I reckon adding a CM and a LWB makes this a really exciting squad. Good options in most positions, just possibly a bit light in those two spots. I'm excited.
You've replied to my post, that states we'll be looking to add more players, by asking if I think the gaffer wants new players? Styles replaces Mowatt btw.
In a way we were quite lucky last season with mowatt not getting any significant knock or ban. Feel we need two new faces in midfield n another forward to replace Vic. Left back we have the Williams sisters to compete. Good squad if we sign the last couple well.
We did rest Mowatt against Norwich ,his replacement was immense that day. Can he perform consistently, let's give him a go.
A few mentions of Andersen. I know they are only hypothetical line-ups, but is he anywhere near ready yet? Apologies if I have missed an injury update.
Even though the system will be as last year (3-4-3), it will work differently. We will try to pass from the back and there will be less long aimless passing. The press will be different too, and I fully expect us to play the front 3 as 2 behind the front player. We do not know what Oulare is like just yet, and whether he will be the central player in the front 3, and we do not know whether Woodrow and Morris can be effective slightly deeper. Above all, we do not know whether we will be able to create the space for the short passing game that we hope to play, and we all know from past experiences that if you set out to play the passing game, and it does not work, the ball moves forward too slowly to create anything. If the whole team was as good as our defensive unit, we would have no problems, but frankly, we do not know how the system and the new players will bed in. I am not saying that it will not, after all, I asked for more passing last season, but what I am doing is calling for patience over the first 10 games whilst everything settles down.
Tbf Woodrow has been playing deep for the last 2 seasons so I think it's fair to assume he can play there.
When Ismael first arrived, we played a front 3 press with a very high back line. As teams worked us out, most stopped passing from the back, and the front 3 press became pointless. As a result, we reverted to a similar system to the one that I have described, but that system was less effective at winning the ball back high, and because 2 of the front 3 were withdrawn deeper, it made us less effective on the break. I felt that Woodrow's game in particular suffered because he struggled to get forward quickly enough to support our attacks effectively. That also points to another problem. We can only make 3 substitutions this season. If we have 3 big men up front, and we play any sort of a press, they are going to tire, and we are not going to be able to change them all. Personally, I would have liked to see more diversity in that area. I would have liked to have seen some pace. I felt that last season, we became predictable, and a predictable team is easier to play against because you know what they are going to do.
Cole and Morris have decent pace. Woodrow and Odour will be more technical options there, Obbi offers his greater height / targetman option and you have the workrate/pressing from Frieser. I think we have some variety there.
