Where will our rivals look to strengthen?

Revan said:
Theon is giving a perception as an arrogant. I really disagree with him here.

Liverpool at the moment are playing the best football on England. If they win the title they won't be anymore the club who hasn't won it for 2-3 decades, they will be the current champions. They have the best player in the league. They have a progressive manager who knows how to develop attacking players. They will have UCL football next season. And I am not even talking about their history and how many fans around the world they still have.

If they can match other clubs offers then there is no reason to suggest that the players will refuse them. In fact, if United and Liverpool at the moment offer the same wages for a player (who doesn't support any of these two clubs), I think that it is more likely that they will choose Liverpool.
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Agreed. We are playing the best football in the league at the moment.
I can't wait for summer as I firmly believe we will bring in quality players.

Champions league football is a massive incentive. Clubs that are not in that have a significant disadvantage.
Liverpool are a team on the up and players will want to come here, guess we will find out in the summer anyway.
 
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Rowem said:
Arsenal
- Presumably a striker. Not really a problem position for us.
- An upgrade on Podolski as a left wing-forward perhaps? We could also use such a player.
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We need about 7 or 8 players this summer. Assuming that Sagna & Vermalen leave we need two CFs, LW, DM, RB, reserve GK and possibly two CBs. We could possibly get away with not getting a LW (use what we have) and second CB (promote a 4th CB from within) but the others have to be addressed. Second CF doesn't have to be expensive, someone like Drmic would be ideal as he is quick, can play out wide and cheap. Need one top class CF though, out of the players listed only 4 would be first team players. Think it is too much to do in one summer so am guessing half this season and the rest for next season. We've got the money to do the lot though

CF - £35m
CF - £8m
LW - £25m
DM - £20m
RB - £10m - £12m
CB - £8m - £10m
CB - £5m (can be a loan signing or promote from within)
GK- £5m (can be a loan signing)

Sell Vermaelen for £10m and £8m for Podolski. Would be about £80m nett for the summer.

This is more of a dream than reality though, no way will we do all that is required, also with the World Cup as well will reduce the amount of time we have this summer to sign players.
 
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For the Liverpool fans. If you miss out on the title and Real Madrid break the bank for Suarez in the summer, how confident would you be going into next season? As good as Suarez is, I still think your squad overall is weak compared to the likes of City and Chelsea and if I was a Liverpool fan I would be worried that Champions League football could be a bit much. Would £100M+ of potential investment be worth it?

Obviously this would be assuming you don't go and 'do a Spurs'.
 
In recent years their scouting on the whole has been decent so even if they do lose him they won't feck up like Spurs do. Will definitely find it hard to recover because Suarez has been unreal for them this season
 
I think Rodgers will leave all the marquee, £30 plus million signings, for the likes of United, Chelsea, & City to fight over. I reckon he'll be looking at the younger player with potential, who's keen & hungry to develop himself, rather than one who's established & has a good track record at his previous club. We've signed plenty of those over the past 20 years or so & found that the problem is, is that think they think they've made it when they sign for a big club.

You'll win things with kids.
 
redman5 said:
I think Rodgers will leave all the marquee, £30 plus million signings, for the likes of United, Chelsea, & City to fight over. I reckon he'll be looking at the younger player with potential, who's keen & hungry to develop himself, rather than one who's established & has a good track record at his previous club. We've signed plenty of those over the past 20 years or so & found that the problem is, is that think they think they've made it when they sign for a big club.

You'll win things with kids.
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Unless Liverpool want to keep the trend going of losing 50mil every season thats the smart move.
 
thegregster said:
Unless Liverpool want to keep the trend going of losing 50mil every season thats the smart move.
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Those losses have come about mainly through no CL money & paying off 3 managers. We've secured quite a few lucrative sponsorship deals over the past 12 months, with a few more yet to come. I'm pretty sure the big money will be there for Rodgers to strengthen should he so wish. I just feel he'll go for targets not linked to the other top English clubs. Be interesting to see how Spurs fare though. The past few seasons they've gone after the same targets as us. With CL football on offer, & the chance to play in a great footballing side, any player choosing the Spuds over us would probably be doing so for non-footballing related reasons. & if that's the case, they're more than welcome to him.
 
redman5 said:
I think Rodgers will leave all the marquee, £30 plus million signings, for the likes of United, Chelsea, & City to fight over. I reckon he'll be looking at the younger player with potential, who's keen & hungry to develop himself, rather than one who's established & has a good track record at his previous club. We've signed plenty of those over the past 20 years or so & found that the problem is, is that think they think they've made it when they sign for a big club.

