Squad looking really good...

Its hard to understand how posters are criticising the fact that we have a bigger squad and questioning how we will fit everyone in. I think we have the best squad we have had for many a year and real strength in depth. We will have injuries and suspensions as we go along with loss of form and competition for places is healthy and I'm sure Flicker and co will manage this perfectly well. Ramage is a fabulous signing, a real leader and fans favourite and I'm surprised we got him. We can also pay different systems at different times.

My starting 11's, at this moment, would be;

4-4-2

Pollitt
Wiseman Mvoto Ramage Nyatanga
Jennings Perkins Etuhu McCourt
OGrady Pederson

3-5-2

Pollitt
Cranie Mvoto Ramage
Wiseman RNL
Perkins Etuhu
Mellis
OGrady Pedersen

 

Yeah but Kevin McCabe's just made himself a new rich friend - we need something to worry about.

 

On that point would you have preferred that chap to have put his money into BFC?

 

kin likely.

Leaving aside the political and human rights background to Saudi - let's be reight, has he just become a huge Sheff Utd fan ? How much leeway will Weir get once it's his money he's spending ? What happens when he gets bored and/or gets a quicker route to the Prem with a club higher up the league ?

And then of course there's McCabe, Bryan Robson appointer and general bad decisioner....

Of course it'd be great to have money to compete on wages with clubs that have taken Vaz Te, Buttefrield, Davies, Drinkwater, Hammill, Shackell etc etc off us in recent times, but are Sheff Utd going to be competing for a Champs League spot ? Because that's what foreign 'investors' want - the glamour and reflected prestige of the very top of English football. Mid table and getting to the 5th round of the cup ain't going to give him many bragging rights when he's chatting with Roman and the Man City fellas...

 

I wouldn't put Nyatanga any where near left back personally...I see you've also got Mvoto in both line ups..my opinion is when others are fit, he'd be on the bench, based on what ive seen so far..

 

Think we are best playing M'Voto against hoofers like Wednesday but against proper footballing teams we'd be better with Wiseman or Nyatanga for their pace and mobility as much as anything.

 

I agree. That's why I'm not bothered one bit by the news coming out of Bramall Lane.

 

I've put him in because I think he has been our best defender so far this season with Wiseman a close second. It's all about opinions and only Flickers is going to count but big Jean is in my first eleven. I think he might get us 5 goals also. Ok make that 2.

 

The reason people are questioning the size of the squad is because it is a big squad. We now have 29 players with squad numbers. Before the season, Flicker said that he wanted 22 or 23, i.e two players for each position. He has also looked at getting players who are able to cover for more than one position and who are flexible enough to play in a number of formations. At the end of last season, quantity was not our only problem. We also had a problem with quality, and given our tight budget restrictions, people are looking at the size of the squad and assuming a large squad automatically means a squad with less quality. Finally, many of us remember the scatter gun approach to buying players that was adopted by Nigel Spackman, by a long stretch, the worst manager ever to walk the corridors of Oakwell, and we are conditioned to automatically fear this approach, because it led eventually to administration.

However, if we look at the list of players with squad numbers, we find 6 players who could more accurately be described as part of the development squad. When the loan window re-opens, I would expect at least some of these players to be loaned out in order to get experience of playing regularly, albeit at a lower level.

There are another 3 players who look to me to be surplus to our requirements now that we have significantly improved the quality of our squad and who will surely be offered out on loan.

This leaves a base squad of just 20, meaning that we are two players short. I expect that we will be once more entering the loan market when the window re-opens in order to add to the quality of our squad up front and in mid field.

 

Me neither, it's just another reason to dislike em..

 

The 352 looks good and to be able to be flexible during a game it would need to fit 442. Can be done ok. Still think Etuhu Perkins Dawson the proven winner

 

Its a good thread this with some good comments

Would have liked to have another share holder though who is willing to invest...........but with Pat Cryne retaining at least 51% of the shares.