[Albion] Beyond what transfers we want, what do you think the club will do?

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

I love the "get players who only need one touch and who score goals for fun" type comments. Why haven't the Albion thought to do that before!!

I think the club will:

Ship out a few of the old guard: Glenn (thank you GM, you're a lege), Duffy, Dale and Bernardo (sadly, thought he had it). AJ might go, but I think they'll give him more time. For this reason, no way Connolly is going out on loan. He's an established squad member who will get better with BHA. White replaces Duffy. Which means that we will:

Bring in: left back, defensive midfielder, striker (I'd guess some of these deals could already have been done)

Wouldn't be surprised to see the Lampety-model replace the Euro-unknown model now. We won't rely on the U23s filling holes in the squad, but they will get more time with the 1st team.

 

[timbha]

March and Propper.

Would be very surprised to see them go. Despite one or two glaring mistakes Propper has been Potter’s first choice in most games. March has a role to play in Potters set up, not necessarily a first eleven pick but someone who will always come on and do a job.

 

[Mackenzie]

They’ll keep doing what they’re doing now, hoovering up as many high potential youngsters as we can and putting them through our system (academy and loans) in order to find “the one”.

It’s quite exciting but does require a bit of patience. We’ll eventually crack it though.

 

[Milano]

My theory is that potter often starts with Connolly on the bench because to start both him and Maupay means we have no option to change the game. Hence we need another quick, mobile striker. We had one in Andone and I still don’t believe the plan at the start of the season was to let him go. So I expect that to be addressed.
Connolly will stay, if it were my choice and plucky drop then Callum Wilson would be ideal, albeit expensive.
If Brentford don’t go up then we might go back for Watkins or Benywatshisname.
Left back who knows. Lewis at Norwich looked to have potential.
We need more ‘legs’ in midfield, Cantwall has a £10m relegation clause apparently so got to be worth a punt.
It wouldn’t bother me these are relegated players, doesn’t mean they’re not individually good enough, Liverpool signed Robinson from Hull the last summer they were relegated......

 

[Albion Dan]

We've spent between £60m-£80m per year in the PL. I'd be surprised if we spent like that again unless we ship a load out. Unlike several posters, I can't Propper going anywhere.

Tragically we have wasted most of that money and our better performers have been our cheaper buys. To be in the top 15 net world spenders over the last 3 years and have made as little progress as we have shows we have really failed in certain aspects of recruitment.

 

[Nixonator]

Buyer's market. We'll be buying.

Leave your inferiority complex at the door.

CM, LB, CF and an AMC/Winger to come in.

 

[dingodan]

We need at least one player from a foreign league who none of us have ever heard of and who has a great Youtube video and who turns out to be shit.

It's tradition.

 

[Johnny RoastBeef]

Get a new corner coach in. I cannot believe how shit we are at threatening from corners. It is a bigger failure than our inability to score enough from open play.

Desperately needs sorting imo

I think Alexis will be our designated corner taker next season. Already on a couple of occasions he has demonstrated that he can deliver a corner past the first defender, whipped in on a flat trajectory with pace.

We just need a shiny new number 9 to get on the end of them.

 

[elwheelio]

Tragically we have wasted most of that money and our better performers have been our cheaper buys. To be in the top 15 net world spenders over the last 3 years and have made as little progress as we have shows we have really failed in certain aspects of recruitment.

It's a real mixed bag. Some bargains (Gross, Burn, Ryan), some big money flops (Ali J, Locadia, Bernardo). Even Bissouma is only just starting to show he might be capable of being a regular starter and that's by no means certain.

I think we're doing OK but some of the frustration comes from when we first got promoted there was a lot of narrative about how advanced and sophisticated our scouting and recruitment was. I think it was, but only relative to what we had been doing before. Others are/were streets ahead and understandably so. You don't end up offering £24m for Victor Janssen at 11pm on deadline day if you've got it all figured out.

I would say that, based on this year, our recruitment does seem to be improving but, having said that, there is a lack of both pace and leadership which needs to be addressed.

 

[studio150]

In

Left Back/Left Wing Back
Right Back/Right Wing Back (If Montoya leaves)
Central Midfielder
Pressing Forward

All will be young (ish) and have pace

 

[The Wookiee]

I have a feeling we won’t sign anybody of note, just a few for the u23’s.

Molumby will come into the first team squad with Ostigard, Ben White,Walton and Gyorkes .

Obviously I hope I am wrong and we sign two quality strikers a central midfielder and a left back

 

[dingodan]

I don't think we'll make a lot of signings this year. I think Molumby will feature in our midfield next year and I would expect Alazate to become a regular starter as well. Obviously we will have White coming back as well.
If we do invest in midfield I would think it would be in a more attacking capacity, maybe someone behind the forwards. But with Mac Allister being brought in for that role, I'm not convinced we will. I would imagine a striker is high on the list. Any other signings are probably dependent on who leaves.

