Yes even when we do win there’s so much we still have to address that it’s difficult to see how we can sustain a good run of games.
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After watching so many teams just slicing through our midfield why isn’t there need for a midfielder who might slow the opposition down?
I’m not great at understanding the tactical side of things but I guess the right type of winger/ attacking wide player for us would not only be adding pace to get us up the pitch quicker but also able to do a bit more of the holding the ball up, pressing and getting back quickly that we had from Diaz & Mane. Which should help the midfield and defence be a bit more solid even before we invest in those areas.
I think another aspect to this is that some believe that fast wingers are a key aspect to Arne’s systems being successful (I don’t know whether or not this is true) and us not having any this season is a big factor in why he is struggling so much.
I’m sure it’s easier to find a midfielder with defensive qualities, and particularly those that we need, than a winger that could simulate them.
I said I thought we were OK for defenders, and I would get two pacy wingers.
I didn’t say anything about midfield either way.
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So even though a midfielder was mentioned you just ignored that position.
I was reading between the lines due to this position being ignored so often.
It was more a general comment rather than being directly directed at you.
Watching Gravenberch and Macca last night was distressing.
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Macca was quite good last night. Still looked like an old man, but one who knows what he was doing.
Gravenberch was very poor again no doubt about that.
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People here are saying wingers. I’m going for midfielders.
We seem to have lost our in game structure. Our shape at times is awful, particularly in midfield. Which is why we’re so easy to break against and why teams sometimes get a free run at our defence.
That’s the area, I’d be looking at. Either Slot is struggling to get his tactics across to those in midfield or we have people totally unsuited to that style of play.
Does everything have to be a bloody argument?
I wasn’t putting together a full comprehensive plan for the summer 2026 recruitment strategy. I was just commenting that I think defence is OK, but my god we need some wingers.
If you want my opinion on midfielders, if we go with two holders and Wirtz in the ten, then Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister and Jones, look OK, but I would feel more comfortable with a bit more power and physicality in there, and the one I’d probably sacrifice would be Mac Allister.
But if, for arguments sake, if we could only sign two players, I want two pacy, aggressive wingers. That is the biggest transformer right now for this team. With the added point that forward players are often the sub you need, and Slot not having a first team quality change from the bench is killing us right now. Gakpo and Salah are pretty much default choices, and that can’t continue.
I think that the midfield getting run through is a bit of a red herring, as a lot of that is because we’re sitting deeper and the front line doesn’t press or offer much tracking back.
So yes, upgrading the physicality in midfield is definitely on the list, but it sits a little way down the priority list from sorting out the front line.
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Where was I arguing?
Calm down and stop looking for an argument and they will all go away.
You seem hell bent on digging yourself into holes atm.
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I don’t want an argument, I just wanted to say that I think we’re fine in defence, and the biggest need is on the wings. You were demanding to know why I don’t think midfield is important, when I hadn’t said anything about midfield at all.
If you want to talk about the squad let’s do that. I’ve said what I’d do.
Here’s where I’m coming from.
We have a gaping hole in midfield where none of the current bunch can slow the opposition attacks down. They just slice through the centre.
This needs plugging before anything else.
A manager who can adapt can use other toys than wingers and we have them. Flo and Ekitikè up top for example.
With a decent DM our FB/WBs can bomb up the wings to provide width. In any case we end up with Gravenberch or Macca back there between our CBs anyway however they are not doing the job required.
As for CB we would have had enough if Leoni hadn’t unfortunately picked up an injury and Gomez didn’t get injuries all the time. So yes here we need a player to replace Gomez and another to cover VVD’s eventual departure.
The last place I’d look to reinforce is the wings as it doesn’t strengthen us where we need it most imo.
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I agree we do need a specialist DM and the conversion of Grav seemed to work last season but it’s just not working now. We are also just not strong enough in MF, too small both with Wirtz, and it may be, Mac Allister has to be moved on. Which is why moving Szob out of MF is such an idiotic choice right now.
We also need a RWF, we’ve no outlet up that channel. Mo just isnt the same player anymore, poor lad has to come to terms with that.
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We need wide players and midfielders.
We need a midfielder who can tackle and pass. We need a wide player for either side. Going into a season with Gakpo as first choice is not the action of a serious football team.
We also need a defender or two. Good job we’ve been keeping our powder dry.
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Regarding defender, didn’t we just buy Jeremy Jacquet who ended up injured for the rest of the season 
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Yeah , he’s gonna be a real sore miss for us this season.
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I’d like to play Wirtz on the left side and buy an elite RW. Alternatively, move Frimpong upward and buy an elite RB, since Bradley may be cooked by the latest injury. We can also get Harry Wilson (a homegrown guy) for free to deepen the bench, for better or worse he is still a Premier League level player.
