Maybe a bit harsh in the shadow of tonight's performance but think we are a fair bit off from genuinely competing for promotion and then having the foundation of a Championship team.
Once league status is secured we should surely focus on next year's campaign ie as Steve Brown was saying...sign up those you want to keep now etc.
By my reckoning we would need a significant rebuild along the lines of the below if we are going to seriously challenge to be one of the best 3 teams in this league over the next 2 seasons. A pretty big task.
A month ago we looked like world beaters so not sure what has gone wrong in that time but much of our squad don't inspire as promotion material let alone having potential to compete in the championship in the next 2 years.
GK
Craig MacGillivray Yes
Stephen Henderson 2nd/3rd choice
Def
Akin Famewo (on loan from Norwich City) No
Jason Pearce (captain) No
Samuel Lavelle Yes
Ryan Inniss If injury permits
Pape Souaré No
Sean Clare Yes Best right back at the club
Adam Matthews No
Chris Gunter No
Ben Purrington Yes
Deji Elerewe Yes as a development player
Mid
George Dobson
Yes
Diallang Jaiyesimi Squad player maybe but can't see Championship quality/ potential so only maybe
Jake Forster-Caskey Yes but hopefully injury hasn’t caused him to lose too much
Elliot Lee (on loan from Luton Town) Squad player rather than key man
Charlie Kirk No
Corey Blackett-Taylor No
Albie Morgan No
Alex Gilbey Yes
Ben Watson No
ST/FWD
Jayden Stockley (vice-captain) Yes
Conor Washington Yes
Josh Davison No
Jonathan Leko (on loan from Birmingham City) Maybe but need to pick a position for him
Mason Burstow- keep and keep hold of him at all costs
So probably by that reckoning we would need one or two centre backs, cover at full backs, 3 or 4 midfielders and one or two goal scorers.
Comments
If you want to win the league, Purrington and Clare need to be back-up full backs, not starters, for example.
I also wouldn't rely on Inniss at all, given his injury record.
All those aspects seem seem to have gone in a space of weeks. To the extent the season is effectively over.
Im not going to lash out blaming people but it just doesn’t make sense. It can’t just be Stockley missing.
Clare - yes
Purrington - no
Matthews - no
Gunter - no
Pearce - no
Inniss - probably no based on injuries
Lavelle - no idea
Famewo - maybe
Souare - no
Dobson - yes
JFC - no
Gilbey - no
Lee - no
Kirk - no
Morgan - no
DJ - no
CBT - no
Watson - no
Washington - no
Stockley - maybe
Davison - no
Burstow - no idea
If you think I’m being extreme, I can understand. I think results and where we are in the league speaks volumes. People thought we were 3 or 4 players off last year.
Summer recruitment has got to be right and EARLY. I can't emphasise enough the advantage of getting your core sqaud together and letting them gel and bond long before a ball is kicked.
And the recruitment has got to provide some pedigree. Not ageing defenders and midfielders (Gunter and Watson) Not journeymen wingers who can't nail down a place elsewhere(Leko, Blackett-Taylor)
Not main strikers who are not really strikers(Washington) or strikers that are not even footballers (Schwartz)
If TS is as serious as he says he is then it can't be done on the cheap. He will have to throw serious money at it,even at this level.
Not a single player I'd point to as being ready for the step up. The only maybe is Dobson because he does have games where he looks that level.
The rest of the players are just far too average most games to be part of a promotion winning side.
Miles and miles and miles and miles.
Yet another summer rebuild beckons.
I like Gilbey, but one goal this season is not a good enough return for him to continue starting in our midfield.
The rest of that squad wasn't that good. Lapslie, Marshall and Reeves played over 40 games between them that season. Solly played over 30, and regardless of what anyone says he was shot by then.
I totally agree that we do need a "clear out" and a "rebuild", words that crop up on here a lot over the last 2 years. But we don't need that many "better" players.
You add, for example, Aribo, Cullen, Bielik and Taylor to this squad instead of Watson, Morgan, Kirk and Davison. That's got to be in with a chance of the play offs. That's 4 players, 3 of which came in one window and didn't cost a penny (of course they did but not in transfer fees).
