The Summer Rebuild

2

Comments

  • thornburyironthornburyiron
    Given that about 9 PL teams will be playing in Europe next season we will probably be way down the preference order list for most of the better players so I think we need to be careful as to how big a reshape he wants to do.
  • claretandblueskyclaretandbluesky
    edited May 29
    Todibo looks like a naturally talented footballer but something seems a bit off that I can't quite put my finger on. I think he may end up very good for someone but I don't know that it will be us. This said he may be worth giving another season to see.

    If It doesn't work out for him I suspect a modelling career would be possible, I remember when centre halves looked like cavemen who had taken too many clubs to the head. I am thinking Tony Adams, Dave Watson and Gordon Mcqueen, Todibo looks like he has stepped out of the pages of Vogue.
  • buffybegoodbuffybegood
    claretandbluesky said:

    Todibo looks like he has stepped out of the pages of Vogue.

    I'm not so sure, he still looks like he's sporting a bit of a beer belly to me, I think he'll be an even better player if he improves his fitness level.

  • EXETERHAMMEREXETERHAMMER
    Is Connor Coady still playing and available? He will sort Kilman out.
  • alderzalderz
    He’s been awful for Leicester this season, I believe.
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    Cody was expecting to return to Wolves in January but Leicester decided they didn't want to lose him even though he'd only started 11 games before deadline day
  • FortuneseekerFortuneseeker
    Recruits needed for next season -

    GK - promote one of the younger keepers within the club to the first team. Saves money for more important areas of the team.

    FB - At least one to cover for the departure of Cresswell & Coufal.

    CH - Again need one to replace Aguerd & Mavrapanos.

    Mid - Add Earthy, Potts & possibly Kodua/Orford to the EPL squad. Keep Alvarez as he can cover CH. IF Soucek insists he should be a starter then sell him and get someone who is more mobile in the middle of the pitch. As Lukerz said this is the area that will probably need a major overhaul. Replacement for Paqueta

    Attack - CF to supply back up to Fullkrug. Does Summerville come in replace Kudus? Hopefully we will see more of Guilherme.

    Looking forward to seeing what magic Kyle Macaulay can do this coming transfer window.
  • alderzalderz
    Which of the young keepers are you promoting? The only one who has ever played any football is Hegyi, and he couldn't get in the Motherwell team. Considering how unreliable Areola has been, goalkeeper is one of the most important areas for me, and absolutely not where we should be cutting costs.
  • buffybegoodbuffybegood
    Fortuneseeker said:

    CH - Again need one to replace Aguerd & Mavrapanos.

    If both Aguerd and Mavropanos are leaving, only bringing one in leaves us with 3 senior CBs. Given that Potter has shown he likes to play 3 at the back, 3 is definitely not enough even with Alvarez as possible cover.

  • FortuneseekerFortuneseeker
    edited May 30
    alderz, Foderingham becomes the No.2 & one of the young keepers takes his place?
    buffy, Just an initial assessment keeping it to the basics as we are supposed to be skint?
    It’s all about thoughts, no one has come up with any names yet as the transfer thread is pretty quiet!
  • alderzalderz
    Personally, I don't think Foderingham is up to being any more than the veteran third keeper who is just there for training. I also don't think Areola is up to being a reliable #1 keeper. I have said for a long while that I would love to see Kelleher from Liverpool come in and be our first choice. I also see that we've been linked to him (as have Brentford).

    https://theguardian.com/football/2025/may/28/premier-league-liverpool-caoimhin-kelleher-john-heitinga-ajax-football
  • MrsGreyMrsGrey
    If you put a kid in 3rd spot, they basically won't ever progress as they won't be playing any matches.
  • chicagohammerchicagohammer
    Lukerz said:

    Let’s be honest, a one legged Zouma turned in better & more consistent performances than a lot of what Mavro & Todibo have this year.

    To be fair you can never accuse Mavro of being inconsistent - every single game he played I had my heart in my mouth, at times I was pleasantly surprised but a certain level of angst was ever present
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    alderz said:

    I have said for a long while that I would love to see Kelleher from Liverpool come in and be our first choice. I also see that we've been linked to him (as have Brentford).

    Brentford have rejected Bayer Leverkusem's £7.6m bid for Flekken, reported they want £11m

    Liverpool want £20m for Kelleher

    Villa, Newcastle, Bournemouth and Leeds also linked

    Can't see us getting him

    Heard we might get Ramsdale on a season long loan. Oh dear...
  • alderzalderz
    Newcastle have also been heavily linked with James Trafford, and Bournemouth have a £5m clause in the Kepa loan. Villa would be the one to worry about, but that depends on Martinez leaving.
  • FortuneseekerFortuneseeker
    MrsGrey said:

    If you put a kid in 3rd spot, they basically won't ever progress as they won't be playing any matches.

