By Nick Raynor
April 18 2005

Well, seeing as we have little to play for now many of us are looking for how we can reform the team in the summer.

Personally, I would love to see us back in the Champions League but UEFA Cup is a minimum requirement and through league position. We should be in the top 6!

 

To do this, the squad is really going to have to be sorted out and players that we don’t need anymore just got rid of.

 

Here’s a look at our senior squad as it is now:

 

Goalkeepers

 

Given

Harper

 

Defenders

 

Right-Back

 

Carr

Hughes

Taylor

 

Centre-Back

 

Boumsong

Bramble

Taylor

O’Brien

Hughes

Elliot

 

Left-Back

 

Babayaro

Elliot

Hughes

Taylor

 

Midfielders

 

Right-Wing

 

Dyer

Milner

Ambrose

 

Central Midfield

 

Dyer

Jenas

Bowyer

Faye

Butt

Milner

 

Left-Wing

 

Robert

N’Zogbia

Milner

 

 

Strikers

 

Shearer

Kluivert

Ameobi

Bellamy

 

That’s a total of 22 players.

 

WHO SHOULD WE SELL + BUY

 

Goalkeepers

 

OK, we’ll start off simply. Given and Harper are perfectly fine as they are. We have a top quality goalkeeper and a decent reserve incase Given in unavailable. No worries here.

 

Defenders

 

Souness’ signings in the summer were decent I think. Boumsong was the kind of player we were looking for and has been very good at centre-back. Babayaro has been acceptable at left-back when he has actually played. Carr at right-back has been decent too and there is no need to replace.

 

We do need to scrap O’Brien. I will give him credit for the service he has done for the club because he gives 100% all the time but he can simply not cut it at this level and may be better suited to a newly promoted Premiership team than us. I think we should be able to get £1 million for him aswell.

 

Babayaro is another interesting one. He’s had injury problems but IF he can sort them out I want him to stay. But if they will be persistent I want rid of him sooner than later and get somebody else in but I’d be happy with Babayaro.

 

Elliot I feel is not good enough and is about 30 now so maybe time to move him on aswell. I doubt we’d get much for him anyway.

 

Now the key at the back is a new centre-half. True, Bramble has improved and Taylor is still a good prospect but if we REALLY want UEFA Cup football then I suggest getting somebody of Boumsong’s quality in beside him.

 

But who? We’ve not actually been linked to anybody since signing Boumsong and there are few options open to us ESPECIALLY if we do not qualify for continental competition.

 

Woodgate is always an option. Madrid may wish to move him on for cheap in the summer as he hasn’t even played due a new injury. Now it would be a risk with Woody’s obvious injury troubles but not out of the question.

 

Upson, King and a few others were mentioned in January but we’ll just have to see what Souness does.

 

Let’s look at our defenders afterwards:

 

Defenders

 

Right-Back

 

Carr

Hughes

Taylor

 

Centre-Back

 

Boumsong

NEW PLAYER

Bramble

Taylor

Hughes

 

 

Left-Back

 

Babayaro

Hughes

Taylor

 

It looks a lot more agreeable to me.

 

Midfielders

 

Here’s where it gets complicated. I think we should be selling a few names here but getting a few in aswell.

 

Against Man Utd, people thought we may need another attacking midfielder because we couldn’t pass the ball etc… but I think we have that in Bowyer and Dyer who were obviously suspended. Jenas was injured as well.

 

I don’t think we should sell Bowyer; he’d just hit some decent form as had Dyer and I think we should give them another chance. There is no need to sign another AM as we have those 3.

 

I also think Faye should stay as he has been decent for us especially for the price we got him for. We have quality youth like Ambrose and N’Zogbia who I’m happy to use as back-up players if they are happy to stay.

 

But that is all I think should stay. Butt, Milner and especially Robert should go.

 

Robert has opened his mouth too many times and is not performing like he should. He’s had one chance too many and I think it is time to call it on his career on Tyneside. We may get a few million for him too.

 

Butt just hasn’t been the man we hoped he would be and we’ll probably shift him on for a pittance.

 

Milner is an interesting one because he hasn’t played much but hasn’t looked anything special when he has. He was good at Leeds and the price we paid for him just isn’t worth what he is. We should sell him on while he is still young.

 

All I think we need to buy is a new left-winger. Again, many options I’m sure Souey will explore such as Giggs and Duff but left-wingers are in short supply so I hope we can find somebody decent.

 

Here’s the midfield situation afterwards:

 

Midfielders

 

Right-Wing

 

Dyer

Ambrose

 

Central Midfield

 

Dyer

Jenas

Bowyer

Faye

 

Left-Wing

 

NEW PLAYER

N’Zogbia

 

Also looks a lot better to me – And Finally…

 

Strikers

 

Simple here – We have 4. Shearer is obviously staying and Ameobi doesn’t deserve to be sold.

 

Bellamy will definitely go and if we don’t sell Kluivert I don’t know what is going on. Bellamy might actually go for £5 million which is very good and I reckon about £3 million for Paddy.

 

We then need a minimum of 2 strikers in. One quality man who can knock them in alongside Shearer and maybe a young prospect.

 

There have been numerous links with players such as Owen, Johnson, Saviola etc… and I did a piece last month indicating who I thought we should get and who should stay. But again, its all down to Souness.

 

He convinced Shearer to stay, who knows who he will sign.

 

Strikers

 

Shearer

NEW PLAYER

Ameobi

NEW PLAYER

 

Here’s a look at the final team in my opinion:

 

Goalkeepers

 

Given

Harper

 

Defenders

 

Right-Back

 

Carr

Hughes

Taylor

 

Centre-Back

 

Boumsong

NEW PLAYER

Bramble

Taylor

Hughes

 

 

Left-Back

 

Babayaro

Hughes

Taylor

 

Midfielders

 

Right-Wing

 

Dyer

Ambrose

 

Central Midfield

 

Dyer

Jenas

Bowyer

Faye

 

Left-Wing

 

NEW PLAYER

N’Zogbia

 

Strikers

 

Shearer

NEW PLAYER

Ameobi

NEW PLAYER

 

Now if the places where is says NEW PLAYER are filled with someone top quality, I think we could have a good year next season (How many times have I said that before)