The Squad - less than a week to go - my synopsis

GKs

Liam Roberts
Ben Killip

Probably not worth bringing in a 3rd goalkeeper considering we have two highly rated youngsters in Paul Cooper and Adam Hayton.

RWB

Williams
Cotter
O'Keefe
Lofthouse

Definitely RWB heavy in the squad. Even assuming Williams might play RCB all season. Possibly a loan out already for Lofthouse until January...

LWB

Cadden
Styles?

Definite lack of cover here for me unless Charlie Winfield and/or Hayden Pickard are ready to step up. I haven't seen enough of either to say yes or no.

CB

Kitching
Lopata
J Williams
McCarthy
Cundy
De Gevigny
Shepherd

Seven to fit into three spots. Eight if you think Nathan James might start a few games. Too many for me, might even say that Kitching for £3m is good business sense if Shepherd can play to the level he reached at Wigan every week.

DM

Russell
Connell
Benson

Connell and Benson are both more like deep lying playmakers than defensive midfielders perhaps, but Collins seems to like a "sitter" in front of the back 3 so the wingbacks can bomb on. Russell gives height and strength in there and has started the season well. Plenty of depth in my opinion.

CM

Styles
Phillips
Kane
Matty Wolfe

Could include Benson or Connell in this as well, but 4 covering the 2 "number 8" midfielders we seem to be playing with seems like excellent cover with good quality for this level.

ST

Cole
Watters
Dallas
Shaw
Marsh
McAtee
Leya Iseka
Jalo?

All the above have been in the first team at some point, but I think it's clear Cole is top choice.
We'll have paid some decent money/wages for Watters so I expect the club to persevere with him, Devaney or the analysts must have recommended we sign him again. Can't see us signing another striker unless we've plans to let 3 or 4 of Dallas/Shaw/Leya Iseka/Marsh/Jalo go out on loan/transfer. 8 Strikers into 2 positions is an extravagance we surely can't afford. Personally I'd let the first 2 go on loan and try and offload Iseka, but that's only if we can attract the right deals. If the Jalo offer meets £1m and gives a 50% profit sell on clause I can see us taking the money.

In summary I think it's clear we need to get some players off the wage bill to bring in cover at LWB and potentially a different option up front. Other than that I'd say we have a very bloated squad with far too much quality going to be sat on the bench for a league one team. We should be pushing up the top end of the table without too much hassle if we can keep 16 key players fit all season.

COYR

 

I'd say we need another central midfielder with a bit of mobility and steel if Connell is going to be out long term. I don't think Kane and Russell cover enough ground between them as 2 of a midfield 3.

 

While we do have quite a few strikers, I reckon only Cole and Watters will be on a proper wage (Iseka excepted), we're likely not paying much if anything for McAtee. Williams will be playing CB - he's the replacement for Andersen imo. I think he's also covered LWB before? Might be wrong on that.

For me compared to last season we're not too far off. Roberts for Isted, Williams for Andersen, Styles for Luke Thomas, McAtee for Norwood. If it does look like that on Friday then I wouldn't be too unhappy. If there is a top-class forward available then I'd say go for it, get Shaw a loan. I'd also be thinking about moving Kitching on if we could loan an older, experienced CB.

 

When is Robbie Cundy going to announce his retirement from football?

 

It'll settle down once window is shut. I think the dip in form after the Port Vale game was players thinking about moving on to bigger and better things.

 

Pretty good summary that.

I think Styles played his best football for us at LWB under Val, so if Cadden gets injured we haven't really lost must.

It's vital that Connell gets fit again, and hopefully Gevigny gets up to speed ASAP - especially if we lose Kitch.

Up top the numbers seem good, but the quality is a little lacking. We need one more up there.

 

Your spot on but this squad is good enough to smash this league

 

What about O’Keefe, have we forgotten about him?

 

I haven't he's in my RWB section...

I think how Collins plays wing backs might excite Styles a bit more, less defensive responsibility.

I suppose we should wait for him to recover from his injury before we make any assumptions.

 

I wouldn't be in favour of selling Jalo for £1 million, even with a big sell-on clause. I think he's going to be worth a lot more than that, and I would like to see him starring for us for a couple of seasons, before he leaves.

