Who should we get? The generic 2012/13 speculation thread.

[Za Vas]

:roll:

+ 1

[GSY-Royal]

TheSiege, you're really quite oxf*rd annoying

[W&E Royal]

TheSiege, you're really quite oxf*rd annoying

He's TheWearing isn't he?

[LoyalRoyalFan]

RFC have bought some brilliant playrs and pre-season has been brilliant. We have played Ajax, Juventus and Real Madrid and have won every game! Uh, no! We couldn't even beat Brighton!!! Pre-season has proved that those pundits who see RFC as relegation favourites are correct. The Prem. has moved on. RFC need at least two brilliant players to stay in this division. We should open our chequebook and go for it!

[LoyalRoyalFan]

TheSiege, you're really quite oxf*rd annoying

He's TheWearing isn't he?

Apparently 'TheSiege' is 60, so internet lies have reached a whole new level.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

TheSiege - Absolute fan of RFC, absolute fan of reality, absolute supporter of true RFC fans, absolute enemy of d*ckheads, m*rons and people who believe in fairies! Please align yourselves as such.

True RFC fans?

[LoyalRoyalFan]

TheSiege - Absolute fan of RFC, absolute fan of reality, absolute supporter of true RFC fans, absolute enemy of d*ckheads, m*rons and people who believe in fairies! Please align yourselves as such.

True RFC fans?

But still with a certain amount of common sense!

Not you then.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

You are TheWearing.

[RoyalX]

From what I reckon, we need another central defender, central midfielder, and a striker.
Striker: We have Roberts/Pog, and Hunt/Alf, Alf is more of a Solskjær type to start off the bench, and Hunt may not be up to the level, so we need another fast striker.
Central midfield: We've got Karagan and Leigertwood, but Tabb/Guthrie aren't really anything other than backups
Central defence: Gorks / Pearce / Mariappa - only three, we need another, preferably a quick one.

I'd be happy if we could get Shane Long back, and then I really rate Senegal's Kara Mbodj who can play both as defensive mid and as central defender, would be a good buy.

(I didn't care to mention Church or Morrison, because I don't think they're good enough.)

One of our best players in pre-season, proven prem quality, not really anything other than backup?

He's the player I'm most confident about!

[royalp-we]

Strikers: I agree we still need another striker, happy to have Pog and JR as hold up and ALF to play off them. We need someone else who can put their foot through the ball (which both Hunt and Church can't), who want to get on the ball and make something happen. But I can't see us spending it now unless we are dry of goals come Aug 31st.

Midfielders: very happy with Guthrie signing. I'd be happy with any of Karacan/Leigertwood/Guthrie in the centre. Gunnarsson as back up. Need to drop our loyalty on the Tabb front, I think. Great bloke but i reckon he will look too lightweight and out of his depth up against people like Ramsey let alone Y Toure or even the shammers Diarra.
Happy to go with with Kebe and McAnuff. Praying this will be HRK's year. McCleary is an unknown for me. Should have kept Antonio as I like the idea of a short pacey winger (ala sinclair, Walcott) to try and skin full backs. We attacked the wings in the CCC I fear we will get found out if we cut in and play the easy ball too much. I do hope we stick to our attack on the break style but would like to see a proven winger who will give full backs a torrid time (I can only see Kebe as our wing threat ATM).

Defence: Very happy with the defence and strangely have a lot of confidence we will be okay. If allowed time to gel, I have a good feeling with Gunter on the right and Shorey on the left.


So if youre still awake after all that, just a striker/winger who can really hit a ball.

[GSY-Royal]

Good to see at least someone who understands that they are a moron! I have no problem with anyone saying I am wrong (if that is true) but I am a dyed-in-the-wool RFC supporter, I have been for 53 years - but I also have commonsense and intelligence. RFC have been a Prem team for 3 years out of their history and I would like that to continue. That means living in the real world! At the moment we are, correctly, relegation favourites. We have made a great deal about punching above our weight - as we did to win the Championship but, that will not keep us in the Prem. You work it out! WE NEED SOME MORE GOOD PLAYERS!!! - and that means that some of the current 25 will have to relinquish their places and go to a lower division.

Brian McDermott needs to hear this groundbreaking theory, you should probably contact him personally. I'm sure he couldn't possibly have had the thought to try and buy good players, and surely his mind is set on keeping the squad at the same standard - or even making it worse!

[Royal Bahamas]

TheSiege - Absolute fan of RFC, absolute fan of reality, absolute supporter of true RFC fans, absolute enemy of d*ckheads, m*rons and people who believe in fairies! Please align yourselves as such.

Leave the 'Fairies' out of this. They were THE original band for the festival,....that later became the Reading Music Festival. Best head heavy stoned music ever! I personally think that you are a prime candidate their 'Pigs from Uranus' album, as that is where most of your "superior' verbiage appears to come from. Why don't you just leave people to do their thing, without having to put them down...........kind of like this

[Royal Bahamas]

p.s. Did you mean 'The Pink Fairies' with Twink as their drummer. If you saw them then we definately sing from the same spreadsheet!

Oh Yea! 'Pink Fairies' with Twink of the infamous "Think Pink" album...as one of their two drummers, most of the time....and Rudy! Played their stuff at Portobello and under the West Way most weekends. Combined with Hawkwind to produce Pink Wind, which totally ruled the Roundhouse. Had 'Do It' before Nike were ever heard off, and an actual commercial single called 'The Snake'. They were an integral part of the first Ladbroke Grove Festival, started by Ginger Johnson, set up in Powis Square.

