The way forward to the top 10....

[Toronto Villa]

I don't think the jump to top 10 is that big a leap to be honest. Newcastle are going to finish in there despite having a dreadful second half to the season. If Southampton end up selling a few players they'll find it hard to get there again. In reality we're fighting with a number of sides in a similar boat to us. The question is the coaching/management of the club going to differentiate ourselves from the others vying for positions 8-10?

[SoccerHQ]

I don't think the jump to top 10 is that big a leap to be honest. Newcastle are going to finish in there despite having a dreadful second half to the season. If Southampton end up selling a few players they'll find it hard to get there again. In reality we're fighting with a number of sides in a similar boat to us. The question is the coaching/management of the club going to differentiate ourselves from the others vying for positions 8-10?

Aye that's the point and why it's more of a realistic thread than what do we need to get in the top 6 which is obviously an new owner, manager and mostly a new team.

Newcastle have won 4 league games since Boxing day, same for us. They also didn't spend a penny last summer. They have been comfortably top half most of the season thanks to Cabaye and Remy, two quality players who aren't/won't be there next season.

Last year WBA finished in the top half despite not spending much, neither have Stoke this year, it doesn't take that much investment just say a ratio of 13 wins, 11 draws and 14 defeats which gets you 50 points in a season.

[supertom]

I don't think the jump to top 10 is that big a leap to be honest. Newcastle are going to finish in there despite having a dreadful second half to the season. If Southampton end up selling a few players they'll find it hard to get there again. In reality we're fighting with a number of sides in a similar boat to us. The question is the coaching/management of the club going to differentiate ourselves from the others vying for positions 8-10?

I mean certainly there's a few of our players who have potential to step up a level and perhaps also play a more attractive brand of football under the right management.
I felt a few weeks back Tonev looked lively when he appeared and the lads a Bulgarian international. Bowery played well today. Lowton looked more like his old self. Westwood is comfortable on the ball. Bacuna has had a largely decent first season. Are they good enough to be first 11, 30+ games a season? Not yet, but there's some ability there.

It wouldn't take as huge a shift in personnel to make us a better footballing side as some may imagine. But we need a better tactician within the management and some more established, experienced quality in the playing staff who can offer the impact and consistency perhaps still beyond some of the younger players. 4-5 good quality senior players should do the trick.

Even in our current budget a better manager could get us to mid-table. We've a solid spine of players, some good youngsters, and a few of the cheap imports who might yet flourish.

[Damo70]

I have said before that three real quality signings would make a big difference. Obviously by improving the team and also I believe we would see an improvement in the other players.

[SoccerHQ]

In fantasy land sign Lescott, Hernandez and Holtby and imo that would be easily enough for top 10, maybe even 8th if we get lucky with injuries.

Ironically enough 20m would cover those given Lescott's on a free, Holtby would be about 8m and Hernandez 12m but the combined wages of those 3 probably won't be far off 200k which is the issue.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Reality is we have a massive debt, third after Chelsea and The Plastics

We don't have any debt.

We have a net debt of 189m.

No we don't.

You should tell Randy, I'm sure he'll be delighted.

You shouldn't be reading that Guardian article which refers to season 2012-13, and should pay more attention on what's happened since. Including the writing off of another 90m of debt in February.

Paulie, the debt hasn't disappeared. It's not a gift from Randy, it's basically an I.O.U. that somebody will eventually have to pick up. All Randy has done is solve the immediate problem of the liquidity of the club.

[pauliewalnuts]

Reality is we have a massive debt, third after Chelsea and The Plastics

We don't have any debt.

We have a net debt of 189m.

No we don't.

You should tell Randy, I'm sure he'll be delighted.

You shouldn't be reading that Guardian article which refers to season 2012-13, and should pay more attention on what's happened since. Including the writing off of another 90m of debt in February.

Paulie, the debt hasn't disappeared. It's not a gift from Randy, it's basically an I.O.U. that somebody will eventually have to pick up. All Randy has done is solve the immediate problem of the liquidity of the club.

It isn't, the debt has been written off - it's not an IOU that anyone is going to pick up, because it's not there any more.

He might not have written it all off, but it certainly isnt 190m any more.

Do you honestly think he's asking for £200m to sell a club with £190m of debt?

He wrote 90m off in February. That's gone, not there.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

The asking price will include the debt. Basically everything he's poured into the club. He may have to take a hit but I don't believe for one milisecond he's going to take a 90m hit. No chance.

As for these low wages we're paying, where did you get the numbers or is it guess work? Spurs have been paying low wages for years and it never seemed to do them much harm. It can only be a couple of years ago it was leaked that their club captain was on 35k a week whilst we were paying crap players way more.

The way forward is start with a bloody good manager that knows how to get the best out of his players, irrespective of how much they cost, where they came from or how much we pay them. Everything else thereafter will fall into place.

[dave.woodhall]

If we'd played like we did today on just four occasions against teams who are no better than Hull - Palace, Stoke, Fulham and West Ham - we'd have probably got another ten points and been tenth now.

[Dave]

The asking price will include the debt. Basically everything he's poured into the club. He may have to take a hit but I don't believe for one milisecond he's going to take a 90m hit. No chance.

That's the point paulie's making - he has already taken that £90m hit.

[adrenachrome]

If we'd played like we did today on just four occasions against teams who are no better than Hull - Palace, Stoke, Fulham and West Ham - we'd have probably got another ten points and been tenth now.

Hull played with less intensity than all of those. One of the best teams we have played this season was Malaga, and they weren't messing around, but did not  play at the intensity they would in an important game.

[Big Dick Edwards]

You could argue that if Okores and Benteke had played more we'd have collected enough points to have been safely in mid table with Newcastle. However, injuries are part and parcel of the game and you have to have enough quality in your squad to accommodate such setbacks. Look at the players Chelsea had unavailable last weekend then still went to Liverpool and won. Our problem is we lack quality in depth. Players like Weimann, El Ahmadi, Baker, Clark, Lowton and Bacuna would be acceptable as squad players who fill in for injuries and suspensions every now and again, but these players are regular starters for us in the Premier League. In my opinion, we have only half a team of players good enough to challenge for a place in the top eight, namely Guzan, Vlaar, Okores, Westwood, Delph and Benteke. That is a decent spine to the team. When we look at recruiting this summer, instead of bringing in half a dozen gambles like the Sylla, Helenius and Luna we should at least buy two proven quality performers, one of which would have to be a midfield player.

[PeterWithe]

Its understandable not being able to financially compete at the top end of the table but our squad looks weaker than Hulls, to put that right is going to cost money Im not sure we have, or have but dont want to part with.

[Richard]

2 quality full backs one who might be Bertrand, then 2 midfielders -  a no nonsense powerful type and a creative eye for a pass/goal one and then I think we have a chance :

Guzan

?
?
Okores
Vlaar

Westwood
Delph
?
?

Weimann
Benteke

Subs would be any 7 from Steer Lowton Clark Bacuna Gabby Kozak NZogbia and the youth like Grealish

Get rid : Bennett Baker Luna KEA Sylla Albrighton Bowery Tonev

[silhillvilla]

If we can sign say 2 or 3 more quality players (circa £7m each value) and get our other big players back and fit - benteke Kozak Okore and Zog we are top 10 IMHO