Another massive transition required?

[RVclaret]

BBC are reporting that Newcastle are one of several PL clubs looking at THB. If we want him it will take some serious effort on our part methinks.

The report is from ‘90mins’ who are unreliable at the best of times.

THB has stated he would want to join us next season in the PL, to me, this is a pretty simple deal to get done - all it depends on is City, permanent or loan.

[willsclarets]

The problem we have is that the experience we have in the squad isn't really up to premier league football, perhaps Taylor aside. Gudmunsson, Cork, Jrod, Barnes are perfect for the championship but at their age and given their contributions last time in the premier league it leaves us in a tricky position. Our policy of youth is the right one, but I'd much prefer less signings in the summer with emphasis on experience and ability at the highest level. Not cheap though.

[Quicknick]

The report is from ‘90mins’ who are unreliable at the best of times.

THB has stated he would want to join us next season in the PL, to me, this is a pretty simple deal to get done - all it depends on is City, permanent or loan.

He wouldn't get in Newcastle's side; he would in ours.

[agreenwood]

Didn’t nearly everyone predict the summer was going to have a massive over haul? I mean we literally had 11 players out of contract and had to sell our saleable assets to balance the books.

I would be amazed if Kompany doesn’t sign 9 players this summer. Like I said on a page earlier he needs a minimum of the following:

2 x CMs
2 x wingers
1 x keeper
2 x CBs
1 x left back
1 x striker

If you think loads of people at the end of last season thought we’d sign almost 20 footballers in two transfer windows and radically change our style of play, you remember it differently to me.

Everyone expected significant changes, but nobody predicted that much.

[willsclarets]

I don't think we'll sign nearly as many players this summer. Newcastle's figures might be about right ballbark but I'd expect the net incomings to be much smaller with players leaving.

[ClaretFelix]

The problem we have is that the experience we have in the squad isn't really up to premier league football, perhaps Taylor aside. Gudmunsson, Cork, Jrod, Barnes are perfect for the championship but at their age and given their contributions last time in the premier league it leaves us in a tricky position. Our policy of youth is the right one, but I'd much prefer less signings in the summer with emphasis on experience and ability at the highest level. Not cheap though.

Exactly my thoughts, need a little know-how to go with the youthful exuberance we have. A couple of senior pros, not necessarily for the first team every week but whose presence and experience can rub off in times where it might be particularly tough.

James Milner please.

[andyh]

The problem we have is that the majority of our squad are untried at Prem level.

If they swim we need relatively few… if they sink we need a whole new team.

For now we just have to assume the successes this season will also be successes next season. (Benson,Zaroury,Cullen,Vitinho,Brownhill,Muric)

Rightly or wrongly I’m assuming we will also get Beyer, Maatesen and Tella to sign.

That said we need an absolute minimum of 2 quality CMs and someone to lead the line.

Cork looks to be being phased out and Bastien doesn’t look like he is better than lower Championship level. Barnes and Jay’s time is up and whilst we might see a cameo here or there I just can’t see them hacking it.

[Cooclaret]

We need rid of:

Jay
Ashley
Cork
Taylor
BFP (he needs to be a #1)
Gudmundson

Try to keep:

Tella
TBH loan
Beyer
Obafemi

Try to sign:
Fernandez from United loan
Dan N
Jobe Bellingham
Dendoncker at Villa
Williams at Liverpool
Tuanzabe from United
Paris Maghoma at Brentford

[NickBFC]

I think in the main the squad is okay for the PL. We do need a quality central midfielder and a striker I feel, possibly a more experienced centre back. 3-4 decent signings should see us compete.

[TravisBickle]

The England international James Ward Prowse?

Yes thy ward prowse. That’s at the bottom of the league. I did caveat it with ‘would he come here?!’

But it’s not like he is Jack Grealish. He will no doubt know Cork and Rodriguez. And it’s not like players haven’t done their England chances any harm by playing here. Pope. Cork. Trippier. Ings. Rodriguez. Keane. Tarkowski are all players I can think of still playing who have had England chances during or after coming here.

[TravisBickle]

That’s a fair point re: BM who was and is a very good technical defender, and of course great CB’s of the past were rarely known for speed . While Ekdal seems decent enough I think he’d be torn to pieces in the prem due to lack of experience allied to his lack of speed . Retaining THB would be fantastic though .

