markiediow

Besic looks like he has all the attributes to play other positions. 2nd fastest player at world cup, has skill and a good cross field pass. Maybe he could be deployed in Left or Right Midfield. His tackling would also be an asset there as we play with wingbacks.

All this waiting just to announce that Stones signed a new contract.

They are having trouble finding their socks, won't be long.

We only play with one striker though and Bacca has a 30 mil release clause so I doubt he'll come that cheap.

I thought Bacca being quoted at around 12-14m.

I still think you need 2/3 top strikers if playing 1 up front.

You need to be able to go 2 up to kill teams sometimes, players get injured when playing so many games in the season, and I think its an advantage playing different types of forward in 1 up front system dependant on what defenders you are up against.

Remy and Bacca for the same price as Lukaku, I would definitely chose them 2 different types of forward than Lukaku. It would help having the different options to bring on if Plan A doesn't work.

Unbelievable draw for Man Utd!!!!!!!!!!!

Not too worried because if Barkley has a world cup I hope he is going too, that alone could attract better players to the club, so it maybe an advantage waiting.

I'm sure most of our signings will not even be playing in the World Cup so getting them while the tournament is running may mean less attention from competitors for his signature.

Its time for him to come back and cut his silly wages. That would give him the spark.

Loan with a view to permanent would be very good deal. Feel he could really add something to our team and would become a much better performer in our team with the way we play.

He is unplayable on the odd game, feel Martinez magic could make that happen more and more.

England looked dangerous every time Barkley got the ball. It seemed at one point that they stopped passing it to him (around 60mins - 70mins in the game) and England had little to offer. Once he started getting the ball back, England looked like a threat again.

I'm glad Martinez has spoken out, because I feel Woy cannot use the quality of Barkley, far too old fashioned manager. I would rather Barkley never got in the squad than be held back or even lessened as a player by this poor England manager.

33 year old should not get a 3 year contract. It should be one year at a time, at the most it should be a 2 year.

Should we now give Hibbert and Distin a new 3 year contract? Will they think they also should have a 3 year contract after all the years they have been here. I feel this contract could change things in the club in a bad way by putting our wage ratio well up if we have a bad season.

Is it a general consensus that we don't have the funds for Barry? Or is it that he's likely to go elsewhere even if we did have the funds?

 

Either way, it would be a real shame to lose his midfield presence.

Maybe one of the most important players he wants to convince to come here is a Defensive Midfielder. If that's the case, he may feel it will be easier to convince him if there is a direct route into the team by not having Barry in that position.

I'm sure there is a very good reason, a I thought that Barry was a dead cert to sign. I'm probably reading to much into it!

If all our players really want to win things, they should keep their current wage and allow the money to be spent on new players. They are on very good money anyway. I presume there is still a long contract anyway.

 

On what basis are we "second seed"? As far as I can see there are around forty teams qualified who have a higher UEFA coefficient than we do .

Sorry, 2nd seed was probably the wrong way of putting it.

We are the 2nd qualified team.

This year, Spanish was top seeded league so their highest placed Europa qualify has qualified 1st in the Europa Group Stages (Seville), English League is 2nd and the same applies.

If you work the places using UEFA coefficient points, Spurs would probably be higher than us (cant be bothered to check), but they couldn't put them in the Champions League instead of us, it wouldn't make sense.

If they use the point system, Lyon would qualify for Champions League (instead of being in the 3rd Qualifying Round of Europa). They would also go ahead of Saint-Étienne who finished above them in League using the points system. They couldn't use that way of doing it, so the only way that makes sense is doing it in the order the teams qualified (Seville and Us).

That was definitely last year. This year Seville are 1st seed and Europa and we are 2nd seed so I suppose it should go to us if both teams are banned. Maybe they really want Man Utd in Europa (like the Liverpool situation when they were 5th), so they give us the place to bend the rules for them!

I think one of the places have been announced to go to PAOK Thessaloniki from Greece.

Or that was last year.

I think one of the places have been announced to go to PAOK Thessaloniki from Greece.

Its interesting that everyone is choosing to leave Rooney out of the team.

Hart

Johnson Stones Jags Baines

Henderson Gerrard

Barkley

Rooney Sterling

Sturridge

I am liking the looks of some of these youngsters we are being linked with (although they are probably wide of the mark).

I hope the loan deals start adding options to purchase.

Some good frees there and for once I think we might actually take advantage of that market, Moyes seemed to always wait to long (or be very careful) when signing which meant we missed out on the free players, Martinez seems to have a plan and if the frees are part of it, he will be ready as soon as the window opens.

I couldn't agree more! Europa must be a priority and we could knock Arsenal out of CL by winning as well (guessing they get 4th again). Plus the quality of teams I just feel we match up against and could beat.

I don't think the winner takes the 4th place position in the Champions League, I think its a place on it own.

Also, even if we don't win it, a good run in the Europa and 4th place in the league will give us better seeding so we would have to play someone like Villarreal like last time.

The reason we had such a bad playoff fixture last time was because we hadn't gained any 'Euro Points' towards the seedings, so we were against a top team, a good run this year, plus 4th place would mean it would be a lot easier to get to the money stage (group stage) of the Champions League.

This competition should be our main aim with the winner guaranteed to be in Champions League playoff (seeded so should get an easier game than if 4th in League qualification).

If the Champions League winner is already qualified through their league (which it usually is,it would be a place straight into the group stages.

This is now a better route than 4th place (which no longer guaranteed if winner is from England outside of top 4, which is a real possibility with the top 7 being so close).

He cant go until he scores.

The Indy reports that Chelsea want to offer Lukaku a new contrast - with a loan option included. Apparently, they feel if they loan him back to us for another good season it would inflate his value further and a loan would suit us and allow us to spread our transfer spend around the team, including a move for Loic Remy.

 

Also says that Gareth Barry is considering a move to the MLS and Arsenal are interested, and suggests that RM has definite interest in bringing Rodwell back from Man City.

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/chelsea-offer-romelu-lukaku-a-new-deal--with-loan-option-attached-9373109.html

Hopefully he wants to bring Rodwell back as a ball playing defender and someone else as a holding midfielder.

The players that have made it from lower league or relegation threatened teams were bought alongside some top players, the top players bought at the same time made these teams win things. Also, most on your list are top players having their 1st season to settle at a smaller team and then moving up to a top team, not players who have been in premiership for years at a lower club and not being able to make the move up. You can't compare Tevez 1st season at West Ham to Colbacks 4 seasons in premier league. It is not the same.

The price of these players were top money in most cases so it is like Lallana, Bony & Shaw prices now from a smaller team (£20m+), not the £3m rated players we are taking about, I doubt you can do a 11 man team out of this sort of player! You are not giving examples of the type of players we are comparing.

If we bought a few of these squad fillers along with some top players, then ok. If we buy this crap being mentioned then we would have a 5th place team and a 10th place team, this would not equal a 4th place squad.

We need to be buying top 4 players to make top 4 and improve our team, its simple and the option touted are not the top players.

I would be going for players who are available for our sort of money, M'Vila, Song, Lacezzette, Richards. These are top players, Diame, Colback, Mulumbu, MVia etc are not.

We should be more ambitious.

I still can't get over the quality of player people are suggesting we should buy on here!

Most of the players suggested are cack, we are 5th, not 15th. We should buy better players than what is being suggested. Current players in Premier League are overpriced so should be looking abroad, we have enough premier experience already in our team.

Lets buy a Scottish player! We should buy Colback! We should buy Man Utd reject! These deals are no where near ambitious enough.