You'll win things with kids.
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Yep. I'd also say it's unlikely that we go for Aspas, Alberto and Ilori type signings. I think the majority of our signings will be fairly expensive, ie. £15-20m.
 
redman5 said:
Those losses have come about mainly through no CL money & paying off 3 managers. We've secured quite a few lucrative sponsorship deals over the past 12 months, with a few more yet to come. I'm pretty sure the big money will be there for Rodgers to strengthen should he so wish. I just feel he'll go for targets not linked to the other top English clubs. Be interesting to see how Spurs fare though. The past few seasons they've gone after the same targets as us. With CL football on offer, & the chance to play in a great footballing side, any player choosing the Spuds over us would probably be doing so for non-footballing related reasons. & if that's the case, they're more than welcome to him.
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Wages increases will be a problem. Plenty of liverpool players will be looking for huge wage increases.
 
Spurs will probably look for a new striker. I don't know what funds Martinez has available and may have to sell before he can strengthen.
 
thegregster said:
Wages increases will be a problem. Plenty of liverpool players will be looking for huge wage increases.
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One of the first things Rodgers did when he took over was to dramatically reduce the wage bill. Players like Aurelio, Kuyt, Maxi rodriguez, Aquilani, Bellamy, Charlie Adam, Joe Cole, Carroll, Spearing, & Downing - all on a very good wage considering their relative contribution - were moved on. Then you have Jamie Carragher, who was on £120k a week, retiring last season. Plus add to that a large number of players out on loan, thus not really impacting on our wage bill. So we're now actually in a good position to pay a player what he's actually worth to the club.

20 players (most of them high earners) have been shipped out by Rodgers.

13 players (most of them on a modest wage) have been brought in by Rodgers.

That's pretty good management in anyone's books.
 
Arsenal could sign Bayern Munich and would still not win the premier league.

City need a cb and a Cm for when one of Toure and Fernadinho are injured plus and an upgrade on Dzeko.

Chelsea need a couple of forwards

Liverpool just need to add depth to challenge on all fronts- not massive changes just some added quality in defence mainly.

Spurs smell.

Everton- Champions league will be a poison chalice.. cannot see them having players on loan better or equal to what they have had this season.
 
Werder Herzog said:
Everton- Champions league will be a poison chalice.. cannot see them having players on loan better or equal to what they have had this season.
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I imagine they'd rather play in the UCL and finish 12th next season than finish 5th twice in a row.
 
Times reporting we'll be in for 5 or 6 players in the £10m-£25m bracket. Along with a few loans expiring do you lot think that'd be enough to go again next year?
 
Depends on who they are, they could be a £100m worth of turkeys with one swan (see Spurs).
 
Konoplayanka would be an excellent addition at £15M. Lallana poor value at £25M. It's your defence that needs sorting IMO and 3 additions makes for a difficult integration even if they are the right stuff.
 
It would be a serious challenge to recover from losing Suarez even with heavy investment. The team is built around his particular strengths, so the system would need major alterations if he were to go.

Sturridge and Sterling in particular could potentially struggle. They benefit from Suarez' presence the same way the likes of Pedro, Sanchez and Villa all benefited from playing alongside Messi at the peak of his powers. Teams focus on him, and players panic when the ball finds him in dangerous areas, and that ends up leaving big gaps for the two Englishmen to exploit.
 
City are perfectly capable of playing a 433/4231/451 with Aguero as the only true striker, but even then, I'd imagine they will strengthen up top. Jovetic is made of glass, Negredo only excelled with Aguero out of the team (and since the latter's return, has seen his goals dry up), and Dzeko is probably not good enough to be their main man if Aguero is injured (a very likely scenario) against top sides, especially in Europe.

I think Arsenal will be in for Benzema, if Real pursue Suarez or someone of that ilk very seriously. I imagine that will mean Liverpool may be in the market for another striker if that materializes, but who knows if Suarez will go. He knows that if he stays, he will have another shot at the PL next season.

Chelsea, I imagine, will want a top class centre-back, an immediate replacement for Terry. Above all, they'll want a top class centre forward. Someone like Diego Costa would suit them to a tee, I feel.

