Next Season - Thoughts

[Leeds Fox]

Unsure if there’s a thread for this yet, but I’ve been thinking about next season and what the club will do during the summer.

 

If we make it to the Champions League, do we considerably strengthen our squad depth? We’ve seen how a European campaign can affect our squad. You’d assume the club will take the CL very seriously but they’ll clearly want to do well in the league too. Surely we’ll need to strengthen the squad if we want to do this. That’s no slight on this season, because we’ve done incredibly well so far but it’s very tight and another year we could be a good few places lower than we are. 
 

If we get Europa League, do we rinse and repeat this season? Go with a similar squad, putting out a competent team in the cups and then try and get Top 4 again? 
 

If we qualify for the CL, do we sell a top player to help us buy 3/4 £20-30m players for the squad? Do we use the CL money and just run with that for transfers? 
 

Just wondered people’s thoughts on which direction we’ll go in. 

Edited 8 March 2021 by Leeds Fox

[st albans fox]

Can we wait until most of us have had a first jab !! 
 

 

[Leeds Fox]

2 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

Can we wait until most of us have had a first jab !! 
 

 

Mods, please bring back the ‘confused’ reaction.

[Big Dave]

Let’s get this season over with first.

[ALC Fox]

A few clever signings will go a long way I think, regardless of where we finish.

 

Fofana and Castagne have both had great impacts and I'd be looking for them to kick on again. I'd also be looking for Barnes, Praet, Justin, Soyuncu, and Maddison to at least maintain the levels they've shown this season and hopefully kick on even more.

 

We'll need to replace Morgan, Fuchs, Under, probably Choudhury and possibly Perez.

 

We can do that from within to an extent with KDH and Tavares, and maybe even give Nelson a game or two at CB if he's ready while still keeping an eye on him at U18 and U23 level. But if we bring in Thauvin, Otavio or similar, and possibly Tarkowski, that could keep us covered. Vardy, Iheanacho and Edouard should be a competitive enough forward line in theory with hopefully Wakeling given the opportunity in a cup game or two.

 

Champions League football could be crucial for keeping Tielemans, but he's still only 23 so he might be tempted by one more year knowing how highly he's regarded here even if we don't. But if he does go, that's a big void to fill so a major signing would be needed there. I would bet that we have targets in mind already, though.

 

This is all fantasy football though. Any combination of things could happen depending on whether we finish second or sixth.

[honeybradger]

2 minutes ago, ALC Fox said:

A few clever signings will go a long way I think, regardless of where we finish.

 

Fofana and Castagne have both had great impacts and I'd be looking for them to kick on again. I'd also be looking for Barnes, Praet, Justin, Soyuncu, and Maddison to at least maintain the levels they've shown this season and hopefully kick on even more.

 

We'll need to replace Morgan, Fuchs, Under, probably Choudhury and possibly Perez.

 

We can do that from within to an extent with KDH and Tavares, and maybe even give Nelson a game or two at CB if he's ready while still keeping an eye on him at U18 and U23 level. But if we bring in Thauvin, Otavio or similar, and possibly Tarkowski, that could keep us covered. Vardy, Iheanacho and Edouard should be a competitive enough forward line in theory with hopefully Wakeling given the opportunity in a cup game or two.

 

Champions League football could be crucial for keeping Tielemans, but he's still only 23 so he might be tempted by one more year knowing how highly he's regarded here even if we don't. But if he does go, that's a big void to fill so a major signing would be needed there. I would bet that we have targets in mind already, though.

 

This is all fantasy football though. Any combination of things could happen depending on whether we finish second or sixth.

Dont think we need a fuchs replacement tbh, we already have that in luke thomas in my opinion.

Edited 8 March 2021 by honeybradger

[volpeazzurro]

Yes, we'll certainly have to strengthen but with quality and not quantity. This has been a very different year for injuries for everyone but seemingly ourselves and Liverpool are at the top of the injury league. Still in third position, it shows that even with such a bad injury record, our squad is better than many others. 

 

However, to attain top 4 next year and compete in any European competitions we need more. We know that one striker at least needs to be at the top of the list for all the reasons that have been outlined on here. Add a new one to Vardy and Iheanacho and I think that will have to suffice.

 

This year, unless someone is absolutely kicking up a stink and gagging to go, I don't think we can afford to let any of our best players go if we are genuinely trying to build something. Therefore I can't see us spending much money, we haven't for the last few years other than money raised by selling, neither do we know the financial state of our club following covid. If we were to spend 20m on Edouard and get a free like Thauvin, other than perhaps the odd young cheap speculative buy for the future, I don't see much more. I certainly don't see us spending 20m on a 4th centre half, that's way down the list of priorities for a bench warmer. Our best three with the cover of Armarty and JJ is more than adequate. People will speculate but many will be disappointed I think.

[Fox92]

Rodgers has said he doens't like a big squad and we all know we need to strengthen so I think it'll be, and it should be, quality over quantity.

 

I don't know the figures but surely PL and CL money would allow us to get a couple good players in without selling one of our better players?

[Muzzy_Larsson]

1 hour ago, Leeds Fox said:

Unsure if there’s a thread for this yet, but I’ve been thinking about next season and what the club will do during the summer.

