Originally a forum post by Smudger, click here to go the thread
Coloccini would go now if he could; he probably won’t in January but will make another push in the summer. I think it’s clear he just agreed to stay one more year as a compromise.
Cabaye made it pretty clear that he wanted to go in the summer. A decent season and/or World Cup and he will be off as well, especially as we can no longer hold the threat of missing an international tournament over him. The only way I could see him staying is if he has a poor season or clubs don’t meet our valuation.
Rémy, well we had better hope that there’s an agreed price and contract already drawn up. I was shocked a team like Arsenal didn’t snap him up in the summer and with us not agreeing a permanent deal (understandably, given the circumstances), a good season will surely see him snub us again.
My question is, do you see all three leaving, and are they replaceable?
For me, Yanga-Mbiwa is very similar to Coloccini and the signing of a big CB who would complement him would actually improve us defensively, instead of playing two similar players. This is probably why Williamson looks so good with either of them, he stops us being dominated by bigger players/direct styles.
I don’t know how we’d find a player who can play like Cabaye. We were linked with number 10s like Gourcuff when Cabaye almost joined Arsenal, which would mean a change in style for us as we’d have to play 3 in the midfield to accommodate such a player, and lose the flexibility of being able to use the same man in a 4-4-2 without getting overrun. I would actually spend the money on a top winger and promote Bigirimana to fourth choice centre midfielder, Anita is criminally underused as it is.
As for Rémy, we should do absolutely everything possible to convince him to join, and if he doesn’t then find someone in a similar mould. Having a forward with intelligence, pace and a first touch has been invaluable so far and going back to Cissé would be an awful step down.
What do you think? Have your say in the discussion thread.
Cal
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