You have the budget to replace three starters who are they?

[Farzad]

First off, i think all our starting 11 have played particularly well. Even Xhaka who used to drive me mental has played very well. Assume we even win league but now we got to kick on and we can’t be complacent. Lfc did that with their core and paid the price and we know our rivals will all spend and improve. List it in order with number 1 being the player or position we most need an upgrade on.

1. Xhaka: still think we need a fast skilled Partey type in his position
2. White: good versatile player his interchanges with Saka today were great but his stupidity cost us a goal also. Again i want him squad but in starting 11 he is a place we can improve
3. Ramsdale: good keeper, made a fine long ball to Saka today, but he has had a poor post WC. He may need to fight someone for the spot. Too be fair not a lot of keepers better than him

 

[Sparrahork]

Good question, hard to disagree with what you have put and the fact got to defend each choice as they have done so well.

It is essentially about adding depth going forward

 

[Bagels]

First off, i think all our starting 11 have played particularly well. Even Xhaka who used to drive me mental has played very well. Assume we even win league but now we got to kick on and we can’t be complacent. Lfc did that with their core and paid the price and we know our rivals will all spend and improve. List it in order with number 1 being the player or position we most need an upgrade on.

1. Xhaka: still think we need a fast skilled Partey type in his position
2. White: good versatile player his interchanges with Saka today were great but his stupidity cost us a goal also. Again i want him squad but in starting 11 he is a place we can improve
3. Ramsdale: good keeper, made a fine long ball to Saka today, but he has had a poor post WC. He may need to fight someone for the spot. Too be fair not a lot of keepers better than him

You alright mate? Asking interesting footballing questions, not talking about evil corporate America and Colombian hookers... I'm worried about you.

I think our team is so good at the moment, any replacements made to the first 11 are going to have to be pretty cutthroat and harsh. Really, really hard to call. On a different day, the list can look pretty different. Which speaks volumes to how well built our current squad is - no clear weaknesses.

1. Xhaka - he has done exceptionally well, and I really appreciate what he brings to the table. I think though, that a worldie coming into this position would really elevate the side. This is the clearest one for me. After that, it's a bit of a toss up, because it's so nit-picky.

2. Probably White as well, even though I think he is severely underrated and a very fine player, he probably isn't ever going to be proper world class.

3. Would either be Martinelli, even though he's on course for a 15+ goal season (21, can afford to be an understudy, would be great off the bench, can still pitch in with goals) for an established world class winger OR Partey. He is a world class player as is, but there's questions over availability which for deep cup runs will be very important going forward + he isn't getting any younger (yes I know he isn't that old, I'm just trying to rationalize an impossible decision) + yellow box, so another TOP defensive midfielder coming in is something I wouldn't be opposed to, preferably one with room to grow.

 

[Pop Tart]

saliba= potential to be a goat defender but mistakes in him at his young age
Rambo- decent keeper with room for improvement
Xhaka - always liked him stepped up last two seasons but there is better out there still have a soft spot for him

 

[El Duderino]

3. Would either be Martinelli, even though he's on course for a 15+ goal season

@Trilly rn

 

[El Duderino]

Xhaka, Tomiyasu, and since we have the budget for this hypothetical, someone to move Gabbi J to a second striker/winger role without dropping him.

 

[Bagels]

@Trilly rn

Not sure I understand tbh Martinelli's at 13 with 10 games to go... Or do you mean because I disagree with him wrt where we place (or don't place) work rate in the evaluation of a player?

I think Martinelli would be hard to replace, but he isn't a perfect player. If you could bring in a winger in their prime with a better overall game that can contribute a similar output - I think he'd be in contention for 3rd player to replace! (if we are talking about starting 11, of course).

Like I say though, it's a great sign that it's so difficult to pick 3 players.

 

[A_G]

Xhaka, Tomiyasu, and since we have the budget for this hypothetical, someone to move Gabbi J to a second striker/winger role without dropping him.

