Should they stay or should they go now!?

I should start this by saying the blog is based on the assumption that we manage to survive this season. This is going to be a long one as I look at the squad & state whether I would keep or sell & who I would potential look to as a replacement. This is purely a bit of fun as I don’t expect wide changes to the squad as money will be tight for the next couple seasons in my opinion. When looking at the current team & replacements I will do so based on Moyes comments in wanting to adopt the model of Red Bull & taking risks on younger players.

Lukasz Fabianski

It’s been a tough season for Fabianski & WHU fans alike with his injury ruling him out for months which saw a steep downward turn in results. Has taken a bit of time to get himself back to fitness as the Liverpool game proved with uncharacteristic mistakes, but he has been phenomenal since signing. Now we have had a break with Covid-19 he will have had all the rest he needed and return stronger. If there is anyone who could help save us from a relegation it could be this man.

Keep/Sell: Keep

Replacement options: N/A

Darren Randolph

As back up Randolph is a decent option and not likely to rock the boat as number 2 with him also counting to our HG number too. Having Randolph around also means that we can send Trott out for another season to gain more experience too.

Keep/Sell: Keep

Replacement options: N/A

David Martin

David Martin WHU born & breed got to make the debut of his dreams helping WHU beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge much to the delight of all in claret & blue. Has a year left on his contract & worth keeping around not only for the HG count but a good character to have around the club.

Keep/Sell: Keep

Replacement options: N/A

Roberto

Arrived with some positive reports & seen as a bit of a coup to get a good shot stopper … then we saw him play. Unfortunately for us & Pellegrini he played one too many games which cost all involved. Has a year left on his 2 year deal but needs to go for his own good as well as ours

Keep/Sell: Sell, release …. just anything to move away

Replacement options: Trott (ideally sent on loan), Anang

Pablo Zabaleta

Zabaleta has been a brilliant professional and always given 100% for the club since signing, but his time is rightfully at an end with his contract finishing at the end of the season. The hope is that with Zabaleta leaving this gives Ben Johnson the opportunity to step up & challenge for the spot.

Keep/Sell: Out of Contract

Replacement options: Ben Johnson

Ryan Fredericks

Fredericks has so much pace that it is infuriating that it we really see it in an attacking sense. Whilst he is a decent player, he often having to rely on his pace to compensate for poor positional play & awareness. Even though Fredericks has shown in glimpses that he could be a quality RB he just hasn’t moved on who offer not very much in either direction.

When you look at the market there are stronger players in his position and younger too. My personal pick would be Moussa Wague from the possible replacements and someone Barca are willing to let go as they continue to use their young players to fund questionable transfers.

Keep/Sell: Sell

Replacement options: Matty Cash, Jayden Bogle, Moussa Wague, Nathan Ferguson & Timothy Castagne

Winston Reid

Reid as far as I am concerned has been an amazing servant for the past 10 years & if not for his injuries would likely be a key defender still. A testimonial has been well earned & deserves to use this as a farewell game to the fans. Reid has given me two amazing memories such as the smashing one in against Millwall to beat them at Upton Park. The other will forever live long in the memory “HE ROSE SO HIGH… NEARLY TOUCHED THE SKY… 2-1 DOWN, 3-2 UP! ITS MEANT TO BE. ITS SURELY MEANT TO BE, IN CLARET AND BLUE” … Goosebumps every time!!

Injuries have denied us Reid for almost 18 months also still has 3 seasons left of a mind boggling & ill advised 6 year deal. If we could get a few million for him I would thank him for his services with a testimonial and move on. Cardoso prior to signing was supposedly highly rated so now could be the time to provide more exposure with the first team & easy him into the EPL.

Keep/Sell: Testimonial & Sell

Replacement options: Cardoso can provide cover as 5th choice

Angelo Ogbonna

Ogbonna has probably at this point been the Hammer of the Year with some solid performance in what has been an inconsistent season for many at the back. At 32 he brings an experienced head & by all accounts is quite a character which every squad needs. There have been times this year where the defense has been all at sea with Ogbonna being the only port in the storm, but that is not to say he has had his moments too.

