The squad over next 3 years

[Philinsuffolk]

Suffice to say that there is plenty of doom/gloom at the moment in relation to our beloved club - and mostly with some justification.

 

And personally I don't think a new owner is going to arrive soon - or if there is one it will be someone that is able to make minimal impact (ie like at Aston Villa for example) as opposed to say a Man City - part of the reason why I am not someone pushing for Kenwright out as I just think we will get someone with similar available funds! The world economic crisis is huge, leaving the world's richest people concentrating on protecting what they have got not throwing it into football of all things.

 

I took a look at the current squad and looked forwards 3 years to see how that squad would look in the 2014/15 season. I ignored the GK's and loan players. I also am assuming that any player 31 or over (at end of this season) should be seen as 'past it'.

With these criteria we say goodbye to Distin, Neville, Saha and Cahill (indeed its hard to see getting any more than 1 more season out of these 4). Osman (31 by end of this season) should also be excluded but maybe we get 1 or 2 more seasons from Ossie and likewise Hibbert (30) - even if as squad players offering experience.

 

3 years form now those that will be aged 28 or under are: Coleman, Duffy, Gibson, Gueye, Fellaini, Barkley, Rodwell, Vellios, Anichebe and McAleny. Add to these young James Wallace and in particular Hallam Hope who both have good potential. If his potential is realised then young George Green would also be emerging.

 

The likes of Jags, Baines, Heitinga and Billy would be reaching the latter part of their career at the top of their game - as I see it the club either need to cash in very soon on Jags and Baines before their value drops through the floor or we take the view that we can't easily replace them and so keep them as key players for 3-4 years knowing we won't then get any meaningful fee for them but we would have had good service. Any offer in excess of x (you decide the figure!) for Billy should be taken.

 

The club must continue to give increasing first team experience to the likes of Barkley, Duffy and Vellios - because if nothing else these will be the lads that are key to us at least getting our regular top half finish. As a huge cynic of Anichebe I would be glad to eat humble pie on that one.

 

I know that we are likely to sell one or more of Fellaini, Rodwell and Barkley in the seasons ahead but if so for significant sums. Of course if we could keep 2 out of those 3 for a couple of years then that would be great news.

 

Everyone is entitled to their own view and maybe I am just too much of a pragmatist as well as optimist, but I certainly think that 3 years from now we will still be a top 7/8 club albeit maybe continually frustrated at it being nothing more than that.

 

Ok, things are not great just now. Personally I think that the negative/dire football is a bigger problem than the lack of investment. I come to that partly on the basis that for us to become a top 4 club would need at least £80m of signings which is simply not going to happen.

 

But you know what

 

I'd still rather be a Blue than anything else..and I KNOW that you'll at least agree with me on that! Sod the money, I'm a Blue and we do it the hard way.