We need a composed defensive midfielder, that is something we don't have. I like Propper but I think we play him far too deep. Stephens is the closest thing we have to a DM and he's not composed enough in possession and a little too clumsy in the challenge out of possession too. Bissouma is another who we could play deep, he is great at breaking up play, but like Propper, he's at his best getting into the final third to help in attack.

We need a "Makelele" type. Tudor Baluta looks like someone we could develop for that role, perhaps even Ben White will develop into that kind of position as has been talked about, having playing that kind of role for Leeds recently. But realistically we need a player in that role who is older and wiser than our kids, someone they can learn from. For me, that position/role is the biggest area we are lacking right now. We have a lot of midfielders but none of them are natual holding players IMO.

 

[Albion Dan]

I would say that, based on this year, our recruitment does seem to be improving but, having said that, there is a lack of both pace and leadership which needs to be addressed.

Leadership and aggression are huge attributes we are lacking across the squad. Other than Dunk don't see anybody really rallying the team when the going is tough and we must have the softest midfield in premier league history.

 

[Blackadder]

Get a new corner coach in. I cannot believe how shit we are at threatening from corners. It is a bigger failure than our inability to score enough from open play.

Desperately needs sorting imo

With our 4 / 5 tallest players always standing in line, it always reminds me of the Keystone Cops.

 

[Hugo Rune]

We need a composed defensive midfielder, that is something we don't have........We need a "Makelele" type. Tudor Baluta looks like someone we could develop for that role, perhaps even Ben White will develop into that kind of position as has been talked about, having playing that kind of role for Leeds recently. But realistically we need a player in that role who is older and wiser than our kids, someone they can learn from. For me, that position/role is the biggest area we are lacking right now. We have a lot of midfielders but none of them are natual holding players IMO.

Maitland-Niles back playing in his original position?

Doubles up as a back up for Lamptey if we cash in on Montoya and is just the sort of utility player Potter likes.

Lots of rumours on this, Ainsley can’t help but notice that, like Lamptey, if you step down, you‘ll get plenty of game time.

 

[Blackadder]

people keep saying it but I think it would be utter madness to loan Connelly out. the boy is plenty good enough and will get better.

We don't need to be searching for 2 quality strikers, finding 1 will be hard enough

Its no surprise that again without 2 up top we look powderpuff in front of goal.

All of our decent performances and wins have come with him in the side and 2 up top.

You are right about the difficulty in finding quality strikers. Rare as Rocking Horse poop.

The annoying thing is, if Andone could only sort out his terrible attitude, we have one of the quality strikers right here.

 

[Doc Lynam]

Buyer's market. We'll be buying.

Leave your inferiority complex at the door.

CM, LB, CF and an AMC/Winger to come in.

This is my thoughts it could potential be the cheapest market or at least inflated market in years, I feel we’ll go on a shopping spree for top quality.

CM relatively experienced at top level.
CF big man with pace to give Potter another option.
And the children are the future, blooding some more U23s.

 

[Braggfan]

We need a composed defensive midfielder, that is something we don't have. I like Propper but I think we play him far too deep. Stephens is the closest thing we have to a DM and he's not composed enough in possession and a little too clumsy in the challenge out of possession too. Bissouma is another who we could play deep, he is great at breaking up play, but like Propper, he's at his best getting into the final third to help in attack.

We need a "Makelele" type. Tudor Baluta looks like someone we could develop for that role, perhaps even Ben White will develop into that kind of position as has been talked about, having playing that kind of role for Leeds recently. But realistically we need a player in that role who is older and wiser than our kids, someone they can learn from. For me, that position/role is the biggest area we are lacking right now. We have a lot of midfielders but none of them are natual holding players IMO.

Although not holding midfielder I think Molumby has gone under the radar a little bit this year. MiIlwall wanted to sign him permanently but we refused. Rowett has said that Molumby basically leads the teams press at times on his own, and I think it this will be something Potter looks utilise next year.

Personally I'm not sure a holding midfielder is what we need. I think defensively we've been ok this year, the problem our midfield has had has been linking up with our attack. However having said that, it's interesting to note that Ben White has been playing a few games as defensive holding midfielder for Leeds, maybe that's something we'll look to use when he comes back.

 

[Seasidesage]

They’ll keep doing what they’re doing now, hoovering up as many high potential youngsters as we can and putting them through our system (academy and loans) in order to find “the one”.

It’s quite exciting but does require a bit of patience. We’ll eventually crack it though.

If you think that its distinctly possible that next season we could start a game with Alzate, Connolly,White and Molumby in the side I'd say we already have cracked it. For an academy that is only 6 years old to get 4 players into a PL side would be nothing short of remarkable. From a standing start really, the recruitment team really have done an incredible job..

 

[Doc Lynam]

Leadership and aggression are huge attributes we are lacking across the squad. Other than Dunk don't see anybody really rallying the team when the going is tough and we must have the softest midfield in premier league history.

Stephens does this but gets undermined by a mistake or two.