[Archived] Realistic Summer Moves

[Eddie]

Why play Santa Cruz out right? Why play Dunn out left (how many times does he have to not do this very well before people realise that he isn't a left midfidler)?

[RevidgeBlue]

It bewilders me that people can obide by the theory that if a system works against the best team in europe, it will work against everyone.

We have proved time and time again we don't have the players to play a system which requires alot of flair to work when playing against deep lying teams and 5 men midfields.

When a team comes and sits back and we're set up to be solid, what do you think's gonna happen?

Don't agree with a lot of your posts but I think you're absolutely spot on there, as a one off tactic to frustrate United, the formation worked fairly well, however for the vast majority of games when we need to force the pace and look for the 3 points it'd be a non starter imo.

[joey_big_nose]

Why play Santa Cruz out right? Why play Dunn out left (how many times does he have to not do this very well before people realise that he isn't a left midfidler)?

Because it could be more effective than lining up in a straight 442. People know how we work, they know how to nullify us. We need to find a new option which uses our players in an effective way.

This could be it. Its up to hughes but I will be very suprised if we don't use it in the last few games. We need ideas, no point pounding your head against a brick wall.

I will lay a bet with anybody we will start with the same shape in at least one of our last three games.

[gazsimm]

Why play Santa Cruz out right? Why play Dunn out left (how many times does he have to not do this very well before people realise that he isn't a left midfidler)?

Santa Cruz was made to play on the right of the attack only because Hughes clearly thought he could cause Evra problems with his height and strength. At the end of the game i thought Hughes got his tatics spot on, i just wish he had not bought on the bloody axe. I thought Vogel was magnificent on saturday and it looks like Hughes has got another bargain.

[Hughesy]

The tackle on ronaldo where he won the ball was perfect. Some refs would of given that as a penalty but the ref did well to notice he won the ball and it was a perfect tackle.

Vogel seems to be getting better as he is getting fitter - remind me abit of when Ooijer started at Rovers.

[waggy]

ashton is being touted for 8 million from west spam

[Hughesy]

Whilst he isnt a bad player - he isnt really what we need right now - especially at 8m. We need pace, pace and more pace. Ashley Young is doing a great job of late, please sparky find a gem like him for cheap!

[Mozzer]

we need a quick striker to play off santa cruz-not someone like ashton..

its a shame we didnt buy pongolle when we had the chance-i think he would work well with cruz..he has the pace, and is scoring for fun in spain..

[LeftWinger]

its a shame we didnt buy pongolle when we had the chance-i think he would work well with cruz..he has the pace, and is scoring for fun in spain..

I liked Pongolle - but he isn't a big goalscorer.

9 goals in 29 games this season and 11 last season isn't exactly "for fun".

We do need some pace though.

[b12_simon]

we need a quick striker to play off santa cruz-not someone like ashton..

its a shame we didnt buy pongolle when we had the chance-i think he would work well with cruz..he has the pace, and is scoring for fun in spain..

Agreed. Pongolle was a great striker for us. He may have only scored once(?) but created plenty.

[LeftWinger]

Agreed. Pongolle was a great striker for us. He may have only scored once(?) but created plenty.

He set one up away at Tottenham....what were the others?

[LDRover]

The three youngsters currently at Palace look well worth a punt - Moses, Soares and Sinclair. Moses looks a real handful and if Chelsea would let Sinclair go we should move heaven and earth for him.

Have a feeling we've already set the wheels in motion for Soares.

[joey_big_nose]

ashton is being touted for 8 million from west spam

Interesting option. Ashton is a great player, very imaginative and powerful. Could, if fit, be a 20-25 goal a season player. He is sort of similar to a young Viduka imo. I am a big admirer of him, I think he would be an England striker by now but for his injury problems.

Nonetheless they are massive setbacks (he has never had a long run of games for West Ham) and he is not particularly mobile anyway which is what we need at the moment. We already have a "slow creative type" in Benni.

£8m is a lot of money. I am certain for that we could find someone who suits us a lot better. Its a shame as he is the sort of player who would be a pleasure to watch at Ewood.

[tcj_jones]

Perhaps the formation would work slightly better if Roque were alone up front, with Bentley on the right, Dunn in the middle, Pedersen on the left with Emerton and Vogel behind them and Ooijer in for Reid at right back?

[joey_big_nose]

Perhaps the formation would work slightly better if Roque were alone up front, with Bentley on the right, Dunn in the middle, Pedersen on the left with Emerton and Vogel behind them and Ooijer in for Reid at right back?

Problem is that Roque, like Benni, likes to drop deep. For the 4231 to work you need someone up top who is going to stretch, hustle and harass the central defenders. Drogba does it for Chelsea, Rooney for Utd, Torres for Liverpool, Davies for Bolton, Carew for Villa. Powerful guys. Roberts is our only player who can do that. If you play Roque or Benni up front on their own you are rapidly playing with no one up front for periods of the game. Derbyshire would be easily out muscled.

