LUFCTALK

Its been a successful season and I'm sure Orta et al are already well underway with planning for the next.

I think we could have done even better had it not been for:

- Early injuries to CBs (just bad luck as we have cover)
- Lacking a specialist LB (Alioski has his moments but he's equally likely to be a liability defensively)
- Lack of cover for Kalvin (after a couple of apps it seems Koch could be the solution)
- Lack of cover for Rodrigo (Roberts is a baller but I'm not convinced he's top-half PL quality yet)

I don't think we need an overhaul, not least because we've got some great players who know how to play a difficult system. Here's what I think should/will happen:

Outs:
- Forshaw (Loan to Championship until January initially)
- Alioski (Likely to leave; appreciate what hes done but is a necessary part of a slow transition from the promotion squad)
- Casilla (An expensive and unreliable reserve)
- Costa (Doesn't quite cut it; would look to recoup some money and replace with better)
- Hernandez (No one would be shocked to see him move to Castillon)
- Berardi (He's back to fitness and needs to leave to find first team football)

Ins:
- Kalvin cover. I'd like to see Conor Gallagher on loan with a view to permanent. I think he has a high ceiling and Bielsa could work wonders, he plays a #6 or #8 well and would be value for money.
- Specialist LB
- Harrison permanent; £8m is a bargain
- Back-up GK in the mould of Heaton
- A top left winger who can unbalance teams (linked with Noa Lang who can cover Bamford). However, someone like Kent who can cover #10 may be more useful.
- A few more U21 to support the team for next season. I can see us signing player like Doig to supplement a strong team who are moving up a level.

Assuming Harrison and Costa fees net off, it should be doable for c. £50m. If the Board are feeling more ambitious we could go for a left winger and #10.

mintyshoe wrote:Its been a successful season and I'm sure Orta et al are already well underway with planning for the next.

I think we could have done even better had it not been for:

- Early injuries to CBs (just bad luck as we have cover)
- Lacking a specialist LB (Alioski has his moments but he's equally likely to be a liability defensively)
- Lack of cover for Kalvin (after a couple of apps it seems Koch could be the solution)
- Lack of cover for Rodrigo (Roberts is a baller but I'm not convinced he's top-half PL quality yet)

I don't think we need an overhaul, not least because we've got some great players who know how to play a difficult system. Here's what I think should/will happen:

Outs:
- Forshaw (Loan to Championship until January initially)
- Alioski (Likely to leave; appreciate what hes done but is a necessary part of a slow transition from the promotion squad)
- Casilla (An expensive and unreliable reserve)
- Costa (Doesn't quite cut it; would look to recoup some money and replace with better)
- Hernandez (No one would be shocked to see him move to Castillon)
- Berardi (He's back to fitness and needs to leave to find first team football)

Ins:
- Kalvin cover. I'd like to see Conor Gallagher on loan with a view to permanent. I think he has a high ceiling and Bielsa could work wonders, he plays a #6 or #8 well and would be value for money.
- Specialist LB
- Harrison permanent; £8m is a bargain
- Back-up GK in the mould of Heaton
- A top left winger who can unbalance teams (linked with Noa Lang who can cover Bamford). However, someone like Kent who can cover #10 may be more useful.
- A few more U21 to support the team for next season. I can see us signing player like Doig to supplement a strong team who are moving up a level.

Assuming Harrison and Costa fees net off, it should be doable for c. £50m. If the Board are feeling more ambitious we could go for a left winger and #10.

Your observations are accurate and think most fans would agree with many of them.

The LB is one that is difficult and although as you say Alioski isn't perfect he fits our system with his running and continued support of our left sided attacks and confidence to run past the winger and get in the box.
A typical specialist LB may not naturally offer the same immediately and may take time to adjust to MB's methods, VO will need to find the right man that is for sure (a better version of Alioski).
Long term I'm confident either Davies or Huggins may come through but both possibly a year or two away from top level and improvement is never guaranteed.

mintyshoe wrote:Its been a successful season and I'm sure Orta et al are already well underway with planning for the next.