I do like Ogbonna and his experience would be essential going into another season although for me he would be 3rd choice helping to develop the younger CBs in our squad.

Keep/Sell: Keep

Replacement options: N/A

Fabien Balbuena

Balbuena came in last season & was true to his name “The General”. For whatever reason he has really struggled this season with the movement & pace of the opposition. The Burnley game at Turf Moor epitomised this when caught in possession as the last man due to a heavy touch after moving his feet too slowly. I would like to think that this season has simply been a blip & he’ll come back stronger for it as a good professional, but not sure his pace & ability on the ball is enough.

Should a decent offer come in over the summer I would take it and look to invest in young Portuguese CB Eduardo Quaresma from Sporting Lisbon. It would be an ambitious deal to try and achieve with him potentially looking higher, but at 18 we could be the perfect stepping stone for him. This deal if we could pull off is exactly the type of move a RB team would make that when bears fruit is very lucrative. The major stumbling block though in any deal is likely the relationship with the “Dildo Brothers” as dubbed by the Lisbon hierarchy.

Keep/Sell: Sell

Replacement options: Jérôme Onguéné, Ben Godfrey, Eduardo Quaresma

Issa Diop

Been and up and down season for Issa Diop considering how consistent he was last season. It could be argued that all the interest distracted him slightly combined with issues at Goalkeeper disrupted his performance more than we would have hoped. Prior to the enforced break he was starting to get back to his standard set from last season & becoming a great threat at set pieces too.

Diop is likely our 2nd biggest asset when it comes to a potential sale, but I would resist as much as I could. Diop is a player you ideally build around where should you get the right partner for him will flourish & allow us to have a solid base to build from. His aggression is a huge asset for us especially when complemented by the right partner comfortable playing in a deeper role & tidying up loose ends.

Keep/Sell: Keep

Replacement options: N/A

Arthur Masuaku

Masuaku is a player that really could be a good left back & statistically his numbers always look pretty good, but with Masuaku there is always a “but”. He rarely loses the ball, effective tackler, can whip in a good ball & pace, but defensively is awareness & positioning is often poor. Masuaku really isn’t good enough as a winger either so really only effective as a wing back which is a formation, we don’t have the players to really execute.

Masuaku hasn’t really developed much in his time at the club at like with Fredericks and really should look to cash in & move for my personal favourite Malang Sarr who is also a free agent come July. The versatility would be a great asset being able to comfortably play in CB & LB. Sarr would also give us finally a LB that can defend first & give some support to an often stretched backline.

Keep/Sell: Sell

Replacement options: Malang Sarr, Philipp Max, Aaron Martin

Aaron Cresswell

Cresswell like Reid has been a good servant to the club & always gives it his all, although it looks like now, he is starting to struggle more and more with the pace in the EPL. He has good technical ability but doesn’t create or assist enough with is frustrating when you see him pinging the ball in from 25+ yards against Man Utd earlier in the season.

I would take the money for Cresswell this summer & move for Nathan Ferguson who is a free in July after his contract expires at WBA. There is likely to be a fair amount of interest in Ferguson but he someone we should go all out for along with Sarr. With both we would get players who are young, great potential, adept in multiple positions & represent great resale value later too.

Keep/Sell: Sell

Replacement options: Jamal Lewis, Ryan Manning, Nathan Ferguson

Carlos Sanchez

Let;s be honest this was a waste of money and a last minute deal secured as it was possible on the limited budget that was left last season. Thankfully his contract is up and both parties can move on.

The important part now is finding a replacement CDM who is an improvement which should be too hard considering how Sanchez just didn’t work out. The ideal replacement for me is Pulgar who we should have bought last season, but the money dried up so the €9m was too expensive when we had to commit to Ajeti too. Pulgar would bring a good piece of tenacity to the CDM and look to play it simple moving play on quickly in favour of running with the ball. Something we desperately need is his ability in dead ball situations too which we struggle with when Snoddy is out of the team.

