2 wingers and a striker?

[carheex]

...is that all we need to make a decent challenge for the title next season? If so, i'm praying we spend big money on all 3 positions - for the last 15 years we seem to have spent a lot of money on lots of mediocre players giving us strength in depth but no real added strength for the first team. To step up another gear we need 2 very good wingers who are much better than what we have (which shouldn't be too hard!) and a world class striker. Buying similar quality to what we have will get us nowhere - this has been proven. I think we're fine for centre backs and full backs, goalkeeping doesn't need any investment yet, we've got more than enough central/defensive midfielders, and we've got 2 pretty decent forwards in kuyt and crouch.

But who do we buy? realistically, no player is out of our reach. we've got the money, the manager, the history, we're in the right league and we've got a handful of players that most people would dream about playing alongside.

Striker = has to be Villa or Torres?
Wingers = any suggestions?????

[Red Chilli]

Strikers: 2 from Villa, Torres, Eto'o, Huntelaar, Bent, Ashton (obviously not Bent and Ashton together )
Wingers: anyone's guess. I wouldn't mind giving Gonzo a run in the first team though

I think we need a great left back too.

[carheex]

Strikers: 2 from Villa, Torres, Eto'o, Huntelaar, Bent, Ashton (obviously not Bent and Ashton together )
Wingers: anyone's guess. I wouldn't mind giving Gonzo a run in the first team though

I think we need a great left back too.

I think we've got a great left back already. He's a few "iffy" games this season but who hasn't?!? personally, I wouldn't swap him for any other left back in the premiership.
For me, Gonzo has been our most disappointing signing - I haven't even seen a glimpse of any potential. He seems slow, bored, and wishing he was elsewhere. I don't think another year or 2 will make any difference in his case.

Stankovic would be an excellent signing - I know he sometimes plays on the wing but i'm not sure if that's where he's at his best. Maybe someone can enlighten me..

[dww]

I think the wingers (or at least inventive midfield players - I would happily accept someone similar in style to Rosicky say) are the most important part. We score a decent number of goals in all games where we create chances, the problem as I see it has often been we don't create chances against packed defences or well organised midfields.

Wingers are however at a real premium. I guess Navas and Mancini would be the two that always come up as options but I have never seen play. Joaquin looks like he was always ludicrously overrated. Maybe Alves could work in that position.

[Bari]

Nothing changes season after season ever since Roy Evans left the club.

We have always need 2 wingers and a striker.

[Morph]

Was talking about this last week, I think we deffo NEED a 20 a season striker thats clear to see, we have plenty of support strikers or strikers who can offer different things but we don't seem to have an out and out goal scorer, however I think all the other positions are workable. Stevie G will more often than not find himself on the right wing in the coming weeks I think, but if not then a right winger is certainly needed. Left wing is another one, we might get Kewell back but we have no idea on how he will do or how long he will be fit, and Gonzo still appears to be settling in, so I think that position will be left until the season after next. I also originally thought we could do with a CB, as Hyypia isn't getting any younger, but Arbeloa could well be a good utility defender, on his early showings he looks a player. Also don't think LB is of huge importance admittedly Riise hasn't been his best this season, but it's only one poor season, I think he'll come back better next season, but we also have Aurelio and Arbeloa to do a job there. And if we believe the hype with insua then he's going to be challenging soon.

I think it'll become clearer at the back end of the season, lets see if Stevie stays middle or goes to the right, and lets see if HK makes a miraculous come back (unlikely). What's more important than players is not starting the season with **** performances next time round.

[Morph]

Nothing changes season after season ever since Roy Evans left the club.

We have always need 2 wingers and a striker.

Thought Owen was pretty decent myself.

[WILF]

A top quality striker? yes we need one
Personally I think Eto'o would fit the bill nicely

Wingers?? Maybe
I think Stevie will play a lot of next season on the right side of midfield, and do very well. Left side we could have Gonzo, Harry K , and Adam Hamill.
Now the problem here is that all 3 have great potential( the dreaded word) but who knows if they will fulfil it.

I think the aquisition of Masher has changed the need for Alves/rt sided-winger a bit, Stevie can be used there with Penant as back up.

[carheex]

A top quality striker? yes we need one
Personally I think Eto'o would fit the bill nicely

Wingers?? Maybe
I think Stevie will play a lot of next season on the right side of midfield, and do very well. Left side we could have Gonzo, Harry K , and Adam Hamill.
Now the problem here is that all 3 have great potential( the dreaded word) but who knows if they will fulfil it.

I think the aquisition of Masher has changed the need for Alves/rt sided-winger a bit, Stevie can be used there with Penant as back up.

I don't agree that Kewell has great potential! He used to be good at Leeds but we haven't seen that for more than a handful of games. If he was a horse he'd have been shot by now.
Gonzo - looked good in spain - could be another morientes?
Hamill - haven;t seen him play. to me, that says he isn;t good enough for the first team which means he's worse than gonzo, zenden, kewell - i won't hold my breath for him. We should be looking at the finished article really, not gambling on the possible potential of yet another youngster who will probably end up in league one/championship, as so many of them do.




just had a rethink:

............reina

finnan..carra..agger..riise

..........sissoko

....alonso....mascherano

..........gerrard

....crouch.....villa/eto'o/torres?



we're not linked with any wingers, very few are available, the one's we've got are bobbins and we've got more central midfielders than you can shake a stick at. the above formation is better suited to the players we have and it puts our best player (gerrard) where he will cause the most damage.......

[Joe Le Toff]

IMO

Mascherano was bought with the intention of putting Stevie out on the right more or less permanently - not rigidly there but with the option to float and get up to support the strikers-thus negating the need for a new right sided midfielder, with Pennant a squad player.

I think Alves will be purchased but predominantly for the right back berth.

The striker situation is the one for me, everybody knows the dire we need we have of a top level goalscorer in order to compete at the very top, hopefully this can be resolved for next season.

For the left - its the age old Harry Kewell debate, on his day he's obviously more than good enough to fill the slot, but will his day ever come? If he goes, who replaces him? Tough one IMO.

I think we will see a new LM and striker this year along with Alves, though who they maybe i have no idea.

I think there will be a couple of the current squad shown the door as well

[WILF]

The problem for us internet "experts" is that we don't see the players, Gonzo, HK , Hamill every day so we cannot really judge them properly.
Kewell, personally I think he is finished, too many injuries and time out of the game ( hope to be proved wrong)

Gonzo, has deffo got talent, 50/50 whether he will use it in the Prem

Hamill, don't know why 'cos I have only seen snippets on Ytube and .tv but I reckon he could be the next supastar from our youth ranks.

As for using SG,XA,MS,JM all in the same team, interesting but I doubt it, Rafa likes rotation

[AFII]

Wingers....Alves and Mata.

Striker.....Eto'o, Villa or Aguero.

[Bari]

Thought Owen was pretty decent myself.

I didn't mean to put owen in that bracket.

But ever since Roy Evans we have always had the 'we need 2 wingers and a striker'.

Ged and we as 'fans' were always looking for a better stike partner for Owen to play with. Macca was our last 'consistent' winger who played week in week out. The problem is/has always been there.

[keniget]

Wingers....Alves and Mata.

A right-back and a Real Madrid reserve. Hmmm!

[AFII]

A right-back and a Real Madrid reserve. Hmmm!

Alves is probably a better winger than right back. He is one of the best crossers in the world and can get past his man and that is something we are missing.