So where do we need to strengthen?

At the very start of the season I predicted we would finish 8th (and I still stand by that), so with play-offs this season looking unlikely, where do we need to improve to make a push for promotion next season?

When the loanees return to their parent clubs (and I don't see us signing many, perhaps Evans) our starting 11 looks weak. Whilst Daws has upped his game of late, I think he will be replaced in the summer, but the big loss will be Gerrard who I cant see us bringing back on a permanent.

With rumours spreading about Koren's possible exit in the summer, and whilst I'm not a Harper basher, I think he need a more solid ball winner in the centre of the park. So that pretty much decimates the starting 11 as we know it!

???
Rosenior Chester ??? Dawson(???)
Stewart Harper(???) Koren(???) ???
Fryatt McLean

What I would like to see;

Mannone
Rosenior Chester Gerrard NewLB
Stewart NewDM Evans NewLM
Fryatt McLean

Although I'm still not 100% on McLean...

 

commanding midfielder to control games..
a striker with pace, as its the one thing that lets fryatt down..
wouldnt mind a left back, but i think last 5 or 6 games dawson has been pretty good, and as current captain, im not so sure he will be pushed out so easily..

 

Agree with your side OLM:

Buy Mannone (£750k?), Gerrard (£1m or swap with Oli) and Ayala (£1m?) - that way we've always got a decent back-up.
If Cardiff go up, we should look at another season-long loan, with us paying only a % of his wages, which would mean Gerrard can play for us and still get his promotion pay rise.

A new left-back with pace, a left-footed clone of Rosenior would be nice.

Buy Evans - £300k?

EDIT: forgot the tough-tackler alongside him.

A new pacey left-winger, a target man similar to Bothroyd and Emmanuel-Thomas, lots of strength but has pace too.

...and finally, offer a new 1 year deal to Fagan to deputise for Stewart til he gets fit.

all that could mean spending towards the 4 or 5 million mark though - will the Allams spend more than they did in their first window?

 

With the stable financial footing we now have, I think (unless a club come in for him) that Olofinjina can do a good job for us in centre mid. Dont think he was really given a chance last season and this season we loaned him out due to finances. He has proved he is capable at this level both at Stoke and this season at Cardiff.

 

Do you reckons evans is going to be good enough to be our main creative force in midfield, he seems more box to box than playmaker for my liking. With both your lineups he would be in that role next to a new defensive mid.

 

Agree with most opinions above. But keep Fagan? you're havin a laff arn't you? So I'd propose a clear out first, Fagan, Folan (as he gone yet?), Garcia, Duke out. Sell / Swap Oilyvagina, Hope the Tractor boys take Jimmy's wage (Although personally I'd love a fit, focused JB in our side) Retire Nicky B to coach the lads. Final thought I'd keep Daws for back-up for one last season.

New: Yep CB's (Gerrard, Hobbs and Ayala would be brill) New LB (As above clone Rosenior) Midfield we need some speed in there and a tough ball winning tackler. We also need a FAST striker. Final one, Mannone.

Put it another way. First priority strengthen and put speed in midfield, Second secure back four, Third get some height and speed up top.

UTT

 

Mannone
Rosenior Chester Gerrard Dawson
______ Evans Greening Stewart
Fryatt Lambert/Lafferty

Oxley
Hobbs
Danns
Koren
Barmby
Simmo
McLean

 

Or, saving on that £4-5million, having had a quick skeg at who's out of contract, there are some half-decent players available on a free.

Here's a list, only put players who could be anywhere near realistic, a few hopes and maybes though - some may be wrong, as not sure how up-to-date renewed contracts are with some players:

Players out of contract:

Prem:
Keeper/back-up Keeper options:
Thomas Sorensen
Adam Bogdan
(think both might get new deals though)

Left-back options:
John Pantsil
Marek Cech
JLloyd Samuel
David Murphy

Centreback (if no Gerrard or Ayala) / Centre-back cover:
Danny Gabbidon

Tackling central midfielder:
Nigel Reo-Coker
Keith Southern

Wing options:
Zolten Gera
Daniel De Ridder

Target Man options:
0

Other decent squad options:
Luke Young
James McFadden
Gretar Steinsson
Rory Delap
Zavon Hines
Diomansy Kamara
David Meyler
Simon Cox
Stuart Parnaby
Moustapha Salifou



Championship:

Keeper/back-up Keeper options:
Chris Weale> back up
Keiren Westwood> no.1
Jason Brown> back up

