if our funds are as limited as we fear

[dww]

Man U and Chelsea will buy players, but they are already at a very high level and the question is how much can it improve them. For example Chelsea bought Sheva and Ballack and they didn't make much of difference. I know in terms of squad depth it makes a difference, but overall Chelsea were better with Roben and Duff. I think 2 quality players will make a bigger difference to us than it would to the other 2.

Ballack didn't make a difference at the time but he is a huge influence with them now. The experience, leadership and depth that United and Chelsea have is very impressive.

I also think that all the top four sides underperformed in the league this season. With Arsenal loosing a key player in Flamini I think before the transfer window is taken into account Man United and Chelsea are in the best position for next season, then ourselves and the Arsenal. Not a huge surprise really but I think the areas for improvement for United and Chelsea are obvious to them and they can easily afford to buy in multiple alternatives. Both would like right backs I suspect and we can only hope that the desire for the same players catches them in a fight between each other. In my opinion both squads are at least two seasons ahead of us at this point and we can only catch up by a combination of youth development and better recruiting in each transfer window.

[DeeTheDog]

I would be very suprised if we were not very competitive in the transfer market this summer; the quotes about transfers originating from Gerrard and Rafa indicate that it will be a very busy summer and also most deals completed before the start of Euro 2008.

[lfc1394]

Ballack didn't make a difference at the time but he is a huge influence with them now. The experience, leadership and depth that United and Chelsea have is very impressive.

I also think that all the top four sides underperformed in the league this season. With Arsenal loosing a key player in Flamini I think before the transfer window is taken into account Man United and Chelsea are in the best position for next season, then ourselves and the Arsenal. Not a huge surprise really but I think the areas for improvement for United and Chelsea are obvious to them and they can easily afford to buy in multiple alternatives. Both would like right backs I suspect and we can only hope that the desire for the same players catches them in a fight between each other. In my opinion both squads are at least two seasons ahead of us at this point and we can only catch up by a combination of youth development and better recruiting in each transfer window.

I think Ballack has played well while Lampard has been out, by playing them together you are sacrificing their strengths IMO. Which is an issue when you have too many good players and they all have / need / want to play.

There is no doubt that there squads are better, the point I was trying to make is that they are already at such a high level that the introduction of new players will not ultimately make much of a difference. Taking the right back position as an example, UTD have the best defence this season and the best attack, so would a new full back mean they will concede less goals or score more? Not sure, but I doubt that it will be a massive difference come the end of the season tally.

Where as with us, our defence was decidedly dodgy at set pieces which made the difference between us being in the hunt for the title and not. I’m not saying a full back will address this I’m just saying our defence has more room for improvement.

I guess what I’m trying to say is a good player will make more of a difference to us than it would to them.

[dww]

I think Ballack has played well while Lampard has been out, by playing them together you are sacrificing their strengths IMO. Which is an issue when you have too many good players and they all have / need / want to play.

There is no doubt that there squads are better, the point I was trying to make is that they are already at such a high level that the introduction of new players will not ultimately make much of a difference. Taking the right back position as an example, UTD have the best defence this season and the best attack, so would a new full back mean they will concede less goals or score more? Not sure, but I doubt that it will be a massive difference come the end of the season tally.

Where as with us, our defence was decidedly dodgy at set pieces which made the difference between us being in the hunt for the title and not. I’m not saying a full back will address this I’m just saying our defence has more room for improvement.

I guess what I’m trying to say is a good player will make more of a difference to us than it would to them.

I can see your point there is more room for improvement in our squad than theirs in terms of buying in better players but I genuinely think we have to factor in the fact that neither United or Chelsea over the season have reached the potential of their current group of players in much the same way we haven't (although with different reasons).

I think United were better last year than they have been this as a team. They can improve back to that level and a pacy mobile genuine centre forward and an improved right back would in my opinion make them considerably better than this years model. Scoring more or conceding less overall is not for me the right metric it is about results in games and for me more attacking from deep and someone to stretch other teams would make them less reliant on Rooney and Ronaldo and hence they would do better in the games when one or both have to be rested.

In the Chelsea squad I think to some extent the later part of the season they have been as good as their current squad can be and any improvement next year will be in being like that all year. They need a goal scoring player for a wide position and a right back to move forward. I genuinely think that getting a better balance of crosses into the box from deep would continue the improvement seen in Ballack in the second half of this season.

On the other hand we have the fact that a season ago we had a top defense in the areas we worry about and needed a lethal striker. We now have the lethal striker and the only changes that have impacted on our defensive side have been Finnan's loss of form and the fact that aerially Sissoko was much more of a presence than Mascher is (something which I think is actually very important). I think our problems are more complicated to solve than theirs.

[Skillz]

It's the alcohol

[Skillz]

to be fait to Le Tallec he hasn't exactly had a hatful of chances since Rafa came in has he? It's sad the way he and Pongo were wasted, there was genuine potential there.

And unlike Kewell he isn't the third highest earner in the squad.

Nor is Harry actually, not this season anyway.

My point was that Le Tallec is still on our wage roll. He is on 25k/week! 5 years with an option for a 6th, duly taken. What other clubs offer this **** to kids?

People still hammer Rafa for his transfer policy and i doubt any of them have any idea how much we have been hindered by our wage bill for Daio, Cheyrou, Le Tallec, Diouf, Cisse, Pongolle etc. Big wages, long contracts and little if any output.