Spending big money on a player

[Diego]

The funny thing is if you look at the likely Premiership winners their most consistant match winner isnt a striker but a winger

I'd like to see our strikers hitting the ground running in August not having to wait until they settle in / gel

We cannot afford to make too many changes if we want to hit the ground running

i know what you are saying, we can't just throw them all out out, they are part of the team now and they should be given a chance, but they need to take better advantage of it, cause otherwise benitez will buy a better striker and then someone will get benched. my point was we had to very prolific goal scorers in Owen and Fowler, who scored allot when we needed them and we didn't play as well as we do now, but we won ugly loads of times, but now we don't, we play better, but we've lost the ability to squeeze in a victory...

[Lecter]

i know what you are saying, we can't just throw them all out out, they are part of the team now and they should be given a chance, but they need to take better advantage of it, cause otherwise benitez will buy a better striker and then someone will get benched. my point was we had to very prolific goal scorers in Owen and Fowler, who scored allot when we needed them and we didn't play as well as we do now, but we won ugly loads of times, but now we don't, we play better, but we've lost the ability to squeeze in a victory...

I couldnt argue with that

We need a top quality goalscorer but I'd rather it not be at the expense of any of Crouch, Bellamy or Kuyt

[tomasjj]

I dont think Crouch will go either

Rafa has compared Voronin to Garcia (a players who can play between the lines)

Also Rafa has flirted with 3 upfront on occasions this season and I have a feeling because of that we might see 5 strikers at our club next season

We need to keep changes to a minimum imo lets bring in a few new players but lets not lose what could be a decent fallback position

Our problem over the last few years is that we have been replacing 4 or 5 players and at least every season we've had 2 forwards leaving and 2 arriving all this takes time to gel

Keep Crouch, Bellamy & Kuyt and bring in Voronin plus a top qualuity one and I'd be happy

I see where you are coming from, but I am of the impression that Rafa will sell Crouch if he gets a decent fee.

I do agree with not upsetting the team by making 4-5 signings.
This is what Fergie did so well last January, signed two players and this gave them time to gel before the title challenge the next season.(Armchair kopite made this excellent point in another thread.)

I have no clue what Voronin is like, therefore I cannot even guess what role he will play.

[bazza76]

We cannot afford to make too many changes if we want to hit the ground running

ID agree with that.
We need to being in one more quality winger on the right preferably, although the left side is a side for concern for me too, and a striker of real calibre, Eto'o is a fine example of this calibre.

[friedk]

Our defence is as good as anyone in the league, and our central midfield is top class.

That leaves creative, wide midfielders and top class strikers. I think Saturday's game was tailor made for Garcia. Unfortunately the two most creative wide players we have are Kewell and Luis, and we haven't had either.

Add to that our lack of a world class forward and it is blatantly obvious where we need to improve. Nothing drastic, just quality additions.

Ask yourself this, if we had Robbie Fowler model 1996 playing in this team, would we still be 19 points behind the leaders.

One player doesn't make a team, but he can make the difference between a decent side and one that can challenge for the league title.

[AFII]

Lecter, we need better strikers. Bellamy and Crouch isn't good enough finishers.

They work very hard for the team but they need to many chances to score.

We are probably creating most chances in the league but we are no way near the top goalscoring team.

It's not just about Bellamy. I have said from day one that he isn't a good enough finisher.

We also need a world class right winger and maybe left winger if Kewell won't be fit enough after his injuries.

Rafa will need to change in a few positions because the players we have at that positions isn't good enough and we will never win the league if we continue with them next year in a starting XI.

We need high quality players at every position to win the league and not just challenge for it. It's a lot more difficult to win the league now than a few years ago because more and more clubs have a lot more money because of takeovers and new TV deals.

You simply can't win the league if you lack high quality players in every position anymore. Look at United, Chelsea and Arsenal for example. They have complete teams without any real weakness. They have fantastic attacking players, we don't.

Rafa is on the right way but if we don't change the players we have in our weak positions then we won't win the league. It's up to Rafa if he he want to have a chance to win the league next season or if he want to build more slowly and just change in one or two of our weak positions/year but if he want to have a chance to win the league next season then he must make the changes he need to do this summer and that is more than one or two positions.

[Lecter]

Lecter, we need better strikers. Bellamy and Crouch isn't good enough finishers.

They work very hard for the team but they need to many chances to score.

We are probably creating most chances in the league but we are no way near the top goalscoring team.

It's not just about Bellamy. I have said from day one that he isn't a good enough finisher.

We also need a world class right winger and maybe left winger if Kewell won't be fit enough after his injuries.

Rafa will need to change in a few positions because the players we have at that positions isn't good enough and we will never win the league if we continue with them next year in a starting XI.

We need high quality players at every position to win the league and not just challenge for it. It's a lot more difficult to win the league now than a few years ago because more and more clubs have a lot more money because of takeovers and new TV deals.