Yes......that Pink Fairies.

[bracksroyal10]

I think we need to offload before we can even consider bringing anyone else in. I think the priority would have to be bringing in a striker that can compliment the qualities of Pog. I think Roberts is the only one who on his day plays to Pog's wavelength though it remains to be seen whether it would work up front between the two.

Based on what I have seen I think Hunt will struggle to consistently perform at this level for us. Especially seeing as I imagine he will not be starting the majority of games for us this season providing our current crop of strikers are fit. He was very lucky the referee blew for the penalty in the Stoke match shortly after he missed a simple one on one with Begovic. As much as I love the guy I think hes a championship player at best although I'd love to be proved wrong. If we are basing our strike force on pre season then if I were Simon Church I would be raging the guy was on fire for us and I don't know why we went with 2 small strikers up front for the last 15 or so against a big no nonsense Stoke defence.

I was thinking maybe Powell on loan from United who is only going to get better with games although could be a gamble. But why not pay up for Zaha if we have barely used a lot of money on transfer fees the guy will cost us a fair bit of money but im sure we wouldn't have to pay him too much in wages unless a club like United came in with an offer.

Finally one who is surplus to requirements and might be good for us possibly Stephen Dobbie from Swansea. On his day he could be a very good player for us as Wembley showed that day. Not too sure if he could consistently perform for us at this level though.

[Royal Ginger]

I'm not actually sure who our 25 are - or, which u21 players will remain with the squad. Every day our younger players are being loaned out. Church needs a 40-game season and won't get it with us. Gunnarson is too old and should have been taken into the coaching ranks - not player-coach, if that is in his contract. Hunt will find it difficult to get games now that Roberts is back. To be relegated from the Prem is always a disaster but, this season, that is doubled due to the extra financial windfall next season. For me, personally, to have absolute confidence that we will stay up, I would require an extra class defender, a winger/striker and a straightforward class striker. These need not be part of the 25 should they be u21. Kebe is too injury-prone and HRK does not have the skill to match his pace and athleticism. A left-sided McCleary would be brilliant. A more skillful Connolly would be great to cover defence and (I know I always get grief for saying it), I would take a punt on Rhodes to add to our attack!

No. We don't need another left winger. HRK is suitable as a backup, and McAnuff is poised to have a quietly immense season. We've got the Championship's best defense, another class defender who can't get in the team and decent backup fullbacks to boot. We've got Roberts, Pog and Alfie as starting strikers who can't possibly get in the team at once, with Hunt as a proven Champ striker in the waiting, with HRK (who's scored some stunners) and Church in the background. I'll admit we may need to find a 6th choice backup to replace Church, but otherwise we're good.

We're a small club trying to stay up. We're not trying to get into the Champions League. Our boys have put on a good show so far without having Kebe or Roberts available, without dipping into the backups, and without the confidence of much premier league experience. On top of that we've suffered two goalkeeping howlers (my sympathy and support to Feds) and put on a massive display against the Champions League holders.

We're doing the business. I'm happy with the team, any improvements from now on are bonuses only.

[Cypry]

We have scored 3 in two games - which is a reasonable return in the Prem! We have conceded 5 in two games - which is relegation form from the defence. We got promoted due to a tight defence so the alarm-bells ought to be sounding now. Promoted teams, quite often, take advantage of the turmoil at the start of each season and get unexpected results which put points on the board and keep them in the hunt. I expect the team to gradually improve over the season but they do need a few decent results early to work with! I still believe that a couple of really good players should come in before the end of the window. I also think that at least one will come in - regardless of the current club line. I personally hope that it is not Carlton Cole.

Thing is, by that logic, we should be prioritising a new keeper over anything else....

Yes, we have conceded 5 - disregard the last one at Chelsea, we were going for the draw with Feds upfield...
So that's 4.
Oh yeah, Torres was offside - make it 3.
Yes, Gunter made an error to give away the pen, but our biggest weakness has been goalkeeping errors, two goals given away....

So we've scored 3 (reasonable return as you say) and conceded effectively 3 - happy with that and certainly not relegation form. What it doesn't demonstrate is that we have any deficiencies in the outfield department, which, unless I'm mistaken, is where you're recommending we need to strengthen (for the record I personally believe that Feds should be given longer despite his errors)...

[Snowball]

Six days left in the Transfer Window. Who are our 25? Who are the u21's who will add to the squad? Will Church go out on loan? Will we bring in a last-minute signing? God

If we do, I think we'll stay up.

[Cypry]

Our defence got us into the Prem, but are now being found out.

How?

We've conceded one goal, a penalty, through a defensive mistake. 2 goalkeeping errors, which late last season Feds would have kept out easily, and a blatant offside, not given (the worst you could say about the defence there is that they didn't claim the offside with sufficient gusto).

How does that little lot equate to "being found out"?

[Basingstoke Royal]

I don't agree that our defence have been found out.

2 goalkeeping errors, 1 soft pen, 1 offside goal and 1 goal with no keeper.

We haven't been taken apart and have defended well on the whole.

[Mr Angry]

If we are looking for a Premier League experienced striker, Stoke have 2 that they may want to off-load; Kenwyne Jones and Cameron Jerome, either of whom would be solid additions to the squad imho.