Benitez: I have no cash for a summer spree

[spud_gun]

Angled

[kingfunk]

Its were when we`re singing it.

Edit, Happy now ya bitch?!

[spud_gun]

Its were when we`re singing it.

Edit, Happy now ya bitch?!

[CJ]

in terms of ability to build a better squad where are we

obviously chelsea and city can afford anyone but in citys case maybe not who they want
arsenal they can probably spend to better the squad
scum even though they are in the **** they can still spend some money

then tottingham seem to spend villa may have some money
apart from that would you really swap with sunderland or birmingham or fullham or the bitters?

[dww]

Depends what you mean - Brum and Sunderland will probably both have more free cash to splash but then I don't know about wages and or who they could attract. Everton are in a financial hole too. Fulham won't be spending big cash but it wouldn't surprise me if nett in in terms of transfer fees alone they spnt more than us this summer.

Obviously we have a better squad and a number of more saleable assests than those teams but Spurs and City have decent squads and will be able to strengthen without significantly weakening first. I think we will have to take bigger risks if we want to compete for the CL without considerable investment.

[Exiled_red]

Depends what you mean - Brum and Sunderland will probably both have more free cash to splash but then I don't know about wages and or who they could attract. Everton are in a financial hole too. Fulham won't be spending big cash but it wouldn't surprise me if nett in in terms of transfer fees alone they spnt more than us this summer.

Obviously we have a better squad and a number of more saleable assests than those teams but Spurs and City have decent squads and will be able to strengthen without significantly weakening first. I think we will have to take bigger risks if we want to compete for the CL without considerable investment.

I agree with post, but what do you mean by taking bigger risks?

[dww]

I agree with post, but what do you mean by taking bigger risks?

Either sell players who are useful to get funds hoping replacements are better or leave some areas of the squad to be covered by young players. Unlike Spurs or City we will have to look to sell to buy.

Also I expect us to have to use similar tactics that we have used in the past with Riera, Torres, Rodriguez etc. where we have used their desire to come to us specifically to bargain down the price. We have also seen this tactic go wrong for us on a number of occasions. This might be particularly problematic this season as I think we need a substantial refresh - perhaps up to 6 players both in and out.

Spurs don't have the top level players we do but do have more positions covered by two players of comparable effectiveness. City could just buy an entire new squads worth of players if they deem that to be a problem.

[Exiled_red]

Either sell players who are useful to get funds hoping replacements are better or leave some areas of the squad to be covered by young players. Unlike Spurs or City we will have to look to sell to buy.

Also I expect us to have to use similar tactics that we have used in the past with Riera, Torres, Rodriguez etc. where we have used their desire to come to us specifically to bargain down the price. We have also seen this tactic go wrong for us on a number of occasions. This might be particularly problematic this season as I think we need a substantial refresh - perhaps up to 6 players both in and out.

Spurs don't have the top level players we do but do have more positions covered by two players of comparable effectiveness. City could just buy an entire new squads worth of players if they deem that to be a problem.

To some extent that's what we've been doing, we left the second striker spot uncovered this season and that backfired badly. I wouldn't have a problem with most of the players in wide midfield areas being moved on, I think that they are a large part of the problem. These creative players don't really fit into our system, most are good players with no well defined position, they are played out wide because we don't have proper wingers and can't really accomodate them anywhere else in the side. I think if we were to sign two decent wingers performances would improve significantly, and we'd play much better football as we don't make the most of the wide areas of the pitch.

[dww]

To some extent that's what we've been doing, we left the second striker spot uncovered this season and that backfired badly. I wouldn't have a problem with most of the players in wide midfield areas being moved on, I think that they are a large part of the problem. These creative players don't really fit into our system, most are good players with no well defined position, they are played out wide because we don't have proper wingers and can't really accomodate them anywhere else in the side. I think if we were to sign two decent wingers performances would improve significantly, and we'd play much better football as we don't make the most of the wide areas of the pitch.

I agree that is what we have been doing but until now we have been at least adding to a well suited core and a solid defense. Last summer stopped that being the case. Now we need to find players who form part of the spine of the team again which is much harder.

I think that the utility forward idea is actually part of what we need but the problem has been that it is all we have had and we have too often lacked a focal point for the attack when Torres is out and guidance in the midfield. I don't think we really need proper wingers - at least not as anything other than an option - if Riera hadn't been such a tool then that would have added a nice balance to the squad but now we need to replace him.

