Our Team for Next season and the Squad in general

[Nicey]

Apparently Jackson Martinez ran rings around Bayern last night in the Champions Lg ... his profile is absolutely perfect for us ... We can turn him into one of the top 3 strikers on the planet ala Suarez .. I really hope we push the boat out this summer to sign him or someone right up there, I think Rodgers knows the fans want a truly top of the food chain signing probably 2 this summer .. no punts .. no fixer uppers .. no wonderkids .. first team Champions Lg quality

[Exiled_red]

Apparently Jackson Martinez ran rings around Bayern last night in the Champions Lg ... his profile is absolutely perfect for us ... We can turn him into one of the top 3 strikers on the planet ala Suarez .. I really hope we push the boat out this summer to sign him or someone right up there, I think Rodgers knows the fans want a truly top of the food chain signing probably 2 this summer .. no punts .. no fixer uppers .. no wonderkids .. first team Champions Lg quality

The problem is there is a good chance we won't have CL league football to offer. Last year we did and had come into the summer of the back of a remarkable season, we seemingly exhausted our options and ended up with Balotelli It's not impossible to get a 'top of the food chain signing' but it will be very difficult.

[Nicey]

I have not given up on Champions Lg football Just yet .... City the way things are shaping up right now are very capable of imploding ..

[The_weatherman]

I have not given up on Champions Lg football Just yet .... City the way things are shaping up right now are very capable of imploding ..

Or they are in the middle of an implosion and will recover soon? But of course, while possible we''ll hope for the best.

[Chris]

They've already imploded, we've gained 13 points on them in 2015 so far, more than 1 point per game, keep that ratio up for the remainder of the season and we finish above them. We shall see!

[Exiled_red]

For me this summer has to be primarily about getting strikers in we need at least one if not two that will give us at 15-20 league goals a season. That at least should get us in the CL places. IMO anything else we need is secondary to this.

[dww]

For me this summer has to be primarily about getting strikers in we need at least one if not two that will give us at 15-20 league goals a season. That at least should get us in the CL places. IMO anything else we need is secondary to this.

I'm tempted to agree with this. Certainly the first priority is to get goals into the side. In general our defense has worked best when the team has been cohesive in front of it and in particular when we made the opposition afraid of our front players.

We also need to add some solidity to the team but I think that can/could be done tactically (or with a new coach).

[BigChief]

For me this summer has to be primarily about getting strikers in we need at least one if not two that will give us at 15-20 league goals a season. That at least should get us in the CL places. IMO anything else we need is secondary to this.

For all the media shaking LvG's dick, its Mata's and Rooney's goals that have given him the leeway he needed. That's two players for £60m. Yes ok I saw Carra/Nev's analysis of the way he sets his team up, but no goals means draws and dropped points.

Rodgers has not been afforded that leeway by Sterling, Lambert, Balotelli, and even Sturridge now. We need to spend £60m on two quality strikers, simple as. If that's our entire budget I don't care about the other positions, we'll make do.

[ChrisDR1968]

For me this summer has to be primarily about getting strikers in we need at least one if not two that will give us at 15-20 league goals a season. That at least should get us in the CL places. IMO anything else we need is secondary to this.

One good striker in addition to Origi (considering Rodgers tends to only play one striker in most of his formations) and a midfield general to compliment and take the pressure off Henderson.

We can address others positions if funds allow but those two are the priority signings imo

[Exiled_red]

I'm tempted to agree with this. Certainly the first priority is to get goals into the side. In general our defense has worked best when the team has been cohesive in front of it and in particular when we made the opposition afraid of our front players.

We also need to add some solidity to the team but I think that can/could be done tactically (or with a new coach).

I just don't want us to try and do too many things at once, I believe that now we have a decent squad in terms of ability and depth apart from up front. I think too many times we've tried to iteratively improve a number of areas when we would have been better improving one area significantly. I hope we go big on a good striker rather than settling for something else and buying another centre back or something.

[dww]

I just don't want us to try and do too many things at once, I believe that now we have a decent squad in terms of ability and depth apart from up front. I think too many times we've tried to iteratively improve a number of areas when we would have been better improving one area significantly. I hope we go big on a good striker rather than settling for something else and buying another centre back or something.

I certainly want us to try to have as much stability as possible. I've said before I would like to see us try to make only three or four signings for the first team.

The problem is that good strikers are really hard to get unless you have huge funds and the CL to use as incentives. The flip side is that half decent but hard working and mobile forwards have done well throughout the PL this season and would also fit our style(s) pretty well.

I can't think of a single realistic target whose signing would be really exciting to me. Assuming Dortmund fail to get the CL I suppose there is a glimmer of hope of Aubameyang coming but I've not really seen enough of him to be fully behind that signing even.

The Guardian podcast seem excited about Felipe Anderson. Although I've never seen him, thought he was a midfielder and wonder if he'd get a work permit.

[ronanm]

I'm a firm believer in the spine of the team being the first place to get right i.e. as 1 gk, 1 def, 1 mf and a cf. Our strongest (imo) are

Migs
Skrtel
Henderson
Sturridge

All (except the Sturridge of last season) are good but that spine is just not strong enough.

[The_weatherman]

I'm a firm believer in the spine of the team being the first place to get right i.e. as 1 gk, 1 def, 1 mf and a cf. Our strongest (imo) are

Migs
Skrtel
Henderson
Sturridge

All (except the Sturridge of last season) are good but that spine is just not strong enough.

I'd say

Mig
Sakho
Henderson
Sturridge

Which is good like you say but not good enough. But I think we should give ourselves two season to fix it. One or two top players each season. We need goals so I'd hope for a striker and a midfielder. I feel we could have Baresi and Beckenbauer and still leak goals.

[Paul12]

Rafa's mantra was first get your first eleven up to Top four standard, then thicken your squad, then improve your first eleven, then (presumably, because we never got to this stage, improve your squad some more).

I think this summer the focus should be on the first eleven.

[DannyMan2006]

Rafa's mantra was first get your first eleven up to Top four standard, then thicken your squad, then improve your first eleven, then (presumably, because we never got to this stage, improve your squad some more).

I think this summer the focus should be on the first eleven.

Well I think our first XI was up to top 4 standard. The problem was one of those players got injured and the squad wasn't good enough to compensate. But to ask any club to offset the loss of the two highest scorers in the league would be asking an awful lot.

However, the drop we had shouldn't have been as sudden. We should've been able to sign one striker this summer of sufficient quality to compete with Sturridge.