Keep/Sell: Out of Contract

Replacement options: Erick Pulgar

Declan Rice

The Jewel in the crown and worth his weight in gold to many in Claret & Blue. Rice has been one of the best defensive midfielders in the EPL, and this is the contentious point I would move him to CB. There is a method to the madness I assure you and think it could be something that truly benefits Rice & the club long term. Rice has often said he likely sees himself back at CB which I think is a smart choice as would be superb ball playing CB. Whilst he would need to improve in the air Rice’s, maturity, composure & ability to read the game would likely see him match really well with thee aggression of Diop with Rice controlling the backline.

So this means a replacement is required with Rice dropping into CB & leaving a hole at CDM. The sensible choice would be Sangaré at Toulouse who statistic not only matches Rice defensively but eclipses in his attacking contributions too when passing & carrying the ball. Sangaré athleticism would bring a new dimension to the midfield allowing Souček to move centrally of a 3 and marshal the space in front of the defense. Sangaré would give us another imposing figure who is hard to manoeuvre around & a stronger runner with the ball too

Keep/Sell: Keep

Replacement options: Ibrahima Sangaré

Jack Wilshere

I love Jack Wilshere and believe when fit is our best player technically who has great intelligence with the ball. Had he been injury free I have no doubt he would be a pivotal player for us, but alas he just can’t keep fit. With his awful fitness record and huge wages, it is a burden we can do without. Wilshere I would love to be past his injury problems, but history shows that isn’t likely so selling or releasing is the only option.

What I would look to do is to move for Cheick Doucouré at Lens who at 20 is a great prospect. Whilst Doucouré has mainly been deployed as a CB or CDM he has developed into a box to box type utilising his athleticism effecting in a high intensity high press. The player would be a departure from Wilshere although his passing is good & looks to move the ball quickly. Another plus with Doucoure is that for the certain games having high energy players over guile would be more effective & allow others like Fornals to be more forward thinking when played centrally.

Keep/Sell: Sell

Replacement options: Cheick Doucouré

Robert Snodgrass

The Tartan Argie Robert “McMessi” Snodgrass is impossible not to like in my opinion and has an incredible workrate which is massive appreciate by WHU fans. With all that being said I feel his time is coming to an end for us & other options should be explored. Every squad needs characters and big personalities but at 32 we can’t rely on him to continue his workrate. Whilst Snodgrass does have 5 assists for the club this year this has been largely from set pieces & often slows the team down in counter attacks especially on the wing. Therein lies the problem with Snodgrass of what is his position now personally think he is most effective at CM but workrate is really all that is offered in open play bar the occasional goal. I feel bad criticising Snodgrass as I do like him, but sentimentality isn’t going to move the club forward & improve the squad.

With highly rated youngster Coventry showing promise in the youth system & on loan I would argue the moving on off Snodgrass opens a path to the first team. I’m a firm believer we should develop our youth in the first team and those that swim earn their place like Rice. Should they not really perform then EPL experience will make them more attractive to Championship clubs & bring in a decent fee. Coventry would bring a lot of enthusiasm to the team & a desire to prove himself which is part of the key aspects Moyes does say he is looking for in players.

Keep/Sell: Sell

Replacement options: Conor Coventry

Tomáš Souček

In the short time Souček has been at the club he has made a positive effect on the squad & unlucky not to have capped his debut with a goal. Ultimately the game will be remembered for WHU capitulating a 3-1 lead to Brighton after the impressive Souček left the field of play. Should we stay up (assuming we will) Souček stay will be made permanent which is great news as finally address one of our issues in CM.

