Players that are simply not good enough

[AV82EC]

For me this summer the outs need to be:

Trez, El Ghazi, Taylor, Elmo, Davis

However the future of El Ghazi needs to be decided in relation to whether Jack is playing on the left or in the middle moving forwards. If Jacks playing on the left in a 433 then I'm ok with El Ghazi as back up, flaky though he is.

If Dean is insistent on the 433 moving forwards then he needs top quality on the right side to complement Jack with Bert as back up, and another forward to complement Wes/Ollie.

The biggest problem is Midfield. We don't have an out and out strong defensive midfielder (a 6 in modern parlance) as nakamba isn't good enough to be a regular starter. We then have a mish mash of central midfielders in McGinn, Luiz, Sanson, Ramsey who you would say are not "top notch" to be regulars in a top 6 outfit and Barkley as a recognised no10 who isn't even ours.

For next season I'd want to see the squad looking like (xxxx is new signing)

GK - Martinez (Heaton, Steer)

RB - Cash (Guilbert)

LCB - Konsa (Engels)

RCB - Mings (Hause)

LB - Targett (xxxx)

DCM - xxxx (Nakamba)

CM - Luiz, McGinn, Ramsey

ACM - xxxx (Sanson)

LW - Grealish (El Ghazi)

RW - xxxx (Traore)

CF - Wesley, Watkins, xxxx

That's a 25 man squad with up and coming youth prospects to be utilised without being declared in the squad (?).

Key for me in that, absolute top quality >£40m each for DCM, ACM and RW but that will depend on FFP.

[oldhill_avfc]

The squad doesnt just need 'beefing up a bit' - it needs investment to buy high quality players in key positions, especially if we going to keep jack.

If we don't then we have 'go again' as somebody once said and rebuild the whole lot.

[Des Little]

None of our midfield (bar Jack obvs) seem to have it in them to beat a man and thereby create the space behind. This, as well as a striker which we also massively need, have to be the priorities in my opinion.

[basavfc]

All these players are better than last seasons "not good enough crop", it's a work in progress, we know we want better to be better !

[BC Villain]

McGinn? Seriously?

1 goal in 50 odd games now.

And very few assists in that time as well. 

[ChicagoLion]

the number 1 priority is Defensive Midfield because we don't really have one
It would then allow more freedom for Luiz and SJM.

[LeeB]

None of our midfield (bar Jack obvs) seem to have it in them to beat a man and thereby create the space behind. This, as well as a striker which we also massively need, have to be the priorities in my opinion.

I think that's the crux of our problems recently, earlier in the season we had players beating their men (fnarr) all over the pitch, it's how you crack games open in this league.

It's completely ground to a halt now and we look totally predictable.

[Doughboy21]

Easier to pick players that are up to the job!

[Monty]

The question is, good enough for what? Almost all of them are well good enough for the division  - it's just about whether we think they're good enough for our realistic aims. In this regard, this season, they're somewhat victims of their own successes.

[Hookeysmith]

Is Mcginn untouchable then?

He is not good enough to be a regular in a top 6 prem team so not good enough for us if thats where we want to be.

Take off the SJM , championship glasses and his prem performances have been average at best and usually poor.

Sorry but opinions and all that.

[Clampy]

His best performances were when he was playing further forward, as opposed to playing alongside Luiz. That said, take him out the side for a few games and he'd be missed.

[N'ZMAV]

I'd like to see McGinn in the team with Luiz and Nakamba

[Ian.]

It would be nice to be able to see what Wesley is capable of during the remainder of the season, but even if we could I would hope we still go out and try and buy a top goal scorer.

Also a creative midfielder or winger to ease the burden, or compliment Jack. A really decent defensive midfielder would be great too.

We need real quality and not just squad fillers to progress from a mid table team.

[SoccerHQ]

the number 1 priority is Defensive Midfield because we don't really have one
It would then allow more freedom for Luiz and SJM.

Doug's going through a poor run currently but he was quite end of last season and up to January this season. Surely some of the credit for our excellent defensive record must go to DM aswell and he's played the vast majority of the season there.

Probably does show how quickly we've come we're not debating whether a stick on Brazil regular is good enough for us now!

[ChicagoLion]

the number 1 priority is Defensive Midfield because we don't really have one
It would then allow more freedom for Luiz and SJM.

Doug's going through a poor run currently but he was quite end of last season and up to January this season. Surely some of the credit for our excellent defensive record must go to DM aswell and he's played the vast majority of the season there.

Probably does show how quickly we've come we're not debating whether a stick on Brazil regular is good enough for us now!

He is not a natural in that position though. We are sacrificing him and SJM because we don’t have a DFM.