Summer transfer rumours, speculation and out-and-out b*ll*cks.

[JJ-AV]

It'll be 4-3-3 with Gabby and N'Zogbia wide of Bent.

Delfouneso, Marc and Heskey as cover for the front three. Ireland tucked in behind with Bannan as cover there. Makoun and Stan in centre mid with Delph, Clarke and hopefully another as cover there.

Upson makes sense to me. I'd hope there'd be enough left in the budget to get a decent centre mid. The clubs keeping tabs on Adam and Parker suggests we are after a leader in there. Hopefully one becomes available.

[ozzjim]

I think with Gabby and the Fonz, and to some extent Zoggs, it will be a much more similar formation to the one we played in the early days under MON, and indeed to that of Chelsea, with 3 strikers essentially covering the forward part of the pitch, 2 deep ish midfield players and a goalscoring, attacking central midfield player.

Gabby is perfectly capable of playing the right hand side of an attacking trio and working the channel, as is the Fonz, and NZogbia likewise the left. Ireland is obvious for the attacking midfield role, and Albrighton gives the conventional option of going 4-4-1-1 or 4-4-2. I certainly think the more narrow 4-3-3 is what we will favour though, and Gabby on the right of it could be a real asset. His pace is his main strength, and he could shock people in the right formation. 4-4-2 with he and Bent is always another option then.

Heskey - useful to have around but if someone wants he or Beye, then letting them go is the ideal considering their wages. Get Clyne in for Beye and find a 20 year old winger to have a punt on somehwere for 2-3 million. I am sure there is one out there.

[JJ-AV]

Hutton only has a year left, so Spurs have to sell (Corluka and Walker will be RB's with Kaboul able to cover too).

If we leave it until late in the window, and there's no other takers we'll get him for dirt cheap, and with Luke and Cuellar it's not a priority right now.

Cuellar and Beye out and Upson and Hutton in would be fine by me, and makes sound financial sense.

[ozzjim]

Indeed JJ, as long as Hutton and Upson come in about 20k a week less than the other 2 overall. Thus shaving a million or so a year on the wage bill.

[pedro25]

Why do we need two players for every position.

We got a best 38 league games and 12 cup games next season

Surely 18-20 experienced players and youngsters involved more.

We got Bannan, Albrighton, Lichaj, ClarK, Hogg , Weimann, Fonz, Delph, Baker who all played last season in top 2 flights of English Football.

Between them for us or on loan on average they played around 20 games each so they must be nearly ready .

Add a couple of experienced pro's at say Centre Half, Midfield and Wide on loan or signed , I think we can still be top 8.
Big season for our youngsters to shine or fail

Nobody is saying we do need 2 players for each position, but in terms of widemen we need 3 to cover 2 positions, which would fit in with your assessment of 18-20 experienced players.  It's just a shame we are probably one wideman light and one striker heavy, so we either have to shoe horn a striker out wide or hope someone takes Heskey and then buy another wideman, as buying one anyway does not seem part of the current strategy, which I can accept to a certain degree.

[fredm]

Don't forget if Warnock is back to his proper form and therefore in the team he will give an attacking option down the left, thus the person playing down that side can tuck in and doesn't need to hug the touch line all the time.

I cannot see why people keep on about having "wingers".  What we need are players who can play in a forward position and make runs/take up positions anywhere across the front line.  They don't have to stand on the whitewash all game.  This, to me, is what Albrighton needs to learn to bring his game up another notch.  Bannan can probably play in this role and N'Zogbia already does it with Wigan.

Also, if he is still with us, I would not be surprised to see Heskey get a few outings.  Remember how the England strikers all said he was the one they liked to play with?  Well we have the current England striker so maybe he will be able to do the same.  Also, for all his faults, Emile has a good football brain and knows how to pull defences about, to make the gaps for Benty to run into.

So overall I don't think it is necessarily doom and gloom, let's see how it all works out.

[pedro25]

We don't need 3 wingers, but do need 3 wingers/ wide midfielders imo, a Kranjcar/Cole/Benayoun type option would be nice.

[Toronto Villa]

I think in a season without european competition we don't have to go into it with a massive squad. A season such as this should give a number of the young players a good chance to develop by giving them a decent number of games. The challenge for AM during the season will be finding the right balance between young players and seasoned pros.

Hopefully things progress well enough that in January we add one, maybe two established players and then head into next summer on tha back of a good season and build from there. The club wants to get it's house in order and they should be able to get it done over the next 12 months by ridding itself of the last of the heavy contracts for aging players.

[willywombat]

We used 13 players in the season we last won the League as far as I remember, admittedly the game has changed and we were very fortunate with injuries but nontheless 13 it was

[Mazrim]

If we go for a winger they dont have to be youngsters as we're about a year or two from having some of the best prospects around coming through.
So a loan deal would suit us and if they're slightly older then no harm, no foul.
I actually think Bentley wouldn't be a bad idea. He'd suit our team far more than the Blues's.
Or erm... Beckham?

But ideally if some tearaway superstarlos is struggling to get into Barcelona or Madrid's starting XI wants a game more regularly, bang on.
If AM could get Hleb to the Blues for a year, just think who he might get here?

[eastie]

We used 13 players in the season we last won the League as far as I remember, admittedly the game has changed and we were very fortunate with injuries but nontheless 13 it was

i thought we used 14? deacy , geddis and williams being the other 3 if i remember rightly.

[Meanwood Villa]

We used 13 players in the season we last won the League as far as I remember, admittedly the game has changed and we were very fortunate with injuries but nontheless 13 it was

i thought we used 14? deacy , geddis and williams being the other 3 if i remember rightly.

Rimmer
Swain
Gibson
Williams
Evans
McNaught
Deacey
Mortimer
Bremner
Shaw
Withe
Geddis
Cowans
Morley

That's 14

[UsualSuspect]

Why do people think that Beye is going to leave?

Nearly 34 and on 42k per week, he's hardly going to leave and be content to get 15k is he.

Read the same for heskey

I saw Upson play for West ham opening game of the season and he was fucking terrible. I would have one of our kids start above him any day of the week

[TheSandman]

I don't quite see the logic in selling Cuellar to fund the signing of an average right back. We are far more stretched at centre back than at right back. Hutton is not much of a step up on Luke Young. He also has a dubious fitness record. 

[Merv]

I like Hutton; good age still, like his style - bit of a rampaging, robust right-back. But agree:if it's Cuellar out, Hutton in that's not so good. Leaves us with three CBs. We'd be better off keeping Cuellar and using him to cover CB and RB!