The International Overthinking Break, Part Two: Squad Game
Following on from part one last week, I alluded to the big three deals that needed to be sorted. Well, I think I can safely say we’re down to just Mo and Virgil, which needs Richard Hughes’s attention (but miracles can happen sometimes, right?). Trent appears to be off to Madrid.
READ MORE: The International Overthinking Break, Part One by Ciaran Nevin
SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW: YouTube / X (Formerly Twitter) / Instagram / TikTok / Patreon / BlueSky
The Week From Hell
Before we get to the transfer stuff, I wanted to gauge people’s opinion on Slot’s role over the PSG and Newcastle defeats. It seems ridiculous of me to be even questioning him or having some annoyance with the man. Nevertheless, I was really pissed off after those games. A lot of fans were mad because of the results. But I was so annoyed with his squad management.
There was simply a Champions League there to be won this season, especially with so many big rivals out of form. The Southampton game was key to everything that went wrong for us. PSG rested eight players before the second leg. We went full strength. There isn’t a person who can convince me that we couldn’t have taken care of the worst Premier League team in history. If we’d have made six or seven changes, the job would have still gotten done. And if we didn’t win, we still had enough of a lead to take the gamble, in a risk-and-reward scenario.
Fatigue cost us in the second leg as we didn’t have the energy to get over the line. This then spilled into the Carabao Cup final, where we were mentally and physically done.
Trust Issues
This leads me to the ‘trust’ issue about Arne only trusting 13/14 players. Going by what I’ve just said, it seems to be that way based on those games.
This is the bit that hurts my head. We know how good Harvey Elliot is as he’s proved his worth time and time again. We don’t know the ins and outs of Federico Chiesa’s actual fitness but he is a live wire each time he steps on the pitch. The ball is like a magnet to him. Going by his stats for the sixteen minutes he came on in the final, it was beyond crazy that we didn’t utilize him against PSG in the second leg. This feels even more egregious when a clearly unfit Cody Gakpo came on in both those crucial games ahead of him. These guys are fabulous players and game-changing footballers. With a bit more trust and faith in them, things could have looked very different.
Who’s In? Who’s Out?
So where does this leave the squad come the summer? I said last week that if we lost all three of our big players out of contract we would be in big trouble. With Trent looking more out than in, the other two are just an absolute must. Then we can start future planning for their replacements.
Luis Diaz is at a crossroads. We either offer him a new contract, which he’ll be looking to at least treble his current 40k a week deal, or let him test the market. Based on his age and the numbers he’s producing, I’m expecting him to leave this summer for Barcelona with a nice transfer fee.
SHOP THE AMERICAN SCOUSER COLLECTION TODAY
I have no doubt Darwin Nunez will be sold. Diogo Jota is on very thin ice due to his availability. Lately, his finishing hasn’t been what we’ve come to expect.
Joe Gomez may well have played his last game. Will Quansah be given the benefit of the doubt due to his indifferent form this season? I think Kostas will definitely go and Endo quite possibly as well.
Slot inherited a very good squad but big changes are coming this summer. I really don’t like to dampen expectations but next season could be a bedding-in/transition season for a lot of new players.
The Tough Part
Whatever the number of players that leave, for example, five, I don’t automatically think we need five in. It could be very much the case five out, seven in. Now that’s just an example, but there is serious reconstruction coming and we need to get it right. I won’t list the possible targets but again the likes of Isak who we’d all love will have a ridiculous price tag which I simply don’t see us paying.
I am expecting more deals in the ilk of Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, and Gravenberch in the 35m to 60m bracket. They’ll be players we may not be over-familiar with but they will have the classic Michael Edwards profile of age 22-24, played 100/200 first-team games, and have massive scope for improvement. I’ll take a guesstimate by saying 250m spent and we’ll recoup around 100m in transfer fees.
If you managed to make it this far, this article is in no way trying to downplay Slot’s achievements. It’s more just having a little vent on what might have been, where the current squad is at, and a little look at what may be needed in the summer.
For now, it’s time to strap ourselves in and get ready for the upcoming nine cup finals. I fully intend to enjoy the ride, because league titles are bloody hard to win.
