Speculation The hysterically annoying, and totally unfounded, but traditional, January 2024 rumours thread.

[Miles Away]

Percy reporting Iversen is at Stoke ground today ahead of a loan move. Will be finalized imminently.

 

[homer]

I find it hard to know with any certainty how many of these players are going to be sufficient next season, given the league we're playing in. In reality, it's ok playing well this season, but next season we'll be taking this system into the Premier League and hopefully it works, but it won't necessarily do so for all players.

Well if you had watched the Crystal Palace v Everton match last night, you really wouldn’t have any concerns at all

They both made Huddersfield look good

 

[Mike - True Blue Tinter]

From all the comments I have read, our current squad is as good as or better than half the current PL, so I have no worries about this squad being good enough for next season. Assuming we can keep the ones we want to. Doesn’t anyone want Danny Ward?

 

[camberwell fox]

I find it hard to know with any certainty how many of these players are going to be sufficient next season, given the league we're playing in. In reality, it's ok playing well this season, but next season we'll be taking this system into the Premier League and hopefully it works, but it won't necessarily do so for all players.

Agreed. My crumb of comfort is if you look at the bottom half of the PL there is no one from 11th downwards that I don’t think we could beat. Obviously three of them are coming down but ourselves along with probably Ipswich, Southampton or Leeds are replacing them.

Let’s also not forget that even with a half-arsed manager we shouldn’t have been relegated. The spine of the team that took us down was easily good enough to finish 10th or above.

Rogers destroyed this club and many players along with it. If Enzo can apply what he has done already this season there is no reason to be pessimistic and believe we will be in a relegation scrap.

 

[Miles Away]

From all the comments I have read, our current squad is as good as or better than half the current PL, so I have no worries about this squad being good enough for next season. Assuming we can keep the ones we want to. Doesn’t anyone want Danny Ward?

His performances were so catastrophic last season that I'm not sure any club in the country would see upside in retaining his services.

I still can't believe how bad he was.

 

[camberwell fox]

His performances were so catastrophic last season that I'm not sure any club in the country would see upside in retaining his services.

I still can't believe how bad he was.

Perhaps there’s a place for him with Birmingham City?

 

[pork pie fox]

Well if you had watched the Crystal Palace v Everton match last night, you really wouldn’t have any concerns at all

They both made Huddersfield look good

Yeah I didn't watch that, other than seeing the sending off, which looked ridiculous.

 

[Blue Maniac]

finalized

no

 

[pork pie fox]

no

Proper TB humor.

 

[Miles Away]

no

Yez

 

[SilverFox]

If we could get a number 10 this month who we actively want for next season it would be a good bedding in exercise.

So long as it doesn’t affect morale I might also try to move Nacho on.

 

[FOX Franks]

If we could get a number 10 this month who we actively want for next season it would be a good bedding in exercise.

So long as it doesn’t affect morale I might also try to move Nacho on.

Seems difficult if he's at the AfCon all of January!

 

[bocadillo]

Seems difficult if he's at the AfCon all of January!

He isn't.

 

[Graz]

I have plenty of time for Jordan Blackwell. Here he puts forward 7 names that may not be here at the end of January - Iversen, Ward, Souttar, Praet, Ndidi, Iheanacho and Daka. EM appears to be open to there being quite a few squad changes and I'd strongly support this.

I think the 7 named are all pretty obvious candidates and I'd not shed a tear about the loss of any of them.

It made me think about those I'd be happy to be part of our PL squad next season and I could only come up with a surprisingly short list. Hermansen, Justin, Ricardo, Winks, Dewsbury-Hall, Mavididi, Fatawu (loan to permanent) and Cannon.

There is so much to do in the summer that we really ought to get on with it. We might be stuck with Casadei and Akgun but, if not, is there much point in keeping them if we can try to do better? Thomas, Kristiansen and Soumare obviously don't fit the system. Vestergaard, Albrighton and Vardy would be pointless next season.

I've been thinking this all season, but have held back because I feel like I'm being a miserable sod.

But despite how well things are going this season, part of me thinks that shows the huge chasm in quality between the Premier League and the Championship...

I'd agree on your list above with who should be part of the squad; and I'd probably add Ndidi to that. But of that, I'd say only Mads, Winks & Ricardo are ones I'd see as Premier League starters. Maybe the two wingers too but we'd need other options.

Ndidi has been a revelation in an attacking role this season - but anyone who thinks he has the right quality or attributes to succeed in that position in the Prem is mistaken. Likewise I don't think KDH has enough quality either to really be a definite Premier League starter, at least not in this role in this system - we will need to improve the creative output coming from those two advanced midfield roles a lot to play this system well in the Prem.

And the defence would get massively found out in the Prem. Vestergaard and Faes have improved on last season, but we actually still give away a LOT of opportunities at the back - but the majority of attackers in this league have not been clinical enough to take those chances. With faster, more technical players those two will get massively found out, particularly in this system, and Prem strikers will take those chances on a more regular basis.

That's why for me the most important - and most positive - thing this season is Enzo. He's shown his tactical ability in quickly implementing a new system and getting players to adapt to it, he's shown his game management ability with his subs and tweaks during games, but importantly he's also won the trust of the squad and fans.

I'm hoping that we can be far enough ahead to start planning for next year already. Hopefully by bringing in 1 or 2 new players to bed in in time for next season, but also to start making tactical changes to adapt how we might want to play next season. There will be times where we need a more defensive midfielder I'm sure...

 

[Miles Away]

Won’t be any additions until players move on per Enzo today.

 

[Brown Nose]

Won’t be any additions until players move on per Enzo today.

Yep.

 

[Miles Away]

Must go one way or another:

Iversen
Ward
Thomas
Praet

Could go:

Nacho
Daka
Albrighton
Thomas

Possible Loans:

Nelson
Marcal
Maswinhise

 

[Brown Nose]

Must go one way or another:

Iversen
Ward
Thomas
Praet

Could go:

Nacho
Daka
Albrighton
Thomas

Possible Loans:

Nelson
Marcal
Maswinhise

Given the league situation and budget constraints, I think it makes sense to keep the likes of Nelson and Marcal and play them more often here. Same with Alves and Braybrooke (eventually).

We'll have an ideal opportunity to see whether they can do what EM needs or not. Better than them going to a lower league team and playing a totally different style for a few months.

 

[FOX Franks]

He isn't.

Most news articles seem to think he’s joining up with the squad - though I know injuries were mentioned?

 

[popillius]

I'd say only Mads, Winks & Ricardo are ones I'd see as Premier League starters.

I think this is hugely underestimating some of our current players' abilities and/or the effect Rodgers had on them.

KDH is an excellent player and should absolutely be playing Premier League football. I'd also say that both Mavididi and Fatawu would get into half or more than half of all PL starting elevens right now. It's odd that Faes is being written off by some when he has been excellent for us on the whole. He was great in the PL when we first got him until Rodgers decided to **** about with the defence. Justin was selected for the national squad twice whilst playing for us in the PL and is another who could easily find himself in half of the PL teams currently playing.

We need to strengthen, there is no doubt about that; a striker is a must, a strong CM replacement, at least one CB; these are imperative but as a spine, we have a team more than capable of holding their own in the PL.