2021-22 Squad

Discussion in 'Former Players Archive' started by hornetboy1, Mar 21, 2021.

  1. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

    Centreback. Martin Hinteregger another great season with Frankfurt. Seasoned veteran at 28 and leads by example. Austrian international.
    Jhon Lucumi at Genk. Colombian international of immense promise. Physical, decent on the ball and with bags of potential. Him and Sierralta would be a great combination.
    Mark McKenzie who is now a full USA international also at Genk. Has all the attributes needed to be a top class centreback and can play either side though preferably on the left.
    Odilon Kossonou a Ivory Coast international at twenty. Very strong, agile and patient defender again with an enormous ceiling. Lots of clubs are looking at the Brugge player. Would be a great coup.
    Arthur Theate also 20 plays for Oostende and on the verge of a call up to Belgium's national side. Again a player with great potential and would not cost as much as Kossonou. A relative song in comparison.
    Noah Mbama a sixteen year old who has just signed a pro contrast at Brugge and has very high hopes placed on him. Quick, strong reads the game well already and maybe we could nip him early.

    Leftback. Birger Melling dynamic attacking left back at Nimes blessed with enormous stamina whose game is still rough around the edges but a proven international for Norway
    Rightback Jelle Bataille again of Oostende. Surely won't be longbefore a call up to the Belgium national team. Again great stamina, willingness to work into attacking positions and then get back defensively to recover the ball. Good delivery of the ball.

    Defensive and central midfield.
    Mickael Malsa at Levante, Standout performer in winning the ball and keeping it simple. Makes the oppositions life difficult in what has a been a poor team. With better support around him could be just the sort of efficient no nonsense Kante light player we need in there. And cheap. Morten Thorsby young Norwegian central and defensive midfielder. Goes under the radar most of the time but performs his defensive work well especially in the air and at set pieces. Uses the ball simply and effectively . Hardly likely to score but at the base of midfield a proven anchor. Norwegian international as well.

    Mattias Svanberg across the Skanian border is having another excellent season at Bologna. The complete central midfielder dominates for his side and has been linked to big clubs but who knows perhaps we could sneak in. Would be a coup.

    Upfront Mikkel Damsgaard a 20 year old Dane who would not cost that much to prise away from Sampdoria. Plays out on the left but can drop into the midfield like Zincky and is like him creative, a dribbler and great passer with vision. Again some bigger clubs are looking at him after he left Nordsjaelland but let us snap him up. He will be a central component of Denmark's future going forward. Him on the left and Zinky on the right would be marvellous. Finally Adolfo Gaich.

    Strong burly centreforward brought up at the San Lorenzo school. Initially I had my doubts about him in terms of scoring as he was wasteful whereas he was excellent at bringing others into play and creating space across the front third by dragging sometimes literally defenders with him. I had this discussion with @lowerrous as I have seen far better Argentine strikers at his age like Saviola and Cavenaghi. But his finishing has improved and he has the tools to be a very good striker indeed. I don't think he would want a return to CSKA Moscow but the game here would suit him a great deal. He is technically accomplished. Bamfordesque under Bielsa but with more strength and a higher ceiling. Already one senior call up from Scaloni.

    So in the summer with a clearout maybe Hintergger plus Theate/Lucumi : Melling and Bataille: Malsa : Damsgaard plus Gaich. 50M outlay.
     
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  2. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

    He is very decent defensively. But his ability to build out from the back lets him down and still does. Maybe that is why as yet no PL club has come in for him yet but you could see Dyche liking the look of him.
     
  3. Lloyd

    Lloyd Squad Player

    That's quite a shopping list! I've never heard of any of them, but I hope we get Arthur Theate - as he'd be our first 'Arthur' since Arthur Horsfield, I think. Can anyone think of any other 'Arthurs' that have been on the books?
     
  4. Carpster

    Carpster Squad Player

    Supposedly that's one of his strong points but I agree what you say he lacked the quality to bring the ball from defence. On that note I would prefer our CB partnership to play simple balls into midfield or wide to develop the attacks.
     
  5. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

    I had a look at the Jupiler League and serie A at the smaller clubs and seeing who has been playing well for them. We cannot afford any huge outlay but need to be wise enough just to stay in the division for next season assuming we go up. There are several pretty poor clubs in the PL who we should be able to compete with on an even footing. All of the above are also very hard working players which is what we will also need if we do go up. They are also pretty young aside from Hintergger so resale value would be high if they develop as they should. Would be lovely to net a couple of them but of course every other club is on the lookout particularly in Europe for a bargain or the next shiny new player.
     
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  6. UEA_Hornet

    UEA_Hornet First Team Captain

    If we go up we'll sell Sarr, move a couple of players from Udinese and then try to bring in loanees to supplement the squad so we can aim to end up 17th. It'll probably fail.

    It would be absolutely bonkers of Pozzo to set out on any kind of spending spree unless he secures new external investment from somewhere.
     
