20/21 squad and summer transfer business

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WestYorksRoyal
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20/21 squad and summer transfer business

by WestYorksRoyal » 16 Feb 2020 10:23

Right, we can now finally dispel any myth we might get dragged into a relegation battle; we will be a Championship side next season.

Even more, under Bowen, we're actually not bad or far away from being play-off contenders next year. So, what do we need?

GK - I'd suggest no issues. Rafael is very good at this level. Southwood is having a good loan, Walker has done well in FA Cup and we have CBC as a young prospect. If a cheap, decent backup were available then they could be worth a punt, but not a position to chase after.

RB - Yiadom is quality at this level. I assume Gunter will leave. If Araruna can do well over the rest of the season then great, otherwise we'll need backup here

CB - Moore and Morrison are fine. We'll lose Miazga but have McIntyre. We'll need a 4th CB, so Bowen will have to assess whether Holmes is at the required level or whether we look in the market.

LB - Passable. Richards and Obita have both looked good at times but inconsistent, and we're losing Blackett. I wouldn't be against an upgrade signing, but it's not a problem area.

CM - Big area for spending, potentially. Essentially, we'll need to sign permanently or replace Pele and replace Adam (Baker anybody?) Swift and Ejaria are superstars, Olise is a young talent and Rino showed what he offers yesterday after a difficult season. If we have money to spend, which I think we do, this is one of the positions it will go on. Still not sure how Aruna fits in here.

Wingers - Needs strengthening. Meite does well and is worth an important role next season. Ejaria and Olise can do a job; arguably Ejaria has been better out wide recently. But I feel we're a short of a quality winger and pure pace. Even if Timbe does well, he's on loan so would have to be permanently signed/replaced.

CF - Controversial view. We do nothing. Puscas and Joao have both shown flashes of what they can do, and deserve a second season to own the position. Baldock is a good experienced option and Meite can do a job.

So, this summer, I'd expect 5 signings max. Bigger money on a winger and central midfield, and some cheaper squad signings for the defence as a whole. I genuinely think it could be a top 6 side next season.

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Re: 20/21 squad and summer transfer business

by NewCorkSeth » 16 Feb 2020 10:35

Too early bro. Plenty of games left to see how players develop. Richards, McIntyre, Rinomhota, Olise and even Loader could play a fair share of games and develop into players we need.

Araruna too I suppose.

Also with the time left in the season we have Meite, Baldock, Puscas and Joao when he returns to watch.

Too many questions left on the squad to think about next season.

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Snowflake Royal
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Re: 20/21 squad and summer transfer business

by Snowflake Royal » 16 Feb 2020 11:07

I'll put my own thoughts down before reading other's to start I think.

GK - not a priority
Rafael - keep
Walker - low priority to move on
Southwood - keep

Whilst Cabral isn't outstanding, he's plenty good enough. I'd like an upgrade on Walker, but he's adequate and I'd like to see more of Southwood. We'll probably struggle to find better than Cabral or bring in much better than Walker to bench warm. If we get a tracker for Walker, Southward should be good enough.

RB / RWB - not a priority
Yiadom - keep
Araruna - keep
Gunter - release

I'd be happy for Gunter to stay on a significantly reduced wage, but with Araruna's arrival that seems pointless. Yiadom is good enough, if a little flawed. Araruna a bit unknown but promising, doesn't look like a midfielder to me and doesn't seem like a strong replacement for Pele.

LB /LWB - low priority
Richards - keep
Obita - new contract
Blackett - going

Blackett looks to be leaving, which means we need to offer Obita a new contract or make a new signing. He's come back well but is a risk. Might offer a 1 year deal with auto extension if he stays fit or plays x games. Richards is ok.

CB - medium priority
Moore - keep
Morrison - keep
Miazga - sign if possible
McIntyre - keep
Osho / Odimayo / Burley - 1 loan, 1 keep, 1 maybe sell

If Miazga goes, realistically we need a signing. I'm ok with Moore, Morrison and McIntyre, but one injury and it looks thin, and that's not enough to play 3 if we want / need to. I'm not convinced the last three are ready to play a big part, though there is potential there.

CM - medium priority
Pele - sign
Rinomhota - keep
Swift - keep
Adam - 1 year contract (got his signing dead wrong)
East - unsure

If Pele goes we need a replacement. Baker would be excellent to bring in. If Adam wants to retire we'll need someone, though East could maybe pick up his bit part. Rino - Swift is a base I'd be very happy with.

AM - low priority
Ejaria - signing
Olise - keep
Holsgrove - keep
Aluko - sell if at all possible
Loader - cash in if possible (ooc?)

Not sure how much we'll use the role and it's low on experience but lots of potential

RW / RF - high priority
Meite - keep
McCleary - release

Very low on clear options here. Must be reinforced. We can use Yiadom, but will likely have much fewer options to cover him at RB to allow that. Maybe Olise or Holsgrove.

