I thought it might be a good idea to coalesce the various chats relating to our first team squad, who needs to stay, be replaced, who needs to come in etc. After a grim season, and having oscillated between feeling the need for a few tweaks, to binning off the whole squad, I think I've landed somewhere near the middle.
Objectively I think we might be in a slightly better position than last season, in terms of growing the quality of the squad. The three main problems we had last season, IMO, were that we did not replace key players that were going out of contract, the quality of loans was poor and we had a number of players (Gunter, Watson) still contracted who were nowhere near the required quality to be active squad players.
This year we have a couple of things going for us. Firstly, the players going out of contract are the 'right' players. Aside from maybe Washington & JFC, if all of the OOC players are released it wouldn't harm the quality of the squad. Our best players in the current squad are still under contract for at least the next season. Aside from Charlie Kirk, the players left under contract have a logical role in our formation, and the players that aren't good enough for a promotion-chasing first XI are probably good enough to be bench/squad options (and we have Aneke who is happy to be, and probably the best, supersub attacker in Lg1). Secondly, we have a real batch of quality youngsters graduating from the U18s to U23s (as evidenced by their recent performance in the U23s). So in terms of squad depth, we will have Deji, Ness, Henry, Kanu and other U18s who can step in as 3rd options for each position, some of which have had good experiences of men's football this season.
So in terms of squad depth we should have a leaner squad, with better quality in depth. What we have to get right is the permanent signings and the loans. Last season, in general, the permanent signings were actually decent (Dobson, Clare, Lavelle, Fraser, CBT.) If we don't have the ability to bring in top-quality loans, I would much rather bring in young prospects permanently. I reckon we need top quality in the following positions: CB, LCB, RWB, RCM, ST and backup for RCB, LWB, CDM, LCM, ST (if Washington goes). Smart, flexible squad options are key: it would be great to have a left-footed version of Clare, someone who can cover both LCB and LWB (and CM in Clare's case).
The big question is obviously, will we get what we need? I'm still not convinced that we will have all our ducks in a row, unfortunately, despite having a lot of time to be preparing. We also need a pre-season schedule in place, which we did not last year. I'm hoping all these things will be close to being finalised, but I just don't feel it. Hopefully I'll be proven wrong!
What do you all think? What do we need? Who can we get? Who needs to go? Where are we heading?
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Comments
- As above
- More wars and same sized cock (or if anything slightly smaller)
Bring in a striker, two centre backs, a centre mid and 2 wing backs.
Anything else would be a bonus.
Better coaching.
More wins.
When do we want it? Actually, we got it about twenty years ago.
New keeper (though suspect we'll be stuck with MacGillivray
AMB (Maybe as first choice I'd MacGillivray stays).
New, Lavelle, New
Clare, Elerewe, New (or Famewo)
Dobson
New
New(/CBT), New, Fraser, CBT(/New)
DJ, Morgan, JFC, New
Stockley, New
New, Washington
Aneke supersub!
Ideally 6 New starters, as well as 4 others, 5 potentially to cover midfield given JFC's injury issues.
Big ask but it's what we need IMHO, and I'd rather it being done as the cleanest sweep we can rather than the easier option of hanging onto Purrington, Inniss etc.
Would mean getting rid of Henderson, Gunter, Matthews, Pearce, Inniss, Purrington, Souare, selling Gilbey, MacGillivray ideally, and not bothering singing the loanees at all (maybe Famewo, but not completely convinced).
I've probably missed someone.
New 3 year contracts for Clare, Dobson and JFC and 2 for Washington now. Not in June.
Sign 5 players early, either bosman's or for a fee that are 23-28 no long term injury issues. 2 center backs, at least one left footed, a specialist wing back, not really bothered on which side, a box to box midfielder and a striker. I want all 5 to have "goals in their locker" and one of them to be the new team captain. All on 3 year contracts.
Then go through every player who is either out of contract or entering their final year and identify what role they have, if any, in the system we are going to use next season and plan B. Ask are they good enough and do they have the right attitude? Then re-sign, release or transfer list as appropriate.
I want all that done by the end of June.
Then use loans, frees, small fees and our u23s (that are ready) to fill any gaps.
What will happen is we will drag the OOC players negotiations on to about mid June, miss out on some targets and end up panicking again.
I haven't mentioned the keep. I would give AMB preseason and the first few games to prove himself and bring in a loan if he he isn't.
When do we want it? I dunno, some time next week maybe?
What will we get? Davison back from Swindon!
Problem is it wont happen.......but we can dream.
A new manager
A new squad
New fans(!)
What will we get?
Jacko til November.
5 loannees and a free.
The usual woke snowflakes who think the valley is a library and being extra sensitive to everyone's endless needs and doing it as quietly as possible is the sign of a REAL FAN !
(I think watching the 1940s FACUP win on YouTube the other day seeing that enormous crowd of passionate (definitely not woke) Addicks has me hoping for a revival)..
GK
RWB
RCB
CB
LCB
CDM
CM
CF
(Loan Morgan, Kanu, Adigun, Leaburn, Henry out if they're not going to get many first team games)
What we may be able to do is get the heads up on 1 and 2 before it happens or is is about to happen which might mean we can do business before the prices go up.
- I would like to see the club be bold and release Pearce, Purrington and Matthews
- What we’ll probably get is more of ‘Gilbs’ pointing, and Aneke managing about 12 games next season
We need to be sure on the fitness of some of our current starters and plan for them being out just much as replacing the out of contract's/ loans and adding the already needed quality to push on. Ultimately, we need some of our current lot of starters to become the backup's and plus the additional.
McGillivray/ Harness
New/ DJ
New/ Gilbey
Stockley/ Aneke
New/ Washington*
Give the last place to another midfielder, JFC, Gilbey and possibly now, Fraser, have all missed large periods of a season recently and could continue to do so, maybe even drop off one of the CB's promoting Deji full time and take 2 extra midfielders.
Retain Purrington and Washington, bring in 6 good quality starters and we might get a little bit closer to the play offs next season (might)
We need more woke.
I assume Ladapo, Adigun and Reilly are a touch too young but don't really know.
2-3 of these coming through and really establishing themselves could make all the difference.