As stated previously in the blog I would move Souček to the centre of a 3 to marshal the space in front of the backline & provide an aerial shield in the centre. With Souček’s sheer athleticism too he will ensure we are not overrun which has often been the case with an aging Noble at the centre of proceedings

Keep/Sell: Keep

Replacement options: N/A

Mark Noble

Mr. West Ham himself Mark Noble is still an important part of the WHU team, but now should be allowed to be a squad player. He has said it himself he is 32 & can’t be expected to drag the team forward for much longer. I love Noble as one of us, you can see the hurt and anger when we lose although now should be marginalised now as part of the squad. He offers a great deal to new players helping them integrate as well as bringing on through the youngster preparing them for the 1st team. With the replacements we could ease our reliance on Noble finally and start to build around younger more dynamic players.

A player we have been linked to previously is young Flynn Downes at Ipswich who could be viewed as a long term plan as a replacement for Noble with him being bought & loaned back to Ipswich in the short term.

Keep/Sell: Keep

Replacement options: Long term replacement Flynn Downes

Manuel Lanzini

I have been a big fan of Lanzini from the moment that he arrived and promised huge potential. Unfortunately, Lanzini hasn’t really moved on from his first 2 seasons and the big injury has seemingly affected him too. Often Lanzini has flattered to deceive & despite the early promise at the start of the season he was on the way back, his performance have dipped. I would like to hope that Lanzini can rekindled his form and effectiveness to drive the ball on from midfield, but at 27 not sure he will improve further.

Another reason for the lack of patience to simply “wait & see” is the emergence of Eberechi Eze who we have been heavily linked too & my choice to replace. Eze who turns 22 this month would be more than effective in the Lanzini providing greater, strength, flexibility and pace. In a QPR squad that has at times over achieved Eze has stood out as the player in the EFL behind Bowen. With Eze we can expect goals plus assists to date he has managed 12 goals & 8 assists along with a really skilful player ready for the next level. The hope is a deal could be struck with QPR and Hugill going the other way.

Keep/Sell: Sell

Replacement options: Eberechi Eze, Benrahma

Pablo Fornals

Right now Fornals is my favourite player at WHU. Guillem Balague was astounded when WHU managed to pull off this deal believing Fornals is built in the mould of a Barca CM, too which I agree. Fornals took his time to settle into the league but remained humble, worked hard & took his chance when it came along. Along with Wilshere & Yarmolenko Fornals is highly technical player who can pull strings given the right support. His 4 goals & 5 assists are a decent return for a player who has been asked to perform out of his best position.

Fornals in a midfield 3 deployed as a free role really could see him not only flourish individually but pull strings for us in attack. As we saw in the Southampton game Fornals when he moved centrally spotted Bowen & supplied an inch perfect pass for Bowen to chip into the net. Not only is Fornals vision when passing fantastic his intelligence is second to none. Add to that Fornals has incredible ability to “ghost” into positions of threat to influence play.

Keep/Sell: Keep

Replacement options: N/A

Andriy Yarmolenko

Yarmolenko is one of the most technically gifted players in the team but like many others injuries are stopping us seeing the best of him. With the club looking to cut wages this is an obvious player to look to move on & reluctantly agree. Can’t help but feel had we had him 4/5 years ago we would have an exceptional player. Yarmolenko also seems like another with a great personality but sentiment gets you nowhere in football.

As they say where one door closes another opens & if anyone deserves a door to be opened it is Diangana after a brilliant season at WBA. The loan move for Diangana has really seen him develop taking the EFL by storm & becoming a fan favourite too. With his pace, trickery and newly found composure he would be a great deputy to Bowen & push hard to start. Holland has also done well on loan & should be around the squad but will have to fight for his place with others ahead right now.

Keep/Sell: Sell

Replacement options: Grady Diangana, Nathan Holland

Felipe Anderson

Felipe Anderson has struggled this year often finding himself isolated on the left & having to do too much work in the opposite direction covering our LB. His stats also support this showing his defensive contribution higher than last season. All in all this has made for a frustrating season for player & fans alike. Anderson to me is often underappreciated as offers so much to the team, but unless he has scored or assisted, he is criticised. That isn’t to say he is above criticism and his price often is the driving force for the heavy expectation, but if support isn’t good enough options become forced.

