Tex needs to be involved in squads and Lookman needs to have more playing time now.
We're still short on depth especially if we can't find Ba, Kashi doesn't come back "right" and Jackson's legs remain gone.
A couple of medium to long term injuries in midfield or up front then it's going to be a struggle to stay up at the top of the league.
I guess fans of every club in Div 1 would be thinking the same about their midfield/strikers.
I'm sure Lookman will be given more playing time as the season progresses. They wont want him blowing out at Xmas because he's been overdone early on. He had quite a bit of hamstring trouble last season so there is a need to be careful.
Underlined are injured, italics are covering more than one position, but with everyone fit, and still some other youth players potentially available to call upon (Charles-Cook, Mulldoon), we have enough bodies and flexibility in the squad to have 3 options in every position. Only Mitov is yet to play for the first team from that lot, albeit Hanlan debuted this season, and there is a good blend of ages in the team.
Every club always wants just a couple more players, but that is as balanced and flexible a squad as we have had for quite a while.
If Slade can continue to foster the team spirit that is beginning to show through, and we get a fair wind with injuries and suspension (which will hopefully include managing them better) we will be challenging at the right end of the table.
I'm not too disappointed with what Russell Slade has done overall. James Henry might have been a useful addition, but we have Holmes in that wide role so it might have been difficult to accommodate them both. Keeping Lookman is a big plus for me (noting with fingers crossed that there is still a little time to go in the window). Hoping for Diarra's reappearance sooner rather than later.
Would be interesting to know if we actually received a firm, reasonable offer for Lookman.
it would be nice but we won't know. Personally think it was all rumour without any actual substance mainly because I don't think Roland would turn down 2m let alone 4m.
Tex needs to be involved in squads and Lookman needs to have more playing time now.
We're still short on depth especially if we can't find Ba, Kashi doesn't come back "right" and Jackson's legs remain gone.
A couple of medium to long term injuries in midfield or up front then it's going to be a struggle to stay up at the top of the league.
I guess fans of every club in Div 1 would be thinking the same about their midfield/strikers.
I'm sure Lookman will be given more playing time as the season progresses. They wont want him blowing out at Xmas because he's been overdone early on. He had quite a bit of hamstring trouble last season so there is a need to be careful.
Agree that most in this league will feel the same. Just hoped that we'd make our big budget make me feel a bit more secure we could go 46 games with confidence to win every one of them - not worrying too much about injuries and suspensions.
Would be interesting to know if we actually received a firm, reasonable offer for Lookman.
it would be nice but we won't know. Personally think it was all rumour without any actual substance mainly because I don't think Roland would turn down 2m let alone 4m.
Offers were made but turned down - but then again it's not part of the angry narrative.
Comments
Rudd, Phillips
Solly, Foley
Bauer, Tex, Lennon, Pearce, Konsa, Johnson
Fox, Chicksen
Crofts, Jackson, Kashi, Diarra, Ulvestad, Ba, Muldoon, Charles-Cook
Botaka, Holmes, Lookman
Ajose, Magennis, Novak, Hanlan, Ahearne-Grant, Umerah
That's 29 players, 10 of which are either young and inexperienced, injured or Johnson.
Could've done with one more winger and striker looking at that, but I suppose it could be a lot worse. Let's hope it's enough!
I'm sure Lookman will be given more playing time as the season progresses. They wont want him blowing out at Xmas because he's been overdone early on. He had quite a bit of hamstring trouble last season so there is a need to be careful.
RB: Solly/Foley/Konsa
LB: Fox/Chicken/Lennon
CB: Bauer/Tex/Konsa
CB: Pearce/Lennon/Johnson
RM: Holmes/Botake/Foley
CM: Crofts/Kashi/Diarra
CM: Vuvuzele/Jacko/Ba
LM: Lookman/Holmes/Jacko
ST: Ajose/Lookman/KAG
ST: MyGuiness/Novak/Hanlan
Underlined are injured, italics are covering more than one position, but with everyone fit, and still some other youth players potentially available to call upon (Charles-Cook, Mulldoon), we have enough bodies and flexibility in the squad to have 3 options in every position. Only Mitov is yet to play for the first team from that lot, albeit Hanlan debuted this season, and there is a good blend of ages in the team.
Every club always wants just a couple more players, but that is as balanced and flexible a squad as we have had for quite a while.
If Slade can continue to foster the team spirit that is beginning to show through, and we get a fair wind with injuries and suspension (which will hopefully include managing them better) we will be challenging at the right end of the table.
So how about Holmes in front of Crofts snd behind the two strikers with Ade out wide.
That would frighten tier 3 defences!
If we had signed those 3 tonight people on here would be wetting themselves.
with
Lookman
bauer
tex
all still here is as good as you could have hoped
"fucking arseholes lying to us about bids for Lookman, there's no way we wouldn't accept a bid"
Sometimes you just have to accept you are wrong, and not everything is a conspiracy
Can we not do this for once and actually make an effort? We all seem to spell names like Ibrahimovic, Aguero, and Mahrez correctly...
(Sorry to sound like a bleeding heart liberal sorry sorry sorry)