Yasu isn’t a starter tho…

 

[Bagels]

Yasu isn’t a starter tho…

@El Duderino rn

 

[El Duderino]

Yasu isn’t a starter tho…

Yeah, you're right. Probably between Gabriel and Ramsdale, then.

Or Partey, for obvious reasons.

 

[A_G]

Yeah, you're right. Probably between Gabriel and Ramsdale, then.

Or Partey, for obvious reasons.

I wanted to say Gabriel but that’s an unpopular opinion. He still worries me in big games.

 

[El Duderino]

Not sure I understand tbh Martinelli's at 13 with 10 games to go... Or do you mean because I disagree with him wrt where we place (or don't place) work rate in the evaluation of a player?

I think Martinelli would be hard to replace, but he isn't a perfect player. If you could bring in a winger in their prime with a better overall game that can contribute a similar output - I think he'd be in contention for 3rd player to replace! (if we are talking about starting 11, of course).

Like I say though, it's a great sign that it's so difficult to pick 3 players.

I'm just meming that Trilly has been saying that Martinelli is the most replacable of the front three and getting murdered for it.

Even though the guy that actually jokes about Martinelli being bad left, right and centre is @Rex Bezos

 

[GDeep™]

 

[Bagels]

I wanted to say Gabriel but that’s an unpopular opinion. He still worries me in big games.

Yeah, you're right. Probably between Gabriel and Ramsdale, then.

Or Partey, for obvious reasons.

You guys reckon Gabriel replaced before Saliba? I sort of lean towards Gabriel being the better current player atm, probably mostly down to experience though... I think he's quietly been one of our best players this year. Though again, it's really splitting hairs at this point IMO.

 

[El Duderino]

You guys reckon Gabriel replaced before Saliba? I sort of lean towards Gabriel being the better current player atm, probably mostly down to experience though... I think he's quietly been one of our best players this year. Though again, it's really splitting hairs at this point IMO.

I think Saliba has the obvious higher ceiling. Gabriel has been mostly VERY solid and dependable (think it's 60+ starts?), but he does have a few mistakes in him that we've already seen cost us (or almost costs us points).

 

[A_G]

You guys reckon Gabriel replaced before Saliba? I sort of lean towards Gabriel being the better current player atm, probably mostly down to experience though... I think he's quietly been one of our best players this year. Though again, it's really splitting hairs at this point IMO.

I thought the premise of the thread was what we’d do if we were in charge. I think Saliba’s upside is higher than Gabby in fairness.

 

[Flying Okapis]

Xhaka
Gabriel
Jesus

I assume we are talking unrealistic budgets here as replacing Jesus would take a hell of a lot.

 

[El Duderino]

I think Saliba has the obvious higher ceiling. Gabriel has been mostly VERY solid and dependable (think it's 60+ starts?), but he does have a few mistakes in him that we've already seen cost us (or almost costs us points).

Adding the caveat that both are also very young, so who knows.

 

[GDeep™]

Not easy to upgrade on Gabriel. Very consistent, rarely misses game, physicality for the PL, vocal, young etc.

You have Rudiger playing for Real and Kounde/Christensen for Barca, Lisandro at Utd, Koulibaly at Chelsea, Laporte/Dias/Stones at City etc. All average maybe. Not a great era for CB’s, and the young guys that are good will cost 60-100 plus time and development.

 

[Bagels]

I thought the premise of the thread was what we’d do if we were in charge. I think Saliba’s upside is higher than Gabby in fairness.

Yeah, I think I agree with you and @El Duderino that Saliba's upside is (probably) higher than Gabriel's - though I was more convinced of that earlier on this season. I do think Gabriel is criminally underrated by most.

I conceptualized the prompt more in the sense of what changes would you make to the first 11 to make it as strong as possible, in the immediacy. Planning for the long-term future though, I can see why many would opt for Saliba over Gabriel.