Additions to the Squad

[HarryBosch]

The last few weeks has underlined the value of a settled team. However i have a feeling we'll need a dozen players to have a squad capable of competing.

Goalkeeper

One fullback

Quality cb

Playmaker

Wide players

Twoforwards

Plus replacements

We've won 3, drawn 3 from six since finding a settled lineup - he won't, can't and shouldn't dilute the consistency we're benefitting from by adding twelve new players.

 

Three first teamers who are better than what we already have, two of them upfront is what's required. Chuck a kid or two with potential in too maybe.

 

Anymore than three debutants in our first game of next season will probably see us back to square one.

 

I'm almost of a mind to wait and pay the extra for my season ticket just to make sure I won't be watching a team of strangers yet again.

[Microcuts]

Your only as good as your strikers. .

Unless your midfielders contribute goals too..

 

I think this is what we have missed for a number of seasons now. If our strikers have a bad day, which has regularly been the case, then we've had to bank on nicking one from a set piece or something extraordinary.

 

I'd quite like to see a winger arrive that will get into the box and give defenders something extra to think about - it would ease pressure on the strikers, and create an extra target for Dayton/Harkins or whatever combination of players we are left with to cross the ball to. This, in addition to Wes/A N Other having more freedom from midfield as we have seen, I think would be the most plausible way of boosting our goalscoring potential without over-utilising the budget on one area.

[chris_ktf]

Unless your midfielders contribute goals too..

 

I think this is what we have missed for a number of seasons now. If our strikers have a bad day, which has regularly been the case, then we've had to bank on nicking one from a set piece or something extraordinary.

 

I'd quite like to see a winger arrive that will get into the box and give defenders something extra to think about - it would ease pressure on the strikers, and create an extra target for Dayton/Harkins or whatever combination of players we are left with to cross the ball to. This, in addition to Wes/A N Other having more freedom from midfield as we have seen, I think would be the most plausible way of boosting our goalscoring potential without over-utilising the budget on one area.

Yeah, fair comment. As you say though, goals from midfield are a lot down to style of play. Wes an Smith are both more than capable of chipping in if ALLOWED to by LJ. (Which at the start an end of season they have been, mid season reverted to watching two central midfielders never leave their own half.) How many games this season have we created umpteen chances an the strikers couldn't hit a barn door? Having said that to say it been philly an JCH's first proper season, I think they've done pretty well. I just think with a bit more real quality up top we mite surprise a few next year.

[Boys in Blue]

I'm looking at the teams still down there & hoping we can take a few from relegated teams.

Fon Williams

Joe Mills (Burnley prob release)

Sheehan

Freeman & Darius Charles at Stevenage

Max Power, Ryan Lowe & Wallace at Tranmere

No idea what their contract situations are but it's food for thought. We have improved for having experience but that probably costs money in bigger wages.

Would love Harkins & Worrall to stay too but I think it will be one of the two if we have to pay a small fee. I'd choose Harkins on that basis

[singe]

Its funny, when we were on the back of that poor run around January, many said that we should get rid of the lot. And no bottle. But it was clear we were only a few players short. Then LJ got rid of a few that were a surprise. LJ said at the start every player would be well researched, but there were a few dodgy signings. But he has, importantly moved quickly when he saw it was wrong.

 

so for the second season running he has motivated the team to go on a run at the business end of the season.

I wont relax till we are mathematically safe. But when we go on a run with LJ it seems to create confidence.

 

SO next seasons players, I think plamer 1 has called it, we will have no option but a larger turnover.

AS big fat Joe and HB say, we need that stability. LEts hope that we can keep some of the core players you all allude to.

[yarddog73]

Although the upturn in form is great we are 29 points off 5th placed preston, the gulf between top 5 and the rest is huge and its not long ago since preston and rotherham beat us easily at home, the squad we have could finish a comfortable mid table but the reality is we have a solid lge 1 team at the moment with very little quality, assuming the budget is going to be slim for next season my expectations are not that great especially if we have to sell again but I live in hope.

[slystallone]

I'm a big fan of continuity.

 

I hate the revolving door policy that results from short term loans and 1 year deals.

 

Any side that manages to gel due to being together for a decent amount of time invariably performs better than ones thrown together with a alarming mix of loans and 3 / 6 month deals etc. Granted they've fallen away but Walsall have had a settled squad and have done very well on their low budget. Whilst they've had investment; Brentford have had a core side that's been built upon. Leyton Orient - their side has been together for a good few years now; and this season more than any other; they've reaped the benifits of that.

 

But - that only works if the players are actually worth keeping.

 

And - that's the big thing here now for me. How many of this side actually are? Being totally brutally honest; not very many IMO are.

 

I'm no fan of a mass influx usually. I'm usually disappointed with the all out, all new in policy; but - other than Wilson, JCH, Philliskirk, Harkins, Smith & Wes - i'd clear the decks of the rest. Oh, and Turner as he's got the deal that means he will be here anyways.

 

Loads of players, as usual, are available come the summer; and the likes of Grounds can be replaced. On less wages most probably too.

 

If the likes of Brown, Lockwood, MacDonald etc were to remain and be offered new deals; well - so be it, there's nothing I or any other fan can do about it. But, i just dont think there's much point in flogging horses that have mostly shown themselves to be dead, even for the sake of continuity.

[oafc1955]

I heard a rumour last week that the maximum squad that LJ will be allowed next season is 22 and that there will be no reserve team (Charlie Mac mentioned it a few weeks back in his column in the Rarely Wrong). If this is the case, how many will we need to off-load before we can bring new players in?

 

I really dont see how a club can compete in league football without a reserve team. I think we tried it a few seasons ago and the we suffered badly as a result.

 

Players were coming in to cover for injuries and suspensions and hadn't played a competitive game for weeks,

there's a huge difference between being fit and being match fit!

 

Bad news if this rumour is true.

[the_mighty_bosh]

For the first time in a while I'm not too bothered who stays and who goes (aside from Harkins and the few players with obvious potential) but if we stay unbeaten for the rest of the season then I think we could do a lot worse than sticking with this 4-1-4-1 for the early part of next season. Individuals are nowhere near as important as the whole unit and having a team who develop an understanding and work together for each other would give us a great platform for the rest of the season if we try to attack more. Harkins added to this would give us that sprinkle of quality that could win us games too.

 

After this season there's one type of player that I'd happily do without next year: wingers. If Worrall can be called the best out-and-out winger that we've had this season then it sums up the quality of wingers we can sign at this level. Dayton, Schmeltz and Montano have all been big disappointments, Petrasso hit and miss and was best when he played through the middle. It says a lot that the best player I've seen on the left of midfield has been Harkins who's an attacking midfielder and on the right for me was Winchester at Brentford. The wingers we've had in recent years (since Liddell and Taylor really) don't produce enough quality moments, are inconsistent and very rarely help the team defensively.