Team for 1st day of 2011/12 season

[skipper]

Long has left
Kebe is going to France
We don't want Federici anymore and can't afford Kish's wages
Mills could stay
MacAnuff should stay

MacCarthy

Cummings
Harte
Pearce
Mills

Karacan
Leigertwood
MacAnuff
Robson-Kanu

Hunt
Mackail-Smith

Looks a likely team. Long is going to go, though I'm not so sure about Kebe. He blows hot and cold - is anyone really going to risk big money? Are we to settle for change??

Can't understand why so many people leave Mills out, are we assuming he's on his way to being sold?

I like your team, a new left back is needed and for Cummings to step up to the plate. A new striker to replace Long. It's pretty much unavoidable he's going to go, and I think it's time (for him)

If we were to make a serious push, then someone like Bertrand would fit the mould. Then a decent striker...

[Hoop Blah]

I just hope that this summer, and the inevitable departures that will follow yesterday's result, sees us bring in some players with craft, guile, technical ability, strength of character and discipline.

This team has relied too heavily on Long and Kebe and the percentage ball down the channels. That's fine against lots of teams in this division but against the better teams you need to be that more intelligent and composed with the ball. McDermott is still pretty fresh to this level of competition and has only had a limited scope to mould the squad to his wants and personally I'm looking forward to seeing how we shape up.

The likes of Morrison, Manset, Church and Antonio weren't in the side for good reason. If we rely on these guys to lead our attack next year we'll again be looking at a side lacking in that cutting edge we've seen for most of this season.

[loyalroyal4life]

What the hell has happened to Bret Williams has he gone back to being a taxi driver?

Can see Hunt/Church and Manset playing next season there is no chance of us getting Mackail Smith now

[royalsteve]

McCarthy

A new left back
Pearce
Morrison
Cummings

Robson-Kanu
Elwood
Karacan
Antonio / a new winger

Church
Manset



A very, very young side but might just be energetic and dangerous enough to scrape a top half finish

dont have much hope with this team, church is hopeless at the mo id rather stick with hunt and manset.....mid table at best though

[Royalwaster]

What the hell has happened to Bret Williams has he gone back to being a taxi driver?

Was going to ask the same question - is there any evidence that he has done anything for the reserves since signing?

[Ian Royal]

We've got three strikers at least who could potentially step up. Church is a good player who's had a bad season, but if we can play less percentage hoofball and more decent passing (the stuff we do when we looked our best this season) I think he could do well, maybe not 20 goals well, but we'll see.

Hunt has actually got a very good scoring record for us. I'm not convinced he's a particularly good player but he's definitely got potential.

Manset is a bit of a lump sometimes but there is definitely something there. Although he encourages the tedious and hopeful hoof upfront with his size.

IMO we could do with a signing a reliable striker or skillful goalscoring midfielder to sit in the hole and a left back. Other than that I can't see us needing a whole lot to still be in or around the play offs. The only big loses for us would be Long and Kebe IMO.

[Libertine]

This all predicated on the assumption that we will only lose Long, Kebe and Feds...

McCarthy

Cummings
Morrison
Pearce
Mills

McAnuff
Legs
Karacan
HRK

Hunt
Cox/Mackail-Smith/???

Subs to choose from:
Andersen
Howard
Tabb
Williams
Manset
Church
Ivar
Antonio
Obita
Bell-Baggie

[super darren caskey]

Shane Long will have to weigh up being a regular for us or a bit part player in the Premiership. He knows what it is like sitting on the bench all season as he did it for us for a long time before finally gettinghis chance this season to be the first choice striker. Will he want to go back to being an impact sub again? It's a big choice for him to make.....

Jimmy Kebe will probably go, and probably to France. He has spoken of his desire to have another go in France. I'm not sure we will miss him too much. Yes he does great runs, yes he scores a few goals, but far too often he has no end product and at his age he is unlikely to improve now. HRK can run at players, can cross better than Kebe, scores goals and is still improving. So get him in on the left and move McAnuff to the right.

Jobi McAnuff - I doubt a Premiership team will be interested in him and unless we get a silly offer from an ambitious Championship club he will be going nowhere.

Adam Federici is the one player we can afford to sell without impacting our team much. Most of our run of wins was with McCarthy in goal and I have no doubts he can make the step up on a permanent basis.

Jem Karacan could possibly be snapped up by one of the lesser Prem teams. It will be a shame if he goes, but he is young and ambitious. I think he will still be here next season.

Matt Mills I'm not too bothered if he stays or goes as it is Pearce who I think is the better defender.

So in summary I can see us losing 2, maybe 3 players from our first team plus maybe a couple more like Marcus Williams & Brian Howard, along with Ingi and maybe Gunnarsson (but I would like to see him get another year plus some coaching duties).

To comein, well we don't have a s big a black hole as last summer to fill so I cna see McD getting a large chunk of monies received to spend on a couple of decent acquisitions. I can see a new striker and a new centre back coming in (I hope it isn't Khiz becaiuse I don't think he is worth the high wages) and maybe a new central midfielder (if Karacan goes) and a winger (if Kebe goes).

Most important though is a striker - we need a hardworking goalscorer to replace Long if he goes and top of my list would be McKail-Smith, but I think there will be bigger clubs in for him.

Good post +1

[Ian Royal]

+2

[Super Royals]

Federici

Cummings
Mills
Morrison
New Left Back

Kebe
Leigertwood
Karacan
McAnuff

Hunt
Manset

Kebe, McAnuff and Federici won't leave. Can't see Long staying but you never know

[PEARCEY]

M8. Why not just start posting sensibly without the deliberate errors in your posts. Its very tedious and if you carry on hopefully you will be banned.

[URZZ]

Therefore, we will need the following as potential 1st team players (as opposed to "players for the future"):

At least 1 left back.

A right back.

At least 1 central defender.

A striker.

We may also need another wide man, even if Jobi stays, another central midfielder, and a 2nd new striker.

Lol at anyone thinking we will sign that many players.

[paultheroyal]

Long to Celtic - 7.25m
Federici to Wolves - 2.5m
Kebe to Lille - 3.25m
Mcanuff to Swansea - 1.25m
Mills to WBA - 2m

[URZZ]

Long to Celtic - 7.25m
Federici to Wolves - 2.5m
Kebe to Lille - 3.25m
Mcanuff to Swansea - 1.25m
Mills to WBA - 2m

And why do they need Jobi when they have Sinclair? He's half the player he is, not to mention a fair bit older.

[PlasticRoyale]

same shit every year - mid table mediocrity you all cry, it never is though

[URZZ]

same shit every year - mid table mediocrity you all cry, it never is though

^This^

Lord knows what we'll do next year, for better or worse.

[Franchise FC]

M8. Why not just start posting sensibly without the deliberate errors in your posts. Its very tedious and if you carry on hopefully you will be banned.

How the hell do I put him on my ignore list ?

[Avon Royal]

^ I wonder whether yesterday's game will have a similar impact on SJM's spending as seeing Wigan promoted when we play at theirs last day of the 04/05 season

Fast forward a few months and we'd spunked £1M on Lita, a signing of intent

The time is right for another signing of intent

I think a signing in a tent is the best we can hope for.

[RobRoyal]

Therefore, we will need the following as potential 1st team players (as opposed to "players for the future"):

At least 1 left back.

A right back.

At least 1 central defender.

A striker.

We may also need another wide man, even if Jobi stays, another central midfielder, and a 2nd new striker.

Lol at anyone thinking we will sign that many players.

I'm not sure anyone does, let alone Mr Angry, who prefaced the list with "we will need..."