mcbendy Posted 20 August, 2013 Share Posted 20 August, 2013 Let's make the assumption for a second that NC and MP continue driving/pushing/investing us into the top four. Which of our current squad have the ability/potential to remain in the team at this level? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smirking_Saint Posted 20 August, 2013 Share Posted 20 August, 2013 At this very moment or are we talking possible development etc ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcbendy Posted 20 August, 2013 Author Share Posted 20 August, 2013 Including possible development. i.e. you may consider that Shaw for example has the potential to develop into a 'top 4 club' player but Guly does not. Just interested to crystal-ball-gaze at who (hypothetically) would still be in our squad in a few years if we were in the top 4 or pushing hard to try and get there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNSUN Posted 20 August, 2013 Share Posted 20 August, 2013 Interesting, tricky question. GK: Need a top keeper signing. GK back-up: Boruc (as he reaches the latter stages of his career he'd still be good enough to do a job as a deputy if he was happy enough to stay.) RB: We would hope Clyne is good enough to fulfil this. I would say yes given time. After all Man Utd were interested in him for a while. As back up? Will Chambers be good enough for a top-4 back up right back? CB: Lovren and.... Probably 2-3 new top CB signings needed here, with Yoshi as back up. LB: Shaw - obviously if we keep hold of him, will be a top LB. We'd need a new reserve though, unless say Targett stepped up. CM: Wanyama (who was wanted by the top 4), Morgan (better than most top 4 midfielders anyway) and Cork is probably as good as it gets for a CM selection. One more needed? Perhaps. You need a big squad for top 4 after all. AM: Ramirez, will he ever come good? He should be good enough for a top-4 side. Sadly I doubt Lallana will be regular choice at a top 4 side, but as back up he can certainly do a job. As for the others? Possibly a youngster or two, but this department will need to be heavily invested in. Striker: Osvaldo, Lambert and JRod. Pretty tasty but another top, quick striker would probably be needed. Would JRod and Lambert be good enough for a top 4 team? Doubtful, so maybe even they would need to be upgraded upon. So top 4 players with us? Clyne, Lovren, Shaw, Morgan, Wanyama, Ramirez, Osvaldo with back ups as Cork, Lallana, Lambert and JRod. So still quite some way to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smirking_Saint Posted 20 August, 2013 Share Posted 20 August, 2013 If, and say it takes us 3 years (we wont make it in four years but go with it) Clyne -----------Shaw Morgan wanyama (if he becomes the player I think he could) --------Ramirez-------- Osvaldo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wes Tender Posted 21 August, 2013 Share Posted 21 August, 2013 We won't ever be top four. That is the exclusive preserve of Man Utd, Chelski, City and the Arse apparently. At least, that is what we are told by the forum experts. If we ever wished to get up to those dizzy heights, we would need to spend hundreds of millions, regardless of how much we might save by using those players from our academy who prove to be good enough, or the odd player unearthed at low price who turns out to be a diamond. Other than that, I agree broadly with SNSUN's list of players who wouldn't look out of place in any of the top 4 teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smirking_Saint Posted 21 August, 2013 Share Posted 21 August, 2013 We won't ever be top four. That is the exclusive preserve of Man Utd, Chelski, City and the Arse apparently. At least, that is what we are told by the forum experts. If we ever wished to get up to those dizzy heights, we would need to spend hundreds of millions, regardless of how much we might save by using those players from our academy who prove to be good enough, or the odd player unearthed at low price who turns out to be a diamond. Other than that, I agree broadly with SNSUN's list of players who wouldn't look out of place in any of the top 4 teams. Theres a lot of ignorance there Wes to be honest, as much as I am an optimist and probably labelled a happy clapper its hard to say we are going to get into the CL without spending mega bucks AND keeping hold of our best players. The only two teams that have managed to break into those top four spots recently are Spurs and City, displacing Liverpool and Chelsea, when you look at it that way you can see where the sceptacism comes from Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kraken Posted 21 August, 2013 Share Posted 21 August, 2013 We won't ever be top four. That is the exclusive preserve of Man Utd, Chelski, City and the Arse apparently. At least, that is what we are told by the forum experts. If we ever wished to get up to those dizzy heights, we would need to spend hundreds of millions, regardless of how much we might save by using those players from our academy who prove to be good enough, or the odd player unearthed at low price who turns out to be a diamond. Other than that, I agree broadly with SNSUN's list of players who wouldn't look out of place in any of the top 4 teams. Good use of sarcasm Wes. It does miss the point somewhat, though. First off that hardly anyone has said we can never finish 4th on the (very) odd occasion. Most notably though, that since promotion we have now spent close to £80M on incoming transfers with little going out from that, so our spending in developing ourselves from a newly promoted PL side to where we are now already looks likely to top £100M reasobanly shortly. And that's with a team that had 4 academy grads in it on Saturday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Sanchez Posted 21 August, 2013 Share Posted 21 August, 2013 Turn it the other way round as its easier, what players would get into the top 4 sides? