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Quality rather than quantity is important. To improve on what we have now we have to both aim high and achieve quality signings.

Mancini wants top four this year and to win the league next year. This will test Mancini's transfer policy as well as tactics and man management. Being the owner's choice for Manager rather than inherited from Thaksin gives Mancini a powerful position that will have been noted by players and agents world wide and help to attract players.

Whilst we have the money it will be interesting to see how the Champions League effects our buying ability.

I also wonder how many top players will want to move before the World Cup. Are there top players who are not playing regularly for their clubs who may be more likely to want to play regularly (Van Der Vaart)?

I think Mancini will sign two defensive players (CB and FB) and a creative midfielder in January. If he can get Maicon, Chiellini and Van Der Vaart IMO this will have been great business. If a goalscorer becomes available then I'd hope to see this happen (Villa, Torres or Benzema would be awesome).

Going on previous January windows I would be suprised(although delighted) if we brought in any of the top names you mentioned. Im not sure its worth all the fucking around when Mancini could quietly bring in one or two, maybe out of favour in Italy, who he knows he can work with. A centre half and a midfielder with a solid all round game would seem possible.

I rekon we will make three, a centre-half, right full-back and a creative midfielder.

i think 4 is a good number...one will be that CB from Inter...the midget Columbian i think he is. The other some potentially shit CB we dont rate (maybe the douche from Pompey?) and then two surprises which aren't big names but seem handy given our injuries or holes in the team.

cheers

DoomMerchant wrote:i think 4 is a good number...one will be that CB from Inter...the midget Columbian i think he is. The other some potentially shit CB we dont rate (maybe the douche from Pompey?) and then two surprises which aren't big names but seem handy given our injuries or holes in the team.

cheers

yeah, I reckon we will all be underwhelmed initially this month, we are basically looking to strengthen the squad to cover for all the injuries so unless someone amazing just happens to be touted out by his club (ie Valencia) we are most likely to see 33 yr olds that he's worked with before or 6 month loans.

I can't see us matching the two highlights of last January (Given and Bellers) for impact.

Second thoughts, we might also see a couple more Hughes approved signings before Roberto gets his picks, he has constantly said that he's still assessing the squad so only the injured positions will be causing him immediate stress.

However he also said in his press conference that he's used to the model that sees the manager only as part of the team that picks new players, so cook, Marwood etc (maybe including the Worthington guy from Chelsea) may have a couple already lined up

10.Goater_Legend wrote:I rekon we will make three, a centre-half, right full-back and a creative midfielder.

While i'm not 100% on the positions I agree we need probably 3 to get top 4 if them 3 are top draw we can go for the no.1 spot.

I think 3, centrehalf is kind of obvious, central midfielder and I think a left back.

Am thinking Slim's on the money, both with the number and positions we are likely to target.

If we can get through January in good shape, ie within 2 pts of 4th spot and still in the Carling and FA Cups, then we can really start to nail down a Champs Lge place and get that trophy monkey off our back. A few more of the right additions should spur us on our way.

Maicon please - or a top RB - would like CB and CM as well - but would be happy if the RB is given top top priority

Pretty sure he was talking about the likes of Maicon for next summer onward, not this month.

Any signings this month will be aimed at improving us, getting us more points, in the next 4 months. So dont be surprised if we sign a few older, short term players.

If we're really lucky we can get a star from a club that needs the cash, but I doubt it in January.

I'll be surprised if we sign more than 3 total.

john@staustell wrote:Pretty sure he was talking about the likes of Maicon for next summer onward, not this month.

Any signings this month will be aimed at improving us, getting us more points, in the next 4 months. So dont be surprised if we sign a few older, short term players.

If we're really lucky we can get a star from a club that needs the cash, but I doubt it in January.

I'll be surprised if we sign more than 3 total.

I think Cordoba is just the player we need, experience and aggressiveness, 33yo given but he is a short term solution to a problem position.

Slim wrote:

john@staustell wrote:Pretty sure he was talking about the likes of Maicon for next summer onward, not this month.

Any signings this month will be aimed at improving us, getting us more points, in the next 4 months. So dont be surprised if we sign a few older, short term players.

If we're really lucky we can get a star from a club that needs the cash, but I doubt it in January.

I'll be surprised if we sign more than 3 total.

I think Cordoba is just the player we need, experience and aggressiveness, 33yo given but he is a short term solution to a problem position.

Provided he can produce it in this league. Not the easiest league to come into as a defender at the end of your career even if you've been a top player, as Laurent Blanc found.

with the world cup looming, players like villa won't move into a new league where they're unproven. his main concern and priority will be a CB and a full back. Would be surprised if he didn't try and get a RM because when SWP gets injured we really don't have any natural width on the right. Weiss is obviously gonna be shit hot and no doubt going to get his chance under Mancio, but maybe we need someone while Vlad is developing.

The absolute priority, if we are serious about top 4, is Left Back. With Bridge having the injury it has become the weakest part of our team by far. The cover from Sylvinho, Garrido, and Zabba is simply not good enough. Better teams than Stoke and Wolves will exploit the weakness fully.

Apart from that we need a centre back and a striker. Perhaps a creative mid like Ribery. But to be honest I think our current squad is capable of getting into the top 4 as long as we solve our left back problem.

reckon it will be three, two defenders and a midfielder. we might get a nice surprise tho!