Squad for next season

[Rjk]

Here's how we are shaping up for next season:

Players currently in or around the senior squad:

GK
Phillips

CB
Nelson
McGuiness

WB/FB
Ng
Bagan

CM
Wintle
Sang
Bowen

AM
Colwill
Evans

FW
Moore
Harris
Collins
Davies
Watters

Then there are a few in the u23s who could make the step up

GK
Ratcliffe

CB
Denham
Connoly (although I think he's also out of contract)
Bakare

WB
Semenyo

CM
Patten
King
D'Almeida

CF
Zimba


Well we have a LOT to do.
I'd say we need:
1 Gk
2 CB
2 WB/FB
1 CM
1 AM

possibly less depending on if any of the other youngsters can step up.
thats a massive transition, you'd expect we would be looking at a couple of loans again, and frees and good prospects in the lower leagues.
I see some teams have started picking over the bones of Derby already - I wonder how much they'd accept for Bird, Sibley or Knight

[the other bob wilson]

Re: Squad for next season

If anything, I’d say you are underestimating the number of new players to come in, I think we may need as much as ten newcomers.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Re: Squad for next season

One rather sobering thought - if we let the contracts of Morrison, Flint, Bacuna, Pack, Vaulks and Smithies all run down, we'll have paid over £20m in transfer fees for those 6 alone and have got not a penny back in transfer fees.

[Cardiff-Cal]

Re: Squad for next season

And when you consider all those extra matches in the Papa John’s Trophy it’s looking even bleaker.

[J R Hartley]

Re: Squad for next season

I think dropping down a division could be the making of these young lads. Could be a case of one step back, two steps forward.

[Rjk]

Re: Squad for next season

I think dropping down a division could be the making of these young lads. Could be a case of one step back, two steps forward.

i don't agree

[City123]

Re: Squad for next season

1 new central midfielder? We'll be losing 4 and there's no guarantee that Bowen or Sang are good enough

[The Hooded Claw]

Re: Squad for next season

One rather sobering thought - if we let the contracts of Morrison, Flint, Bacuna, Pack, Vaulks and Smithies all run down, we'll have paid over £20m in transfer fees for those 6 alone and have got not a penny back in transfer fees.

The alternative is to renew their contracts…

[J R Hartley]

Re: Squad for next season

1 new central midfielder? We'll be losing 4 and there's no guarantee that Bowen or Sang are good enough

Well we won’t know if they are not given an opportunity will we. Bowen has been arguably City’s best player in 2 of the 4 games he’s started - Brighton in the cup and Reading the last league game before he got injured.

[J R Hartley]

Re: Squad for next season

i don't agree

I don’t expect many to as people want instant results but if this summer is going to be another window of austerity and we have to go into another season with the youngsters I think it would be more beneficial long term if they were winning some games, which we are more likely to in League 1.
Even if we survive this season, another relegation fight beckons next year. We are fortunate this year Reading and Derbyhave had points deducted. No good for their development being in a relegation scrap constatnly losing games imo. We need to be giving this group 2/3 years of football experience to make them ready for Championship football. That may need to take place in league one for a season or two.

[City123]

Re: Squad for next season

Well we won’t know if they are not given an opportunity will we. Bowen has been arguably City’s best player in 2 of the 4 games he’s started - Brighton in the cup and Reading the last league game before he got injured.

I agree, but they should be tested now and regardless 4 midfielders probably isn't enough for a full season. Has Sang ever started a game for us in midfield?

[J R Hartley]

Re: Squad for next season

I agree, but they should be tested now and regardless 4 midfielders probably isn't enough for a full season. Has Sang ever started a game for us in midfield?

Well it doesn’t help we are bringing someone else’s youngsters in on loan at the expense of our own. And yet Morison talked about clear pathways when he first took the job.

It didnt take him long to go into Neil Harris mode. Talk is cheap.

[2b2bdoo]

Re: Squad for next season

Probably a good thing especially in midfield which has been an issue for so long. I would try and keep Ralls but let the rest go.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Re: Squad for next season

The alternative is to renew their contracts…

Morrison has been a good servant to the club and has been worth his transfer fee. Can't say the same about the others, Smithies has been ok at best.

Yes, what a mess. I notice the five other players in that list were signed by the same man...

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Re: Squad for next season

I don’t expect many to as people want instant results but if this summer is going to be another window of austerity and we have to go into another season with the youngsters I think it would be more beneficial long term if they were winning some games, which we are more likely to in League 1.
Even if we survive this season, another relegation fight beckons next year. We are fortunate this year Reading and Derbyhave had points deducted. No good for their development being in a relegation scrap constatnly losing games imo. We need to be giving this group 2/3 years of football experience to make them ready for Championship football. That may need to take place in league one for a season or two.

I don't have much of a problem with us going down. I would hope the drop in income might bring about a reality check for Tan. Relegation didn't work out too badly for Norwich, Southampton, Leicester etc. It's true that Bolton and Portsmouth struggled and there is a fear we could end up as we did in the mid 80s, but we're not a club in huge trouble like those. It took Slade to sort out the mess from Solskjaer and it's taken 3 managers to sort out the mess from Warnock. Sometimes you need to take a step backwards to make bigger steps forward.