An improvement on 8th next season. What’s needed?

[Manwell Pablo]

1 hour ago, Col city fan said:

There’s quite a few posts tonight claiming that some are happy with finishing 8th, some are, but unhappy with the points tally etc etc.

And the Rodgers in/out debate rages on.

Taking the hypothetical argument that our injury list NEXT season will be ‘normal’ (for want of a better term), what is needed for the club to get back into Europe next term?

It is playing personnel? Is it ‘managerial’ changes? What about tactical changes?

Whats going to make a difference, going forward?

Lets hear the suggestions 

👍

Not having half the tram crocked for most of the season would be a start and obviously need someone to come in fill the gap Tielemans is going to leave.

[Jobyfox]

To improve we need the same as we usually need in any close season:

 

Keep hold of our best players 

A good transfer window (certainly better than the last one). We’ll almost certainly need some creative CMs, a winger (or two) and a CB. 
 

Once the season starts we need:

Better luck with injuries 

Not repeating the same mistakes in defence 

 

It’s likely to be even more competitive in the top ten and, to finish higher than eighth, we might need some of the other teams to make mistakes or have a bad season. I’m hoping that Newcastle’s signings don’t gel and Ten Hag doesn’t start the Old Trafford recovery 

[cityfanlee23]

- Left Back,
- Centre Back who can dominate the area, 
- Right Winger,
- Left winger to compete with Barnes,
- Central mid to compete with Madders,
- Goalkeeper to replace Kasper should he leave,
- CM to replace Tielemans when he leaves
- New Coaching staff who can teach us to defend corner
- New manager (half joking with this one, really poor for much of the season this year, if Rodgers stays I will be content, if he goes I'll be content)

 

[Pita]

Going above 8th place next season is not going to be easy. With the so called big 6 plus money bags Newcastle 

[Shane]

50 minutes ago, StriderHiryu said:

LEADERSHIP is what’s needed!
 

 

Hopefully the recent signings of

Vestergaard/Bertrand hasn’t put us off from going for experienced players.

 

It’s a risk, but if you get it right like we did with Cambiasso and Huth for example, these type of players can really elevate your team. Leadership and a winning mentality is what we are lacking. 
 

If we sign 6 players like Percy suggested, I would argue that at least 2, maybe 3 of them should be leaders on the pitch.. 

 

 

[LestaAl]

Need some of our competitors to lose some of their financial income - same as always really.

[fazzyfox]

OK Perez today has made the following sound Ill-timed but a RW who is a constant goal threat week in week out plus two nasty b****** CBs nominally replacing Soyuncu and Frankensteins Monster. The Tielemans situation may need addressing but however unglamorous it sounds we need leaders and nasty so and so’s to see out the tough times. 

[sacreblueits442]

2 hours ago, Col city fan said:

There’s quite a few posts tonight claiming that some are happy with finishing 8th, some are, but unhappy with the points tally etc etc.

And the Rodgers in/out debate rages on.

Taking the hypothetical argument that our injury list NEXT season will be ‘normal’ (for want of a better term), what is needed for the club to get back into Europe next term?

It is playing personnel? Is it ‘managerial’ changes? What about tactical changes?

Whats going to make a difference, going forward?

Lets hear the suggestions 

👍

...we have actually exhausted this topic, answers have been posed and rebutted!!!

Lets just wait till next season.

[foxfanazer]

An ambition to do better. Sounds simplistic but all of this downplaying and acceptance seems to have lowered the standards. We've got some cracking players and the 5th(?) Best paid manager in the league. A summer with no football and therefore no injuries will help massively too! 

[StriderHiryu]

18 minutes ago, Shane said:

Hopefully the recent signings of

Vestergaard/Bertrand hasn’t put us off from going for experienced players.

 

It’s a risk, but if you get it right like we did with Cambiasso and Huth for example, these type of players can really elevate your team. Leadership and a winning mentality is what we are lacking. 
 

If we sign 6 players like Percy suggested, I would argue that at least 2, maybe 3 of them should be leaders on the pitch.. 

 

 

I'd agree but those players can be a big risk because you can't shift them.

