We don't have a genuine 25 man first team squad as the last one had a couple of extra goalkeepers from the development squad added just to make up the numbers

Oh man, they actually did it? They actually offered Benteke a new contract? I missed that.

Well, if a decent right back comes in, then Kelly could take his place as central ddfenders (cause he's not a right back)n so there will be Tomkins, Cahill, Sako and Kelly. Dann could go. His contract is up in the summer and he earns a lot too. Did his job at the club, but I see him going to the Championship this winter.

I'd find clubs for Riedewald and Wickham to gain playing time and get back in shape and maybe even get some money out of them eventually (Riedewald alone cost like 9 million). PVA and Schlupp are more than enough for left back position. Riedewald could get playing time at Alkmaar, Vutesse or Feyenoord, while Wickham could go somewhere like Wigan, Lutton Town or Milwall.

I'd ditch James McCarthy too. Lousy transfer by the club. There are already 4 central midfielders: Luka, Kouyate, McArthur and Camarasa and I hate that Kouyate and Luka always play together (they're the same position, Roy!!) Not sure if Camarasa stays either. He's on loan with a 15 million option and it's 90% sure that it won't be activated.

And if some offers for Benteke and even Townsend or Meyer could bring the club 10-15 million, then they'd open up places too. It's not like they do incredibly well.

So plenty of spaces could be cleared, I named about 8.

I'd like Batshuayi.

Agreed! The priority is to stay up and this will become increasingly difficult with this ageing squad. We need younger players who can improve rather than more players who are past their best and who can only get slower and less effective.
Cahill was a great addition and plugs a temporary gap but where are the players who will be our back four in 3/4 years time?
We must also avoid panic buys for what is a temporary injury crisis.

Of course I'm serious. I would not get rid of those players and have a formation with 7-8 less players.

What I mean is that better ones could be brought in their place.

For example, what is better,to have Martin Kelly be Ward's backup as right back (a positiom in which he is not very good or fast and where he doesn't move up to cross) and have Scott Dann as 4th center hardly playing ....or.....get a decent right back and move Kelly to 4th center back position (behind Tomkins, Cahill and Sako) and allow Dann to leave to a Championship club where he'd be a starter? With all the respect he deserves, of course, he fully did his duty for the club.

Same for Wickham or Benteke or even Townsend- I mean like for like replacement. But better.

And sending McCarthy and Riedewald elsewhere on loan allows us to get 2 more attacking players in (by pulling Jimmy Macca and Schlupp to the positions of McCarthy and Riedewald, which are their actual positions for which they trained all their life- central midfielder and left back, not attacking options like Roy uses them).

Cause as of now, the attacking options are just about 6: Zaha, Jordan Ayew, Benteke, Townsend, Meyer (more like a central midfielder at Schalke anyway), Schlupp (??), Macca.

There should be like 3 strikers, 4 wingers and an attacking midfielder or second striker a lot more offensive than Macca.