Yeah i'd really like Rodriguez and Bentley, but i think if we're really going to make the next step up to win the league, we need a left midfielder like Silva. Him and Babel are both so young, and could become so, so good.

I think we need to break the bank to make the step up. We need another match winner.

Why can't Hicks just sell to DIC!

Rodriguez would be a great bit of buisness... he wont sell cause he's a muppet....dont forget if valencia do get relegated there gonna have to sell at cut price deals so silva might not be 20 mil could maybe pinch him for half that

I wonder, Sticky my man... could Barry be lined up to make the left-back berth his own? I think we're obviously in the market for strong players in the full-back positions, both ones who can attack and defend, and i think he could do a really good job. He's played the role enough for Villa to be able to cope. This whilst in the same instance offering very good cover for Alonso. If that were the plan i'd be all for it. If we were signing him for the left-wing or to replace Xabi i'd be less happy, especially with the former.

By the sounds of it we won't be spending huge amounts. I think we will need 4-5 players, as Benitez has cited... I'm expecting Riise, Finnan, Pennant, Kewell and perhaps Crouch to leave in the summer, so they all need replacing.

Degen seems a done deal, and Barry could be on his way. That could be the full-backs sorted, depending on Rafa's thinking. Then we're mainly after two wingers to go with Benayoun and Babel.

My favourable targets would be Silva and Modric for the left; other targets pale in comparison for me. Sign either of them and i think they'd lift our side immensely. However, we may struggle if we're on a tight budget. But getting Maxi Rodriguez on a free would be a terrific deal... I didn't know he was available on a Bosman.

First choice would be something like Silva/Modric and Rodriguez; second choice something like Young/Bentley and Valencia (from the names speculated about). I just hope we make one quality acquisition to play the right or left wing (dependant on which Babel takes up, but i think he should be on the right).

Then in attack i'd like someone like Zigic, or maybe Zarate (Benitez is said to be an admirer). Definitely someone who can impact on a game though.

Something like this would be so good:


----------------------Torres

---Silva------------.Gerrard-----------Babel

-------------Masche---------Alonso

---Barry-----Agger----.----Carra-----Degen
-------------./Carra-------.-/Skrtel

----------------------Reina


Carson: £5m-£8m
Finnan: £0m - £1m
Riise: £4m - £6m
Guthrie: £1m-£2m
Pennant: £6m - £8m
Kewell: Free
Voronin: £1m-£3m
TOTAL: £17m-£28m

Degen: Free
Barry: £10m-£15m
Rodriguez: Free
Silva: £15m-£20m
[b]TOTAL: £25m-£35m

I don't see why that's not achievable. And if Crouch were to leave the money recouped would basically just go back out to bring someone in.

We missed out on Modric. Spurs got him!

Jono showed me: http://Tottenhamhotspur.com/index.html

I doubt we were actually interested in him. He wouldn't of chosen Tottenham over Champions League football, especially after coming out and saying he'd be honoured if we were interested.

I'm a little amazed he's not held out for a bigger club mind.

He would have been a great addition to our left side or even cover for Gerrard in the centre. Babel is too right-foot minded to play left.

I know, i was hoping we'd get him. But that's that and like i say we probably were never really interested to any great degree.

I just hope Benitez has a quality signing up his sleeve somewhere, else we're going to face increasing pressure from sides like Tottenham, Man City and Newcastle*. We need to go one better and sign David Silva! Easier said than done mind, and i woulnd't be surprised if we didn't, as Gazza said, break the bank for a second season running.


*Assuming they made drastic changes in the summer.

Hahaha, kinda like Berbs, Bale, and Hutton did too?

Okay, he wouldn't of chosen Tottenham over a Premier League side with Champions League football. Or more than likely he wouldn't of.

I think Spurs just reaped the rewards of acting while no-one else did. Good for them.

But hey if you want to tell yourself you fended off Liverpool, Barcelona, Chelsea etc. for him then be my guest.

thats a pity about modric though still think silva,vicente or joaquin are as good if not better we just better pull the finger out and stregthen the team....

Please dont let it be degen ive seen him play 4 or 5 times and i know thats not enough to make a fair judgement but he was so dodgy in most of them except 1....

If you guys werent interested then your loss, hes better than anyone you have playing on the sides of midfield at the moment.

That remains to be seen he could be one of many good players to flop in the premership and babel is equally as good on his day

No we've already seen it, where you been for the last 2 years?

If you read about two posts upwards i did say i hoped we'd sign him. I'm just saying i don't think Benitez was actually interested, despite us being linked with him, that's all.

Yeh in the crotian league hardly the most dynamic and hardest league and the international stage is quite different than the premership.... im not saying the guys not a good player i would have really liked him at Liverpool just saying he might find it hard to adjust

Jono, you can't go saying he's better than players like Gerrard and Mascherano yet. No way. Maybe in the future he could be, but not yet.

Anyway, i'm not bothered about losing out on him. I didn't really want him anyway. I want a proper winger, not a central midfielder that would get shoved out on the wing. Gimme Silva over him any day.

I deliberately didnt say that if you read carefully, I said any players you play on the wings to specifically exclude those two.

Oh right, sorry.

I guess you're right then.


EDT: I see what you did there. Sneaky. tried catching me out didn't you. You put ''sides of your midfield'', so when i read it quickly it looked like your side's midfield.

ahhh well i didnt want to call him a winger per se

Who do you want or think you will sign to play on the wing for you?Or do you think he would play there?


Surely he's going to be the man everything goes through through the middle. The man to orchestrate the play.


Does this finally signal the end for Jenas? Do you think Madric will be accompanied by Huddlestone in the middle, or will Ramos by a better defensive midfielder?