By Hughie Southon
What we have learned of David Moyes’ anticipated summer recruitment policies thus far is surprising and in one area – his hopes of getting Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse – ambitious.
Up front his plan appears to be centred on retaining Mikey Antonio as his main striker and buying a younger forward to challenge the 32 year old or replace him on occasions.
Alternatively, he seems keen on bringing Jesse Lingard back to the club which gives him the opportunity of going with a false nine scenario.
Personally I have little problem with his plans up top as we have seen expensive strikers appear at the club previously only to fail big time.
Moyes doesn’t seem ready to mess his budget up by going down that road – fair enough but I don’t doubt he will get plenty of stick from the fans.
Mikey can still do it at his best and a younger player with plenty to prove looks a sensible way forward given we are unlikely to attract a top striker anyway as Euro Conference operators.
In midfield, from all we have heard thus far, Tomas Soucek will be on his way which many will find unforgiveable, myself included, Bringing in Ward-Prowse would of course to provide the sort of ammunition which would be meat and drink to the Czech.
I like the Southampton player but this one in, one out, approach wouldn’t be what we need right now given the number of players who are leaving.
Central defender Nayef Aguerd appears to be coming in which has led to many reports that Issa Diop and/or Craig Dawson could be sacrificed – again one in out, one out if that’s how things turn out.
The Rennes player can also adapt to left back as his second position which may be part of the plan but it’s surely not the ideal solution to the problems over there.
Early days and judgements remain on pause but mixed emotions are on the rise!
Early days but I have to say that if he is going to go into next season with Antonio as his no 1 striker then he is an even bigger fool that I put him down to be. It is quite simple we need a starting number 9 with Antonio as a back up 9, against teams who defend Antonio does not have the ability to open teams up..
Cannot agree that Antonio can do it ‘at his best’ as I’ve said a few times his first touch is poor and he can be like a headless chicken at times. Defenders know by now that he wants to lean into them and roll them, and referees are wise to the tactic and he is not getting the ‘fouls’ he tries for, if not getting away.
There must be better options out there to lead our line.
Mikey was makeshift and will never be a proper striker
We need someone to replace Antonio, leaving him as a backup option. Whilst he has played more games this year, his performance noticeably dips when he plays twice a week.
Why can’t we have a cheap forward like Dennis and a more expensive on like the Seville striker Youssef En-Nesyri, who being Moroccan would help the new Defender settle and vice-versa. Mikel needs to be able to come on for part of a game nowadays, he is getting older.
John ham 1 says it perfectly. Somehow I think moyes will never learn from mistakes . We need 6 at least quality players and kretinsky gave him 100 mill in Jan to do something. Now he has more cash to buy players even more than pelle had and were seeing a centre back hopefully coming in soon and we also need a left back too. If daws goes we either promote alese at last with Ashby and start using 23s that are ready to be back ups longelo too in defence. But we must get in that left back of quality which has been needed for two seasons. Hopefully Newman has given moyes his list and more importantly moyes wakes up and gets in what’s needed to keep rice and bowen for more than one more season otherwise we’re need a top coach who can win things in a years time .
In my opinion, make or break season for Moyes.
Likely we’ll have new owners by the end of it or soon after. They might want their own man. Sullivan has said in the past he sees 3 years as a regular lifecycle for a manager, before it needs a change up.
The plans at the moment seem to me to indicate Moyes has learned nothing about having a small squad…unless it’s being misinterpreted. I’m all for improving the first XI, but you make the players you replace the backups, and their backups go out the door. Not shipping one in one out from the first team, and leaving you short of backup.
If he does this, he’s frankly an idiot. You need more than a strong first 13 or 14 these days.
“unless it’s being misinterpreted. I’m all for improving the first XI, but you make the players you replace the backups, and their backups go out the door. Not shipping one in one out from the first team, and leaving you short of backup.”
Completely agree. Was hoping to see at least 3x new first team players (those they replace becoming the new subs) and 2x new squad players capable of replacing existing first teamers in the next year or so.
Seems to be too much negative news coming out of the camp at the moment. Soucek, Benny, Diop, vlasic all potentially leaving in addition to the out of contract players.. Moysie needs to make a couple of quick signings of note to quieten the noise (Maybe we are already missing Nobes and his influence as club captain!)
We really need to get rid of Moyes A.S.A.P Before he totally destroys our club !!!!!
If Maxwell Cornet is available at 17.5m as reported he looks decent and a Moyes type player, a winger who can play CF, saw Yves Bissouma according to an instagram post had the crossed irons on his avater, as there were very few photos on that, could be a mischievous post imho but would be amazing if we signed him. Ward-Prowse would be amazing too, it’s left back and CB we need some action, Cresswell is great going forward but not the best defensively and consistently is a source of conceded goals or this season red cards, we need someone with more pace and defensive nous to become his replacement over time. At CB go for both Burnley CB’s or at least one of them assuming the french dude is coming and sign Areola permanently. What we do we should do it a lot quicker than normal and pay the price COYI !!!