Left-back options:
Kevin McNaughton


Centreback (if no Gerrard or Ayala) / Centre-back cover:
Wes Morgan (will most likely get a new contract though)
Damien Delaney> back up
Sean St.Ledger> back up

Tackling central midfielder:
Michael Brown
David Norris
Aron Gunnarsson (box to box)
Andy King (box to box - can't see him leaving Leicester though)
Stephen McPhail
Matt Oakley
Bradley Johnson (box to box)
Neill Danns (box to box)

Wing options:
Julio Arca
Wade Elliott
Jimmy Kebe
Jobi McAnuff
Paul Anderson
Chris Burke
Nathan Dyer

Target Man options:
Andy Keogh
Nathan Tyson
Heidar Helguson
David Nugent (not really, but holds the ball up well)

Other decent squad options:
Rob Earnshaw
Lewis McGugan
Billy Jones
Paul Green
Adam Barton

L1:
George Boyd> wing option
Craig Mackail-Smith> Good alternative strike option
Gabriel Zakuani> back-up centreback.

Eredivisie:
Timothee Atouba> left-back
Luigi Bruins> central midfielder
Michael Silberbauer> box to box midfielder
Barry Maguire> Irish-Dutch Defensive midfielder
Danny Koevermans> Target man

As is clear, some good options on the cheap again this year.

 

I thought 8th aswell but got my hopes up until the last game
We need another striker, a holding midfielder to cover Harper or replace him, goalkeeper (Mannone, fingers crossed) 1/2 centre backs to play with Chester (Gerrard would be nice). Stewarts out till October so another winger would be needed.If we can get shot of Bullard/Mcshane/Kilbane and other members of the deadwood crew we will have more than enough money to get the required signings. Bit worried to hear Bullard is injured again, getting rid of his wages gives us a lot of options.

 

Well i like all of these squads, but surely if we have 5M to spend we should spread it out far more, the clear thing for me over the last two games we need some depth, i like Simpson, Cairney and Garcia but i would not bank on them changing the game off the bench, i think we need a couple of real flair players, a targetman and a pacey striker. A LB and a DM, some would say this is far to much but if you look at likes of Delaney, Danns etc who are freebies who would be great in the squad you don't need to spend to get a really good squad. Also next year we need to take advantage of our five loans again!

 

From the freebie list, it's looking like if we're to spend the most on any department, it's centreback, as there aren't many freebie options available.

Would quite like to see McNaughton join us if Cardiff don't offer him a new deal, possibly the best left-back I've seen this season now.

Wouldn't be surprised to see Chris Weale come in as back-up keeper on a free from Leicester (obvious reasons)

Reo-Coker alongside Evans would be nice.

 

no doubt we need a john greening type to play with hamper. Why on earth do we need Michael kightly?

 

Cameron Jerome at Brum would do nicely. Not featuring regularly, premier league 'concerned' over finances at Birmingham.

Maybe a chance!

 

Spot on re McNaughton. Thought he was the best player on the pitch by a mile.

 

Hows this for a Promotion side?

Mannone

Rosenior Gerrard Chester McNaughton

Stewart Evans Reo-Coker Bradley Johnson

Fryatt Nugent

 

I think Mr Allam clearly stated that he has not got the money to spend on players although we do have quite a few contracts expiring at the end of this season. This may give us a little leeway. Here I have to agree with the 'barn-door/hangar door' poster regarding McLean - the lad is not capable of making an impact at this level and neither (imo) is Simpson. So we need a couple of 'better-than-average' strikers at this level, a mid-field General and a Goalkeeper. Not a really big ask but our low profile is not attracting those sort of 'quality' players. The Clubs coming down from the EPL are not to be ignored as they contain 'better-than-average' players (for this league) in every position and we still have to contend with the remaining three who didn't make it from the play-offs this season. I can see us being competitive next season and continually nudging the play-off spots should we be successful in the transfer market.

 

I would LOVE from that list Keiron Westwood. When at Carlisle (who i watch quite regularly) he was utterly blinding and from reports i have seen else where at Cov he has been the same. He is much better than Mannone.

Others form that list who would be striaght into our side are George Boyd, he would walk straight in and shine in our team i reckon. I would also want Lewis McGugan and Nathan Tyson.

However contracts will get signed nearer the end of the season. In Steve Walsh we trust.

 

id still like us to enquire about bowyer if reports are true birmingham arent offering him a deal..
no idea if we could afford him, but hes exactly the sort of player we need...despite his past..