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Sanchez Posted 21 August, 2013 Share Posted 21 August, 2013 This is forum gold, keep this, one win and our team should be in the Champions League/top 4, the brutal answer is as it stands none as they would be there already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Sanchez Posted 21 August, 2013 Share Posted 21 August, 2013 Theres a lot of ignorance there Wes to be honest, as much as I am an optimist and probably labelled a happy clapper its hard to say we are going to get into the CL without spending mega bucks AND keeping hold of our best players. The only two teams that have managed to break into those top four spots recently are Spurs and City, displacing Liverpool and Chelsea, when you look at it that way you can see where the sceptacism comes from Smirking never would I think I would agree with you, for a clapper you have some sense at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batman Posted 21 August, 2013 Share Posted 21 August, 2013 Look at the team who finished 5th About to spend £90+m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Sanchez Posted 21 August, 2013 Share Posted 21 August, 2013 Arsenal are a top 4 side and we've just signed 3 players who'd improve them. Shaw would improve them, Morgan would. Rather Clyne than Sagna, and Boruc has been a far better Poland keeper than theirs. But Bellend Sanchez has spoken so we can end the thread now. Are Arsenal a top 4 side? they were last year, this year you think so? I suppose you would have Ramirez over Wilshere.................. Delusion abounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smirking_Saint Posted 21 August, 2013 Share Posted 21 August, 2013 There's a huge difference between discussing which players could play at that level and whether the club could. I have no expectation of saints ever making that level, it's a million to one chance, but there are several players here good enough. That's all the OP seemed to be saying. Surely a thread about those players in more interesting than another thread descending into the usual posters beating the club down, others stating the obvious difficulties then MLG coming along to wrap it up with some pie charts? Did you even read the thread ? Or what I was actually replying to ? Or even that I have already answered the ops questions ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Sanchez Posted 21 August, 2013 Share Posted 21 August, 2013 We spend some money on a few good players and we are now Real Madrid signing Galácticos, how much have other clubs spent the last 5 years? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smirking_Saint Posted 21 August, 2013 Share Posted 21 August, 2013 Smirking never would I think I would agree with you, for a clapper you have some sense at least. For a clapper I try to be realistic and ignore sentiment bazza, Id have thought people would've realised that by now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wes Tender Posted 21 August, 2013 Share Posted 21 August, 2013 Look at the team who finished 5th About to spend £90+m Yes. All money covered paradoxically by the sale of just one player, who happened to rise to prominence as a product of our academy, as did two other notable players who also play for one of the top four. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcbendy Posted 21 August, 2013 Author Share Posted 21 August, 2013 BS - have you come onto this thread to read my original post and to contribute, or just to be antagonistic? If the latter, can I politely request that you **** off. Thanks. My point is not that we will or could break into the top four. I'm asking about potential. Just suspend disbelief for a second and answer my question: "Which of our current squad have the ability/potential to remain in the team at this level?" "...crystal-ball-gaze at who (hypothetically) would still be in our squad in a few years if we were in the top 4 or pushing hard to try and get there." I am interested, for example, to hear thoughts on the potential of players such as JWP (the new Paul Scholes?), Shaw, J Rod and so on. This interests me greatly. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Sanchez Posted 21 August, 2013 Share Posted 21 August, 2013 BS - have you come onto this thread to read my original post and to contribute, or just to be antagonistic? If the latter, can I politely request that you **** off. Thanks. My point is not that we will or could break into the top four. I'm asking about potential. Just suspend disbelief for a second and answer my question: "Which of our current squad have the ability/potential to remain in the team at this level?" "...crystal-ball-gaze at who (hypothetically) would still be in our squad in a few years if we were in the top 4 or pushing hard to try and get there." I am interested, for example, to hear thoughts on the potential of players such as JWP (the new Paul Scholes?), Shaw, J Rod and so on. This interests me greatly. Thanks. Its guesswork stroking fragile ego's, we dont know how others will develop, there are players in our team that the top 4 may want but how many would go straight into the first team, thats as close as you are going to get, lets be real and honest. 10 years ago would you have said Lambert would have scored on his England debut? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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