I think we could have done even better had it not been for:

- Early injuries to CBs (just bad luck as we have cover)
- Lacking a specialist LB (Alioski has his moments but he's equally likely to be a liability defensively)
- Lack of cover for Kalvin (after a couple of apps it seems Koch could be the solution)
- Lack of cover for Rodrigo (Roberts is a baller but I'm not convinced he's top-half PL quality yet)

I don't think we need an overhaul, not least because we've got some great players who know how to play a difficult system. Here's what I think should/will happen:

Outs:
- Forshaw (Loan to Championship until January initially)
- Alioski (Likely to leave; appreciate what hes done but is a necessary part of a slow transition from the promotion squad)
- Casilla (An expensive and unreliable reserve)
- Costa (Doesn't quite cut it; would look to recoup some money and replace with better)
- Hernandez (No one would be shocked to see him move to Castillon)
- Berardi (He's back to fitness and needs to leave to find first team football)

Ins:
- Kalvin cover. I'd like to see Conor Gallagher on loan with a view to permanent. I think he has a high ceiling and Bielsa could work wonders, he plays a #6 or #8 well and would be value for money.
- Specialist LB
- Harrison permanent; £8m is a bargain
- Back-up GK in the mould of Heaton
- A top left winger who can unbalance teams (linked with Noa Lang who can cover Bamford). However, someone like Kent who can cover #10 may be more useful.
- A few more U21 to support the team for next season. I can see us signing player like Doig to supplement a strong team who are moving up a level.

Assuming Harrison and Costa fees net off, it should be doable for c. £50m. If the Board are feeling more ambitious we could go for a left winger and #10.

Good post, very well constructed.

For me, I’m struggling to remember a ‘proper left back’ since Charlie Taylor and definitely an area we need to sort out.

Barry Douglas was supposed to be the one...

How unique is Bielsa’s version of a left back? Alioski is sprinting back and forth the length of the pitch the entire match. He’s also seems extremely aggressive and high energy defensively in attacking the ball. It makes me wonder how many left backs have that level of commitment. Does Bielsa’s system depend upon that energy or is he just playing to Alioski’s strengths?

bc grinner wrote:How unique is Bielsa’s version of a left back? Alioski is sprinting back and forth the length of the pitch the entire match. He’s also seems extremely aggressive and high energy defensively in attacking the ball. It makes me wonder how many left backs have that level of commitment. Does Bielsa’s system depend upon that energy or is he just playing to Alioski’s strengths?

Good question. Ayling, on t’other side, is not half as frantic.

Otherworld wrote:

bc grinner wrote:How unique is Bielsa’s version of a left back? Alioski is sprinting back and forth the length of the pitch the entire match. He’s also seems extremely aggressive and high energy defensively in attacking the ball. It makes me wonder how many left backs have that level of commitment. Does Bielsa’s system depend upon that energy or is he just playing to Alioski’s strengths?

Good question. Ayling, on t’other side, is not half as frantic.

But Ayling like Alioski (and Dallas when he plays FB) do get into the opponents box more than most full backs its definitely part of the MB system to have Full backs that are basically a 2nd winger in my view.
Not sure of the statistics but i would dare bet that our FB's turn up in the opponents area during open play more than an other FB's in the league.

Strong rumours about Sosa at Stuttgart who is a left sided winger full back who seems to fit Marcelo’s remit.

New name on the rumours list - Colombian 21-year-old striker/RW Santiago Moreno. I'd be lying if I said I knew much about him...

Leonickroberts wrote:New name on the rumours list - Colombian 21-year-old striker/RW Santiago Moreno. I'd be lying if I said I knew much about him...

Just searched his name and initially came up with a 57 year old Spanish Triple Jumper

Ok found the real one now but nothing much about him, wiki says he's a midfielder.