As for CDM, I’d prefer Adam Wharton with Morton being the backup option if we cannot land the former. If we can toss £60m to buy Jacques, then we can buy Morton who is a top performer at Ligue 1 this season. I will sell Bajcetic, as he is too broken and injury-ridden unfortunately. After all, we do need to add more homegrown players.
The biggest headache by far is still Isak and Ekitike.
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I’d divide it into two phases. The first more important than the second.
- Additions and plugging gaps.
- improvements and replacements to what we have.
Additions.
Looking at the squad, we have two great big fucking holes that need urgent attention. The first on the left where Gakpo plays and the second on the right were Salah plays. Both these players have absolutely security in their position, with no competition to push them or replace them. At this point neither should be a nailed on starter and we desperately need wide options off the bench.
At this point our squad would be
Alisson
Marmadashvili
Bradley Konate Van Dijk Kerkez
Frimpong Jaquet Leoni Tsimikas
Szoboszlai Gravenberch
Jones Mac Allister
Winger 1 Wirtz Winger 2
Salah Elliott Gakpo
Isak
Ekitike
Marmadashvili
Bradley Konate Van Dijk Kerkez
Frimpong Jaquet Leoni Tsimikas
Szoboszlai Gravenberch
Jones Mac Allister
Winger 1 Wirtz Winger 2
Salah Elliott Gakpo
Isak
Ekitike
Some caveats…
- The biggest assumption is that Konate gets a new deal. If that doesn’t happen we’ll need a Centre Back
- I’d retain Gomez as home grown cover across the whole back line. We’ve seen this year that injuries can pile up in defence. We might as well let him see out his contract and let him go on a free.
- Assuming Kostas comes back and takes the squad role from the departing Robbo
- Assuming that Ali gets another year, but that isn’t guaranteed
- I’d reintegrate Elliott. Nobody is buying the poor lad at this point, so why not have him deputising Wirtz.
Don’t take the first/second choice implications here two serious. It’s a squad game, and I think all these players should be rotating and getting loads of minutes.
But If we had to go into 26/27 with that squad, I’d be broadly OK as a bare minimum level of business, but would hope we’d be able to do a bit more - which is phase two.
Improvements.
-
There is a chance we get an offer for Salah that is too good to turn down, and he doesn’t want to be seen as a back up. In which case there are two options open to. 1) buy another winger 2) go all in on Frimpong as wide forward, and buy a reliable right back (maybe Geertruida). I’d do number two, as I think it is a concern going into the season with Bradlet and Frimpong (hope this season was an aberration for Jezza)
-
If we want to bring another midfielder in and bring some increased presence and physicality, that would be sensible (Adam Wharton is liked by the club, but would not come cheap). But in that case you probably have to move on Jones or Mac Allister or you are just carrying too many. Mac Allister would get my nod - he looks a shadow of the player he was last year, and Jones is more versatile and home grown.
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Ngumoha is a conundrum. I would really love to be convinced that he can back up the right wing, to enable us to let Gakpo go while there is still likely to be some interest. But I’m aware we heard this last year. I could see a scenario where Ekitike can do some of his work off the left, and we go with him, a new winger and Rio as the left sided attacking options. But it would make me nervous.
So if all these moves play out, you might be looking at.
Alisson
Marmadashvili
Bradley Konate Van Dijk Kerkez
Geertruida Jaquet Leoni Tsimikas
Szoboszlai Wharton
Jones Gravenberch
Winger 1 Wirtz Winger 2
Frimpong Elliott Ngumoha
Isak
Ekitike
Marmadashvili
Bradley Konate Van Dijk Kerkez
Geertruida Jaquet Leoni Tsimikas
Szoboszlai Wharton
Jones Gravenberch
Winger 1 Wirtz Winger 2
Frimpong Elliott Ngumoha
Isak
Ekitike
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Im mostly with you on that, but also think accommodating Wirtz is a small headache as well. He doesn’t fit with our old 4-3-3 model really. He leaves us lighter in midfield or not having a direct striker up top. He looks a trad 10 to me in a 4-4-2, but going to 4-4-2 is going to complicate what wingers and midfielders we can have. Obv we need more players, and I’m beginning to think the club new that on 1 Sep last year, we were the last to work it out. Its not as if they could have come out and said, Hey lads, just stand down your expectations this year, yeah we know we are Title hoiders, but we are having a transition season, maybe 2.
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I don’t think he needs to be able to ‘tackle’ definitely needs to at least slow players down and hassle them so we can gang up on them or organise correctly to be able to defend better.
Definitely needs a good passing range though.
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