    Simples make him the No.2 then 👍.
  • alderzalderz
    Fortuneseeker said:

    MrsGrey said:

    If you put a kid in 3rd spot, they basically won't ever progress as they won't be playing any matches.

    Simples make him the No.2 then 👍.
    Good idea. Second choice keepers get loads of minutes.
  • FortuneseekerFortuneseeker
    Yes it is alderz. Last season we rotated between our first choice keeper & No.2 25/13.
  • alderzalderz
    And that’s what you would like to happen? Personally, I want us to have a goalkeeper we can rely on, rather than needing to rotate Areola with a child.
  • FortuneseekerFortuneseeker
    alderz, No probably not but you indicated second choice goalkeepers don’t get many minutes but last season ours did. Liverpool & Manchester City both gave their back up keepers lots of game time? Areola could always play in most of the matches that would solve the problem 😉. When do you expect a young goalie should start playing then?
    People are quick to criticise but are very slow to put forward a solution.
  • LukerzLukerz
    We need a new keeper because, IMO, Fab was the better keeper out of him & Areola, even though he was 40 & now he’s left. Areola has never fully convinced me, despite being capable of pulling off world class saves.
  • PengemanPengeman
    We also have Mohamadou Kanté, ans I assume that Potter will have a look at him.
    https://www.whufc.com/news/west-ham-united-sign-mohamadou-kante
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    Mohamadou Kante, 6 appearances, not starts 2024/25 for 2nd tier Paris FC

    Maybe one for the future...
  • FortuneseekerFortuneseeker
    Paris FC now in Lique 1 after promotion last season.
  • alderzalderz
    Fortuneseeker said:

    People are quick to criticise but are very slow to put forward a solution.

    I’ve literally said several times that I think the solution is to try to sign a new first choice goalkeeper as a priority, in my opinion Kelleher.
  • buffybegoodbuffybegood
    Goalkeeper is a tricky one, I sway between feeling it's right at the top of the list to thinking it's a bit down the list and may have to be put up with for another season due to a limited budget and other priorities (now where's that fence, I need a good sit down).

    Areola isn't a perfect, all-round keeper, I think we can all agree on that. He is generally a very good shot-stopper (imo), but he isn't as strong on crosses as I'd like, he isn't particularly vocal or a good organiser of the defence (which would be great to have as neither Kilman nor Todibo seems to excel at this, although may be less important depending on who else we sign at CB), and his distribution isn't great especially when trying to play out from the back.

    It seems to me that Potter/Macauley will have to make compromises somewhere, as I don't think a wishlist for everything is achievable in just this one window. We need at least 1 if not 2 CM, a CB, and a CF to be immediately challenging for a starting position, and we need cover at RB and potentially a starting LB/LWB if Emerson goes and Scarles isn't deemed ready to be 1st choice LB just yet.

    Potter may decide that, if he gets those, he can put up with Areola and the negative effect that has on his preferred style of play, as opposed to a new first choice keeper at the expense of a CM who could help execute that style of play once the ball is away from our keeper. I suspect this, or something very similar to it, is the compromise we'll be faced with this summer.
  • MrsGreyMrsGrey
    Keeper is part of the defence 'team' where strengths in one area can make up for weaknesses in another. I'd like to see our head coach coach our defensive players to work better as a team (and that starts from DM, imo).

    Eg if GK is weak on crosses, coach needs to get our defenders being better at stopping crosses coming in.

    I'm not one for 'philosophy' or preferred style of play - I want a manager who make the best out of the players he's got. We can't all have the unlimited funds of the Middle Eastern oil states, when you can just buy the players you want to play the way you want.


    imo (again) we have never been as good as we were when we had a top class DM. It's why City struggle when they are without Rodri.

    That would be one of my priorities, along with more clinical striker.

    The rest are, actually, good enough. I don't think we have anybody in our 1st XI who isn't PL standard.

    Talent is there, mostly. Coaching staff have to step up.
  • alderzalderz
    I mostly agree with that. Though I think that it’s ok for a coach to have a philosophy or preferred style, so long as they are willing and able to adapt it to what they have. I also think that our biggest issue has been that - whilst all our CMs are good enough individually, there hasn’t been a combination of the three of them that gives the right blend of skills to complement each other and the wider team.

    IMO, a goalkeeper and a dynamic midfielder are most important, and would allow the players we have to actually play to their strengths.
  • buffybegoodbuffybegood
    edited June 1
    Have we signed anyone yet?

    Apart from Cummings who doesn't join up until 1st July, and is more likely for the U21s anyway, with only a few minutes senior football for Celtic.
  • IronHerbIronHerb
    buffybegood said:

    Have we signed anyone yet?

    Apart from Cummings who doesn't join up until 1st July, and is more likely for the U21s anyway, with only a few minutes senior football for Celtic.

    Surely that’s for the Summer Transfer Speculation thread. 😂
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