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Don't want to spoil the thread about consistency as I agree with every word; we have been the top side overall, for the past 5 years. We may still be close to that if next season's finishing position is taken into consideration.

But with this squad, that position won't be '1st'.

We have come back from a miserable spell & finished with much more harmony & optimism than in Bob's last season. But watching some little cunt run at our back 3 (Demi, Mangala, Fernandinho) yesterday whilst Zaba, Kolarov, Milner, Lampard wheezed back & Silva Yaya Aguero jogged behind them, then picturing Messi, or even DiMaria on the ball; this isn't going to work anymore.

Next season depends on this transfer window.

Not a chance in hell this squad will win the title. Compete for a while, top for a few weeks ? Possibly. Come second? Possibly. Win it ? Not a prayer. It's over. It's been a superb Premier League team but it's done now & it needs to evolve or otherwise next season we are Arsenal; pretending.

This is not to be depressing or criticising the club in any way; it is what it is. It doesn't need that many players, but it needs key players & the balance of the team needs to change.

The talk of 5 in the middle solving things etc is nonsense. We would beat these same teams with two upfront if we are at it. This team has run it's course & whilst being happy we showed some spirit, ino we shouldn't blind ourselves to the fact that if we want next season to be anything other than treading water or bringing through a few kids, we need a few really belting signings.

I'm totally happy with the progression of the club btw, I'm just purely talking next season, short term. Even if everyone stays, this team as a unit has had its day.

I'm expecting us to splash the cash this summer - and you are right - this shouldn't be spending for the sake of it, we need real quality like bale coming in

I think many knew that this season was going to be difficult and we've finished it off with quite amazingly. However, I'm fairly sure that the team at the top won't be looking at the team and saying 'They're good enough'. We need change and change will come.

The only question for me is 'Who can we bring in?'. Clubs like Real (who will challenge their ban), Bayern et al will always get first dibs if a top player comes on the market and the likes of the Rags will be prepared to pay through their nose to bring them in.

We are probably looking at 3-4 top quality players with quite a few squad players to bulk it up. It would be nice to see some of the Academy get a look-in but I'm not sure if anybody is ready yet, even though we've had some real good reports on certain players.

the stating the obvious award for 2014/15 goes to

drum roll....

teeeed huuuughes!

congratulations ted!

we're pushed for time so please make sure your acceptance speech is less than an hour

It was interesting in the post match ramblings of the commentators whilst Chelsea were getting their trophy, that they were saying its hard to see past Chelsea for next years title as they are the complete team.

The whole discussion was on the assumption that every other club had major changes to make, whilst Chelsea would just carry on getting better.

Naively, a few years ago that was my expectation, but I can see clearly that in this day and age that if you don't improve each summer, you are in fact going backwards. I expect Mourinho doesn't share the view of the 'expert' pundits and Chelsea will tweak the squad this year.

However Mourinho's transfer record in his first spell at Chelsea was rather dire after he had won the league, whilst it was also iffy at Real Madri due to the influence of Jorge Mendes.

We need a good summer to get ahead again, but we also need a good 'next' summer also, and the one after. It needn't always be big transfers, but the club has to start making the right decisions about when the best time to move a player on is and arguably start bringing their replacement in even a year before that, eg a proper strategy not reactionary signings

Its clear the team needs a major revamp. Even if we shift 4 players out and bring 4 top players in will they gel in time to put up a decent challenge next season?. Are we really going to be able to bring in 4 top players who can hit the ground running in August? Because that's what we will need to do to put in a real challenge next season.The reality is that we fucked up in the last few transfer windows and it looks like we will continue to pay for those fuck ups for at least next season.

sheblue wrote:Its clear the team needs a major revamp. Even if we shift 4 players out and bring 4 top players in will they gel in time to put up a decent challenge next season?. Are we really going to be able to bring in 4 top players who can hit the ground running in August? Because that's what we will need to do to put in a real challenge next season.The reality is that we fucked up in the last few transfer windows and it looks like we will continue to payfor those fuck ups for at least next season.

If we are bringing in players of the very highest quality, 'time to gel' I don't think is an appropriate excuse. You buy the very best because of their abilities to play with the best.

Top international teams don't need 6 months or 'til xmas' to gel before a World Cup even though the playing staff generally changes significantly in the run up to a tournament, there might only be half a dozen games, and managers typically change every 2 years.

If we bring 4 very high quality players in, I expect them to be playing at a very high quality from the off

sheblue wrote:Its clear the team needs a major revamp. Even if we shift 4 players out and bring 4 top players in will they gel in time to put up a decent challenge next season?. Are we really going to be able to bring in 4 top players who can hit the ground running in August? Because that's what we will need to do to put in a real challenge next season.The reality is that we fucked up in the last few transfer windows and it looks like we will continue to pay for those fuck ups for at least next season.

No, the reality is we were hamstrung in the last few transfer windows and now the shackles are off.

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

sheblue wrote:Its clear the team needs a major revamp. Even if we shift 4 players out and bring 4 top players in will they gel in time to put up a decent challenge next season?. Are we really going to be able to bring in 4 top players who can hit the ground running in August? Because that's what we will need to do to put in a real challenge next season.The reality is that we fucked up in the last few transfer windows and it looks like we will continue to pay for those fuck ups for at least next season.

