29 May 2024 21:39:50
I see we are being linked with olive. I absolutely don't think we need another winger.
We need a strong midfielder, a center back and a striker.
29 May 2024 21:55:26
Olise! Damn the auto spell.
29 May 2024 22:03:52
We need all of those things, but we don’t have to sign them in any particular order.
29 May 2024 22:31:06
Olise seems very achievable.
I’d say Olise means the end of Antony + Amad or Sancho.
29 May 2024 22:40:56
Glad that was an auto spell mishap - we've already got Antony, we have no room for another Silly Moo.
30 May 2024 03:32:54
Still don’t get how I seem to be the only one with a keeper on their list of positions we need to address.
30 May 2024 06:22:13
If we sign Olive, perhaps we could also sign Popeye as a holding midfielder.
{Ed025's Note - or even Stan from "on the buses" AJH.. :)
30 May 2024 06:25:12
Redseven, I think it comes down to priorities.
Do we need a keeper more than a CB?
Do we need a keeper more than a CDM?
Do we need a keeper more than a ST?
Do we need a keeper more than a RW?
Do we need a keeper more than a LB?
There's five positions where we are almost definitely in greater need of reinforcement than at goalkeeper. While in some of those positions (CB and CDM) you could easily argue that we need a couple of signings in each position.
Meaning we could/ should be looking to sign 6-7 players BEFORE we need to sign a keeper.
I get that some people aren't entirely convinced by Onana, yet he's actually a very good keeper. He has one of the best save percentages in the league despite facing more shots than all bar one keeper this season. He is prone to the occasional gaff, but the logic is that if we improve the defence in front of him and reduce the amount of work he has to do then we will reduce the number of opportunities he has to make a gaff.
I'd expect to see Onana as first choice next season, partially because we have far more pressing priorities elsewhere in terms of player signings, and partially because I don't think he's been given a fair crack this season given the shambles that has played in front of him.
30 May 2024 09:37:38
The right wing is definitely an area that needs looking at and Olise for me would be ideal. He has been superb for Palace especially since the new manager came in and shows he can work in a team designed to play better football.
I would bring him in and have Amad as back up with Garnacho also able to play there.
We need to move on Sancho, Antony and Pellestri as we have seen enough to know that they are not working and could generate some money (offset by remainder of there contract) .
We do not need to look at a goalkeeper this year with other needs, we need to see what Onana can do with a settled back 4 who can play out from the back. We can then decide next summer whether he is for the long term or not.
{Ed002's Note - Michael Olise (RW/AM) PSG and Manchester City want him as cover although the departure of Mahrez last summer will mean more opportunities now, but the RW position is effectively Foden's. If de Bruyne or Silva were to depart, he becomes an option again. Crystal Palace has no real interest in selling but know that Chelsea want to take Olise back to Stamford Bridge and Olise has made clear that one day he wants to be playing with his brother. Down the list of AM players Chelsea want but they will again perhaps push for him as he is achievable. His representative has said no other clubs have made any formal approach for Olise although Arsenal and Manchester United have also regularly sent scouts and he may end up first choice for Manchester United. Liverpool can be discounted. Will be available in the summer when a significant release clause will need to be met.}
30 May 2024 11:22:23
Good points Shappy.
We need GK, LB, RB, CB x2-3, CM x2, RW and CF. It will take 4 transfer windows minimum to replace so the strategy will likely target profiles that meet what INEOS want (age, mentality) and there’ll be some flex with priorities based who’s available.
Olise is young, English and has a release clause meaning it might be worth going for him and persisting with Malacia and Shaw or Maguire.
As long as we get CB and a DM, I’m not particularly bothered what positions come now or in the future.
30 May 2024 11:49:56
Thought Olise was French (or at least most likely to represent France having played for their youths) . Actually looks like he could opt for any of four nations.
I just hope Ineos have priorities of positions as well as two or three targets for each. Last season's approach was woeful, concentrating on one player at a time which meant we ended up going for players in the wrong order, IMO. Let's nail CB first as a concern.
30 May 2024 13:13:39
Utd Road, Olise is a French under 21 international, he does count towards the homegrown quota though having been born in England and spent his entire career in the English football system. I wouldn't want to label him with a specific nationality though.