 

Good summary. I think some of the logic on numbers makes perfect sense. The bit we could add is to estimate where the goals will come from. i think its clear is Cole and maybe now McAtee could potentially fill the gap with Norwood. Where do we see the rest coming from.

 

Until we’ve got a settled first 11 I’d say it’s hard to say exactly. We seemed to get a significant number from the back 3 last season which I don’t see us getting again this year, but with one holding midfielder and two more attacking central midfielders I hope that we’ll score more goals from centre midfield (not that Phillips did bast last season!) I also think that the wing backs might get a few more this season from open play. Cole will better last season’s total, and in my opinion McAtee will score more than Norwood.

 

Just a thought, Russell Benson, Styles, Connell, Kane, Phillips, Mcatee, Watters, Cole -

Playing 532 Collins has to select 5 midfield and forward players

9 players above that will feel they should be first 11 starters for a league 1 team.
4 of the 9 will not make starting 11 every week and be on the bench

Others like Jalo Marsh Dallas Wolfe will struggle to get a place on the bench, this will apply to the defence as well

Some wanting to bring in new players to add to the selection problem and keeping the morale of the team.

If we want new players in then they will only want to come to be part of the starting 11 if they are any good.

To make it work and improve the team you need to move on players in the starting line up and replace with better not just ship out fringe players.

Goodluck Khaled and Collins because I don't know what to do.

 

I guess this was the reason I wrote the summary as it’s not obvious in some areas how we will get all our best players into the first 11 and therefor should we allow some to leave to bring in players with quality where we don’t have a definite starter.

 

I wouldn't want any player we have at this club to be content with being on the bench or not in the matchday squad each week or us paying substantial wages for players not to be playing, it's bad enough when they are injured.
If we are recruiting I don't think we should be bringing players in who are not good enough to start in the first 11, we already have lots of them. So to bring new players in the who should we drop.
If Mcatee is playing instead of Watters now do we drop Cole for a new striker or drop Lopata who has done great since he has come in and bring in that experienced centre back.
Let's sell Styles -why when he is one of the best players in the division but probably will only make our bench most of the time.

Recruitment has been terrible hasn't it.

 

Can't believe people are thinking our forward options are now sorted by McAtee after he's played only 25 minutes as a sub against a side down to 10 men. Plus he's suffered with a few injuries in the past.
Yes, he played well and potentially looks a good signing but I still think we need the physical option that Norwood gave us. Nombe would've been ideal but obviously is out of our range. I'd get rid of Shaw and even look to loan out Dallas (maybe to January initially) if we can bring one more in.

 

Pretty much agree. At the end of the window we should have a goals prediction thread for the season per player

 

Pep will tell you we need 2 players competing for every position, but I’d rather have an overpowered first 11 and 11 promising youngsters who can fill in and fingers crossed we don’t have 4 or 5 “first teamers” out all at once.
I get it’s a gamble though.

 

I don’t think anyone thinks our forward line doesn’t need improving, my post just shows how difficult it will be to bring additional numbers in based on how many strikers we already have at the club. I would sacrifice Shaw, Dallas, Iseka and Jalo on loan this year to bring in another proven striker, but there are some who are clamouring for Jalo and Marsh to get first team starts and you can’t get them in if Cole and McAtee/Watters are firing regularly.

 

I haven’t seen enough of the youngsters to justifiably comment about commanding a place in the starting 11. If Jalo is the prospect folk think he is, he’s one we should definitely be keeping hold of. If Marsh is good enough, then I would have thought he’d be staking a claim already, but he appears not to be, only in drubs and drabs. I would look to send him out on loan along with Shaw who I think was a complete waste signing. Our biggest problem is trying to get rid of ALI and finding someone who actually wants to take him.

Cole is the best we’ve got right now, but who he plays alongside is the question. Watters didn’t overly impress me last season & I’ve got my reservations as to whether he’ll come good. Dallas may turn out to be ok but the jury’s out atm. Of course we’re only just into the season and there’s a couple of days left in the window.

I doubt very much we’ll make any significant signings that some are hoping for. More than likely relative unknowns such is our recruitment process. All we ever need is a couple of experienced heads to complement what we’ve already got, but the board don’t seem to grasp that concept. (no resale value). Anyway, just my opinion on things, but I’ll always be behind whoever pulls on the shirt. COYR.