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  7. hornetboy1

    hornetboy1 First Team Captain

    I'm on the right wing, so jog on.
     
  8. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

    If we do go up we will face teams that can press for longer and are better at it so we will need CBs that can use the ball better and play it with reasonable accuracy short and long. Otherwise we will concede possession cheaply. Our midfield will also need to be able to pick the ball up from deep and be effective with it and always be available for the option of a pass. CBs with the comfort on the ball in addition to defensive qualities are garnering more value. Lucumi and Kossonou are also very strong so able to shield the ball easily to find a pass under pressure. I do hope our scouts will come up with defensive reinforcements because those are also needed as well as a little more pep in midfield and upfront. Someone like Bataille would be great. Fabulous young player but it won't be long before he moves. If we could get our feelers out there it would be helpful instead of one of the so called bigger clubs coming in and then parcelling them off on loan and then bringing back to their main squad a season or so after.

    Kiko and Ngakia at right back next season ? Bataille would be a huge improvement for say six million or so. A club like Oostend are not going to turn that down.
     
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  9. Carpster

    Carpster Squad Player

    Well they do like to shop in Belgium so you never know.

    From your original list I believe both the Norwegians wouldn't bring anything better to the team and we should be looking at better options even if the cost a little more. Just my opinion though. Ideally Rico at Brentford who is a great age too and is too good for the Championship. Obviously if they don't get promoted.

    Pozzo should know all about the players in Italy and Mikkel Damsgaard should of caught their eye as would of Mattias Svanberg. Juventus, Milan plus a host of Premiership clubs looking at the latter. Would be a massive fee too I believe.

    Am I right in saying Kikos contract runs out in the Summer?
     
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  10. LeedsOrn

    LeedsOrn Reservist

    I can’t see us signing a RB, personally and if we do, would be harsh to drop Kiko or jettison Ngakia’s career for young Bataille from Oostende.

    Lucumi would be ideal at CB. Young, strong, decent with the ball and left-footed. If he has a half-decent season with us we could easily triple our money. I think I suggested him (a tad optimistically clearly) last summer. I would be surprised if we signed more than 1 CB, unless we get several out the door.

    Birger Meling looks decent and would certainly be cheap, especially if Nimes go down.
     
  11. LeedsOrn

    LeedsOrn Reservist

    Pretty sure Kiko is one of those who has had an unpublicised extension. Another three years per Leventhal
     
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  12. Cassetti's Beard

    Cassetti's Beard First Team

  13. StuBoy

    StuBoy Forum Cad and Bounder

    I'm left footed so you're playing me out of position here. I was a full back though, so kudos for getting that part right at least.

    Also, as much as it would be an honour to be moog, I am not one of his many trolls. Just thought I should officially clarify that one.
     
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  14. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

    If we could get Svanberg that would be an enormous coup but the fee is probably already out of our reach. I like the Norwegian players. They are understated but do the basics right and Meling for instance has room to improve and is cheap. Fullbacks are so vital now and their average price is increasing. With the work they need to do you need those that can maintain it for the full match. Meling and Bataille have already shown that. Rico would be great but he would cost a fortune in relative terms.

    Players like DaSilva show how we miss out on capable youngsters. Brentford picked him up from Arsenal for free. And he is being missed badly as with Henry. Toney may well be one we really regret. He is well beyond our reach. Those clubs like Levante, in Belgium, Samp are all low on finance. Even in the current climate being in the PL is very cash rich compared to those. No way do these teams turn their noses up at a chance to sell for a few million.
     
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  15. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

    Your alter ego is meridensi......;)
     
  16. StuBoy

    StuBoy Forum Cad and Bounder

    As a staff member you would know Smudger!

    I did have an alter ego on here once...can’t even remember the login details now.
     
  17. LeedsOrn

    LeedsOrn Reservist

    I think this is a really good season to go up and try and build a PL strength squad, with lots of sides in the EFL and across the continent desperate for cash. Shouldn't be hard to pick up young, talented players for small-ish fees, or land more established, higher earners who cash-strapped clubs are desperate to shift.
     
  18. Forzainglese

    Forzainglese Reservist

    I may be wrong, but possibly that's about 49.5 million more than we can afford. Sadly.
     
  19. a19tgg

    a19tgg First Team

    Who was the Coventry player that fell on Deeney? I think they should be the first player we buy. At the very least it will be easier to make their statue if they play for us.
     
  20. Forzainglese

    Forzainglese Reservist

    The stand-out player of this championship season is not Sarr, even though he is very very good.
    It's surely Ivan Toney. Strikers who actually score goals are worth their weight in gold; indeed, worth Troy Deeney's weight in gold. Watching him at Vicarage Road earlier this season I saw someone who is a big, fast athlete, who plays with skill and intelligence and enthusiasm and for his team. And his stats back this up. Brentford are not a bad team but they would be nowhere without him.
    Anybody who thinks we can get him for £20m is surely dreaming.
     