I don't think many fans have clocked on to the issue in our squad in terms of homegrown players. Many of the ones who'll be leaving in the next couple of years are homegrown (Heaton, AWB, Evans, Maguire, and McTominay) . While the likes of Shaw, Mount and Rashford are not certainties to be here long term. That's 5 of our current 8 homegrown players likely to leave within two years. That means we NEED to sign at least a couple of homegrown players this summer. Which probably explains the stronger links to the likes of Branthwaite, Guehi, Tosin, Olise, Toney and even tentative links to the likes of Adam Wharton, Archie Gray and Jobe Bellingham. How many are available and would be good enough to be in the first team means that players like Branthwaite and Olise might be pushed up the priorities list due to them being both homegrown and good enough to be first choice. There are good alternatives available for less, players like Todibo, or if we wanted a left footed CB Arthur Theate from Rennes would be an astute signing, while on the RW Johan Bakayoko from PSV has massive potential. Yet none of them count as homegrown, and we need more homegrown players in our squad.
In terms of Olise, I think he'd be an excellent signing, he ticks all the boxes for me. Young, talented, the right profile of player, proven in the EPL, counts towards homegrown quota, and should be available for a reasonable price given the market due to a clause in his contract. The only concern for me is his injury record is worrying. That said given Garnacho and Amad will still likely be in the squad and available, any injuries to Olise would just open up chances to our younger players.
I'm not against signing Olise at all, I just feel that in an ideal world there are other positions that need to be sorted first, primarily defence and midfield. I'd be signing 2 CB's, 2 deeper midfielder and a LB before looking at the RW. That for me is where we could see the biggest improvement. As said before attack wins you games, defence wins you titles. I'd be looking to build a solid defence who can grow and develop together over the next few years as my first priority this summer. Then it'd be getting a couple of midfielders to support and work with Mainoo to settle our midfield. The heart of the team very much dictates how the team play, or at least how they can play. Until we have a settled defence we will struggle with consistency in results, and until we get a settled midfield we will struggle to consistently use a successful playing style with good performances.
That's five signings straight off the bat. While none of them address the fact we only have Hojlund as a recognised striker. I've been impressed with Bruno playing as a false 9 over the past few games, and it looks a position he could play more regularly if needed. yet it's not a tactic that suits every game, so we'd still need an alternative to Hojlund to allow him time to rest and space to develop. This position is also probably more important than RW.
However, Olise is going to be available, in a position of need, at a reasonable price and ticks the homegrown box. The issue is I don't think 7 signings this summer is feasible, certainly not if we are paying fees for all of them.
Maybe moves for the likes of Tosin and Welbeck on frees would be prudent. Both fill positions of need and fill the homegrown quota. That also frees up funds for big moves for the likes of Branthwaite and Olise.
Which would leave us needing to still sign a couple of midfielders and a LB ideally. Can we find good value options in the market? Rayan Ait-Nouri would be my ideal LB signing, but again he'll be expensive, maybe moves for players like Melvin Bard or Bradley Locko might be good, cheaper alternatives. Likewise many would like to see Amadou Onana sign for the club (I'm less convinced, I'm not sure about his ability on the ball) . again however, he'd prove to be very expensive, so it's a question of can the club find cheaper but equally as good or potentially as good alternatives. Maybe someone like Youssef Fofana from Monaco would be a prudent signing, one year left on his deal and a regular for the French national team. He could be available for 20-30m which in the current market and given his ability is a bargain. Or someone like Morten Frendrup currently playing for Genoa. A young, tenacious ball winner who is better on the ball than his stats would suggest. Capable of playing as either a No.6 or a ball winning No.8, and has even played at RB when needed, which would help in terms of coverage for us. Or we could take a chance on a younger player like Oscar Zambrano or someone like Guido Rodriguez who while 30 years old, is available on a free, or Adrien Rabiot another available on a free.
Either way we will need our scouts to earn their crust this summer and unearth some players with great potential who won't cost the earth. Players who can come into the squad with lesser expectation on them, but who can rise to the challenge and prove themselves capable of playing at the level we need. We are often linked to many of these players, but we tend to take a back seat and let them move to other clubs that could be seen as a "stepping stone". Only to be back in for them 12-24 months later at 10 times the fee that club paid for them.
That approach might make sense if you are a top club competing at the highest level for top honours. That's an environment where you don't really have the time or space to give a player the chances they need to develop and step up to that elite level. That's a position where the club needs to sign elite players who have proven they are ready to step into that level and make an immediate impact.
However, that is not where we find ourselves currently, we are a top club in name, but not in performances or results. We need to rebuild, and that takes time. It actually makes sense for us to buy those younger players who still have to step up and prove themselves. Then give them the game time they need over the next couple of season's to do so as we develop and improve as a team. Let them grow together as a squad.
30 May 2024 14:42:47
Damn, really wanted him but we won't get him if chelsea are involved. Ed002 don you think we have a chance or will london pull and being with his brother be too much for him to turn down? They do seem to have a lot of rws/ amas though unless madueke is leaving.
{Ed002's Note - Sure there is a chance but he could also return to Chelsea.}