How do we get a title challenging squad for next season?

[dazby]

Add 2 world class players to the squad, 1 squad player and a promising young un and we are on our way. We need to grow into this and evolve as a unit. The only way that can happen is if the squad stick together and know each others games inside out.

[Fish111]

If we buy Fabregas, Sneijder, Alves & Ribery then i think we'd have a squad good enough to win the title. It's not asking much is it?

[gilford]

Honestly, I believe that our existing squad is good enough to win the Barclays Premier League. Why we are 15 points behind the leaders have more to do with the number of games where the team has not played as a unit as opposed to the quality of the players as individuals. Team organization has improved under Mancini, albeit at the cost of scoring as many goals against anyone except Burnley and Championship sides.
Apart from adding more depth (although after injury returns, our bench is deeper than the rags, liverpool and arsenal and slightly behind Chelsea), keeping the team together to develop better chemistry and tactical fluidity would be the best thing which we can do. Or we can spend another 200 million quid and start the process all over again.

I'm with you on this one, and said the same a few days back here viewtopic.php?f=119&t=31483&p=129149#p129149

I disagree strongly with both of you.

We WILL have to spend another 200m (or even more) to get us in contention. It was always clear that spending would come in stages. First we needed to turn midtable squad into Champion's League contenders. Considering our rivals for that spend have years head start of steady spending and building their squads, 200m is what it takes to turn midtable side into Champion's League contenders. SECOND stage, which I believe is getting us to challenge for title(s), will easily take another 200m+. We need to replace Toure's with Terry's, De Jong's with Lampard's and Adebayor's with Drogba's. Honestly, we only have few players capable of playing in a side ready to challenge for title. Gap between 4th and 1st is HUGE right now..... never mind challenging likes of Barcelona which I think is eventually our aim.

This next step will demand time, money and patience. I don't think for a minute that it will happen in a year. Two years minimum for me.

Totally agree with this!

Hughes signed some good players, but to compete with the likes of Barcelona etc we need world class! What annoys me is the fact that we paid so much for shite players last summer a la "City TAX". This summer we need to get that top 4 position and hopefully the players will follow.

I dont think we need many, a couple of defenders and midfielders, and maybe one super striker (although I do not want to take away from Tevez as he has been amazing this season).

The most important thing I feel for us is what happens to the manager.............

If we finish 4th then I would hope Bobby Manc will get a good go at this with a decent budget for HIS players, not crappy Hughes' players who he inherited (and done well with I might add).

I the Special One is coming get him here asap and let him start doing his thing so we can get on with what we ALL want from this, TROPHIES!!!!!!!!!

[brite blu sky]

i am not convinced that the club will see buying in nearly a whole team is the way to go.

there are two main points to be made here.
1. we changed manager and the team had to re-jig itself to a new style, on top of the new manager learning how to compete in the Prem. I simply cannot beleive that any of us knows how good this squad could be, they just havent had enough time since getting to grips with Bobby's tactics to show it fully.

that leads to the second point.
2. There are 6 matches left. 6 matches where this set of players have to show their individual worth and what they can do as a team. 6 matches is 1/3 of the time since Mancini arrived to the end of the season, so we are being premature by judging who is and who isn't good enough.

So my point is that this next 6 games will not only decide if we are to get to the next level, but it will also show a lot more of who is worth what, and even then that is assuming we continue to improve and play better football game by game.

It is quite possibly true to say that there are now no more excuses, as the team have shown more of what they are capable of.. the next games will tell us for sure, and the 4 'big' games will give the lads a real platform to show what they are made of.
I'm sure the club will keep an open mind until the seasons end, and i am also sure they have a strategy for what they would like to do anyway, which as i say i think is unlikely to be wholesale buying.

[gilford]

It is quite possibly true to say that there are now no more excuses, as the team have shown more of what they are capable of.. the next games will tell us for sure, and the 4 'big' games will give the lads a real platform to show what they are made of.

If only they would have tried in those "sure win" games all season which we lost or drew, we could be right up there now!

[Dameerto]

I think he will be targetted over the summer, letting one or two players go while bringing in quality to the weak areas we already have in the squad.

