. It's compensation to the club and to help them replace the player leaving. Why do we therefore essentially pay the transfer fee to the player instead? Surely his reward is his salary and whatever else attracts him to his new club over his old one.

Clubs shouldn't be grateful to the player for 'signing on'.  Players should be grateful of the chance of employment with the relevant employer (club).

I just hope FSG get the whole 'wages' aspect of the club under control and enshrine into it a better set of policies and pay scales. We've overpaid for years whilst underachieving. Have the players concerned really given back to the club an equal amount to that which the club (via the fans wallets and purses) have given the players? 

[Juan]

Can't see it being a four. Adam isn't defensively capable enough, especially if Gerrard is alongside him.

Lucas and Adam in a four? Doubtful. Lucas and Gerrard in a four? Ditto.

4-3-3   Adam left, Gerrard right, Lucas central, a touch deeper. Width and supply being provided by a combination of full back and winger / wide forward? Maybe.

4-2-3-1  Adam's on the bench. He can't be one of the '2' as he's less defensively capable than Alonso was and Lucas / Spearing are. Can't be left of the '3' unless all the true width is provided by the fullback placing a lot of covering emphasis on the left sided of the '2' and the left sided centre half. Can't see him being centre of the '3' unless Gerrard is left out as where would you 'sensibly' play Gerrard?.

So in conclusion it's Aquilani and Meireles in midfield then.

Once Downing arrives our spending is over and the final piece of the jigsaw is in place and ready for season kick off. Kenny going for the 0-11-0 formation.

Next years starting eleven could look something like this, who needs a defence or attack ;

                                  Spearing    Poulsen      Lucas
                                           
                        Gerrard        Adam        Henderson         Downing

                        Aquillani     Jon Jo Shelvey     Meireles       Cole


In all seriousness at the moment we must have one of the most unbalanced squads in the league, we could actually nearly field a team entirely of central midfielders. A few top defenders and a striker are surely next priority.

[Tes]

So far it's become seemingly more unbalanced, but I guess it's a case of who we can tie up first so we're upgrading on what we already have and then attempting to replace those who 'can do a job' or have 'had to a job' and they all seem to be across the centre of the park. Hopefully we will seem things become more balanced as we shift out those who have been 'upgraded' and we move onto sorting out the numbers but lack of quality in the defence.

The whole dismantling, rebuilding and re-shaping is certainly going to take more than this Summer's window until we get to the position of just being able to add 'here and there' and look to upgrade the weakest couple of positions each Summer.