Had a go at 'The Benitez Game', just for a laugh.
Started out with the folllowing positions and caveats for each:
- GK - Focus on second or third choice. Replacement for Lonergan, or a step up on Adrian.
- LB - Willing to be back-up for Robertson, as such, likely someone at either end of their career.
- CB - Third or fourth choice. The lovren replacement. As above, likely someone at either end of their career. Ideally can play left side.
- CM - Think we're pretty well stocked in this area. Ideally someone in an age bracket beneath the current core starters.
- Wide Attacker - Competition / Cover for Mane and Salah. Need to have pace.
- CF - Competition / Cover for Bobby. Need the core attributes and ability to fit the system. Open to the option of a slightly different style
Okay, so having reviewed confirmed squad lists for 19/20 (here:
https://www.premierleague.com/news/1335777) I've ended up with the following:
GK- Tom Heaton
- Sergio Romero
- Ben Foster
Romero might be the best second choice 'keeper in the division, and one who is seemingly content with that role. He'd be a step up on Adrian, for me. Ben Foster at 37 and having just been relegated might be open to a similar role with the best team in the world, ala Carson at City, and would bring with him a wealth of experience. Still decent as well and seems like a decent fella. Heaton is a bit of a wildcard. He'd be a very good back-up. Might well have higher aspirations than that though.
There aren't many realistic options across the division here.
LB- Kieran Tierney
- Bukayo Saka
- Oleksandr Zinchenko
- Jamal Lewis
- Cesar Azpilicueta
- Ryan Bertrand
- Ryan Sessegnon
- Ruben Vinagre
Liked the shout for Tierney potentially being an option to step in at LCB. Would be some sell to get him to move away from a pretty nailed on starting berth at Arsenal at this stage though. Saka is the one from this list, I think. Did he sign a new contract yet, by the way? Vinagre surprised me how young he was. Only 21. Good player. Azpilcueta would offer cover across the line, but I'd worry a little bit about his legs in our system if i'm honest. Does the versatility and experience make up for that? Not sure. Sessegnon, Saka and Tierney could also potentially be sold on getting minutes in multiple positions/roles.
CB- Nathan Ake
- Lewis Dunk
- Fikayo Tomori
- Kurt Zouma
- Mason Holgate
- John Stones
- Davinson Sanchez
- Japhet Tanganga
- Willy Boly
Gone mainly for a younger profile here, for the most part. Tomori, Tanganga or Holgate could all come in as 3rd or 4th choice with designs on pushing up that list. Boly and Dunk have both played left side and both are pretty dominant aerially, which would be helpful if you're looking at someone to cover Van Dijk. Zouma and Sanchez have got brilliant physical attributes, not least pace, which fits well with the way we play, and i'd back our coaching staff to get more from them than we've seen up to now. Stones is a bit of a wildcard. Out of favour at City, still a good age, good on the ball, and another I'd back us to improve.
CM- Grealish
- Kovacic
- Kante
- De Bruyne
- B. Silva
- Foden
- Fernandes
I like the way that Grealish has handled the pressure on him at Villa this season. Good player too and I could see him in the Chamberlain role with us, driving through the lines. Would need to sort the Peaky Blinders barnet out though. I'm curious about the evolution of our team from here and what that entails for the midfield. Do we look to progress more towards the City model, in pulling traditional number tens back into that area a little more? Certainly in those games against the bottom 10-12 there's a case for it, I think. If we were thinking of something like that then Silva or Foden would work, De Bruyne obviously too, and I think Kovacic is really good footballer. Bit of a Gini, but younger. Fernandes looks a player too, annoyingly.
Wide Attacker- Christian Pulisic
- Riyad Mahrez
- Leroy Sane
- Raheem Sterling
- Anthony Martial
- Marcus Rashford
- Mason Greenwood
- Son Heung-Min
- Gerard Deulofeu
- Ismaila Sarr
- Richarlison
Plenty of options here that I think would improve us. Deulofeu might seem a bit of a wild shout but I like him. Consistency is the issue, which might be enough to scrub him from the list. But is he a step up from Origi and Chamberlain in a wide forward role? Yes. Amazingly still only 25 as well. His team-mate, Sarr, would be my Watford preference though. Get a pal in for Mane who just happens to have a tonne of potential. Greenwood looks like a star in the making. Don't half wish he was scouse and following Jones through into the squad with us. Pulisic is starting to show what he's about, and Sterling needs no introduction. All of these have the pace that I think we need in those wide areas.
CF- Abraham
- Calvert-Lewin
- Jesus
- Ings
- Antonio
- Jimenez
I've added and removed half of this list several times. Solanke makes me cautious of young Chelsea strikers, albeit I think Abraham has done well this season and might be pretty good. More than just a hold-up player. Calvert-Lewin I was not at all convinced over not too long ago but I think he's come on really well in recent months as well. A bit like Abraham, he'd offer a bit more of a physical presence, without losing the mobility that you need in our forward line. Ings is great you know. Thought he was a good fit for us when we had him, but the question was whether the injuries had curtailed him a little bit. He's proven that isn't the case. Four of my six here are pretty physical strikers, which is funny because I'm instinctively opposed to those types of lads, albeit that's a by-product of having watched the likes of Benteke lumbering about like a big, immobile lump. These lads are mobile, which is the difference. Jimenez too I really like. Scores goals. Older than you think though at 29.
Overall, if I could have one of these this summer, it's probably Sterling. Give me a second and it's a toss up between Tierney and Saka.
Good game though, this. Enjoyed it.
