Manuel Pellegrini made an almost throwaway remark towards the end of his post match press conference today after the Newcastle match was probably as important as anything he has said in pre-season.
As is his style, he left it hanging there tantalisingly allowing us to make as much or little of it as we want whilst he remained as calm and laid back as ever.
It almost lined up with what we have been hearing regularly from inside the club since the club following the arrival of record signing Seb Haller …but not quite.
The script appears to be that we have finished buying and given that Pelle is not a great believer in loans that may well be it for this summer.
However, the manager left the door very slightly ajar although frankly it really would come as a big surprise were another striker to appear.
The manager probably didn’t need mean to tease but his words are likely to be examined very closely indeed by those looking for clues.
He said: “In this moment, we have Sebastien Haller who just arrived at the club and we also have Javier Hernandez and Antonio, who are two players who can also play as a striker.
“Until the last day or the last hour of the transfer market, you can make changes but I think, in this moment, with those players we have good options.”
Sounds to me as though he believes – in these circumstances – he has his squad but Pellegrini is probably the most enigmatic manager in the game.
Your thoughts?
We need a back up striker to be honest as Hernandez is not going to push Haller . We also need another CDM going by today’s game there’s to many gaps at the back , to easy to get in behind us and that’s got to improve. COYI ⚒
Agree. I don’t know why MP doesn’t like loans but jve always heard that. I get not wanting a loan with no option. But instead of Sanchez last summer would of rather had loan. He could be CB cover. I’m more worried about CM/DM then another CF bc Obaing is off & Cullen looks to go to Charlton. We are finally linked w the Chilean I like Erick Pilgar only £10m buyout clause for him too is cheap well rounded 6’2 enforcer but great ranger of passing to move play fwd, goals from range & dead balls 6 goals last seaosn 2 from set pieces & threat in box w headers. Tackles blocks passing goals be great to sot bedside Rice protect back & move play while chipping in goals.
With Man U Arsenal & Chelsea all having issues this is best chance to crack the opt 6 tho Chelsea’s squad is still strong w youth & loans & Arsenal too but we have chance & Leicester done greay business. I wanted James Justin we are linekd w Monaco RB Sodibe I like him but out the blue would like a RB who can cover LB too.
**** For a 2nd CF if we get I’d love too see Husillos duo back into Brazil Fluminense Pedro (not Joao bought by Watford rho is great) lil older just turned 22 but 6’1 fast strong well rounded CF scored yesterday has 5 goals in 8 for this half season & had 8 in 13 last half. 33 in 80 in all bhr has really kicked on 2018 in to 2019. Nkr bad for kid just turned 22 week ago. They are kod season but even if we could work a deal to buy & pick on in Jan I think would be smart move before big money offers Starr coming in
We need another striker, central holding midfielder and a left back. The biggest issue for me is the formation we play. We play the same system no matter who is available and whoever we play. We will cut to pieces against city at home first game, we need to set up like wolves did to give us a chance and break at pace and in numbers. Our full backs (Ryan and Arthur) are both very quick and need to get forward as much as possible but the rest of the team needs to get behind the ball and be more compact. We have too many forward type players on the pitch the balance is wrong. Until this is addressed we will achieve nothing however good the buying has been the manager needs to step up.
Judging from the Asia Cup performances, we need to improve the defence. There were some quite alarming lapses there & it needs sorting. You can make exciting signings viz Haller, Fornals etc, but without a solid defence you are going nowhere, That is where West Ham are going this season, unless the defence is sorted out – that is the priority
Inevitably it will be about available funds. As we gave away Byram, the potential sales of Obiang, Hugill & Cullen aren’t going to bring in mega bucks.
I think we are all agreed that we are lightweight up front & have issues at the back but we are where we are.
Working with what we have, Johnson can cover both FB positions, Zaba or Nobes could cover DM & would certainly do a better job than Sanchez. And a fit Xande Silva hasn’t been talked about yet!
Based on our performance v Newcastle, my thoughts are “Here we go again!” but then I remembered that the Tynesiders are used to running around in hot and humid conditions. Actually:
1. I’m looking forward to seeing our new signings (that’s postive!)
2. I sincerely hope that Declan Rice doesn’t get injured … ever.
3. I wish Ben Johnson had a left-footed twin.
4. I hope Fabianski, Diop and Balbuena enjoy keeping busy.
Remember – If the answer is Sanchez, what on earth is the question?
Can’t improve unless we strengthen CDM and defence – if that is it on transfers, expect to ship buckets of goals ( again) and pot shots from the opposition at poor old Fabianski who again looks like he’s going to be overworked !!
Another underwhelming season looms……………
If Diop and Balbuena stay fit as well as Zaba and Fab we should be ok defensively in the league at least. We as well as the chasing pack will never have a better chance of making top 4 or 6 top 3 spuds Liverpool city again the rest for this season anyway imho are up for grabs VAR is our 12th man for the last 6 seasons we have been pummelled by bad decisions. With the amount of possession we have every game with MP we should see huge gains. Last season our problem was beating the teams around and below us, if we could change that and keep or improve our record against the current top 6 we will be in dreamland COYI !!!
Above all else we need a new LB (either sell Masuaku or ONLY use him as Anderson’s back-up – he is an awful LB!)… followed by a 3rd quality CB to compete with Balbuena & Diop (Ogbonna has never been good enough for anything but 4th choice and Reid is now too unreliable)… 3rd we need a decent back-up DCM for Rice (especially as we seem to have messed up Oxford’s development which should have been at DCM and NOT CB) … we have more than enough creative players & wingers (with more coming through from the U23’s) but we will need another CF at some stage. No established CF will want to come as a bench-warmer, so we’ll need to find a young up-and-comer who is willing to wait for his big chance while getting a few minutes off the bench or an older player, someone like Llorente who is reliable, will score his goals, but doesn’t mind being on the bench every week.