 

They might have been relegated, but Tarkowski is a centre back that is vocal and puts his body on the line. I think he would be a shred signing if we could pick him up.

 

Midfielders I'm not sure of because you need a lot of gas in the tank in the Premier League. Maybe the only exception to that I can think of is Moutinho for Wolves who has that leadership and calmness on the ball, but even his legs are going these days. Witsel has been mentioned, but I think he's no longer got the legs for our league.

 

I think the most likely fix is KDH to ascend to captain material if I am being honest!

[FosseSpark]

Iversen back

Sangare, De Ketalaere, Madueke in

Tielemans, Soyuncu out

 

 

[Ian Nacho]

Not being in Europe is bound to help. 

[StriderHiryu]

Regarding leadership it's worth noting that AC Milan won the scudetto today years after being in the doldrums. They have a very young team but have 3 veterans within their ranks, Simon Kjaer, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Oliver Giroud. Kjaer and Zlatan especially have brilliant leadership and winning mentality.

[sheffield_fox]

At least 7th, I'd say

[I blame Wellens]

Better fans 

[Lesta2014]

Don’t give away leads in added time to spurs and West Ham and we’d have European football again! Fine margins and injuries didn’t help! 
 

ultimately not found us too entertaining particularly the middle chunk of the season so let’s hope for leics injuries and more consistency for players next year.

[Cadno'r Cymoedd]

2 hours ago, coolhandfox said:

Full fit Vardy, Fofana, Evans, Wilf for 38 games would be a start

 

Then a new RW and CM 

When, if, Wilf learns to pass, he will be a much better footballer. 

[Cadno'r Cymoedd]

If Schmeichel goes, Pope would be a good signing. 

[Haywood_6]

Tall, tough and physical players over 6ft. 

 

Fewer injuries to key players.

 

Conceding less goals from set pieces.

 

Better game management at the end of games. 

 

3/4 new signings who improve the quality of our starting lineup.

[Ric Flair]

2 hours ago, Kinowe Soorie said:

A couple of six foot tall, physical players. Would make a huge difference to the team.

It's going to be interesting to see if we do bring more in, Rodgers says he's going to fix the set piece issue but also doesn't like players who are only good in the air, hence why he has no interest in a tall striker as an alternative option. He won't fix the issue without a shift in mentality, aggression and better headerers of the ball.

[Bablemikey]

It’s going to be tough next term and I think it’ll be a pivotal season for us. Get it right & we should be looking at European football, but get it wrong & we’ll be falling further down the table and will find it increasingly difficult.
We need the defensive coaches to step up & find a way to stop us conceding so many goals from set plays.

we need the scouting team to uncover some genuine talent that will really improve the starting 11. 
We need to perform on the pitch & build some momentum. I don’t feel we ever really got going this season primarily because of so many injuries.

 

simples.

 

[TJB-fox]

Sort out set pieces and injury situation (easier said than done - can both of these be sorted over the summer? I doubt it) and we’ll be challenging for top 6 again I think. 
 

Add in one or two quality signings and we’ll be fine.

[MalletFox]

I don’t want to be overly optimistic, but I’m struggling not to! Without European football, generally a week between games. If we can simply manage the injury list, the key one being Vardy, then we WILL get European football through the league, I have little doubt.

 

Vards is due a 20+ goal season, and if he plays >33 games he’ll get it!

 

I look at replacing Youri as an opportunity, rather than a huge negative. Yes we will miss his passing through the lines, but we have an opportunity to strengthen in different ways. 

[Beachyboy]

its fine margins i'd say 1 quality CB, a quality CM, 2 if/when Tielemans leaves, an a RW with fewer games next season, i'd like next season to at least by more like West hams Season this season, so 7th Minimum an a domestic semi final, though with Newcastle probably doing better, Villa and possibly Everton also doing better, it won't be easy.

[fleckneymike]

We need to sign players to start games rather than to bolster the squad. 
 

Last summer’s signings were exclusively squad players and that’s never good. You need competition and as an attacking and defensive force our squad has never offered that over the last year to 18 months.