 

If we make it to the Champions League, do we considerably strengthen our squad depth? We’ve seen how a European campaign can affect our squad. You’d assume the club will take the CL very seriously but they’ll clearly want to do well in the league too. Surely we’ll need to strengthen the squad if we want to do this. That’s no slight on this season, because we’ve done incredibly well so far but it’s very tight and another year we could be a good few places lower than we are. 
 

If we get Europa League, do we rinse and repeat this season? Go with a similar squad, putting out a competent team in the cups and then try and get Top 4 again? 
 

If we qualify for the CL, do we sell a top player to help us buy 3/4 £20-30m players for the squad? Do we use the CL money and just run with that for transfers? 
 

Just wondered people’s thoughts on which direction we’ll go in. 

The best way to add squad depth is by improving the first eleven. Any club that has tried to bulk out their squad by buying squad fillers it's ended in disaster. See Rodgers at Liverpool with the Suarez money and Spurs with the Bale money.

 

Keep on following the same model, 1-3 quality players per year to improve things. Never seen a club bring in tons of players in a window and the majority of them working out.

[Leeds Fox]

1 minute ago, Muzzy_Larsson said:

The best way to add squad depth is by improving the first eleven. Any club that has tried to bulk out their squad by buying squad fillers it's ended in disaster. See Rodgers at Liverpool with the Suarez money and Spurs with the Bale money.

 

Keep on following the same model, 1-3 quality players per year to improve things. Never seen a club bring in tons of players in a window and the majority of them working out.

I agree with that. My original post (although I didn’t say it) was based on the fact that we could have one or two long term injuries and that we’d likely sell a fringe player or two. Added to the possibility of selling a first team player. 

 

[The_77]

1 hour ago, st albans fox said:

Can we wait until most of us have had a first jab !! 
 

 

This!

[Stadt]

Our squad has become really unbalanced. 
 

- Only 2 strikers 

- 3 right footed wide players, 2 of them slow and industrious types 

- 1 Comfortable no. 10

- 3 uncreative DMs

 

We probably need a striker, two wingers but doubt we’ll spend the summer chasing Tarkowski or someone that also doesn’t address our most pressing issues.

 

If it was down to me I’d shift Choudhury and Mendy, replace them with KDH & one of Anguissa, Cheick Doucoure (Lens) or Ibrahim Sangare (PSV).

 

We’ve been linked with Romain Faivre and he fits the winger profile quite well. Which leaves us needing another - price dependent Olise, maybe.

 

Edouard is a possibility.

 

Financially we should be well set with matchday incoming returning, CL/EL cash, expiring contracts freeing up the wage bill and the sale of some deadwood/current loanees.

[Ryy]

Cheeky treble I reckon 

[StriderHiryu]

To be honest the best thing that could happen next season is for us all to be allowed into the KP once again!

 

I would love to meet up with friends and family again pre and post match, sing some songs for heroes old and new, and hopefully cheer some goals going in and the mighty Foxes winning some games. The last year has realised I took it all for granted, especially games like 5-3 vs Man U and beating Sevilla. 

[gerrytaggart]

Winit

[cruzFOX]

We need to pay for a proven world class striker thats all i'm gonna say oh and keep all our best players 

[Lambert09]

I think that this is the first season in a while where there isnt an obvious player to be sold. ( Chilly, Maguire, Drinky, Mahrez, Kante (although we all wish that clause hadnt existed)

 

This is probably the time to keep hold of our best 11. Or in our case best 16.  Pick up a few bargains (there seem to be a lot around this summer) and go again next season just that little bit stronger. 

 

I cant look at our team any more and find a player that I wouldnt be that bothered to lose.  I think this will only be possible if we get into europe again. But if we make top 4 theres enough cash reward to allow us to keep hold of everyone and still grow the team. 

 

Its worth noting that we will likely have had 27mil reserved for Under, which we can now use on someone else. If we did manage to get Thauvin or Otavio for free than we obviously have this to play with. 

Edited 8 March 2021 by Lambert09

[Alf Bentley]

1 hour ago, Nannypig7 said:

Cheeky treble I reckon 

 

I reckon you drank several cheeky trebles before making that post! 

[Wymsey]

Vardy's last season?

[STUHILL]

If we don't sign a striker this summer, then Vardy definitely has nudey pics of Top! 

 

3 good signings and everyone back fit and well rested, and I will be so confident we can go toe to toe with the "big boys" for a 3rd season! 

[jammie82uk]

3 hours ago, Leeds Fox said:

Mods, please bring back the ‘confused’ reaction.

Your confused? There is nearly a quarter of this season remaining and you want to talk about next season already, bet your the kind of person who plans their next holiday while on an Holiday, can’t we just enjoy/endure what’s left of this one first? 

[TrentFox]

The positions we need to strengthen are the same regardless of where we finish in the league. Our finishing position just likely impacts the quality of acquisition we are able to make, I guess. 

[turlo]

3 quality additions to the squad, integrate at least one of our young players out on loan into the first team squad, avoid selling any first team starters/hot prospects, top 7 finish/qualify for Europe and a decent cup run. 

[dynamark]

Dear me .  bet you do book your summer holiday on boxing day.I just want us back in the ground and a week in majorca

[ARM1968]

I’m sure the world ends the day after this season finished, so............