I think the creative players we have fit the system but we need to control where the game is played more in order to get the best out of them. For example last season our wide areas were productive even when the likes of Babel and Kuyt played who are not natural wide players. You do need to be higher up the pitch to get them to be really problematic for the opposition though.

We have conceded too much possession to deep due to poor defending and bad decision making in deep areas from central midfielders.

[Exiled_red]

I agree that is what we have been doing but until now we have been at least adding to a well suited core and a solid defense. Last summer stopped that being the case. Now we need to find players who form part of the spine of the team again which is much harder.

I think that the utility forward idea is actually part of what we need but the problem has been that it is all we have had and we have too often lacked a focal point for the attack when Torres is out and guidance in the midfield. I don't think we really need proper wingers - at least not as anything other than an option - if Riera hadn't been such a tool then that would have added a nice balance to the squad but now we need to replace him.

I think the creative players we have fit the system but we need to control where the game is played more in order to get the best out of them. For example last season our wide areas were productive even when the likes of Babel and Kuyt played who are not natural wide players. You do need to be higher up the pitch to get them to be really problematic for the opposition though.

We have conceded too much possession to deep due to poor defending and bad decision making in deep areas from central midfielders.

The reason I'm suggesting wingers is because the players we have at present in the wide areas don't really stay out there. We don't use the full width of the pitch and stretch teams the wide players all too often come inside and try to play through the middle, leaving the pitch conjested, which plays in to the hands of teams who try to be compact against us. Using the full width of the pitch creates more space in the middle and gets us away from the scrappy games we've had all too often this season.

I know in the current system the fullbacks are supposed to provide width but I'm not sure this is really working as effectively as it should. Obviously we've missed Torres, but I think that he presence back in the team is still just papering over some of the cracks of some other problems which need addressing.

[dww]

The reason I'm suggesting wingers is because the players we have at present in the wide areas don't really stay out there. We don't use the full width of the pitch and stretch teams the wide players all too often come inside and try to play through the middle, leaving the pitch conjested, which plays in to the hands of teams who try to be compact against us. Using the full width of the pitch creates more space in the middle and gets us away from the scrappy games we've had all too often this season.

I know in the current system the fullbacks are supposed to provide width but I'm not sure this is really working as effectively as it should. Obviously we've missed Torres, but I think that he presence back in the team is still just papering over some of the cracks of some other problems which need addressing.

The fullbacks thing hasn't worked - but I still contend that the players we had use the width better higher up the pitch and in that position the fullbacks are more useful in terms of adding width.

I think width would be a good option and a balanced team like last year with Riera and Kuyt is one of the options I definitely want to see in the squad next year. There aren't however many genuine wingers around and those are either contribute few direct goals or are in the bracket of players way above our ability to pay for.

[Exiled_red]

The fullbacks thing hasn't worked - but I still contend that the players we had use the width better higher up the pitch and in that position the fullbacks are more useful in terms of adding width.

I think width would be a good option and a balanced team like last year with Riera and Kuyt is one of the options I definitely want to see in the squad next year. There aren't however many genuine wingers around and those are either contribute few direct goals or are in the bracket of players way above our ability to pay for.

Riera and Kuyt worked well because of Alonso, This season we haven't been able to get Kuyt in the positions where he was so effective last year, and Riera last season gave us great balance on the left, even if he didn't contribute directly with alot of goals. He got his share, we definately need to repalce him in summer

[dww]

Riera and Kuyt worked well because of Alonso, This season we haven't been able to get Kuyt in the positions where he was so effective last year, and Riera last season gave us great balance on the left, even if he didn't contribute directly with alot of goals. He got his share, we definately need to repalce him in summer

I tend to agree - but with the reasoning that Agger + Alonso was an excellent way of getting us to play higher up the pitch (actually I also think Arbeloa and Aurelio helped by moving the ball into midfield quickly, crisply and with confidence and intelligence). However it was notable that with confidence we did it even without Alonso in the team. I don't think that we necessarily need a direct one for one stylistic (and quality wise) replacement for Alonso but we do need the back six to become a reliable conveyor belt of teh ball from our defensive third to more attacking positions.

[Exiled_red]

I tend to agree - but with the reasoning that Agger + Alonso was an excellent way of getting us to play higher up the pitch (actually I also think Arbeloa and Aurelio helped by moving the ball into midfield quickly, crisply and with confidence and intelligence). However it was notable that with confidence we did it even without Alonso in the team. I don't think that we necessarily need a direct one for one stylistic (and quality wise) replacement for Alonso but we do need the back six to become a reliable conveyor belt of teh ball from our defensive third to more attacking positions.