alias75

I really want Alves here next season, especially if we're going to be playing 3 at the back more often hes ideal to bomb up and down that right hand side. Then we only need someone for the left side.

No formations yet im shocked!

or even as the most advanced centrally in a 3-5-2

Interesting comments about Gerrard wide right and Masch and Alonso as the holding 2, thats how i see us setting up for a lot of games (if he joins) That would give us a very solid 2 in midfield holding and it allows the other 4 players to concentrate solely on attack knowing they have protection. For most home games you can add in the 2 full backs as attacking threats too. Be interested to see how Sissoko is used too, we know Rafa is a very pragmatic manager im sure he didnt expect a player of Mascherano's quality to become available and for all Momos strengths he still has to improve basic elements of his game. Providing Mascherano is a success it could mean Sissoko is used more sparingly and for certain types of games. Maybe even as an impact player for the last 30min of games where players are tiring and we can use his high energy to go beserk in shorter spells.

I think the difference is now theres a huge number of hispanics in various parts of the US ive recently been to Miami and theres a majority of Spanish speakers there, these are people that are already football nuts.

Arent we in the process of opening some academies in the US too, theres a huge number of hispanics crazy about football in the US now, its obviously a huge market and one we could get an edge in.

Moores and Parry are coming accross as a pair of clowns completely out of their depth when dealing with real powerful succesful businessmen. I love the way the echo turned it into a positive that the Americans had only taken 3 days to check the books over! As if thats a good thing ffs.. At this moment things are going well on the pitch, the recent run of results has maybe showed we dont need Chelsea like investment in order to win the PL but more its about preparing well at the start of the season and not making too many changes all at once. The new stadium is obviously a huge move but maybe the way Arsenal have done things is a better way than getting into big debt in order for it to happen.

Giles Barnes didnt figure for Derby today, he wasnt injured which suggests hes off in the window. Hes a player we have been linked with before although he'll probably go to Tottenham.

played 20 times this season for Depor according to soccernet he did start their last league match a couple of days ago.

Another 18 month loan deal, seems a good strategy to get them in cheaply and have a good look at them before committing to a big contract.

We have the option to buy him back for 600,000 i think after 2 or 3 years. Im not sure what say Barragan has in that if we want to activate that clause but he doesnt want to come here im not sure what will happen. As an example lets says hes a regular for Depor next season and plays 30+ games in La Liga even if we dont want him for the first team his value would be well in excess of 600,000 so we'd be stupid not to activate that clause even if its to sell him on for say 3,000,000. At the moment hes not starting at Depor though think hes played about 10 games there. Right back could be a position he could fill though in a few years.

I think Mourinho described him as the "next Makalele" so thats obviously the kiss of death. Its nice to get the bluenose's worrying anyway even if the link is rubbish.

Its always going to take a special player to force their way into our first team at a very young age. However i would have liked our squad to be made up more of academy products than it is currently. Right and left back for example are 2 positions where id like our #1 backup to be a young player from the academy. I also agree that we need to loan more players out to UK clubs, what was the point of loaning Le Tallec and Pongolle back to a French team when they were going to be playing PL football? I thought we had a relationship with Crewe they could do with some good young players at the moment and some of our young players would really benefit from first team football where it matters even if its in the Championship. I like the way Rafa is bringing in these young players from overseas though, its a very low risk strategy with lots of potential, if only 1 or 2 of this batch make the first team squad in the next 3 years its money well spent, and those that dont make it will have had a good grounding at a top club that will benefit teams lower down the league.

I guess we can include Barragan in there, still think we may take up the option we have on him. At the very least playing in La Liga for 2 seasons must increase his value, if we have the option to buy him back for around 600,000 in 2 years and his actual value is in the millions we'd be stupid not to take that option even if its with the intent to sell him.

If hes in the Holland U19 team that suggests at least hes the best they have for his age group. (not withstanding the odd exceptional player that plays for the full international side at a young age). Hes also top scorer for the team hes playing with at Ajax so hes obviously got ability. Making the next step up is obviously a huge challenge but we are starting to assemble some very highly rated young players. If only 2 or 3 of them make the first team squad in the next 4 or 5 years it would have been worthwhile. And even those that dont make it im sure we'll get transfer fees for some of them too. This strategy is very low risk with plenty of upside.

I just think its a question of numbers, against weaker opposition when we're dominating and they have 10 men behind the ball fair enough we dont need 2 holding type midfielders in there (i wouldnt class Momo as a holding midfielder by the way) but for certain games especially away from home we've seen that if Gerrard's making those runs from the middle we are vunerable against good sides that counter attack well. Having the 2 holding players in there gives us more protection, and formation wise we have 4 players who's primary job is to attack, away from home especially we dont get those numbers forward often enough. Its all about options for Rafa, we've seen Stevie and Xabi work very well in certain types of games and then in other types of games it doesnt work, you cant approach every opposition the same way.

Fair point but i was thinking more about games against the other big sides where we've struggled to create chances. If you look at the games we've lost this year the vast majority we've scored 0 we haven't lost games 2-1 or 3-2 we've lost them 1-0 or 2-0, when we are creating lots of chances the goals flow but against the top sides and sometimes away from home we dont create enough.

Interesting, its clear then, (given the Mascherano link) that Rafa wants another holding midfielder which you could interpret as him still seeing Gerrard playing not in central midfield all the time. I think especially away from home its important to have that strong defensive setup, in many of the games we've lost we've been holding our own but the first goal has killed us, i could definitely see us playing a 4-2-3-1 away from home with Alonso and another out and out holding midfielder as the 2. From an attacking standpoint we've also struggled and while Gerrard is doing a great job with Xabi at the moment id like to see him playing without any real defensive duties so he can focus entirely on scoring and creating (his natural energy will mean he still tracks back etc..)

Was this before or after Mascherano?

It is a Romario (check out the January transfer thread) hes a striker

Since when has scoring a 25 yarder past Dudek been an achievement?

Rafa certainly know about him with Malcolm Elias here, left back is a position we could strengthen but with the young Argentinian here maybe Rafa thinks we have a similar player ability wise for much less money. The fee is obviously stupid for a kid, but i have seen this guy play in the flesh for Wales and hes very assured for a young player with a great left foot. He plays like Agger in that hes very composed and never flustered.

the fee being quoted is 5 million, not sure why he hasnt played more this season but that would be my main concern. Fergusson doesnt sell many that go on to prove him wrong, maybe he hasnt recovered from his injury as they'd hoped he would.

Thats fair enough but if he isnt confident enough in his own ability to force his way into the team we dont want him either. Rafa wants to sign him so he obviously likes him as a player, that should be enough. It seems from that article that because of the interest from other teams Neils people are trying to squeeze more money out of us, if hes happy playing for West Ham or Newcastle on more money then good luck to him, but its not as if he'd be badly paid here is it?

He strikes me as the type of player that will end up in Spain, but if he would sign for another PL side i hope we'd be interested. Given Rafa's penchant for Argies im sure he'd consider him, especially as left back is a problem position at the moment. But i agree for Utd to deal with us it would take Heinze to show an interest in playing here.