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  21. a19tgg

    a19tgg First Team

    Yeah I posted as much, Watkins and Benrahma went for pretty much £30m so not a chance in hell Toney is £20m, he’ll be the best striker to ever come out of the championship. Vardy isn’t getting any younger, so someone like Leicester wouldn’t flinch at dropping £35/£40m on him, it’s chicken feed for them.

    Toney actually reminds me a bit of Troy, now hear me out... Toney is great at little flicks and back heels to put team mates in, a bit like how Troy lays the ball off with his chest, what Toney contributes overall is just about 100x more dynamic and useful though.
     
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  22. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    Arthur Woodward is in the top ten of our appearance makers.
     
  23. Lloyd

    Lloyd Squad Player

    He was a bit before my time
     
  24. BigRossLittleRoss

    BigRossLittleRoss First Team

    Arthur Chance who played almost every game last season .
     
  25. The Voice of Reason

    The Voice of Reason First Team Captain

    I am starting to feel quite confident that we might win promotion, so I have been thinking about how we will go about rebuilding for the Premier league.
    First of all I reckon that if we get promoted we will not have to lose any players that we don't want to, which should mean we will retain the services of the likes of Sarr, Pedro, Kiko, Hughes, Serrialta, Chalobah and anyone else we want to. Hopefully we should also be able to offload everyone we don't want too or at least pay some of them off, mentioning no names.

    IMO as we have spent a season in The Championship we now have a better knowledge of the players from fellow Championship teams who could have what it takes to make the step up to the PL. Therefore this is where I would be looking to recruit the bulk of our new recruits from, along with the best of the players who end up getting relegated from the PL.

    What players do you think we could possibly realistically hope to bring in from that player pool.

    C+P from "Championship Players" thread.
     
  26. a19tgg

    a19tgg First Team

    Gino should be forced to buy Toney for £40m as punishment for the entire 18 month debacle.
     
  27. Since63

    Since63 Squad Player

    He’ll have to go some to better Luther’s 1st season in the top flight...
     
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  28. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    Yep. 27 goals (33 in total that season), then when he came back from Italy another 21 (28 in total).
     
  29. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    I guess we'd just have to put up with him banging in goals left right and centre as punishment eh
     
  30. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    Oh yes, our defenders, very good ones at Championship level at that, just couldn't deal with him at all, first half he could have had a few, and even in the second half after they were reduced to 10 men, all too often, Brentford resorted to the long ball, and he made something out of nothing to take the pressure off. Hopefully now that Sierralta is in the team, and the fact that he's got a lot of miles on the clock with plenty more games to come for them, means that he won't be as difficult to deal with in the return fixture, the goals are starting to dry up a little bit now
     
  31. WatfordÉire

    WatfordÉire Squad Player

    Reckon we might get another year from Sarr if we go up.
     
  32. a19tgg

    a19tgg First Team


    Do you mean Luther’s first season in the equivalent of the Premier League after being in the equivalent of the championship?

    I was really just commenting on the fact that Toney will be the highest scorer of the championship era to ever come out of the championship, so relative to lower scorers from previous years, he’ll cost more than all of them, and some of them have cost around £30m.

    No idea how he’ll perform in the PL, just that his championship record means he’ll be a lot more than the £20m some have suggested.
     
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  33. Maninblack

    Maninblack Reservist

    I think we're getting overly optimistic. We have a current squad performing very well albeit in a mediocre league and we know how poorly we play if the dressing room atmosphere isn't right. If we do go up it'll take an overhaul of the squad to keep us there and Gino isn't going to spend 10s of millions on a bag full of new players like he did when we last went up.
     
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  34. a19tgg

    a19tgg First Team

    I think Capoue was our highest outlay at £5m wasn’t he? It was mostly a load of dross like Diamanti, Ibabrbo etc, with some bargains like Behrami chucked in.
     
  35. Carpster

    Carpster Squad Player

    Is that all he cost? Some bargain that was!

    In all honesty it depends who stays. Build around the quality we have and we do have some. If Ashley Young comes in I cant see any others coming in defence wise. I'm sure they'll believe it's good enough unless they can get a decent loan with an option. I can honestly see that happening all over the pitch too with maybe Udinese helping out.

    Sarr is definitely off if we dont go up. If promoted there's a slim chance he stays. So there will be some extra cash there to spend if he goes or options of player exchanges involved. I can see loads of clubs especially Premier clubs shifting players this way. I'm desperate for him to give us one more season and if he's playing with a smile he may just do that. Let's be fair not many thought he would play in the Championship this season.

    Striker is a must. Shift the non dynamic duo out hopefully and there will be mo ey there too for us to move forward. But unfortunately it won't be Toney as much as we all want him that ship sailed last Summer.

    It won't be easy to move our dross as we've found out but the club will have major decisions to make whatever division we're in comes the Summer window.
     
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