[Crossie]

2 full backs, a centre mid "Gerard" type and time.

[dazlebluefrog]

WHEN NOT IF we get chumps league i'd go and fcuk baconface off by going to Real and nick Benzema from under his fcuking nose ,in Spain last weekend reports are saying he's gonna go to italy or the scum where bacon is trying to get him on loan but might have to pay 35 million for him i'm not to sure he'd hit it off straight away though as frogs do seem to take a year to settle in

[branny]

How about the novel approach of giving the manager the whole season.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

How about the novel approach of giving the manager the whole season.

?

I'm sure this topic was about strengths and weaknesses of the squad. The whole point being that if we got good enough squad, good manager would lead us to title.

Who knows about Mancini's future but truth is that we have given EVERY manager at least that one full season for past fifteen years.

[Slim]

How about the novel approach of giving the manager the whole season.

?

I'm sure this topic was about strengths and weaknesses of the squad. The whole point being that if we got good enough squad, good manager would lead us to title.

Who knows about Mancini's future but truth is that we have given EVERY manager at least that one full season for past fifteen years.

I think whether or not we get into the champions league, Mancini being here next season will be up to him. He has done enough now to show he is more then capable of the job and has the reputation to attract the very best players given the resources.

[mcfc1632]

We have a very good squad – I think that this has been proven when you have seen us struggle less than other teams when the injuries / suspensions occur – but the question is how many positions are filled well enough for contention of winning PL and reaching QFs minimum in CL:

GK – Yes

RB – No – need a specialist – even our cover is patchy although I would like to see Toure tried

LB – Yes – I know others disagree but we have a specialist and a number of players to cover – including Lescott and Barry – so I would not see this as a priority – certainly when compared to RB

RCB – No – I worry about Toure and I think that making him captain before he proved himself causes further problems – I also worry about our lack of naturally right footed-back-up

LCB – Yes –I think that Lescott will be fine - his challenge will be getting ahead of Kompany who I think could be outstanding – Vince, Lescott and also Toure have footballing brains – this is essential in the modern game – like Vermaalen

DM – Yes – De jong is one of the best in the world in this role – the flax he gets (IMO) is because people are frustrated in other creative areas of the team – that is not his role – not his fault – and also the DM role is specialist – he does not have to play every game – but in some games the role is essential

CM – No - Well a crying out need – everyone is distraught that Stevie has not kicked on and he has had chances. In hindsight it was a mistake to start the season with this dependency – we should have gone for a major player (as major as we could attract) – but the manager would have got slaughtered for not supporting Ireland – my worry is Stevie’s psyche – will he come on as a back-up or will his confidence / personality not allow this – we may need 2 players here

Other MF – Yes – once we have the CM role we have a number of players that can provide great cover depending on what formation the manager picks

Strikers – Yes / Maybe – I think that the strikers we have could really flourish once the CM role is fixed – top strikers at other clubs are dependent on that role – I would only change here if one of only a handful of the world’s best becomes available – e.g. Torres

So for me the requirement is quality not quantity – I think with just 2 additional players - top CM and RB - we would be challenging – they are the terrible gaps – the other areas are only worth changing if a top top player becomes available

[john@staustell]

1632 I agree with nearly all that.

Except that I think a striker is essential (or 2). Tevez, Ade and RSC is not enough. Each had long periods out and we haven´t had any european distractions this season.

Mancio had about 6 at Inter and KK once said you need around 6 decent strikers to challenge on all fronts over the season. Whilst all out ´big 4`are not doing this at the moment they´re all completely fucked without 1 or 2 key players.

So allowing for babies, machine guns, suspensions and knee/calf injuries (perm one from many), not to mention late world cup duty, we need more super strikers!!

[Crossie]

It gets tricky because the quality of striker we need to get in as back up, would be able to walk into most other teams first choice 11. So where do we find a striker happy to either be back up, or play 1 in 3 or 4?

Bojinov?

