Interesting i see a lot more positivity around the squad than i personally feel, but as Chief Grumpypants... Also very surprised to see some folks thinking Ange should stick around. Absolute head loss there. He's way out of his depth.
1. I think we need considerable upgrades certainly in midfield. There is almost no set up that works well with our current midfielders - minimum would be two stellar Midfield signings as 1 simply isn't enough
2. I think we are over estimating our players wildly here. Son has been poor this year and is 33 next year. Tel, not sure he'll stick around, hardly done a great sales pitch to him have we? I am surprised to see how highly some value the squad. Look at players at Forest, Elanga, Gibbs-White, VIlla with Rodgers, Saudi Sportswashing Machine with their midfield 3 and wingers, we are very far off all those teams. In fact I rarely see a player in the Spurs line up you would take over several of those? Which of our wingers ahead of Gordon or Elanga? Which of our CMs over Guimares or Palmer?
3. The squad is not only a poor patchwork, it's got no stellar stand out players. Nearly every team above us has a top level player in it. Whether it's Salah, Saka, Palmer, Isak, who do we have? No one. Are we going to splash the cash for one? No chance.
Let me give you a slightly more optimistic view, and the why's
As I mentioned in another thread, this side minus Solanke, Wilson, Danso, Spence, Kinsky, Gray, Bergvall came 5th last season, and if the manager had adapted even slightly, would have been top 4. And we will add players.
From a squad perspective
GKs - Vic, Kinsky, Austin with Keely out on loan (has 41 appearances at Leyton Orient this seaon, and set a club record for clean sheets)
CB's - Romero, VDV, Danso, Dragusin, Davies, Phillips (has 38 appearances at Stoke), and Vuskovich (25 appearances, weirdly 7 goals)
FBs - Porro, Spence, Udogie
CM - Bentancur, Sarr, Bissouma, Bervall, Gray, Deki, Maddison
AM/WF - Son, Johnson, Wilson, Moore, Tel with Yang (14 appearances in half a season at QPR)
CF - Richi, Solanke with Donley (47 appearances at Leyton)
That's 29 proven players with zero duds/deadwood types, and only 2 over 30, with 3-5 "free" youth players to evaluate over pre-season. The main part of the painful refresh is done.
Lets get to your comments
- Are we going to splash out cash? Richi, Maddison, Johnson, Solanke all say hi. Note most of the players you named btw, Elanga, Gibbs-White, Rodgers, Salah, Saka, Isak were not expensive purchases at the time.
- poor patchwork? this squad is actually super adaptable, current team could play 3-5-2, 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, pressing/possession
Deki is our best player and would walk into a few squads, our next star player will very likely be Bergvall, possibly Udogie (City sniffing should tell you something), and I wouldn't trade Bervall now for Elanga (Johnson FWIW has more goals this season than Elanga has in his career at top level, same age), Rodgers or MGB.
I get this season has been absolute brick, I get we need to make a few upgrades/swaps (I expect Bissouma, Richi, Romero will need to be replaced, and we are clearly in the end phase of Son & Davies), but the squad isn't the issue, the manager is.
I would be very positive about next season is we did two things, 1/finish the job and win the cup, will lift the team/club, 2/As soon as season ends, "mutually part ways" and immediately appoint a new manager