The Bowyer play off winners, including the two subs who made a massive impact,
7 didn't play for us the season before and 2 more were youth in their brake through season. Only 4 Pearce, BFG, Sarr and Aribo were "legacy" players.
It's the same for Curbs play off winners. Illic, Mills, Youds, Bowen, Heaney and Bright all joined mid season. 7/11 hadn't been there the previous year.
You can do it, very quickly, I have no confidence at all we will though, based on the last 3 or 4 windows.
GK - Mac/AMB (AMB might want to leave so Henderson for another year is fine).
RCB - Need a first teamer, someone who can play RB too. Clare and Deji as cover.
CB - Lavelle/Pearce
LCB - Famewo (if we can buy him) and cover who also doubles up as cover for Lavelle in the centre (or Famewo move to the centre).
RWB - Competition for DJ
LWB - Competition for Purrington
CM - Dobson/JFC/Gilbey/Clare. Another DM to properly cover Dobson.
CAM - Competition for Lee if we can get him permanently.
STR - Two new ones to compete with Stockley and Washington.
CBT as an extra, more luxurious player, with the option to play wingers.
That's 8 new signings on top of Famewo and Lee. Probably need to buy 3 of them with 5 on loan or frees. Not sure we'll have the budget for it but I'd sell Morgan, Kirk and Davison to help fund it.
Gunter, Matthews, Souare, Inniss, Watson, Morgan, Kirk and Davison should be moved on.
Were the same mistakes in both games, stupid decision making in the final third.
Another way to ask the same question is - who would Powell and Bowyer have selected from this squad for their promotion winning teams in 2012 and 2019?
Drop Cullen for Dobson?
Drop BWP for Washington?
Drop Kermogant or Lyle Taylor, for Stockley?
Drop Morrison or Bauer for Lavelle or Innis?
Drop Jackson for Gilbey?
Drop Williams or Stephens for Lee?
Drop Naby or Matt Taylor for Famweo?
Drop Solly for Mathews?
I would guess only Purrington would make the grade and he was there in 2019. Maybe Washington might get the nod over Josh Parker or maybe Dobson over Hollands. The rest would be some way off. This is all a direct result of instability and under investment at the club. We attracted some quality signings in 2018 and 2019 because of the personal reputation of Bowyer as a former top player.
Let's not forget that club captain Pearce was actually a reserve at Wembley in 2019 and thought a bit slow back then.
I suspect Mr Sandgaard (senior and junior) are looking for bargains and young talent on the cheap but if it was that easy, everyone would be doing it, as Roland found out the hard way.
Having said all that as @JamesSeed pointed out, how can the same players make Norwich City look rubbish for 75 minutes on Sunday and then get outplayed by Crewe on Wednesday?
I'd be shipping out Soaure, Watson, Gunter, Morgan (sadly), Matthews, Kirk (wrong move at the wrong time and I hope he gets his career going again), JFC (poor bloke's physical condition can't be relied on same with Ryan Inniss I'm afraid and gutted to say. Josh Davidson needs regular football and to be a main man, a loan should do him good
I'd be bringing in one of Stockton from Morecombe, Oliver from Gillingham, Bishop from Accrington or Mandron from Crewe to keep Stockley honest and Matty Stevens from FGR to rotate with Washington and Burstow
Tucker from Gillingham at centre half or Raggett from Portsmouth or the bigger of the 2 Northampton centre halves, Riley from FC Franchise and while we are picking over the bones of Gillingham. Kyle Dempsey is quality and would definitely strengthen us and give us a bit more flexibility to play a diamond.
We don't just need competition for Purrington, DJ and Lee, we need first team starters so they are the back up options. None of them are ultimately good enough to start for a promotion chasing side. I don't get the hype around Lee, genuinely feel that too many people over rate him. He's done nothing for weeks.
Agree about the players to move on, but i'd keep Inniss as a back up if he can show he can go the rest of this season injury free.