Arsenal need a full-back, and if Bac doesn't sign an extension, they may be looking at two. Liverpool could also do with a back-line reshuffle - they've conceded a lot of goals this season & none of their defenders are actually title winning material. They're up there despite the back line, not because of it.

Just my thoughts.
 
Liverpool need defenders first and foremost. If they do win the league this year they will be the first to have done so whilst conceding so many goals. You dont tend to win the league when you've conceded almost 50.
 
golden_blunder said:
Liverpool need defenders first and foremost. If they do win the league this year they will be the first to have done so whilst conceding so many goals. You dont tend to win the league when you've conceded almost 50.
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I don't think they are that bad in defence. It could clearly be better, but it's more to do with the way they play. So attacking, there is always going to be gaps.
LB needs sorting though
 
Igor Drefljak said:
I don't think they are that bad in defence. It could clearly be better, but it's more to do with the way they play. So attacking, there is always going to be gaps.
LB needs sorting though
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I don't think it's down to style of play. I agree with gb, our defenders make too many mistakes.
 
Igor Drefljak said:
I don't think they are that bad in defence. It could clearly be better, but it's more to do with the way they play. So attacking, there is always going to be gaps.
LB needs sorting though
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personally, I dont think that their CB's are all that. Could do with a top class LB and some squad options
 
Chelsea - Apparently they have already bought a CB so I think Mourinho will obviously add a top class striker and probably another CM to form his main midfield partnership with Matic.

City - A CB would seem the priority, but with the amount of money they have it's hard to tell who they might try to add just for the sake of buying a big name. I think a creative CM might be a good idea.

Liverpool - I can see them looking to strengthen in every position. A new CB and LB would seem to be the priority and looking at some of the targets they missed out on in the last 2 transfer windows I think a versatile forward is likely. Adding some power to midfield would be the other obvious choice.

Arsenal - A striker and RB are a must, plus they could do with another CB and a DM.

Everton - The best thing they could do is turn Lukaku, Barry and Delafeou into permanent signings, if not they'll need to replace all 3 and possibly Barkley.

Spurs - I guess another big outlay for a striker will be required, but they have lots of other attacking players and CM's, their main signing needs to be a manager who can get them gelled.
 
I'll take your word for it. I don't watch Liverpool that often.
I didn't mind the Skrtel - Agger partnership though. I always thought it was decent. Sure, not class like some teams, but they always seemed solid.
This season being the exception because of the way they played.
 
@BarneyLFC - Where do you think you need to strengthen?
I ask because I have quite a few Liverpool fans and I want to see your opinions compared to theirs.

For me personally, it's about the depth. With the extra matches, the depth will help, but what do you consider most important.
Also, if you don't win the league, do you think there is a chance Suarez could be off if Real Madrid come knocking?
 
Igor Drefljak said:
@BarneyLFC - Where do you think you need to strengthen?
I ask because I have quite a few Liverpool fans and I want to see your opinions compared to theirs.

For me personally, it's about the depth. With the extra matches, the depth will help, but what do you consider most important.
Also, if you don't win the league, do you think there is a chance Suarez could be off if Real Madrid come knocking?
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Pair of full backs, centre mid, attacking midfielder, winger and a striker would be my priorities. A left back is my priority.

I think Suarez stays.
 
Arsenal priorities- Striker- (Walcott miss start of the season, the big french youngster isn't ready, Giroud is ok but prone to runs of not scoring, Poldolski isn't an out and out striker for me, you can see why they tried so hard for Suarez). Remy, Benteke if villa go down, Mandzukic?

Another Striker - Someone like Jay Rodriguez is versatile and could well get +15 goals in a good creative team.

Liverpool - LB and centre-back, possibly RB if Johnson won't sign new deal. Shaw, Bertrandt, Davies, Richards, Lovren, Vertongen.

Centre mid- Someone with legs to do Hendersons role if he's out- Delph if villa go down, Schneiderlin

wing forwards - Lallana, Konoplyanka, Korean from Bayer, Shaqiri.
 
Manucho the boss said:
Arsenal priorities- Striker- (Walcott miss start of the season, the big french youngster isn't ready, Giroud is ok but prone to runs of not scoring, Poldolski isn't an out and out striker for me, you can see why they tried so hard for Suarez). Remy, Benteke if villa go down, Mandzukic?