No, the reality is we were hamstrung in the last few transfer windows and now the shackles are off.

whatever about ffp shackles off still not so sure about some of the signings in the past few windows, 40 odd million for mangala, 30m for fern 1 and not to mention fern 2, navas, jovetic etc etc.
Its very important we do not repeat those mistakes.

sheblue wrote:

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

sheblue wrote:Its clear the team needs a major revamp. Even if we shift 4 players out and bring 4 top players in will they gel in time to put up a decent challenge next season?. Are we really going to be able to bring in 4 top players who can hit the ground running in August? Because that's what we will need to do to put in a real challenge next season.The reality is that we fucked up in the last few transfer windows and it looks like we will continue to pay for those fuck ups for at least next season.

No, the reality is we were hamstrung in the last few transfer windows and now the shackles are off.

whatever about ffp shackles off still not so sure about some of the signings in the past few windows, 40 odd million for mangala, 30m for fern 1 and not to mention fern 2, navas, jovetic etc etc.
Its very important we do not repeat those mistakes.

I don't see them as mistakes. Mangala was a target for a number of top clubs, we paid over the odds but that's something we're going to have to do now and again to secure our targets.

Fernandinho was a very good signing and I suspect will continue to prove his worth over the next couple of seasons as our veteran midfielder.

Fernando and Navas are good squad players and both were types of players we needed at the time to give us depth and options.

Jovetic was unlucky, there's no legislating for the poor luck he had with injuries.

Where we have missed out is marquee names and this is mainly due to wages. When Soriano came in he set about reducing our wage bill as it was far too high in relation to revenue which meant we had very little room for manoeuvre in terms of trying to attract the stellar names.

He has made great strides in this area, so much so that we're now in a position again where we can compete in the market properly for the likes of your Fabregas', your Di Maria's etc. We are now in an arguably stronger position than we've ever been in the transfer market because not only are we able to offer the wages again but our standing in European football is a lot higher than it was when we were bringing the likes of Yaya, Silva, Aguero in.

I don't think we need the major re vamp so many are talking about. Yes, we do need to bring some new faces in and maybe some evolution with the young lads. But, our players were good enough to do better this season but MP's tactics were to blame IMO. We have taken 18 points out of 18 in the run in and had a fantastic unbeaten run (14 games?) earlier in the season. Both runs were when we had just one or even none up top. Other teams have sussed out our 4-4-2 e.g Roma at home was embarrassing when they galloped at will through our none existent centre for an hour. I'm very happy with second but I can see the tactically clueless when it's in front of me. I don't want MP out but I hope he has learned a lesson or it won't matter who he brings in.

Statin the bleeding obvious.

I think its time for fundamental change...if Guardiola or Klopp are going to be our next manager they will want to operate the high pressing game. That's defending from the front with forwards closing down opposition defenders in possession and also lightning speed counter attacking football.

Of our current squad how many are capable of doing this? I honestly think we are going to need minimum 6 players in the transfer window just to bring 6 next summer for this to work when Pellers is replaced.

Hey you fuckers, a little respect.

You will refer to him by rank, his name is Captain Obvious.

Slim wrote:Hey you fuckers, a little respect.

You will refer to him by rank, his name is Captain Obvious.

Obviously.

Slim wrote:Hey you fuckers, a little respect.

You will refer to him by rank, his name is Captain Obvious.

of hms long winded

We need a more dynamic athletic midfield. That's obvious. Pogba should be, and I suspect is, our top target. Would love De Bruyne as well. The Club clearly want Stirling as a fast direct home grown striker. Looks like a new left back's likely instead of Kolarov who ironically is playing quite well. If we can get Song for a bargain I'd snap him up. Kelechi comes in as the fourth striker. Denayer must come into the squad and personally I would add Maffeo instead of Sagna. He looks ready to me on the limited evidence of my viewing. If Zaba Kompany and Mangala don't shape up the next generation is on the horizon and that's as it should be. That means goodbye to Yaya Jovetic Dzeko Kolarov Milner and Dedryck. Quite a close season if we can bring it off.

Beefymcfc wrote:

Slim wrote:Hey you fuckers, a little respect.

You will refer to him by rank, his name is Captain Obvious.

Obviously.

Captain Obvious Lee.

bobby brows wrote:I think its time for fundamental change...if Guardiola or Klopp are going to be our next manager they will want to operate the high pressing game. That's defending from the front with forwards closing down opposition defenders in possession and also lightning speed counter attacking football.

Of our current squad how many are capable of doing this? I honestly think we are going to need minimum 6 players in the transfer window just to bring 6 next summer for this to work when Pellers is replaced.

If that change happened and we did play the pressing game, number 1 on my dream shopping list this summer would be Tevez as a wide right forward. He'd still do that job for another 2/3 years, and we know he's a greedy twat so wont go back to Argentina before his economically useful life in Europe is finished.

Unfortunately, realism tells me that Juventus probably want to keep hold of a couple of players, or they will be relegation candidates next season in the transfer rumours are all true

Im_Spartacus wrote:

bobby brows wrote:I think its time for fundamental change...if Guardiola or Klopp are going to be our next manager they will want to operate the high pressing game. That's defending from the front with forwards closing down opposition defenders in possession and also lightning speed counter attacking football.

Of our current squad how many are capable of doing this? I honestly think we are going to need minimum 6 players in the transfer window just to bring 6 next summer for this to work when Pellers is replaced.

If that change happened and we did play the pressing game, number 1 on my dream shopping list this summer would be Tevez as a wide right forward. He'd still do that job for another 2/3 years, and we know he's a greedy twat so wont go back to Argentina before his economically useful life in Europe is finished.

Unfortunately, realism tells me that Juventus probably want to keep hold of a couple of players, or they will be relegation candidates next season in the transfer rumours are all true

Pipe dream Sparty.