You simply can't win the league if you lack high quality players in every position anymore. Look at United, Chelsea and Arsenal for example. They have complete teams without any real weakness. They have fantastic attacking players, we don't.

Rafa is on the right way but if we don't change the players we have in our weak positions then we won't win the league. It's up to Rafa if he he want to have a chance to win the league next season or if he want to build more slowly and just change in one or two of our weak positions/year but if he want to have a chance to win the league next season then he must make the changes he need to do this summer and that is more than one or two positions.

Thats your opinion AF and lets face it you change like the fecking weather with your "[insert name] is the best right winger in the world"

Firstly we've had top quality finishers (Fowler & Owen) in the past and failed to win the League

Secondly United are top of the league yet their actual strikers scoring record isnt much different to ours their highest scorer is actually a winger

We need a striker that scores goals but it definitely shouldnt be at the expense of Kuyt, Crouch or Bellamy. The incoming striker should be brought in to compliment our existing players

Our forwards have scored more goals than those of last year now we need a striker to add to that and a wide player that scores goals

We dont need wholesale changes we need fine tuning

United made 1 signing in the summer and are about to land the title that just goes to show how much difference a signing can make

Yes we need to make changes however, the flip side is that any too many changes can effect a poor start to your campaign like the last 3 seasons have shown

By the way you dont need world class players in your team from 1-11 to win the Premiership football is about TEAMS not individuals

[lfc4ever]

Thats your opinion AF and lets face it you change like the fecking weather with your "[insert name] is the best right winger in the world"

Firstly we've had top quality finishers (Fowler & Owen) in the past and failed to win the League

Secondly United are top of the league yet their actual strikers scoring record isnt much different to ours their highest scorer is actually a winger

We need a striker that scores goals but it definitely shouldnt be at the expense of Kuyt, Crouch or Bellamy. The incoming striker should be brought in to compliment our existing players

Our forwards have scored more goals than those of last year now we need a striker to add to that and a wide player that scores goals

We dont need wholesale changes we need fine tuning

United made 1 signing in the summer and are about to land the title that just goes to show how much difference a signing can make

Yes we need to make changes however, the flip side is that any too many changes can effect a poor start to your campaign like the last 3 seasons have shown

By the way you dont need world class players in your team from 1-11 to win the Premiership football is about TEAMS not individuals

Top, top post. 100% totally agree.

[Red Chilli]

Yes, that was a top post Lecter

[Johnny]

Yes, that was a top post Lecter

Yip,great post Lector.


We`re close to a PL winning team.If Ronaldo hadn`t carried the rest of the Manure team this yr we`d be closer.Too many teams this yr have set out to defend for 90 minutes and stifle our style of play.One clinical striker added will change our fortune.

[dww]

I remain unsure whether we need someone clinical or someone who creates chances against tight defences more. I'm not sure we have created anough against Everton, United etc to mean that a top class finisher/poacher would reallly make the difference.

[AFII]

Thats your opinion AF and lets face it you change like the fecking weather with your "[insert name] is the best right winger in the world"

Firstly we've had top quality finishers (Fowler & Owen) in the past and failed to win the League

Secondly United are top of the league yet their actual strikers scoring record isnt much different to ours their highest scorer is actually a winger

We need a striker that scores goals but it definitely shouldnt be at the expense of Kuyt, Crouch or Bellamy. The incoming striker should be brought in to compliment our existing players

Our forwards have scored more goals than those of last year now we need a striker to add to that and a wide player that scores goals

We dont need wholesale changes we need fine tuning

United made 1 signing in the summer and are about to land the title that just goes to show how much difference a signing can make

Yes we need to make changes however, the flip side is that any too many changes can effect a poor start to your campaign like the last 3 seasons have shown

By the way you dont need world class players in your team from 1-11 to win the Premiership football is about TEAMS not individuals

I have said that Navas was the best right winger before but I had wrong about that.

I have never said that Alves is the best right winger just that he is the best player in La Liga and the best right sided player and that's a big difference.

I don't think that you can name one player that is better than Alves as right back AND right winger.

United only made one signing because that was their only weak position. They already have quality players in every other position, we don't.

We don't have a good enough right winger and we must sign one in the summer, that's one player.

We don't have a good enough left winger if Kewell can't get back 100% so we will need to sign one. That makes it two players.

We don't have a clinical enough striker and we must sign one in the summer, that makes it three players.

That's three positions we must sign players for in the summer.

We may also need to sign a left back and a backup central defender and one more striker.

So three to six players is what we we need to sign.

[Rich]

Sorry AF, don't agree with you.

Don't think we need another CB - what's the point?

We are pretty well covered in the LB - certainly well enough. LB's don't win you the league.

We basically need a genuine top draw striker, and one top draw winger. That is all.

I would be willing to sacrifice one of our existing strikers to bring in an Eto'o for example.

[Red Chilli]

I don't think that you can name one player that is better than Alves as right back AND right winger.

Giles Barnes

[tomasjj]

Giles Barnes

Just saw the highlights of the Derby match the other day.
Some good moves by Barnes.