Another Striker - Someone like Jay Rodriguez is versatile and could well get +15 goals in a good creative team.

Liverpool - LB and centre-back, possibly RB if Johnson won't sign new deal. Shaw, Bertrandt, Davies, Richards, Lovren, Vertongen.

Centre mid- Someone with legs to do Hendersons role if he's out- Delph if villa go down, Schneiderlin

wing forwards - Lallana, Konoplyanka, Korean from Bayer, Shaqiri.
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Oh no they didn't. :D
 
Arsenal probably in Tesco, will buy a couple of 15 year old French kids and a rubbish midfielder because they need a striker.
 
Spurs will look for a striker and a couple of defenders.

Arsenal- striker and a defender.

Chelsea - World class striker plus 1 defender.

Us - 1 young defender to cover for Smalling/Evans/Jones (Can come from the academy), 1 LB, 1 midfielder, 1 winger (maybe from the academy)

Liverpool - 1 CB, possibly 2
 
Cantona'sCollar said:
City are perfectly capable of playing a 433/4231/451 with Aguero as the only true striker, but even then, I'd imagine they will strengthen up top. Jovetic is made of glass, Negredo only excelled with Aguero out of the team (and since the latter's return, has seen his goals dry up), and Dzeko is probably not good enough to be their main man if Aguero is injured (a very likely scenario) against top sides, especially in Europe.

I think Arsenal will be in for Benzema, if Real pursue Suarez or someone of that ilk very seriously. I imagine that will mean Liverpool may be in the market for another striker if that materializes, but who knows if Suarez will go. He knows that if he stays, he will have another shot at the PL next season.

Chelsea, I imagine, will want a top class centre-back, an immediate replacement for Terry. Above all, they'll want a top class centre forward. Someone like Diego Costa would suit them to a tee, I feel.

Arsenal need a full-back, and if Bac doesn't sign an extension, they may be looking at two. Liverpool could also do with a back-line reshuffle - they've conceded a lot of goals this season & none of their defenders are actually title winning material. They're up there despite the back line, not because of it.

Just my thoughts.
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It was completely the opposite. Negredo had an amazing partnership with Aguero. It has suffered because of injuries to both of them. Negredo had a goal every 86 minutes before his injury playing alongside Aguero but since his return where Aguero has been absent too he has failed to score in 14 matches (a lot of them as substitutes and only 2 I think were alongside Aguero)

Aguero for me does not do well when up-front on his own. He needs a partner like Negredo. We haven't experimented too much in a 4-2-3-1 with Silva as the number 10 behind Aguero. That could work but otherwise I think Aguero is always better off with someone partnering him.
 
Hmm, Southampton will lose a few players, Everton will probably only get to keep Barry of their loanees and won't replace Deulofeu/Lukaku with similar talent, and Spurs prob won't do anything, believing their £100m of talent from last summer will come good.
 
Zen said:
Hmm, Southampton will lose a few players, Everton will probably only get to keep Barry of their loanees and won't replace Deulofeu/Lukaku with similar talent, and Spurs prob won't do anything, believing their £100m of talent from last summer will come good.
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Deulofeu will stay at Everton for another year on loan.
 
BobbyManc said:
It was completely the opposite. Negredo had an amazing partnership with Aguero. It has suffered because of injuries to both of them. Negredo had a goal every 86 minutes before his injury playing alongside Aguero but since his return where Aguero has been absent too he has failed to score in 14 matches (a lot of them as substitutes and only 2 I think were alongside Aguero)

Aguero for me does not do well when up-front on his own. He needs a partner like Negredo. We haven't experimented too much in a 4-2-3-1 with Silva as the number 10 behind Aguero. That could work but otherwise I think Aguero is always better off with someone partnering him.
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I stand corrected, I was swayed by the stat about him having only 1 goal since Christmas, or something ridiculous like that. Fair enough, he does work well with Aguero.

Agreed about Aguero not normally doing well when on his own, but is it not something that you think you can try? Like you said, giving Silva a more central role, right behind Aguero could surely cause a lot of problems. It hasn't been tried much (I cannot remember a time where there was a 4231, with Silva as a real 10 & not just coming in from the wide areas and Aguero playing up top, maybe I am wrong) but it seems worth a go if City can't find another top striker this summer. Perhaps playing Silva as a proper CAM will interfere with Toure's game (negatively), maybe that's why Pellegrini hasn't used it much. Toure is infinitely better when allowed to take responsibility going forward and have Fernandinho cover for him at the back. He was shackled at Barcelona and his game suffered as a result.