LW / LF - highest priority
Boye - leave
Masika - no idea yet
Barrow - doesn't want to be here

There's Ejaria and Baldock, Olise and Richards / Obita, but this is one area we really need to strengthen IMO.

ST - high priority
Joao - keep
Puscas - keep
Baldock - maybe
House - probably release

Meite can also play here, but with Puscas a bit limited in overall game and Joao prone to injury and fluctuating form plus Baldock likely expensive, getting on and not scoring a lot, I think we could use a good signing here. If there isn't a good one at good value I'm happy to retain Baldock and see how Joao and Puscas progress

Something like

.........................Cabral
Yiadom, Morrison, Moore, Richards
.................Swift, Rinomhota
Meite.................Ejaria............Baldock
............................Joao

With back up of:

.................Southwood
Araruna, Osho, McIntyre, Obita
.................Adam, East
Holsgrove....Olise...........????
......................Puscas

Isn't a bad starting point for us to build from.

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Lower West
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Re: 20/21 squad and summer transfer business

by Lower West » 16 Feb 2020 14:55

Wonder if Holsgrove will be drafted into the squad next year. Seems to be getting plenty of game time at Atlético Baleares. Will be a replacement for Adam. Retain Pele or add another defensive midfielder to the squad.

Reckon Gunter will be retained. Good pro. Will remain part of the Club furniture into the future.

CB a priority. Too early to promote anyone from U23's.

Will Ejaria stay? If offered a deal.

Much depends on how many of the "unwanted" players can be offloaded as to what budget is available.

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Re: 20/21 squad and summer transfer business

by Nameless » 16 Feb 2020 15:24

Lower West Wonder if Holsgrove will be drafted into the squad next year. Seems to be getting plenty of game time at Atlético Baleares. Will be a replacement for Adam. Retain Pele or add another defensive midfielder to the squad.

Reckon Gunter will be retained. Good pro. Will remain part of the Club furniture into the future.

CB a priority. Too early to promote anyone from U23's.

Will Ejaria stay? If offered a deal.

Much depends on how many of the "unwanted" players can be offloaded as to what budget is available.


Ejaria is a Reading player for next season, there is no question.
Holsgrove isn't a replacement for Adam, very different players.
Suspect Pele would be too expensive but would like to keep him if a deal can be done.
Hard to see why Gunter would stay, if he was going to then there would be a contract signed by now.


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Re: 20/21 squad and summer transfer business

by Snowflake Royal » 16 Feb 2020 15:40

Nameless
Lower West Wonder if Holsgrove will be drafted into the squad next year. Seems to be getting plenty of game time at Atlético Baleares. Will be a replacement for Adam. Retain Pele or add another defensive midfielder to the squad.

Reckon Gunter will be retained. Good pro. Will remain part of the Club furniture into the future.

CB a priority. Too early to promote anyone from U23's.

Will Ejaria stay? If offered a deal.

Much depends on how many of the "unwanted" players can be offloaded as to what budget is available.


Ejaria is a Reading player for next season, there is no question.
Holsgrove isn't a replacement for Adam, very different players.
Suspect Pele would be too expensive but would like to keep him if a deal can be done.
Hard to see why Gunter would stay, if he was going to then there would be a contract signed by now.

Agree on all that nameless.

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Re: 20/21 squad and summer transfer business

by Hound » 16 Feb 2020 18:43

Going to be an interesting summer. Obviously getting Gunter, McCleary, Popa, Mannone etc off the wage bill and getting the horror Stam/Gourlay spend off the 3 year FFP cycle opens up some opportunities

Though tbf I suspect we’ve already spent a fair chunk in the next year or Ejaria, Joao and Puscas

There’s a good spine there and it finally feels the squad isn’t far off where we’d want it to be. A couple of quality wingers wouldn’t go amiss but don’t see the need for too many more signings

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Re: 20/21 squad and summer transfer business

by Westwood52 » 16 Feb 2020 18:58

I actually think left back is a problem.Blackett is on his way out.The second coming of Obita has been disappointing and Richards is either very good or vulnerable.We should try to keep Pele,if FFP allows.Hopefully Puscas and Jao will be better next season;Baldock isn’t going to get any better,so I would release; leaving hopefully some headroom for a “promising “ young striker;plus an out and out winger.

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Re: 20/21 squad and summer transfer business

by UpNorth » 16 Feb 2020 19:38

Another centre forward who could hold the ball would be welcome particularly given how injury prone Joao has been.

No one has mentioned Sam Smith, who has scored 8 goals for Cambridge on loan this season. I don't recall him being sold in January (?) so could be worth considering next season, particularly if the budget is tight. He was hospitalized last month with glandular fever but should be back playing next month.


