Blue Armour

I can see where you're headed...While I agree the squad doesn't need an overhaul, I think that to bring in 2-3 new players into the squad we will need to remove 1 or 2 to create room, unless one or two of the incoming players is/are very young...However young players with the qualities we're looking for are in short supply and mostly overpriced, so its highly unlikely we will sign one that's suitable... For me we just need 2 players essentially: Winger and creative mid attacking mid, the latter being the most important.,,In that case it should be sufficient to remove one existing player... In Porto, AVB removed Bruno Alves(former captain) and one other guy,....so wouldn't be surprised if someone left this time, just don't think the casualties will rise above 2... However, for the two to leave, I can think of people who can be compared more to dead wood than either Flo, Anelka and Kalou

To add more creativity, flair and speed to our team yes there will be a reduction in average height, because you need smaller, more agile players that can move in tight spaces and have good close control... If we were playing 4-3-3(the most likely formation) I would prefer: 1.Two attacking mids and one holding. Of the two attacking mids, I would prefer at least one to be a short, quick and pacy player of the Modric/Iniesta mould who can play quick, accurate passes to set up good attacks. As for the second one its most likely Lampard, and that's great because he can still deliver the goals needed from midfield and play the crucial final pass. The holding mid as Ldn_blue said should be strong irregardless of height. There should always be some steel in midfield. he should be able to good tackles, read the game well and launch the ball forward from defense as quickly as possible.,,either by quick long passes or charging forward fast 2. For the front three I would like one quick, pacy winger and the other winger to have decent physical strength (ideally we could have a winger who has both these qualities), to tackle any kind of defense. One of these has to be a good goalscorer as well. The striker can be physical or not (I prefer someone with height), but he should be good in the air and have a good eye for goal. Speed is definitely a must, and Torres and Drogba both have these qualities. 3. Defence: The two centre halves, should obviously have a fair amount of height, and for the EPL, yes they need to be physical. For the full-backs, I'm okay if only one of them is good in attack(there's rarely any use in both full-backs charging forward at the same time), but should be solid in defense.. Thus, I would like a combination of flair and physicality, and of course speed.

The Juventus name is used in every transfer rumor just too show that it still exists....

Any chance he'll favour United over us so as not to "upset" Arse fans?

Sounds more like he doesn't think he's a top player...

We needed an "overhaul" in 2004 because the squad was only half-built...We just need a few(2-3) more young energetic additions to the squad to facilitate rotation to keep playing consistently throughout the season Our matches against Man Utd could've easily gone either way...Like Kostas said we just need additions to keep up with them next season...and hopefully better tactics...

Like the article itself stated, the author is making an assumption based on that one game against Man Utd. Cole has had problems with Valencia even during the FA community shield clash last year, but I always put it down to Valencia's physicality allowing him to gain an edge over Cole... For me that's not a clear enough indicator that his powers are rapidly on the decline....you also have to remember that he played almost every game(including every single PL game) last season, so it might have had its toll..Proper rotation of the squad members will do fine for Cole this season...

I won't believe anything about players leaving until after Jul 6'th...

Glad to see the site up and running again... Didn't Jim say that you guys were going to update the forum software?

Coentrao looks good going front, but his defending seems worse than Evra's....

I don't quite agree with everything that was said about Torres in your post... Yes, his first touch was heavy, his shooting seemed nervy and he seemed to lack that burst of acceleration needed in the final third. BUT, his movement was far from average, it was actually very good...He was always seemed to be present in the right position for a goal scoring opportunity... And like Pat Nevin said himself, that's the best sign that he can pick himself up from this slump.. However, he does seem to lack motivation at times, especially when the team is facing difficulty (similar to Malouda)...but I think a good manager should easily inspire the players... As for why Torres never improved with the rest of the team in Feb-May...well that was largely due to the fact Drogba returned to form in that period..He played so well it seemed to bring out the best in the rest of the attack (notably Malouda and Kalou), and Torres never got many chances after that. Even if he did get a chance to start, it was rarely with Drogba.....

More like the Stamford Arena

If its true..its the next best thing to having Zola as assistant manager...good times...

Maybe or maybe not...Just saying that the club will almost certainly won't sign a player like that during these times....

Its not about fulfilling the homegrown quota...it was about bringing in a new player without using slots from the foreign player quota... Leaves room for more, right?

I'm not exactly saying he doesn't have class....just saying there's little chance that our club will pick up something that was thrown in the trash...

Oh, well.....that sucks.

Pfft...no way are we going to sign a reject.... If we're going to sign someone to play in the wing it has to be a winger...and no more strikers unless he's a youth prospect or just that damn good.....

To be honest, signing Neymar would mean a lot more good than bad... 1. Because of his age, he would qualify as a homegrown player(right?), and hence wouldn't take up more space in the squad 2. He can play on the wing 3. He adds something completely different from what we already have... I know its just speculation at this stage, but if he does sign, I certainly won't complain....

Ok...I'm not really sure Malouda should be the first one to leave, seeing as there is no confirmation that we will be signing a first class winger to replace him and also because our squad is short of quality wingers... The next best option I can think of in the squad is Gael Kakuta, but he doesn't seem to have taken off from his exciting 09-10 season.. Maybe they're just canvassing a buyer for him, so that when the time comes to sign a new winger, a slot will be available in the squad... In my opinion they should oust Zhirkov before Malouda...I know the Russian is the younger, more versatile player, and has skill and pace, but the guy just can't stay fit for the full season, and is always out for one reason or the other...

That's one reason why we would have an advantage.... But with people like Pele and Ronaldo breathing down his back, you can never be too sure...

Ballack...model professional and a good example of leadership in the squad.. Deco...added flair and creativity, but was always going to end up in Brazil... Joe...The only real reason I miss him was because he was a childhood fan of the club..sad to see him play some place else, and also to see him lose form...

Not skills. Consistency. And unfortunately I don't think that's going to change much. You could say that its down to the fact he doesn't play often, but that's too convenient an excuse.. But I have to agree with Tomo..As a squad player, he's a fantastic option to have and having such an option is a rarity these days. I doubt he'll be around much longer, when he realizes he won't be able to tie down a regular starting role.

Don't know if there's truth in all these rumours but... In all honesty if Ashley Cole wants to leave we shouldn't force him to stay back. Naturally AVB will meet up with him (besides others) and find out wants on his mind before anything, and they'll work something out... On the plus side, we have to options remaining for LB in Patrick and Ryan..If used well they could become more than decent replacements for Cole... The only downside to letting Cole go would be that he's English. Also he's probably the best left back in the world. And he might become an addition for a top Spanish Club and ruin our case for another European Cup. Alright, I'll stop

I know you used the word 'despite' but really...those two phrases in your post just don't go together...