I would keep Anderson as I believe should the squad improve, we shall see the best of Anderson. As we know when he is at his best, he can be a nightmare for teams with that innate ability to nutmeg a Mermaid. If we can unshackle Anderson from his defensive responsibilities, we could once again get one of the best players outside the top 6.

Keep/Sell: Keep

Replacement options: N/A

Jarrod Bowen

Bowen arrived in the January window and went right to the wire on deadline day. Prior to arriving Bowen was my favourite player in the EFL & so excited to have captured him. Should we stay up we have a player who will be keen to support Haller at every opportunity offering a goal threat & creativity too. I fully expect Bowen to be an important part of our survival bid adding to his tally of 18 goals (Hull & WHU) in the process.

Keep/Sell: Keep

Replacement options: N/A

Michail Antonio

I would sell Antonio this window … had to get the contentious piece out of the way first. Antonio at 30 is another which isn’t going to be part of our future regardless how much I like him, and his one sprint away from his pinging a muscle. Antonio can cause chaos in an opposing defense but more often than not a lack of composure results in wayward shot or misplaced passes. With the lack of composure it makes more infuriating that Antonio is placed up front rather than on the wing were far more effective. If we are ever to sell Antonio now is the time as he comes into the last year of his contract. Selling is far more preferable than losing on a free or extending a contract for a then 31 year old as with history of injury problems.

As a replacement the club should look no further than Mounir Chouiar. If you don’t follow @RockyWhu I recommend you do as really has an eye for a player & can’t praise Chouiar highly enough and rightly so. In a struggling Dijon he has really impressed and has similar qualities to Dimitri Payet. Chouiar fits the model Moyes wants to follow & would secure a player who really could be a star player for us if can fulfil his potential.

Keep/Sell: Sell

Replacement options: Mounir Chouiar

Albian Ajeti

I do feel for Ajeti as we hijacked what could have been a decent move to WBA to join us & seems to have had very little trust placed in him since arriving. His movement always seemed to be there but could clearly see was lacking sharpness & confidence. Unfortunately for Ajeti his chances have been almost not existent which I envision is not going to change anytime soon.

Looks like his time is up but you would hope that we could potentially offer him in any kind of deal with Brentford for Ollie Watkins. Since being converted into a ST Watkins has been a revelation scoring 22 goals in 38 appearances as part of a brilliant counter attacking trio with Benrahma & Mbeumo. Any potential deal would not only be dependent on us staying up but rely on Brentford not gaining promotion to the EPL.

This season we have been woefully short up top & ideally would not only promote Xande Silva to the 1st team but look for another. Silva looks a real talent with great pace, good movement & composure which would compliment Haller if given the chance.

My personal choice & one I wish we took in the summer window is Marcus Thuram with 14 & 8 assists in all competitions for BMG. Thuram has power, pace & since moving from winger to ST has been pretty deadly.

Keep/Sell: Sell

Replacement options: Ollie Watkins, Xande Silva, Marcus Thuram

Sebastian Haller

Haller like Anderson is often underappreciated for what he does because he doesn’t run around looking headless which sometimes can be said for Antonio. Haller gives a real focal point to our attack & if we can get him the support he deserves, we’ll see the player which convince us to part with over £40m. For all the criticism Haller gets he is still our top scorer with 7 whereas the more fancied “attacker” Antonio is only on 2. The idea of selling Haller is not a backwards to go forward step it is an admission that the board failed in providing on their promises to the fans.

With tactical changes as well as strengthen both defense & midfield we could flood Haller with support from Bowen, Anderson & Fornals to start reaching our potential as a team.

Keep/Sell: Keep

Replacement options: N/A

Ideal Squad

Whilst this is unlikely a squad consisting on the below is not only an XI full of talent but a team of potential & depth. All replacement players are in bold too.

Goalkeeper

Fabianski, Randolph, Martin & Anang