Squad Watch 2022/23

[Hound]

Basic aim is to have 2 players for every position isn’t it really?

Abrefa is capable enough to back up Yiadom. NGW looks back up level to me - good player there but also a number of flaws.

The likes of McIntyre there are all temporary solutions.

Yids/Abrefa
Holmes/Hutch
Sarr/Dann
McIntyre/new cb
New LB/NGW

For me

[Coppells Lost Coat]

A specialist LB who will push NGW is needed. Tmac can play there but only in a back 4.
If we get another LB it will help balance the matchday squad, mentally help the squad knowing that cover is there and they know the player knows his position.

[blythspartan]

It looks like the LB option is Baba but WBA also want him so that counts us out.

[Stranded]

It looks like the LB option is Baba but WBA also want him so that counts us out.

It doesn't. He knows he'll be first choice here, knows the club, is loved by the fans and gets to play with his international teammate. On pure finance, yep, no chance.

[paultheroyal]

Think the WBA link is nonsense - they are loaded with left backs, surprised they need another, their main priority is a striker.

[Whore Jackie]

Did wonder if it might have been Brandon Williams, now that United have Malacia to compete with Shaw, but Baba does seems likelier.

[Snowflake Royal]

Basic aim is to have 2 players for every position isn’t it really?

Abrefa is capable enough to back up Yiadom. NGW looks back up level to me - good player there but also a number of flaws.

The likes of McIntyre there are all temporary solutions.

Yids/Abrefa
Holmes/Hutch
Sarr/Dann
McIntyre/new cb
New LB/NGW

For me

Don't think you need 6 senior players for three positions, just like 2 for one isn’t really enough either.

You aren’t going to need two CBs on the bench, so 5 and Academy players is good enough. And when you have Holmes and McIntyre capable of covering full back, that's helpful. I've liked what I've seen of Clarke, at CB, but people keep aaying he's a LB. I think NGW has looked good enough too.

Also don't really like our 3 at the back system anyway.

I'd rather we focused on the forward line, where most of our injuries are.

With only Ince, Long and Hoilett fit, with the rest fairly raw Academy, I think that's a higher priority than LB. Especially as we've been using Hoilett moderately successfully at wing back.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Basic aim is to have 2 players for every position isn’t it really?

Abrefa is capable enough to back up Yiadom. NGW looks back up level to me - good player there but also a number of flaws.

The likes of McIntyre there are all temporary solutions.

Yids/Abrefa
Holmes/Hutch
Sarr/Dann
McIntyre/new cb
New LB/NGW

For me

Don't think you need 6 senior players for three positions, just like 2 for one isn’t really enough either.

You aren’t going to need two CBs on the bench, so 5 and Academy players is good enough. And when you have Holmes and McIntyre capable of covering full back, that's helpful. I've liked what I've seen of Clarke, at CB, but people keep aaying he's a LB. I think NGW has looked good enough too.

Also don't really like our 3 at the back system anyway.

I'd rather we focused on the forward line, where most of our injuries are.

With only Ince, Long and Hoilett fit, with the rest fairly raw Academy, I think that's a higher priority than LB. Especially as we've been using Hoilett moderately successfully at wing back.

I'd say we would pure and simply because of injuries and rest periods. I'd rather be well stocked to cover injuries rather than "have enough" but be left very light if players aren't fit, struggling, injured etc.

Can see the logic behind another attacking player as well as a LB. I do still think a CB, LB, midfielder and striker is needed for our squad to bulk out for the season I think. Given what we can make out last night, it seems like that's going to be tough, even if we do get Puscas' wages off the wage bill.

[Zip]

We go into three League games in a week with just ten senior outfield players fit (presuming no more injuries have occurred).
We really need Puscas gone. It’s becoming a real drag and holding back not just the Sarr signing but others too.
Hopefully Hutchinson is available next week ......but it’s in hope and not expectation.

[Stranded]

We go into three League games in a week with just ten senior outfield players fit (presuming no more injuries have occurred).
We really need Puscas gone. It’s becoming a real drag and holding back not just the Sarr signing but others too.
Hopefully Hutchinson is available next week ......but it’s in hope and not expectation.

Yet another problem of signing players to contracts that are realistically above their market value - they don't want to move and lose out on earnings.

[Hound]

If and when we get Azeez, Ejaria, Meite and Joao back we actually have tons of forward options

Azeez, Long, Meite, Ince, Joao, Hoilett, Ejaria for 3 positions with Ehibatiomhan, Camara and Clarke looking the most ready of the u23 along with Abrefa

6 of those are very experienced players now as well.

Realise those 4 are pretty injury prone but risk using one of our crucial squad spots on someone who isn’t going to improve the side or likely play in a couple of weeks time. No chance we’ll pick up a better player than Ince, Meite, Joao or Ejaria in reality

[Zip]

We go into three League games in a week with just ten senior outfield players fit (presuming no more injuries have occurred).
We really need Puscas gone. It’s becoming a real drag and holding back not just the Sarr signing but others too.
Hopefully Hutchinson is available next week ......but it’s in hope and not expectation.

