Changing of the Guard

[RAY Rock]

Our form last 8 games has been terrible and relegation form. We need new players as we are being found out our tempo and build up is to slow and predictable. We need new blood and a changing of the guard . Love them but Ream, Cairney, Decordova, H Reed , Wilson, Raul, Tete need to be sold. Plus we have mbabu , Vinicius coming back that Silva doesn't rate. Sentiment gets you relegated. We beat Swansea a while ago last game and it papered over the cracks of a old ageing team that had come to the end. Silva is asking for recruitment they have to back him we can't have another preseason like last year

[btffc]

Agree with you for the most part but it needs to be done in phases. We don't have the money to replace that many players plus other departures like Tosin and FBT with quality players in a single window and none of the players you mention are bringing in a large sale. Ideally, this will be done over the course of the next two Summers.

[MickTheBeard]

It might take a couple of seasons to put the right players in place.But 10 years ago who ever who was in charge of recruitment paid too much money for bang average players I won't mention names of players as I would run out of paper.Our recruitment from academy,development and 1st team setup has no structure why buy players give them a four year contract because their then too old for a return on investment.Why did we allowed previous under 23s stay in the reserves not playing against men should have been sent out earlier same with the younger squad.This is down to ownership  if our owners were fans it might have been different or if they had employed people on their behalf would have helped but the present back room staff weren't capable this has gone on for years and now it's an uphill challenge sensible fans new this had happened,you can only blame the owners because they employed the staff even the new stand we employed independent surveyors to oversee the project and are putting right wrong plasterboard used only the owners are to blame they employed the staff who in turn run the stand,youth academy,development teams,scouts and coaches and also the manager and chief exe ct I bet they would be good in government seems a rite fit.

[The Rational Fan]

I feel we only need two new starters (RCB and LW) and a few additional squad players (LB and CM) to be a decent premier league team next year. We have an old team where many players will need to be moved on over the next few years, but I think we can do it without getting relegated and eventually we will have a younger squad that can move up the table.

[bill taylors apprentice]

The 7 players you name may not be regular starters but they all contributed this season and when you consider 2 or 3 starters may also leave (Tosin, Palhina & AN Other) you are asking for trouble.

I will concede that 1 or 2 may be moved on to freshen the team up but only if 2 or 3 players come in who improve the team.

[demeant0r]

Varane is available for free this summer. Worth it? Wouldn't be a long term replacement for Tosin but he's free.

[Marcel_Gecov]

I feel we only need two new starters (RCB and LW) and a few additional squad players (LB and CM) to be a decent premier league team next year. We have an old team where many players will need to be moved on over the next few years, but I think we can do it without getting relegated and eventually we will have a younger squad that can move up the table.

Take Ream and Willian out and replace them with 23-25 year olds and our average drops considerably

[Surlyc]

I feel we only need two new starters (RCB and LW) and a few additional squad players (LB and CM) to be a decent premier league team next year. We have an old team where many players will need to be moved on over the next few years, but I think we can do it without getting relegated and eventually we will have a younger squad that can move up the table.

Take Ream and Willian out and replace them with 23-25 year olds and our average drops considerably

This is an interesting counter point. The average age of our squad is around 28 - most teams are in the 25-27 range. Replacing just Ream (our 4th choice centre back) and Willian (LW should possibly be our number one target this summer) with 23-24 year olds would bring our squad age down to 27 immediately, before any other tweaks.

My view would be that CM & LW should be our top targets, with RCB & DM as the additional squad targets. If we can bring in a young LCB and fullback for competition/cover as well, I'd be comfortable going into next season.

[Milo]

I would sell/release:

Ream
Mbabu
Tosin
Lukic
Vinicius
+/- Jiminez

I still feel Cairney, Tete, Reed and BDR have something to offer as part of a wider squad.

Stansfield comes back having won numerous awards at Birmingham, and would go straight into the squad (off the bench to start of course).

The question is, as per last year, will Palhinha and Willian stay. Regardless, I would recruit:

1x CB
1x AM/winger plus another DM if Palhinha goes
1x CF

But it's never as easy as that..