Reply With QuoteI know I'm not the first to make this point but looking at that graphic - good lord, squad depth is thin, and there's a clear shortage of experienced players to provide leadership in key areas.
Hopefully Conte can step up at Right Wing-Back as well?
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squad 14.jpg
Here I've tried to visualise the current state of the squad. I'm sure I'm missing a few players. And we may yet have some players re-sign who are currently expiring.
Numbers are their age and numbers of years left on contract.
I've only included players in one position for clarity, but there are several who can cover more than one.
I think it shows there's work to do in most areas of the pitch. and if we have to sell one or 2 senior players to balance the books we are starting to look very threadbare.
GK has been an issue - might be less so in league one, and you'd assume that we would want to move players out before bringing anyone in.
RB - a lot depends on how ready Kpakio is to step up - and if he can stay fit.
LB - not too bad compared to other positions
CB - a real problem position last season - I would image that we played more CB partnerships than any other team in the league. Lawlor does look like a prospect though, Fish was improving towards the end of the season, and perhaps Tsunoda can come back and show the impressive form he had for Kortrijk. It would also help if the new manager can perform some kind of factory reset on Daland and we get the player that we thought we were getting.
CM we are looking very lightweight - Chambers can come in here also. I'm not sure Colwill or King have done enough on their loans to suggest they'll be demanding a starting place any time soon.
Attacking midfield positions are also low on numbers and with players that have struggled to show enough consistency in the championship.
Strikers - finally some better news. You'd have thought that Robinson and Salech would be amongst the better league one strikers. Davies as well if he can stay fit. Simic is a bit of an unknown still, and perhaps Etete and Reindorf will go out on loan again (although it would take a REALLY good power point presentation to persuede Bolton to have Etete back - also just realised I have Etete's length of contract wrong).
As an alterative way of looking at it too I've looked as it as a 3-5-2.
squad 15.jpg
Ng and Bagan would come into the picture for the 3 CB positions, as I tihnk it suits them to be in a 3.
O Dowda, Giles and Kpakio I think are good matches for the wing back positions - obviously with one more on the right needed.
CM is still a bit light.
Up front I tihnk a lot of our striking options would benefit from playing as a front 2 . Salech and Robinson would be a frightening partnership for a lot of League one defences. Ashford, Davies etc can also join in up front.
Not sure where tanner would fit in really - perhaps a very dodgy back-up wingback
I know I'm not the first to make this point but looking at that graphic - good lord, squad depth is thin, and there's a clear shortage of experienced players to provide leadership in key areas.
Hopefully Conte can step up at Right Wing-Back as well?
Yesh I did think about including Conte and the likes of Tom Davies in there, but they seem quite far from first team contention at the momentOriginally Posted by Captain_Sensible
Agree with that.
Tom Davies signed a permanent deal with Newport in January and promptly suffered an injury which put him out for the season.
Ryan Wintle? Contracted until the end of 25/26. He’d be in my squad.
so I was RIGHT to leave him out
Ah yeah he should definitely be in there
I think there will be huge changes to the squad for next season.
Firstly, I can`t see any of the players who are out of contract next month being retained with the possible exception of Joe Ralls who may get a contract at a reduced wage to be an influential club captain (and occasional squad member).
Secondly, it is likely that some players still in contract believe that they are too good to play at League 1 level , even if last season gave a clear example to the contrary. Maybe the likes of Robinson, Robertson, Chambers and NG? If this is the case, then the club should be telling their agents to go out and find them a new club who will pay us a good fee for them, releasing yet more wages cost plus transfer money to put towards new arrivals.
Once the above clear out has been agreed there will be an urgent need to bring in a number of quality replacements. Strong (physically and mentally) leaders in central defence and central midfield will be a key start to help bring on more from our promising youngsters who might otherwise find League 1 too physical for them.
I also think every effort should be made to persuade Salech to stay as he will be a real force to be reckoned with in League 1 - might have to agree a release clause with him though.
Just some thoughts. I am sure others will have more and different ones.
it doesn't always pan out that the top players all leave, Barry Bannan had a few years in league one before returning to this level. Birmingham obviously kept most of their players, Jordan James aside.
The clubs financial position will obviously have a big part to play in that, and tabs appetite for further investment.
Agree that it doesn`t always follow that the top players all leave, but what should the club`s approach be if they ask to? Let them go for a fee or hold on to them under their contract terms and have unhappy players? We need players who will commit their all to the team next season.
we should only sell if someone's willing to pay a fee that works for us. if a player worth a few million wants to leave but people are offering 500k he should get used to the idea of staying
I agree with most of this. Though if we can get Chambers off the books for free we'd be doing well. Willock as well and maybe Turnbull though we may get a small fee for him.
The managerial appointment is so important particularly if we want to try and hold on to Salech.
That would be a great start if we can offload any of them, Id add Horwath and Ng into the mix as well
I wouldnt have him any where near the squad, I cant think of another player who has had so many question marks about what he actually delivers on the pitch?
Does he make defining tackles and breaks up the opposition play?
Does he make many assists?
Does he score a hatful of goals from midfield?
Does he create chances from set pieces?
Does he win the ball and dictate the pattern of play?
I cant think of anything that really describes him as a player, other than hes there?
We need better than that imho
Horvarth definitely can go if someone can take him. Id want money for Ng.
I would have no concerns about Wintle in league one.
In the 23/24 season (where we finished 12th) he was I think our most played player. He got 3 goals and 4 assists.
He had the second highest % tackles won out of our midfielders (behind Ebou Adams!)
He had the second highest number of blocks per 90 out of our midfielders (behind Ebou Adams)
Second highest % pass completion of our midfield 82.7% (behind siopis - but a lot more of his passes were progressive)
Amongst the highest midfielders for passing into the penalty area and crossing (behind Ramsey and Colwill per 90, but ahead in total as he played a lot more minutes)
In fact he does a bit of all of the above things, fairly well. Not a monster at any of them particularly, but he certainly wasn't a passenger last season. If you were being uncharitable you might say a jack of all trades, master of none, but perhaps a "well rounded" central midfielder is a better description.
Sure he's unlikely to be the player on our team sheet that strikes fear into the opposition, but at the same time perhaps he's exactly the kind of player we could have done with this season
Strange that he could hardly trouble the Millwall line up this season
He isnt Championship standard imho, and whilst I think were probably going to be stuck with him for next season, he still isnt a player I think we need
Who knows the new manager when hes appointed might look at Wintle and see something different in him than I do
I just dont rate him
He was brought into Milwall as cover, I'm not surprised they played their own players ahead of him when they could.
I think the defensive midfielders we picked last season were generally worse than Wintle in almost every aspect.
I'd prefer him in that role instead of Siopis, Chambers, Turnbull, Rinomhota or the guy from Ajax whose name I can't spell!
He wasn't a 10 as Bulut used him in that first season and I think that affects how highly he is rated
Good answer. I think he’s exactly what we need for L1. In my team he’d be one of the first on the team sheet.
I agree. I thought Wintle did okay for us last season and is definitely good enough for us in League 1
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