Yet another problem of signing players to contracts that are realistically above their market value - they don't want to move and lose out on earnings.

Yep. We are stuck with Moore and struggling to move Puscas on. Incredibly frustrating.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

We go into three League games in a week with just ten senior outfield players fit (presuming no more injuries have occurred).
We really need Puscas gone. It’s becoming a real drag and holding back not just the Sarr signing but others too.
Hopefully Hutchinson is available next week ......but it’s in hope and not expectation.

Yet another problem of signing players to contracts that are realistically above their market value - they don't want to move and lose out on earnings.

Yep. We are stuck with Moore and struggling to move Puscas on. Incredibly frustrating.

The big one really is Moore. I'm still optimistic that we can move him on, but I reckon it will be in January. Ideally, we'd want him moved on now so we can bring players in now, I just think we will have to be patient and wait until January. if we can get at least half of Puscas' and Moore's wages off our wage bill come January, it should help us in bringing in 2/3 fresh faces that should improve us in areas where we need it.

[Hound]

Obvs nothing we can do about it and it’s all been said before….but how useful would an extra 30k a week be now

[South Coast Royal]

Can't remember who said it but one experienced manager said "you can never have enough strikers" on the basis that he felt that options there were more important than for other areas.
His view IIRC was that a centre-back could fill in at full-back, a defensive midfielder could fill in a centre-back etc. but striking is more specialised than the other outfield positions.

We only have Long and Joao, one of whom is injured, plus a couple of very inexperienced lads so, with Puscas going I would suggest that another striker should be on the wanted list ( I don't consider Meite a striker and Azeez seems more like a winger as well and is so often injured).
Having said how important strikers are they are also the hardest to get.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Yeah you need good forward options, it goes without saying, but you need goals to win games. I was listening to TalkSport the other day and, in fairness, Graeme Souness (maybe Simon Jordan) said you can have a strong defence, but it's strikers that win you games.

We'd definitely require another striker I'd say if Puscas goes, having 3 out-and-out CF's would be useful alongside Meite as a 4th and a couple of young lads who show promise would be good for us. I don't even consider Azeez a CF, not sure how many times he's played there in his career but he's pretty inexperienced at senior level as a winger, let alone a CF, so it's scraping the bottom of the barrel if we are considering him as one of our forward options.

[Hound]

Can’t see anyone who is any good - ie better than Meite as CF - wanting to come and sit behind Joao and Long in the pecking order

Clarke and Ehib can do that job

[Snowflake Royal]

Can’t see anyone who is any good - ie better than Meite as CF - wanting to come and sit behind Joao and Long in the pecking order

Clarke and Ehib can do that job

Short term loan move would be the best option given the injuries.

[Snowflake Royal]

Posted on another thread, was confusion at the poor performance because we have a good squad... but do we?

Goalkeeper
No 1 is a player who came to us with a reputation as being error prone, with back up from a 30 something player who was in L2 last season, and a 21 year old with some lower league experience.

It's not exactly, Al-Habsi, Martinez, Federici, McCarthy or year one Cabral.

Fullback
Yiadom, who is currently at CB anyway and has spent much of the last 5 years fighting Championship relegation. Guiness-Walker who last seen getting relegated from L1, and Abrefa, who is young and inexperienced.

Centreback
Holmes and McIntyre, home grown players with experience and talent, but part of a squad that has generally struggled. And neither blessed with pace. The latter frequently injured. Hutchinson, last seen in L1 and getting on. Moore, a player who nobody, lest of all himself, really wants to be here as he's slowly watched a promising career stagnate, and he's injured anyway. And maybe Sarr, who has been relegated from the Championship with Charlton, followed by finishing 20th with Huddersfield and then playing a bit part in their play off season. Plus some Academy players.

Midfield
All change here, with the only continuity the frequently injured and mostly played at RB Tetek. Fornah, who has basically no Championship experience, Hendrick who has recent PL experience but was last seen failing at mid table QPR. And Loum, who doesn't seem to have many games under his belt for a 25 year old, and is new to the tricky Championship.

Attack
Currently our forward line consists of players in their 30s, teenagers or someone we want shot of. Then we have Ejaria, when fit, who flatters to deceive, Joao, who can be stupendous. When he's not injured or on an inexplicable barren spell. And Meite on the increasingly rare occasions he's not injured.

Now that's obviously a deliberately negative slant on everything. But I do think it's rather wishful thinking that we have a good squad.

I think we have some good players. A few very good players. A lot with potential. I'm not sure we've had a good squad for a very long time though.

[Hound]

We don’t have a good squad. We have an ok first 18 who can possibly compete at the lower end of the division