Is our team capable to challenge the title that we do no need any new player?

[Guest]

dya reckon! there is still over a month left of silly season!!!!!!

i suspect a very stressful and nervy last 3 or 4 days of the transfer window

Not sure Rafa will allow them to leave now, as that would be suicidal unless he has got backup options. 1 month to replace two of your best players and bed them into the team wouldn't be good at all for our prospects next season. I'm sure Xabi or Masch, even if they've contemplated leaving, would agree to that and commit for one year at least now.

[lfc1394]

What's everyone stressing about we've got Vornion coming back

[PTP]

Not sure Rafa will allow them to leave now, as that would be suicidal unless he has got backup options. 1 month to replace two of your best players and bed them into the team wouldn't be good at all for our prospects next season. I'm sure Xabi or Masch, even if they've contemplated leaving, would agree to that and commit for one year at least now.

mate i admire your optimism but this is the football world - anything can and will ****ing happen to **** things up - as much as we would think that in reality rafa will be syaing **** off you can never say never in the crazy world of the frigging transfer window!!

We may just by the skin of our teeth be hanging onto xabi (this one seems to be the most worrying) but I seriously doubt that this is just over!!!!!! - the press(fuelled by real madrids tactics) want this transfer to go through - which means that between now and the transfer window this story is going to be dragged out too death. It's a nightmare situation but one we have to face cause it's not "too late" as you suggest!

The only time i will be sure that we are keeping both xabi and mascher will be if they are still here come sept 1st!

[BrianF80]

I thought he was saying we had done that in the past? To me the point was that now he felt we were capable of building from the back without it. I might have got the wrong end of the stick there though as I only saw partial quotes.

"We want to improve our power in attack, this is our idea," said the Reds boss.

"There have been games in the past we have played with three centre backs and two offensive full backs, it depends on the game.

"But normally we play with a line of four in defence because this suits the way we play on most occasions.

"We were talking last season about the draws we had at home and when teams play really deep against you, you need quality in the full back and central defensive positions

Maybe I've read too much into it. On a closer reading it's difficult to conclude anything at all from it

I agree that we need more threats in the squad. That said we have a number of people who could step up like Babel, El Zhar, Ngog and even Voronin (some of which I have more faith in than others). At the minute I think your underlying point that we need an improvement in that area remains sound whether the improvement comes from new players or those already here.

I agree, for me the first three you mention have everything in their kitbag, they just need to be able to put it all together. I wouldn't be surprised if anyone of them ended up becoming a matchwinner.

For me at the minute a lot relies on whether adding attacking options deeper has the intending enhancement effect on the efforts of the Kuyt and Benayoun against the lesser teams. It is unlikely we will do quite as well against the other top 4 sides as last team which means we will probably have to pick up more points elsewhere.

Our weaknesses are pretty apparent. Goals from set pieces and production from CM. I personally think Benitez needs to give up on this idea of a deep lying playmaker who isn't a defensive midfielder, but that doesn't seem likely.

That said I still think that we lost as many points last year in games that we were one up in and then drew through loosing control of midfield and allowing counter attacks (I remember games against Wigan and Everton in particular that cost us and the 4-4 with Arsenal contained many of the same failings). For me this pointed to needing more midfield cover as you can't expect Mascher and Alonso to be 'on it' every game and that Agger and Skrtel still have progress they need to make. I also think some of our attacking players (particularly Benayoun and Babel but in different ways Lucas too) need to improve their intelligence in terms of defensive play and to some extent the physical aspects of their game.

Can't disagree with any of that. My worry is that without Mascherano the CM is pretty insipid which to my mind acts as a kind of drag on the rest of the team.

[Fierce]

Harry Kewell!

Harry Kewell in his prime seems to be what we've needed since Kenny hung up his boots

[Assassin]

Harry Kewell in his prime seems to be what we've needed since Kenny hung up his boots

Prime = less than 2 handfulls of games

[Guest]

Prime = less than 2 handfulls of games

You meant 'bursts' during games I'm sure.

[Assassin]

You meant 'bursts' during games I'm sure.

Actually. I mean he was and is an overated useless cunt

[hamshanks]

we still need a decent attacking wide player and a centre forward

[mattydalton]

Personally, I think we need 3 or 4 players - we are capable of winning the league if nobody gets injured or suspended, definitely. If Torres goes out for a prolonged period then we definitely need a better back up. If one of our centre backs got a long term injury I would be nervous that one of the others may also pick up an injury. Without doubt I think we need either a new winger on either side with pace and trickery or one who can play both equally well.

[gentingfrmhell]

cant help feeling down looking at all the quality players joining city. at the minimum, i feel we need more decent backup.