Blog by Sean Whetstone
I share the disppointment that we are not in the market for a defensive midfielder this summer as it is a big ask for Declan Rice and Tomas Socuke to play in every Premier League, cup and Europa League game next season.
Sure we have Mark Noble in his final year and Pablo Fornals and Manuel Lanzini have also shown they can cover when needed but another young defensive midfielder on the face of it seemed a necessity
It appears David Moyes believes he has enough midfielders who can play in a vareity of roles and wants to priortise other positions beyond retaining Jesse Lingard’s services.
There is a valid argument that quality is more important than quantity when it comes to transfers and that is philosophy that David Moyes subscribes to.
A good centre forward, centre back and Jesse Lingard would be a good summer for the manager assuming he can also keep hold of his existing stars.
Sometimes too many changes in the playing squad can have a destablising effect.
In Moyes we trust!
Got to agree Hammerpete, constantly changing the squad every transfer window doesn’t give stability. We need our youths to step up but not en masse.
I would like to see more of Alves, Coventry and Johnson coming through like the other top clubs are doing. Signings? A young centre forward like Sima, a DCM to accompany Dec and Tomas, Lingard if poss, I think we need a left back.if we go for a keeper then release the others apart from Fab and Trott. Young players please – not Arnie, Geroud or Abraham who can’t get in Chelsea’s team.
What kind of quality defensive midfielder would want to come and spend the majority of their time on the bench though in a club that already has rice and Souchek established in the midfield? For me the better option would be to see if Conor Coventry can step up and play the occasional game off the bench to rest rice or Souchek.
Then Coventry must be given a chance to stake a claim . He needs to be a feature in pre season .
If we accept in principle that Yarmo, Felipe, Balbuena are going, add Lingard to the list and consider that we may lose one or more of Manu; Arthur & Fredericks; then we need 4 players minimum (possibly 5/6) just to stand still in squad terms – with a European campaign and massively raised expectation.
3 new players doesn’t meet that. I assume it will be 3 PLUS judicious loans and frees. But the hope is those players will be trusted,
A delicate job for Moyesie to judge.
We need 4 quality signings and I would be happy with the Fiorentina CB, Kral, Hlozek and Daka and the bonus with Arnie returning. Not that bothered if we get Lingard back.
Appreciate the sentiment, but quality and quantity are not mutually exclusive. The majority of our starting line-up were not expensive but have proved great value. Moyes has been in this situation previously with Everton and always managed to find the right balance.
I trust he will do same for us.