Personally he’s one of first names on sheet for me. (Ekdal)

[Vegas Claret]

Haarland do would be handy.

is that Erling's pirate brother ?

[TravisBickle]

The point was that he has proven he was good enough to play in the Premier League. He’s done so for different teams and different managers and averages a goal or assist every 4 or 5 games. If you think these standards are low then perhaps you’re being just a little bit unrealistic.

Afraid he’s too slow, too injury prone and possibly even too old for us in the prem. he’s done reasonably well this season at a level below. But even then at times he’s slowed play down and / or not been in the right positions where a striker should be.

He’s been a great player though. And done well for us overall in both spells. I think this lengthy spell out this time signals the end of his time here for me though. Hope I’m wrong and he bounces back a la barnes.

[TravisBickle]

Ok so you don’t think he’s a proven Premier League player - that was the point being made.

Alan Shearer was. Would you take him? Or Tom Heaton?

[TravisBickle]

If you think loads of people at the end of last season thought we’d sign almost 20 footballers in two transfer windows and radically change our style of play, you remember it differently to me.

Everyone expected significant changes, but nobody predicted that much.

We didn’t have a choice did we?

[SalisburyClaret]

Alan Shearer was. Would you take him? Or Tom Heaton?

Heaton - definitely

Shearer - mercenary ex-ba$tards really aren’t welcome

[Newcastleclaret93]

If you think loads of people at the end of last season thought we’d sign almost 20 footballers in two transfer windows and radically change our style of play, you remember it differently to me.

Everyone expected significant changes, but nobody predicted that much.

You think everyone expected us to carry on playing Dyche type football with a squad of 11 senior players?

Literally every single poster with a brain realised this season was going to see dramatic change because the club literally had to. The squad was decimated with out of contract players and we had to sell talent to balance the books.

I’m terms of changing style that was always a certain when Dyche was potted.

[ClaretPete001]

Said all along we need 8 players to replace the rump of the old PL team and to buy/replace the 4 loanees.

If we can keep sign the loanees then reasonably you could expect it to be an evolution rather than a transition but if we can't then I think it will be a challenge to find 8 PL quality players in the summer.

[RicardoMontalban]

Heaton - definitely

Shearer - mercenary ex-ba$tards really aren’t welcome

Mercenary? He played for 3 clubs his entire career.

[TopCat]

We need rid of:

Jay
Ashley
Cork
Taylor
BFP (he needs to be a #1)
Gudmundson

Try to keep:

Tella
TBH loan
Beyer
Obafemi

Try to sign:
Fernandez from United loan
Dan N
Jobe Bellingham
Dendoncker at Villa
Williams at Liverpool
Tuanzabe from United
Paris Maghoma at Brentford

In respect of those "to get rid", I presume you can add Lowton, Long and Weghorst.

[Cooclaret]

In respect of those "to get rid", I presume you can add Lowton, Long and Weghorst.

I didn’t include any already with loan deals that are likely to span the end of their time here. Norris etc.

[SalisburyClaret]

Mercenary? He played for 3 clubs his entire career.

The number of clubs you’ve played for isn’t the measure

[RicardoMontalban]

The number of clubs you’ve played for isn’t the measure

What is then? What makes him a mercenary? Or is it just his connection to That Lot that prohibits you from imagining taking a prime Shearer at the point that he was a proven premier league striker?

[Newcastleclaret93]

I just hope we try and sign Le Fee, he is such a great footballer would suit Kompanys team so well

[RVclaret]

I just hope we try and sign Le Fee, he is such a great footballer would suit Kompanys team so well

He’s been linked with Liverpool, Wolves, Newcastle and Tottenham.

[Newcastleclaret93]

He’s been linked with Liverpool, Wolves, Newcastle and Tottenham.

That rules that one out then haha

[Spijed]

The number of clubs you’ve played for isn’t the measure

Like the majority of footballers, and probably the majority of normal working people, it's natural to go where the best paid job is.

Wouldn't you?

[tiger76]

There will be some churn though probably not as much as the last couple of windows.

Out of contract

Barnes
Lowton
Norris

All will likely leave to get 1st team footy.

Loans who will return to their parent clubs.

Dervisoglu
THB

Loans who I'd be hopeful of us making perm.

Beyer
Mattsen
Obafemi
Tella

Players entering the final year of their contracts.

