So, our first season back in the Premier League is almost over and all we’ve go to look forward to is our traditional good hiding against Arsenal on Sunday. All of us are speculating on the inevitable changes that will take place over the summer and we all have our suggestions about who should be brought in and who should be (ahem) allowed to leave.

Let’s look at the latter first as we clearly have a number of players who haven’t cut the mustard and one or two who’ve hardly had a chance to do so. Arnau is having trouble getting a game on loan at Falkirk and is clearly never going to get one with us. Loanees Anderson and Halford seem to be doing well at Plymouth and Charlton and neither of them made any impact with us so they’ll surely be joining Arnau on the way out. With Kav having made a hit at Sheffield Wednesday and with his exclusion from first team games with us unlikely to change, he too will no doubt be leaving. Personally I’ll be sad to see him go and perhaps there have been words at some stage between him and Keano as he’s usually performed very well for us.

His age and his susceptibility to injury may be the reason for his exclusion this season, but I think he should’ve been included during the long, cold winter of our discontent. Something has got to give between Ward and Fulop with probably the latter moving on to greener pastures. I rate both of them, especially Ward, and would prefer it if they both stayed as we need three good goalies in the squad. McShane’s stock is very low at the moment and I can’t see him coming back into the picture. I’ve always admired his commitment but I don’t think he’s up to the mark. Similarly I don’t think there’d be any tears shed if Harte left. When I saw his first touch in the Arsenal away game, I’m afraid it confirmed my worst fears. I’d keep Higginbotham as I think he’d be a good squad player and he always likes to have a go at scoring.

Connolly’s hardly had a sniff all season and he will probably leave too. I rate him and his goals were a major factor in our promotion last year but I don’t think he would have done well for us this season. Stern John has done very well for Southampton and they would’ve been sunk without him but I doubt if he’d have done much in the Premier League either. The Championship is a world away. I’d be sorry to see Wallace go as he can electrify a game, something that Diouf did for Bolton yesterday and which was lacking from our own performance. Like Wallace, Miller is also on the list and I think he’s more likely to be moved on. Perhaps it was my fault but I’ve been to some games where he was playing and have hardly noticed him.

Big Stan Varga will always have a place in our hearts but a permanent move to Burnley or another Championship side is clearly on the cards while Andrew Cole has been a success there too and will no doubt stay. Stephen Wright is something of a forgotten man at the SOL and there are probably one or two others but if there are, I can’t remember them. Stephen’s had many injury problems in his time with us and I can’t see him getting a game for us again, but he has plenty of life in him yet and could do well elsewhere. Daryl Murphy has been linked with a move this season but I think we should hang on to him as he’s especially good at coming on as sub and blasting in a late goal. He’s got a way to go but I think he can improve a lot and be an asset. There’s been much speculation about Kenwyne Jones being poached but if we offer him attractive enough terms and do something about saving him from ploughing a lone furrow up front and getting seven bells knocked out of him every game, he should stay.

Some people have shouted for Chopra to go, but if we play him in the right position, we’ll surely see a lot more of what he did against the Smogs.

What about incoming players? First of all, we have to secure Jonny Evans. He’s been consistently spot-on and he’s still only twenty. We do need cover in the back four of course and with the likelihood of summer turmoil at Man City, I think we could do well to get hold of Richard Dunne. He’s very experienced and has been a pillar of strength for City. His team-mate Ireland is another name that’s been bandied about in connection with us and, though I’ve never seen him play, he sounds like a great prospect despite his wayward behaviour at times. Zarate has been mentioned and when he came on sub against us in January, he really caught my eye and could bring a touch of the above-mentioned electricity. However, all this daft talk of £20 million can’t be contemplated; £10 million at a push.

Forlan is a name that’s been much touted but again we seem to be talking funny money and I’d be worried about having such a star player in our dressing room as it may cause trouble, though with Roy around this is less likely than elsewhere. A few years ago I didn’t rate Peter Crouch at all but he’s really come on in recent years and it’s clear that he could be on the way out at Anfield. If you saw the goal he recently scored at the Emirates, I think you’ll agree that he’s now in the classic striker mould. Most Liverpool fans would be sorry to see him leave. The prospect of him playing alongside Kenwyne looks tantalizing to me.

It’s been rumoured that Julio may return after two years with Boro and that would be great. He still lives locally and is held in high esteem by our fans so it would be a shoe-in. His ability to run at a defence and his own defensive skills when called upon give him a double-edged quality. Now we enter the realms of fantasy somewhat but I, for one, would be delighted to have Ryan Giggs in the side. For that reason (and the fact that they’re playing Chelsea) I’ll be rooting for Man United to win the Champions’ League as if he gets another winner’s medal, what ambitions would he have left? He’s soon going to pass Bobby Charlton’s appearance record too and is being slowly moved out of the Old Trafford picture. He’d surely always get a game for us and, hopefully, also be part of building a very successful side in the twilight of his career. I think that, and a tasty contract of course, might be enough to tempt him to join his old pal Roy and the gang. At this point I too will walk off into the cyber sunset and leave you to your own contemplations.

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