That said, it probably won't matter. I imagine another top striker will be brought in to partner Aguero, and to play alongside Negredo or Dzeko should Aguero be injured. Who knows, though.
 
Seems like the logical move for Citeh is to upgrade at LB and CB then get a good CM, let Silva and Toure do whatever they want and use Nasri and Navas as options when they need more width. But in Europe, something like:

---Aguero---Negredo----
-------Toure---Silva---
--Fernandinho--DM
LB-------------------Zabaleta
-Nastastic/CB-Kompany

Chelsea will buy an expensive, fancy 9 who may or may not work out, or bring Lukaku back. I'd also look for them to buy a CM to pair with the impressive Matic, since Mourinho has gone from the filet mignon of Alonso, Khedira and Modric to the jerky that is Luiz, Ramires and Lampard. I think the market is well set up for Chelsea here, with more forward thinking CM's available than defensively-inclined ones. Someone like Kroos or Schweinsteiger (if Pep turns on one and the WC goes bad for one) or even Rakitic, Fabregas, Pogba, Vidal or Moutinho would massively improve them, and Chelsea do tend to get their man. I suppose Mourinho could also fall in love with Van Ginkel and just go with that. The Paulinho rumours make a lot of sense too. He and Matic would make life very difficult for CL opponents.

-----------Falcao-----------
-Hazard----Oscar---Willian
------Matic----CM----------
Azpilicueta--------Ivanovic
------Terry---Cahill--------

That looks like the favorites to me, with Mourinho managing them.

Arsenal should look for a player who can play up front or score goals out wide when Giroud is the 9. There are 3 frenchman who fit the bill and aren't at massive clubs in Griezmann, Remy and Lacazette.

-------Giroud---
Cazorla-Ozil-French goal scorer
----Ramsey--CM
Gibbs-Kos-Mertesacker-Sagna

with Podolski, OxC, Wilshere, Rosicky, Flamini and Arteta giving them good depth in their front 6. Maybe sell Vermaelen and replace him with someone more consistent who won't grumble as much about being a reserve. St. Etienne's non-Zouma CB is supposed to be

Not sure who I would look for as Ramsey's long-term partner. Has to be someone defensively inclined, especially with the fact that OxC and Wilshere both have a chance of becoming excellent CB's considering their talent, age and Wenger's pretty good track record at that position. Carvalho might be too costly for them, but maybe Schneiderlin, L. Bender might make sense

Liverpool need to get another dangerous, mobile attacker who can play when one of the S's is out; Konoplyanka seems like their first choice and he is very quick and smart, so that makes some sense.

Then it's about finding 1 or 2 defender that aren't junk to compete with Agger to start next to Sakho, and a top LB with Johnson and Flanagan competing to be the RB and the loser covering adeptly at both fullback spots a la Azpilicueta.

If Suarez goes to Madrid, they'll have to spend a chunk of the fee to replace him with the best attacker they can find.

--Suarez--Sturridge (Uh, is Aspas or Alberto useful?)
-------Sterling------ (Konoplyanka)
--Coutinho-Henderson (Allen)
--------Gerrard------ (Lucas)
LB----------------Johnson (Flanagan)
----Agger---Sakho--- (Skrtl)
Spurs need to get a manager first, then figure out how to play. Would be interesting to see them try to ape Simeone's system with all the CM's and 9's they have, and play like this:

----Soldado-Adebayor/Dembele
Eriksen-Paulinho-Sandro-Lamela

and they'll have to keep the vultures from getting Vertonghen, and get at least an LB if not a Walker/Naughton replacement too. They really need to get their managerial replacement right or they won't keep up with a coherent United team or any of the top 4, and maybe not Everton or Southampton either.
 
In the unlikely event that Chelsea look to sell Cech, Liverpool should go in for him.
 
Arsenal need a proper striker, a tougher midfielder, and add more depth to their defense.
Chelsea need a world class striker, and a decent CB and LB.
City need some defenders perhaps.
Liverpool, I don't know, maybe a LB, CB and add more depth to their squad.
 
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