In a way its a shame to have Cruz starting off a little deeper but there are advantages. He is great with the ball running at defenders at pace, he will pummel the full back in the air and he can get in the box late as he did to score against United on Saturday. Plus he get freedom to roame a bit if as he Bentley and Dunn/Pedersen/McCarthy will have the licence to swap positions. I think it would be an enjoyable role for him allowing him more time on the ball.

[Lurid Coat]

I found a list of players who will be available on a Bosman this summer over at KUMB.com:

Jorquera

Sylvinho

Edmilson

Santiago Ezquerro

Jose Izquiredo

Bernardo Romeo

Pasqual Cygan

Robert Pires

Wes Brown(signed contract)

Ledley King

Sami Hyypia(signed contract)

Harry Kewell

Hilario

Zoltan Gera

Patrick Muller

Bernard Mendy

Mario Yepes

Sylvain Armand

Johan Micoud

Abdelaziz Kamara

Jonathan Perina

Ludovic Magnin

Daniel Bierofka

Zlatan Bajramovic

Gustavo Varela

Pierre Wome

Jurcia Vranjes

Ivan Klasnic

Athrison

Carsten Ramelow

Dmitri Bulykin

Veljko Paynovic

Maxi Rodriguez

Ewerthon

Loukas Vyntra

Turaci

Soti Kyrgiakos

Alexander Meier

Javier Zanetti

Olivier Dacourt

Hernan Crespo

Luis Jimenez

Santiago Solari

Antonio Cassano

Pavel Nedved

Nuno Frechaut

Ivica Krizanac

Anthony Seric

Ezequiel Gonzalez

Tomas Sivok

Angelo Bassinas

Thiago Motta

Juan Valera

Nuno Valente

Danny Murphy

Mathieu Flamini

Phillipe Christinval

Nobby Solano

Wilfred Bouma

Roman Bednar

Lee Wallace

Kanu

Geovanni

Dietmar Hamann

Kasper Schmeichel

Fabio Laverani

Tomas Ujfalusi

Eugeni Aldonin

Marcos Assuncao

Kanga Akale

Vadim Karlaschuk

Antonio Nunez

Jorge Larena

Vlad Munteanu

Mama Bagayoko

Alan Rochat

Jerko Luko

Olivier Veigneau

Sebastian Kehl

Philip Degen

Thomas Chatielle

Guillame Gillet

Sherif Ekramy

Edgar Davids

Sammy Kuffour

Puis Ikedia

Leo

Andrea Luiz

Marat Izmailov

Moura Pinherio

Derlei

Mark Fitzpatrick

Ross McCormack

Guillaume Beuzelin

The ones in bold are players who have impressed me in the past, and are obviously ones I'd like us to at least have a look at. I know that several of those are way out of our league, but players such as Kehl, Degen, Magnin, Müller and Yepes would probably be interested in signing for us.

[philipl]

A newly promoted club could assemble a Premiership-surviving squad from that lot. Would hate to see the wage bill though!

[Bazzanotsogreat]

A newly promoted club could assemble a Premiership-surviving squad from that lot. Would hate to see the wage bill though!

Yeah but there isn’t no transfer fee involved. So the extra wages you pay is more than compensated by the money you save on a £0 transfer fee.

[Hughesy]

That list isnt complete - for instance Jussi @ bolton is missing off there! That Ewerthon fella is well known across Europe - wonder where he will end up. He is on of the best on that list. Think Flamini will be at Juve.

[tcj_jones]

Flamini wanted to leave Arsenal last summer because he was not getting first team football. He stayed to fight for his place. Now, he's getting first team football and playing at the top level and wants to move? No way, his agent is in his ear telling him to hold out for that extra money. I really do think he'll be at Arsenal next season.

[joey_big_nose]

I would have a serious look at Cassano, Kewell and Gera (would be a good squad player) on that list. There are many more worth a look too.

Chances are many of those mentioned will end up in the Premiership just because we can afford the most in wages.

[Hughesy]

Wouldnt take Kewell - too injury prone and again not got alot of pace.

Gera is being lined up by Wigan i believe. Bolton apparently want Lita & Roberts if they stay up.

[FourLaneBlue]

The best players on the list in the past have been Zanetti and Nedved. Shame they will have a combined age of 71 come the start of next season. I remember Santiago Ezquerro always being a good forward for Atletic Bilbao but he can't get in the team at Barca with so much competition.

[LeChuck]

I found a list of players who will be available on a Bosman this summer over at KUMB.com:

...

There are a lot of errors in that list because it seems to be taking in to account players who are out on loan and will return to their clubs in the summer. I was amazed to see Tomas Sivok there because he didn't sign for Udinese long ago...turns out it's just his Sparta loan contract that's up at the end of the season, his Udinese contract runs until 2012.

I guess the same will apply for Luis Jiminez, Izmailov and probably a lot of other players on that list who are out on loan.

[Exiled_Rover]

I hear Henry wants out of Barca.....