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Re: 20/21 squad and summer transfer business

by 3points » 16 Feb 2020 20:03

Wonder if Bowen likes Tennai Watson and has him in mind again as a 2nd or 3rd choice RB? I was also thinking about Smith and wonder whether Holmes will come back more accustomed to adult football? Personally, probably not for both.

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Snowflake Royal
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Re: 20/21 squad and summer transfer business

by Snowflake Royal » 16 Feb 2020 20:04

Think Smith has done ok without pulling up trees, no way he's going from ok in L2 to involved in the Champ

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Re: 20/21 squad and summer transfer business

by Hound » 16 Feb 2020 20:20

Nope for Smith. Looks every bit a reasonable Div2 forward, and no shame in that. But not for the champ

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Re: 20/21 squad and summer transfer business

by royalp-we » 16 Feb 2020 22:54

Far too early to say, goes without saying we’ll be getting plenty of deadwood off the books.

But if we can bring a couple of outbound prem players like when we nabbed Swift and Ejaria, such as Jordan Ibe and Lewis Baker in for free then spend big on a quality winger would seem to make sense.
Last edited by royalp-we on 16 Feb 2020 22:57, edited 2 times in total.


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Re: 20/21 squad and summer transfer business

by Elm Park Kid » 16 Feb 2020 22:54

We've needed to buy a left back from the moment that Obita got his original injury. That has to be a priority.

Apart from that, if we can retain the loan players then I don't think it's necessary to buy. Every time we bring new players into the squad it's just another potential disruption.

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Re: 20/21 squad and summer transfer business

by CavershamRoyal » 16 Feb 2020 23:37

Elm Park Kid We've needed to buy a left back from the moment that Obita got his original injury. That has to be a priority.

Apart from that, if we can retain the loan players then I don't think it's necessary to buy. Every time we bring new players into the squad it's just another potential disruption.

We've needed an out-and-out LB since Bridge was injured. Obita has done very well, but can't help feeling that the move to LB stunted the growth of the very promising attacker we saw very early on. Blackett is more LCB. It's a position I always think we'll strengthen, but we never do.

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Re: 20/21 squad and summer transfer business

by Lower West » 16 Feb 2020 23:54

Nameless
Lower West Wonder if Holsgrove will be drafted into the squad next year. Seems to be getting plenty of game time at Atlético Baleares. Will be a replacement for Adam. Retain Pele or add another defensive midfielder to the squad.

Reckon Gunter will be retained. Good pro. Will remain part of the Club furniture into the future.

CB a priority. Too early to promote anyone from U23's.

Will Ejaria stay? If offered a deal.

Much depends on how many of the "unwanted" players can be offloaded as to what budget is available.


Ejaria is a Reading player for next season, there is no question.
Holsgrove isn't a replacement for Adam, very different players.
Suspect Pele would be too expensive but would like to keep him if a deal can be done.
Hard to see why Gunter would stay, if he was going to then there would be a contract signed by now.


In terms of Holsgrove I was merely considering midfield options. Adam is at best going to bit part.

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Re: 20/21 squad and summer transfer business

by Stranded » 17 Feb 2020 07:42

Lower West
Nameless
Lower West Wonder if Holsgrove will be drafted into the squad next year. Seems to be getting plenty of game time at Atlético Baleares. Will be a replacement for Adam. Retain Pele or add another defensive midfielder to the squad.

Reckon Gunter will be retained. Good pro. Will remain part of the Club furniture into the future.

CB a priority. Too early to promote anyone from U23's.

Will Ejaria stay? If offered a deal.

Much depends on how many of the "unwanted" players can be offloaded as to what budget is available.


Ejaria is a Reading player for next season, there is no question.
Holsgrove isn't a replacement for Adam, very different players.
Suspect Pele would be too expensive but would like to keep him if a deal can be done.
Hard to see why Gunter would stay, if he was going to then there would be a contract signed by now.


In terms of Holsgrove I was merely considering midfield options. Adam is at best going to bit part.


I don't think Adam will be here next year. He probably feels he's got at least one more year in him. Can see him heading in to L1 for more minutes prob to Blackpool.

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Re: 20/21 squad and summer transfer business

by Hendo » 17 Feb 2020 08:35

CavershamRoyal
Elm Park Kid We've needed to buy a left back from the moment that Obita got his original injury. That has to be a priority.

Apart from that, if we can retain the loan players then I don't think it's necessary to buy. Every time we bring new players into the squad it's just another potential disruption.

We've needed an out-and-out LB since Bridge was injured. Obita has done very well, but can't help feeling that the move to LB stunted the growth of the very promising attacker we saw very early on. Blackett is more LCB. It's a position I always think we'll strengthen, but we never do.


The problem with left backs, and possibly full backs in general, there really isn't much quality out there.

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