Peter Doherty (AGAIG) wrote:Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:PrezIke wrote:Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:We need at least five new fefenders this summer just to field a team nevermind improve it. There should practically be one defender signing every week from now til the start of the season. Txiki is making mess of this again.
Very few clubs have signed all of the players they need before preseason starts.
It's just not going to happen. However, I think what we do need is a left and right back ready about the start of preseason. That's the highest need because we have no one else who will be ready for preseason. I'd wager that we will have those two in the fold around the start of preseason.
We start July 10, so there are still a few days.
Not sure how you calculate "at least" 5 defenders needed anyway.
I'd say at least 4, and that's the fullbacks. Any CB we sign right now is going to be 4th choice, unless we are selling Otamendi, which could happen, but my sense is Pep wants to start with Vinny and Stones. We still have Tosin who can be the 4th choice CB which suits me fine at this point, although I suspect we prefer to get him game elsewhere.
Mendy and Alves have been widely reported to effectively been "done," so baring a disaster we will have 2 signed up very soon.
Would it be ideal to have all 4 fullbacks by the 10th? Of course, but we can make do with 2 who go through the entire preseason and the backups added later.
This fits into the other two fullback targets we have heard of, Walker and Bertrand, because they are English and also one owner has a reputation for being quite a pain to negotiate with. However, we will be in a better position to negotiate when are less desperate to get them in, which Alves and Mendy allow Txiki more wiggle room.
Alexis can also come later, even if we all want it sooner rather than later, as we do have attacking players that can already play his positions, and will not be a huge downgrade, so we can make do and wait Arsenal out.
We have basically zero fullbacks right now. Ideally we'd have two decent players for both spots but I know that's a pipe dream at this stage so we need rightback, leftback and someone who,canncover both sides. Geriatric Alves will take one spot but he managed about half of Juventus games last season so can't be relied on for full season.
Centerbacks, you need four good ones. We got one, Kompany, and he will not last more than 20 games. Otamendi and Stones are not good enough. In Peps system with fullbacks being basically wingers the centerbacks have to be top quality. They are basically the only defenders on the pitch.
People are ctually paying too much attention on fullback situation without realizing how desperately we need centerbacks as well. So that's five defenders.
We have two new ones, just not announced until Pep gets back off holiday.
Alves and who?