Aaron Henry is supposed to be the next big thing out of the youth team.
He's not 17 for a few weeks yet though.
This.
He is top class. Trained a good few times with the first team now, they’re all very impressed with him. He may need a good season with the U23s and to develop physically still, but technically and tactically, he’s very good.
I'm making the assumption that all out of contract players leave, and youth/development players will have to step up - because that is what we know as the current situation - and that we are down (which we are, with no sanctions in play as it stands).
With the rumours of Phillips wanting to leave as we have been relegated, and Lockyer being able to leave for free, I will factor them out as well. But Doughty has been offered a new deal, and for the time being, he remains in my squad. So we're looking a little something like this:
New professionals: Afrane-Kesey; Aidoo; Barton; French; Harvey
I don't know if any of the players I've mentioned are right-backs, so at the moment I've put Deji out there. We are clearly thin at the back... and, let's be honest, pretty much all over the squad. I have also probably missed at least one or two players out. But this I think is what our squad will probably look like at the start of the 2020/2021 season, if there is no off-field intervention from any involved parties.
And I don't think we'd be straight for the drop. I know that AMB is quite highly-rated; the remaining senior players are all capable of doing a job in League One; and the ethos of our youth setup is conducive to philosophically fluent and promising football. Whether the likes of Vega (or whoever goes to CB et al) are good enough for the men's game is another question. I think there's an amount of unreadiness in too many players for us to survive any more than three or four injuries. But this is not a truly hopeless situation, as many might think. It's far from ideal, though.
NB we have one-year options on Ben Amos and Jonny Williams, and I would presume we may have the option to activate them. If so, that certainly gives us a slightly better footballing outlook.
NB we have one-year options on Ben Amos and Jonny Williams, and I would presume we may have the option to activate them. If so, that certainly gives us a slightly better footballing outlook.
Whilst we have a 1 year option on Williams, I would be surprised if we’ll be in a position to want to activate it and continue paying the Championship level wages it would likely be on.
NB we have one-year options on Ben Amos and Jonny Williams, and I would presume we may have the option to activate them. If so, that certainly gives us a slightly better footballing outlook.
Whilst we have a 1 year option on Williams, I would be surprised if we’ll be in a position to want to activate it and continue paying the Championship level wages it would likely be on.
Sadly I can’t see Williams with us next season.
Ben Amos possibly.
Can’t see Williams staying but we’re clearly not paying anyone a Championship wage.
NB we have one-year options on Ben Amos and Jonny Williams, and I would presume we may have the option to activate them. If so, that certainly gives us a slightly better footballing outlook.
Whilst we have a 1 year option on Williams, I would be surprised if we’ll be in a position to want to activate it and continue paying the Championship level wages it would likely be on.
Sadly I can’t see Williams with us next season.
Ben Amos possibly.
Williams’ 1 year option was dependant on staying up.
NB we have one-year options on Ben Amos and Jonny Williams, and I would presume we may have the option to activate them. If so, that certainly gives us a slightly better footballing outlook.
Whilst we have a 1 year option on Williams, I would be surprised if we’ll be in a position to want to activate it and continue paying the Championship level wages it would likely be on.
Sadly I can’t see Williams with us next season.
Ben Amos possibly.
Can’t see Williams staying but we’re clearly not paying anyone a Championship wage.
We barely paid anyone a championship wage when we were in the championship, we certainly won't be in league one.
Williams was with us in league one though, so not sure what kind of wage he's on?
To be honest although i like him, he's a bit of a luxury player. An attacking midfielder who never scores and probably won't last a full season, and we have Oztumer who can play his role. I'd rather we spent Williams' salary towards a decent defensive midfielder as Pratley won't play every game.
Williams didn't look like the player we'd seen at the start of the season in those last few games but I can't see him signing up to a full year in League One, regardless of the option.
We'll need Oztumer to up his game and become our creative playmaker. He can do it but not consistently and not for full games, it seems. Maybe the slightly lower pace of League One might help.
One big problem is that the same number of games will be fitted into a month less than usual. Bowyer admitted that was a problem this time round and I think the stats demonstrate this with us scoring relatively few points in midweek games. That could be a worry with what is likely to be a very thin squad and we'll probably have to see some youngsters step up.
I hope they scrap the useless cup for third and fourth division teams next season, whatever its called these days. Could do with dumping the League Cup as well but I can't see that happening.
Comments
He's not 17 for a few weeks yet though.
Blows my mind to think we had a player like Alfie Doughty on our books and he only really got a game in the first team due to a massive injury list
I guess lockdown was a nuisance as imagine he'd have been back playing before the end of this season as has surely been over a year for him now
He is top class. Trained a good few times with the first team now, they’re all very impressed with him. He may need a good season with the U23s and to develop physically still, but technically and tactically, he’s very good.
With the rumours of Phillips wanting to leave as we have been relegated, and Lockyer being able to leave for free, I will factor them out as well. But Doughty has been offered a new deal, and for the time being, he remains in my squad. So we're looking a little something like this:
------------Maynard-Brewer-------------
Oshilaja--Vega---------Pearce----Doughty
--------------Pratley-------------------
---------Lapslie------Morgan-------------
-------------Oztumer------------------
-------Aneke---------Bonne--------------
Subs: Harness; Purrington; Mingi; Oztumer; Henry* (not sure on age/contract status); Wiredu; Davison
Others: Aouachria; Clayden; Dempsey; Osaghae (GK); Powell; Quitirna Jr; Vennings; Ness?
New professionals: Afrane-Kesey; Aidoo; Barton; French; Harvey
I don't know if any of the players I've mentioned are right-backs, so at the moment I've put Deji out there. We are clearly thin at the back... and, let's be honest, pretty much all over the squad. I have also probably missed at least one or two players out. But this I think is what our squad will probably look like at the start of the 2020/2021 season, if there is no off-field intervention from any involved parties.
And I don't think we'd be straight for the drop. I know that AMB is quite highly-rated; the remaining senior players are all capable of doing a job in League One; and the ethos of our youth setup is conducive to philosophically fluent and promising football. Whether the likes of Vega (or whoever goes to CB et al) are good enough for the men's game is another question. I think there's an amount of unreadiness in too many players for us to survive any more than three or four injuries. But this is not a truly hopeless situation, as many might think. It's far from ideal, though.
Sadly I can’t see Williams with us next season.
Ben Amos possibly.
Williams was with us in league one though, so not sure what kind of wage he's on?
To be honest although i like him, he's a bit of a luxury player. An attacking midfielder who never scores and probably won't last a full season, and we have Oztumer who can play his role. I'd rather we spent Williams' salary towards a decent defensive midfielder as Pratley won't play every game.