Schopp said he wanted to bring some experience in, after losing Mowatt and Sollbauer. Not sure he'll get his wish on that one.
I'd be surprised if we didn't add one more (LB/LWB) and if we offload Ritzmaier, I'd expect another midfielder, particularly if Schopp wants more options of formations and sees a 5 man midfield as something he wants to go to, either regularly or now and then. We still seem to have too many bodies though, especially in the front players. Surely Miller, Simoes and Adeboyejo have to be moved on, maybe Frieser too.
I'd like to see frieser kept. He's a good team player, works incredibly hard. I reckon he could do a good job in midfield.
I was thinking we have no natural dead ball specialist now Mowatt's gone and Benson doesn't look that sort of player. I was hoping that the new left back would have a bit of genuine attacking prowess and not just look good until the 18 yard box.
Benson is a set piece taker as far as I know. Scored a few free kicks in his time and I am pretty sure he takes corners etc.
That's the problem with changing the system every season. Under Stendel we had Thiam, Wilks, Thomas, Simoes and Chaplin that were all wide forwards. Then we played without width under Struber and Val. The anomaly for me is Schmidt. He was either an after thought or Moore's replacement.
I agree. I've said it before that simply looking for a coach that plays a pressing style is unbelievably loose. Every coach has used different formations and different tactics within those systems. So each head coach change has brought significant changes in recruitment need, which haven't always followed. We had an insane amount of no 10s under Heckingbottom. We had large numbers of wide midfielders thereafter. And now we have a crazy number of forwards (13 I think at the current account, which includes players that are ours but elsewhere). Hopefully Schopp can transition things quickly, but the reality is that lasting change takes time and there is often no shortcut to it.
For me a LB/LWB is a must. If Ritz does leave, I actually think we’re happy with Styles, Palmer, Kane and Benson being the 4 main options for CM with the likes of Moon, Halme and Sibbick able to cover at CDM or Woodrow at CAM. So if the LB comes in, where does this leave Oduor ? He seems to prefer a more advanced role but with the new signings coming in along with the form of Morris and Woodrow from last season, I can’t see where he fits in. Maybe a loan move to League 1 would do him the world of good.
I don't dislike Frieser, but we have 13 (maybe 14) forwards. Schopp may even want to move to a single striker now and then. He doesn't seem technical enough to play midfield. He seems very much a hustler, and I've not seen anything apart from a few snippets to form any sort of opinion on how Schopp plays his press to know if Frieser will suit that. With 3 subs again, 6 strikers seems excessive. We've Woodrow, Morris, Cole, Oulare, Leya Iseke. Oduor has been used in a front three now too. Thats 6. Before we consider Miller, Adeboyejo, Simoes and Frieser. And of course, Aitchison, Schmidt and Thomas out on loan and Marsh in the youth set up. Something has to give.
