Summer transfer madness thread

[Goldie.7]

Crouch will be 37 in six months time and will probably only drop down a division for a two-year deal.

No thanks!

[peter w]

It depends how its used. if the ball up top is desgned for the forward to hold onto the ball to bring in runners then its a valid tactic. If we just launch it hoping for flick ons then its a premier league defensive tactic that you see from bottom teams against the top ones.

[aj2k77]

Spending £8m a year on wages for Crouch and Terry would be madness. Randy Lerner madness.

[devilla]

It looks like he wants to turn us into Bryan Robson's Middlesbrough. To be fair, they went up. Hopefully he's sacked before we come down again.

Genuine question, what was Robson's Boro like? I never really followed them that closely.

They went down and signed bloody Paul Merson in his pomp. I don't think even our largesse matches that.

They also signed Clayton Blackmore, Gary Pallister, Emerson and Nigel Pearson.

I think, to be fair, that Emerson was signed once they were up.

Also, I don't like disagreeing with you, LeeB. Can you say something pithy about the tories that I can say 'this' to.

Didn't they sign Lake and Palmer as well?

[Ads]

Against Hull we may well have a starting XI of;

Johnstone

Taylor
Terry
Chester
Bree

Jedinak
Hourihane
Lansbury
Adomah

RMC
Hogan

With Kodjia to come back and maybe one or two new faces and plenty of depth.

I think that side looks very strong, possibly a wideman with pace short (who would come in for Jedinak).

Compare that with;

Gollini

Cissokho
Baker
Ekphick
Hutton

Bacuna
Westwood
Gardner
Ayew

RMC
Gestede

That's how we lined up against Wednesday. I think what we have now compares strongly against that.

[Matt Collins]

All on paper though isn't it? The reality has underperformed

Anyway I reckon we'll start

Johnstone

Chester Taylor baker

Elmohamady Jedinak whelan Taylor

Lansbury

Hogan crouch

Subs: steer bree Bacuna hourihane grealish adomah Kodjia

[Risso]

It doesn't look like a side good enough for promotion.  A totally untested forward line with little pace and the grand total of 4 league goals for us between them last season.  And the same lack of pace, creativity and width in midfield.  Top 10 at best with that team.

[Matt Collins]

Yeah it doesn't inspire much does it. Although 352 would have width

Obviously Kodjia to come in and hopefully green and grealish to add some guile

But yeh I'm not expecting thrill a minute

This league is very mediocre though. I don't think we have to be that good to go up.

[Clark W Griswold]

All on paper though isn't it? The reality has underperformed

Anyway I reckon we'll start

Johnstone

Chester Taylor baker

Elmohamady Jedinak whelan Taylor

Lansbury

Hogan crouch

Subs: steer bree Bacuna hourihane grealish adomah Kodjia

I think I'd play Terry in the defence rather than expecting Taylor to cover 2 positions, but otherwise I quite like that team. Obviously Kodjia will have to come back in when fit but who he partners would depend on who we're playing. Usually Hogan would be the better but Crouch would be good when his height is required or coming off the bench. I think we'd win a lot of games 1-0 with that team.

[Sexual Ealing]

All on paper though isn't it? The reality has underperformed

Anyway I reckon we'll start

Johnstone

Chester Taylor baker

Elmohamady Jedinak whelan Taylor

Lansbury

Hogan crouch

Subs: steer bree Bacuna hourihane grealish adomah Kodjia

We won't concede many with a back seven like that.

[SoccerHQ]

Crouch is still Stoke's best striker.

I did think we'd get another striker but that was before McCormack was thrown an olive branch (hopefully he hasn't eaten it) With him and Gabby still around I really don't see how we could justify getting another one, Kodjia should be back in September aswell.

[Matt Collins]

All on paper though isn't it? The reality has underperformed

Anyway I reckon we'll start

Johnstone

Chester Taylor baker

Elmohamady Jedinak whelan Taylor

Lansbury

Hogan crouch

Subs: steer bree Bacuna hourihane grealish adomah Kodjia

I think I'd play Terry in the defence rather than expecting Taylor to cover 2 positions, but otherwise I quite like that team. Obviously Kodjia will have to come back in when fit but who he partners would depend on who we're playing. Usually Hogan would be the better but Crouch would be good when his height is required or coming off the bench. I think we'd win a lot of games 1-0 with that team.

Yeah. That and baker being suspended 😐

[SoccerHQ]

Even by SB's standards playing a back 3 and Whelan and Jedinak in a home game is taking things a little too far I suspect.

Template was last home game even if Brighton were on the beach. A mobile DM with Hourihane and Lansbury being given licence to push forward as much as possible.

Can see Jedinak being played more in the back 3 this year (probably for the games Terry is rested for) and a signing like Whelan filling his role.

[Clark W Griswold]

I think the team I'd like to see though is;

-----------------Johnstone-------------

De Laet------Chester----Terry---Taylor

Elhammody--Jedinak---Whelan--Green

------------Hogan----Kodjia-------------

Subs:
Steer
Bacuna
Baker
Hourahane
Lansbury
Grealish
Crouch

Based on current squad and strong links. That's 3 good attacking options on the bench if we need a new approach during the second half.

[aj2k77]

Against Hull we may well have a starting XI of;

Johnstone

Taylor
Terry
Chester
Bree

Jedinak
Hourihane
Lansbury
Adomah

RMC
Hogan

With Kodjia to come back and maybe one or two new faces and plenty of depth.

I think that side looks very strong, possibly a wideman with pace short (who would come in for Jedinak).

Compare that with;

Gollini

Cissokho
Baker
Ekphick
Hutton

Bacuna
Westwood
Gardner
Ayew

RMC
Gestede

That's how we lined up against Wednesday. I think what we have now compares strongly against that.

That's the same side as the second half of last season and it wasn't good enough. There's no pace in the side and no naturally left sided midfielder so we'd end up pushing Lansbury out there, looking shit and not playing to his strengths.

We need to inject a bit of pace in the side, have players playing in their natural positions 1-11 and get some cover for Jedinak who will miss games next season.