Before the Blackburn game David Gold admitted that if relegated we won't be able to hold on to England players Parker, Green, Upson and Cole. Stating the obvious really, but it's more important we hold on to the second-tier of players, the likes of Noble, Tomkins, Ba, Piquionne, O'Neil (if fit) and Collison.
Selling these four wouldn't be as disastrous as selling Lampard, Ferdinand, Cole, Carrick, Johnson and Defoe.
Yes, we'd miss Parker, but he's 30, we'd get a good price and he deserves a move for what he's given us. Cole hasn't scored enough league goals. Upson would be off anyway and doesn't influence games in the way centre backs like Huth, Samba and Jagielka do. While Green is a great keeper, but keepers are replaceable. Stech looks a promising deputy to me and who knows, the Boffin might come good.
At least our wage bill will finally be under control. Dyer's departure will save millions and presumably we'll also be getting rid of Faubert, Kovac, Barrera (though I'd like to see him given another chance) and Boa Morte, plus the expensive loan signings like Keane and Bridge. We'd like to keep Hitzlsperger, but again his agent will surely agitate for a move.
If relegated, it's not inconceivable we might have a Championship side of largely Academy players: Stech: Spence, Tomkins, Da Costa, A N Other: Sears, Noble, Collison, Stanislas: Piquionne, Ba.
We'd need to strengthen - and get a left back - but that might be the basis for a promotion side if you add three or four quality players to the squad.
Although hopefully this is all hypothetical and we'll beat Wigan and Sunderland to scrape up.
2 comments:
Ba won't stay, now he's proved his fitness levels, and nor will Hitz. O'Neill, will, but then he's gonna miss most, if not all, of the season (at best). Jacobsen might possibly stay, as he can't be on very high wages; Reid might be OK in the Championship, although Chievo Verona are supposedly interested; there's also the likes of Hines, Nouble, Fry and Edgar at the club. We'll look to buy a Championship proven stiker, like Graham of Watford, a full-back and one or two midfielders, which might possibly be enough for the play-offs. When we went down last time the useless Board panicked and flogged everyone they could for less than they were worth and with no sell-on clauses. We would be better to follow Newcastle, get rid of the highly-paid wasters, but keep the quality players, which we can afford with the parachute money, and aim to come back as champions.
We need to keep one big striker at least, though agree Ba likely to go unless we can persuade him that he could do an Andy Carrol and establish himself in the Championship with 20-plus goals.
Stoke were sniffing around after Noble and Harry likes Tomkins. The board will have to show enough strength to at least keep the likes of them.
Maybe Christian Dailly is available…
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