BPF
Brownhill
Cork
Jay Rod
JBG
Taylor

Not out of the question that we choose to cash in Brownhill & Taylor rather than them being free to walk next summer.

Priority areas for me regarding recruitment.

New keeper either as a number 1 or decent back-up to Muric.
At least 1 CB probably Beyer, important we retain some continuity in this key area.
1 LB likely Mattsen if funds allow.
2 CM'S this is still a problem position for me when we make the step up.
1 winger as competition for Benson/Zaroury.
At least 1 striker, maybe 2 if both Ash and Jay are moved on.

Ideally we'll retain this core and most of the loanees, whether on loan again pr sign them permanently, the understanding they've developed over the past year will be useful to build on.

[SalisburyClaret]

What is then? What makes him a mercenary? Or is it just his connection to That Lot that prohibits you from imagining taking a prime Shearer at the point that he was a proven premier league striker?

You can look up mercenary on any search engine. We were referring to now - not when he was a Premier League player. Heaton was your other reference point, he's still playing.

[RicardoMontalban]

You can look up mercenary on any search engine. We were referring to now - not when he was a Premier League player. Heaton was your other reference point, he's still playing.

I know what mercenary means. I’m just interested as to why you think it applies to Shearer. I have a suspicion but hey ho.

I’d put Heaton in the same category as Jay Rod. Still playing is not the same as still being good enough at that level.

[SalisburyClaret]

Like the majority of footballers, and probably the majority of normal working people, it's natural to go where the best paid job is.

Wouldn't you?

Fair enough, no harm in going to a better-paid job. Going somewhere where they were spending more money than had ever been spent by a football club anywhere in the world before in order to buy a trophy is maybe a little more than just going to a better-paid job.

[welsbyswife]

How about we do this another way? Stop chasing the impossible dream and just go with what we can manage sustainably. It's amazing how football has primed fans to think in a certain way. We simply can't afford 6 or 7 Premier League ready players. We need to stick with what we have, try to replace the loan players if we can't sign them permanently and move on one or two older players to be replaced with potential. If that takes us back down, so be it. That's the reality of where we are.

[tiger76]

How about we do this another way? Stop chasing the impossible dream and just go with what we can manage sustainably. It's amazing how football has primed fans to think in a certain way. We simply can't afford 6 or 7 Premier League ready players. We need to stick with what we have, try to replace the loan players if we can't sign them permanently and move on one or two older players to be replaced with potential. If that takes us back down, so be it. That's the reality of where we are.

I'm glad someone else sees the reality, and we certainly aren't going to be signing 6/7 PL level players, for one we can't afford those types of fees, let alone the wages such players will demand.

[RVclaret]

How about we do this another way? Stop chasing the impossible dream and just go with what we can manage sustainably. It's amazing how football has primed fans to think in a certain way. We simply can't afford 6 or 7 Premier League ready players. We need to stick with what we have, try to replace the loan players if we can't sign them permanently and move on one or two older players to be replaced with potential. If that takes us back down, so be it. That's the reality of where we are.

Depends how you view a ‘PL ready player’. Last time when we went up we paid around £3m for Pope and JBG. Both hadn’t played at that level but were more than good enough for it. Forest have spent 160m on ‘PL ready players’ but look rubbish.

I don’t think anyone is suggesting not being sustainable, more so pointing out key areas of the squad that need strengthening, that I fully expect VK is already aware of (see his recent scouting trip for a second keeper as an example). There are also free transfers / the loan market we can use.

[AfloatinClaret]

...go with what we can manage sustainably... If that takes us back down, so be it. That's the reality of where we are.

Precisely this. Comments from the Management/Coaching staff suggest that back in August they weren't expecting promotion this season nor even perhaps next. As a generalisation, our current crop of players probably aren't yet ready/good/experienced enough for the EPL; some (as this year) will surprise everyone, but the group as a whole are unlikely to be strong enough, but if we buy-in a more experienced and no doubt more expensive (salary-wise) squad, those promising players won't get the opportunity to continue developing.
We went up/down/up the first time around under Sean Dyche and thereafter held our own in the EPL for a good while; let's try to repeat and improve on that, rather than risk repeating the debacle that followed our unexpected play-offs promotion in 1994; we spent money we didn't have on players that didn't work and undid all the good work that had led up to that promotion; I've always held that if we'd lost to Stockport that day, we'd have gone up better/stronger the following year and held our own.