pufcfanno1
15 years ago
10 years ago
11
I have started a game with West Brom and with a couple of quality signings (Wellington Nem, Ezequiel Cirigliano & Adryan) and some luck (Coming back from 1-0 down to draw 1-1 with Man Utd's 9 men and a 1-0 win over 10 man Arsenal), I have finished 2012 in the top four. However, if I'm to remain up there I feel I need to strengthen almost every area of my squad.

I'm happy with Ben Foster in goal and Boaz Myhill is a reasonable backup but I would like a young goalkeeper to train up and eventually take over from Foster as number 1.

At right back I have Steven Reid with Billy Jones and Gonzalo Jara as backup. I'm happy with this at the moment but feel this is an area I will need to improve very soon.

At left back I have Liam Ridgewell and Goran Popov. Popov is on loan and I don't rate him enough to buy him so I'll be looking to replace him by the end of the season.

At centre back I have Craig Dawson, Jonas Olssen, Gareth McAuley and Donervon Daniels. Dawson & Daniels both have potential to be very good, McAuley is 33 and will need to be replaced soon and Olssen is out of contract at the end of the season so he may also need to be replaced.

One area of the team that I am happy with is my Defensive Midfielders. Youssuf Mulumbu, Claudio Yacob, Ezequiel Cirigliano and George Thorne are all great players with a good few years left in them.

On the right side of midfield I have Zoltan Gera, he's 33 years old and out of contract at the end of the season so I really need to look at one or two right wingers fairly urgently. James Morrison is capable of covering but ideally I'll want to get 2 new faces.

On the left side of midfield we have Chris Brunt, Jerome Thomas and Yassine El Ghanassy. Thomas is always injured and not the best backup so with Ghanassy only on loan this is another area of the team I'll be needing to strengthen by the end of the season.

In attacking midfield I have Wellington Nem, Graham Dorrans, James Morrison (who is mainly filling in at right midfield at the moment) and Adryan who is learning from Morrison and will hopefully be a big part of the future. This is another area I'm happy with.

Finally, I have my strikers. Shane Long, Romelu Lukaku, Markus Rosengerg, and Chris Wood. I would really like to sign Lukaku on a permanent deal but not sure that's realistic so I think I may be looking for another good quality striker at the end of the season.

So, it's 1st January, I have around £7m from the sales of Fortune, Tamas and Odemwingie and I'm looking to improve most of the squad. Can anyone give me any ideas? I think the first thing I'll be looking for is a right winger, but I wouldn't mind having some funds left for other areas too.
Henry Mears
11 years ago
9 years ago
37
If you're in urgent need of a right winger during the January transfer window, take a look at Nathan Redmond, he can be signed for roughly £5,000,000.

End of the season and depending on funds, Steven Caulker becomes a solid central defender, Luke Shaw has the potential to be England's first choice left back and Ademilson is good striker with a release clause of about £6,000,000.

I also doubt Chelsea will be willing to sell Romelu Lukaku.
pufcfanno1
15 years ago
10 years ago
11
Redmond wasn't even slightly interested due to it being Birmingham to West Brom.

Signed Nicolas Lopez to play on the right wing, he's a 19 year old Uruguayan with good potential. Cost me £6.5m though.

I also picked up a couple of young italian players for the future Ivan Rondanini a young right back from AC Milan and Gennaro Tutino a young right winger from Napoli. Both have started well in my U18s team and look good for the future.

I got Boaz Myhill & Zoltan Gera to sign new contracts to keep as backup for now, but still need a good shake up at the end of the season, especially if I get into Europe.

Any suggestions for strengthening other positions would be welcomed, as would any suggestions for U18 players who would become Home Grown.

Cheers.
Bigrob8917
13 years ago
3 months ago
4
Perhaps Mason Bennett from Derby? Given the right training, he can become a great shadow striker. He is quite talented, he performed really well in my Southampton team in 2015 and continued to do so, even becoming a key player in winning the cup, championship and reaching the quarter finals of the champions league in 2019.
pufcfanno1
15 years ago
10 years ago
11
Ok guys, I finished my first season in 6th place which puts me into the Europa League for next season. My board have given me £6.5m for a transfer budget.

Jonas Olssen is out of contrect and demanding a massive wage hike to stay at the club. Jerome Thomas is also out of contract but I'm undecided about offering him a new contract.

Goran Popov, Yassine El Ghanassy and Romelu Lukaku have all gone back to thei original clubs.

So, I think my main focus now should be a left back, possibly a young backup to develop, a centre back and a left winger if I let Thomas go.

Mason Bennett was snapped up by Arsenal, Ademilson still has his release clause but not sure that a striker is priority at the moment. Might see what I have left though.

Luke Shaw is a player I have looked at and is under consideration but if anyone has any other ideas let me know.

Cheers.
Henry Mears
11 years ago
9 years ago
37
Have a look at Jores Okore, he is a cheap, young central defender.
pufcfanno1
15 years ago
10 years ago
11
Okore looks a useful player, but Nicolas Lopez was struggling to adapt to the English game and Diego Lugano was available from PSG. I couldn't afford his wages so I got him on loan for the season. Hopefully it will give me an experienced Centre Back to help Dawson & Daniels progress, whilst also helping Lopez to settle this season.

I also signed Florent Malouda on a free transfer and Nicolas Gaitan on loan to improve my left wing options.

Hrvoje Cale was a last minute, deadline day signing to provide cover at left back, purely because other left backs worth buying were too expensive or uninterested.

I also managed to get Lukaku back on loan, so I'm hoping I may be able to convince him to sign on a full transfer at the end of the season.

Finally, since I didn't have a single potential first team player in my youth intake, I added goalkeeper, Max Schutz (released by Bayern), Defender Marcel Bajric (Hertha BSC) and strikers Juan Jose Porcel (Malaga) & Johnny Christensen (FC Midtjylland) (some may be regens).
pufcfanno1
15 years ago
10 years ago
11
Here is my first choice 11 when everyone is fully fit...

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o231/pufcfanno1/FM2013/FirstXI.jpg

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