It's not all doom and gloom...

[Rich]

Every threat represents a golden opportunity and yes this is a little pie in the sky and football manager-esque but making wholesale changes in the summer could lead to renewed optimism for next season.

For those that state we have no money, this isn't strictly true as we have a lot of value locked away in our playing squad... cashing in on this is a way of ripping up the model and building again.

So, inevitably Rafa Benitez leaves, possibly for Real Madrid or Juventus, it matters not, this leads to wholesale sell off of talent, which (sadly) includes:

Torres - £80m
Mascherano - £35m
Gerrard - £30m
Johnson - £10m
Babel - £8m
Kuyt - £7m (probably to Rafa's new club!)
Benayoun - £5m
Reira - £5m
Skrtel - £5m
Insua - £4m

That's something like £170m to play around with, and we'd still have the likes of:

Reina
Carragher
Agger
Lucas

as a base unit.

Bring in two quality fullbacks that know how to defend and have a bit of pace and height and we have a strong back line again. Lucas, IMO, can develop into a player that can perform the DM-role very well (perhaps not quite Mascherano quality, but is able to play the simple ball) that leaves a total blank canvas for the 5 attacking players and plenty of money to buy great potential or proven quality. Perhaps the biggest problem would be finding an adequate replacement for the manager

Nothing is as simple as this, unless you're Barry Fry, but I just wanted to try and make myself feel better

[Shaggy]

I wouldn't sell Johnson. He makes such a difference to us going forward. For years people raved about Brazilian laterals, then we get one of our own - of sorts - and folk complain that he can't defend FFS! For a start he's not that bad at all and no-one ever complained about Cafu's defensive deficiencies.

I'd keep Reina, Johnson, Lucas (squad player!), Agger and Mascherano if possible. Obviously I'd keep Gerrard unless we got a bid of £25m upwards.

Selling Torres is unthinkable really but we might not have a choice. He's obviously our greatest asset and if major rebuilding is gonna happen we'd need that money.

Or investment.

[Rich]

Personally, first and foremost a fullback should be able to defend and I'm afraid I don't think Johnson is very good defensively - he generally makes a couple of clangers a match and I'd prefer zero . Yes he's very good going forward but if we had some genuine width and pace in midfield/attack then perhaps we wouldn't need to compromise our defence with suspect fullbacks.

No way would I want to see Torres leave in a perfect world, but as you rightly point out he's the one player than wotld bring in serious amounts of cash to rebuild the horrible, negative squad we suddenly find ourselves with.

[-V-]

Calm down. Most of that squad is good enough and won't be going anywhere. Id guess the manager will move on and whoever comes in will make better use of those players rather than start all over again. We are only 2 or 3 players away from a very good team

[Craig_H]

Calm down. Most of that squad is good enough and won't be going anywhere. Id guess the manager will move on and whoever comes in will make better use of those players rather than start all over again. We are only 2 or 3 players away from a very good team

It was only a few months back that virtually the same personnel were ripping Madrid and United to shreds. They havent become bad players. The manager's just ceased to be able to get them performing.

There's no reason why a different manager would have the same problem.

[Rich]

Unless the players collectively peaked last season

[Craig_H]

Unless the players collectively peaked last season

Maybe, but even then, they've qualified for the CL consistently and with relative ease, for years.

They're nowhere near as bad as the current level of performance.

[Rich]

Completely forgot about our €20m summer signing!

[Craig_H]

Apparently bernard matthews is trying to recruit him.

[cream]

...

[cream]

Every threat represents a golden opportunity and yes this is a little pie in the sky and football manager-esque but making wholesale changes in the summer could lead to renewed optimism for next season.

For those that state we have no money, this isn't strictly true as we have a lot of value locked away in our playing squad... cashing in on this is a way of ripping up the model and building again.

So, inevitably Rafa Benitez leaves, possibly for Real Madrid or Juventus, it matters not, this leads to wholesale sell off of talent, which (sadly) includes:

Torres - £80m
Mascherano - £35m
Gerrard - £30m
Johnson - £10m
Babel - £8m
Kuyt - £7m (probably to Rafa's new club!)
Benayoun - £5m
Reira - £5m
Skrtel - £5m
Insua - £4m

That's something like £170m to play around with, and we'd still have the likes of:

Reina
Carragher
Agger
Lucas

as a base unit.

Bring in two quality fullbacks that know how to defend and have a bit of pace and height and we have a strong back line again. Lucas, IMO, can develop into a player that can perform the DM-role very well (perhaps not quite Mascherano quality, but is able to play the simple ball) that leaves a total blank canvas for the 5 attacking players and plenty of money to buy great potential or proven quality. Perhaps the biggest problem would be finding an adequate replacement for the manager

Nothing is as simple as this, unless you're Barry Fry, but I just wanted to try and make myself feel better

So you would sell the likes of Torres, Gerrard, Masch and keep players like Lucas and Agger

[Guest]

So you would sell the likes of Torres, Gerrard, Masch and keep players like Lucas and Agger

Talent or skill should not be the only defining characteristic of what makes a good player. At the moment Steven Gerrard isn't of any value to this football club.

[little dave hedgehog]

i feel dirty, but i agree with fredo.

[Shanks]

Talent or skill should not be the only defining characteristic of what makes a good player.

They are normally the managers preferred options.

Any other issues should be discussed and resolved by said manager.

[Guest]

They are normally the managers preferred options.

Any other issues should be discussed and resolved by said manager.

You make as if it's that simple. We are talking football mate, not a proper functional / formal business environment, but there are similarities. Gerrard's attitude would probably have got him the sack lately, in football terms that would have been 'benched' or 'out squadded'. Rafa is responsible for not taking those actions I agree.