[mcfc1632]

1632 I agree with nearly all that.

Except that I think a striker is essential (or 2). Tevez, Ade and RSC is not enough. Each had long periods out and we haven´t had any european distractions this season.

Mancio had about 6 at Inter and KK once said you need around 6 decent strikers to challenge on all fronts over the season. Whilst all out ´big 4`are not doing this at the moment they´re all completely fucked without 1 or 2 key players.

So allowing for babies, machine guns, suspensions and knee/calf injuries (perm one from many), not to mention late world cup duty, we need more super strikers!!

Yes - on reflection I agree - just want it to be a top one - or otherwise recall Boj - just do not want just a pretty good one

[branny]

How about the novel approach of giving the manager the whole season.

?

I'm sure this topic was about strengths and weaknesses of the squad. The whole point being that if we got good enough squad, good manager would lead us to title.

Who knows about Mancini's future but truth is that we have given EVERY manager at least that one full season for past fifteen years.

Do you think they've all been given enough time? If Mancini isn't the man for the job the owners need to get somebody in that they are happy with and give him time. We'll never have a title challenging squad if we keep changing managers. Surely that's the starting point. Give a manager time to build his title challenging squad. We've waited so long for success, it'll be even longer if we don't have some patience.

[Vhero]

RB, maybe LB backup as syl/garrido not good enough CM and a prolific striker (if we can get one)are a must. Tevez has done great for us this season but we can't rely on him all the time. RSC isn't up for the task and Zabba.... As much as I love the guy I think he a liability... Too many free kicks outside the box..

[john@staustell]

1632 I agree with nearly all that.

Except that I think a striker is essential (or 2). Tevez, Ade and RSC is not enough. Each had long periods out and we haven´t had any european distractions this season.

Mancio had about 6 at Inter and KK once said you need around 6 decent strikers to challenge on all fronts over the season. Whilst all out ´big 4`are not doing this at the moment they´re all completely fucked without 1 or 2 key players.

So allowing for babies, machine guns, suspensions and knee/calf injuries (perm one from many), not to mention late world cup duty, we need more super strikers!!

Yes - on reflection I agree - just want it to be a top one - or otherwise recall Boj - just do not want just a pretty good one

Yes we need to go mega this time. Foreign press are now often referring to us as one of the ´English Greats`, along with the usual suspects, and a CL spot will convince the world more of our unyielding progress and make us more attractive to the likes of Villa. This added to the undoubted decline of some others I wont mention, but plain for all europe to see in the CL semis line-up.

[Socrates]

Honestly, I believe that our existing squad is good enough to win the Barclays Premier League. Why we are 15 points behind the leaders have more to do with the number of games where the team has not played as a unit as opposed to the quality of the players as individuals. Team organization has improved under Mancini, albeit at the cost of scoring as many goals against anyone except Burnley and Championship sides.
Apart from adding more depth (although after injury returns, our bench is deeper than the rags, liverpool and arsenal and slightly behind Chelsea), keeping the team together to develop better chemistry and tactical fluidity would be the best thing which we can do. Or we can spend another 200 million quid and start the process all over again.

And Chelsea?

and Birmingham...

this 4-2-4 formation is starting to grow on me!

[Grob]

Honestly, I believe that our existing squad is good enough to win the Barclays Premier League. Why we are 15 points behind the leaders have more to do with the number of games where the team has not played as a unit as opposed to the quality of the players as individuals. Team organization has improved under Mancini, albeit at the cost of scoring as many goals against anyone except Burnley and Championship sides.
Apart from adding more depth (although after injury returns, our bench is deeper than the rags, liverpool and arsenal and slightly behind Chelsea), keeping the team together to develop better chemistry and tactical fluidity would be the best thing which we can do. Or we can spend another 200 million quid and start the process all over again.

And Chelsea?

and Birmingham...

this 4-2-4 formation is starting to grow on me!

Its always easier to win football matches when you try to attack. I like this new approach Mancini is finally trying of putting 4 attackers on the pitch rather than 3. The 4 attackers we are currently using, unlike our long gone Brazilian contingient, work for they're team both with and without the ball.

Maybe getting rid of the brazilians was the key all along?