Starting 11 next season

Forster

Matthews Fojut Mulgrew Izzaguirre

Forrest Kayal Ki Mackay-Steven

Samaras Russell
​

Subs

Hooper
Stokes
Ledley
Brown
Rogne
Lustig
Zaluska
Commons

 

As Ive said many times before - Jonny Russell, Gary Mackay-Steven and another CB and we'll be sorted. We need to spend our budget on a CB. we could get the Dundee United pair for £3.5m - £4m. That should leave £3m-£4m to spend on a CB if we manage to offload a couple of duds.

 

There are certainly relatively cheap players we could buy in the summer, who could improve us in the medium-to-long term. And our record on signing them is very good - Kayal, Emilio, Wanyama, Matthews, McGeough, etc. But my point is that when we're talking about qualifying for next season's Champions League, we're not even talking medium term, but extremely short term - before the Scottish season actually starts.

Even if we could afford to buy a real quality striker, we would probably have to wait till towards the end of the window to secure his signature - so he would need to be ready just a matter of a couple of weeks before the crucial games. And there's no guarantee he would be ready so early, either physically or in terms of having slotted into the team. We would probably be better of going with the players who already knew each other, and were part of that existing psychological unit.

If we're buying players over the summer to give us a significant boost in Champs League qualification, it will be for the 2013/14 CL.

 

Interesting to see that not many people have room for Brown!

 

To be honest man, if you're expecting a £7m-£8m player spend over this summer I fear you'll be greatly disappointed. With Rangers on the rocks, I reckon this will be a very canny, sensible summer.

 

Forster
Matthews Rogne Mulgrew Izaguirre
Brown Kayal Ledley Samaras
Forrest
Hooper

Zaluska
Dixon
Wanyama
Ki
Commons
Russell
Stokes

In- Forster, Dixon, Russel & Fojut
​

Punt- M.Wilson, McCourt, Rasmussen, Bangura, Juarez, Cha, Majstorovic & Murphy. Keep the rest.
​

 

..................Forster
Matthews Rogne Mulgrew Izaguirre
..Forrest Kayal/Ledley Brown Samaras
...........Hooper/Stokes/Russell

 

You're probably right. I would love to see us spend a wee bit more and take a gamble on getting into cl groups. Ain't gonna happen though.

 

That was only if we could manage to get £2m for Juarez or somethin like that. Seen as we got Fojut I just really hope we get the Arab tims

 

There are clubs spending a helluva lot more than we will be in the summer to get into the group stages. I still dont think we are at that level and wont get my expectations up for it. If we do qualify great, if not, I would expect a run in the Europa League, where we did well enough in.

We still lack experience in my opinion, quality experience. Either at the back or up front. I would rather we spent our money on two or three good players than * it on a half dozen and hope a couple work out. Bangura being an example.

I felt we should have bought Russel last season and still feel the same. And tie up Forster if its possible before the EPL snap him up.

I would also offload the guys at the end of their contracts. Cha, Dan, Loovens etc along with Ki, Bangura (if possible), McCourt and Kelvin Wilson to free up wages and bring in some dough.

 

We will always be a threat in Scotland which is why I don't understand when we buy people that are at SPL level instead of players that will help us in Europe, I cant see our current squad of players getting too far in Europe... not because I don't think they have what it takes but because a lot of the players haven't experienced too much European or top flight football

 

Everybody seems to have Forster in their side but myself I don't think he is going to sign permanently Have a feeling that Gordon will be signed on a bosman.

 

That Cypriot team who are in the quarter finals just now proves you don't need big players on big wages.its shocking the money we pay to some very average players.this has been a problem for both us and the huns for years because we border the crazy English market.but surely good players would prefer the spl to the likes if the Cypriot league

 

this . mackay steven particularly would be a sensation here . he has it all.

 

Forrest as understudy? U MAD?

 

Forster
Lustig Mulgrew ? Izzy
Ledley Kayal
Forrest McGeouch Samaras
Stokes/Hooper

Thoughts on that?​

 

With the current pool of players I'd go with something along these lines. Didn't realise just how many quality midfielders we had until I started to think about it.

.....................Forster...................
Matthews....Rogne..Mulgrew......Izzy
Forrest.....Brown.....Ledley....Samaras
...............Stokes...Hooper............

Bench: Zaluska, Lustig, Fojut, Kayal, Wanyama, Ki, Bangura

 

.........................Forster..............
Matthews...Wanyama...Mulgrew...Izaguirre
....................Kayal......Ledley........
............Forrest....Russell.....Mackay-Steven
..........................Hooper............

 

It surprises me that some people think Gary Mackay Steven and Johnny Russell would give us a chance in the Chamions League Qualifiers.

These two are quality players at SPL level but not European level and IMO are not a significant improvement on what we already have. They play week in, week out for Dundee Utd and I'm sure if the likes of Commons or McCourt played week in week out they would be just as good.

Yes they are Tims and would be big fan favorites but at the end of the day they will not be very effective against champions league quality opposition and would prob garuntee us the league but nothing more.

If we are going to buy SPL standard players I doubt we will even get through the group stages of the Europa League, which is at the moment, our level.

If we want to get to the Champions League Group Stages, IMO we need to spend at least 15m and the Board are never going to do that because it will mean we are making a loss (club makes 12m from group stages).

We need at least 3 quality players to have a chance of making it to the Groups. A quality striker, a quality centre back and a quality goalkeeper (I don't think Forster is going to sign for us given his statements in the press).

Sorry to be so pessimistic but for next season I'm expecting a league win and Europa League Group Stage/Second Round. A similar season to this season unless the Board show some ambition. I also expect a couple of our first team players to leave such as Ki and Forster.