Onto next season

Incomings
Replace the players we'll lose to the Championship.
New Goalkeeper (sorry Simon, control of the area is arguably more important than shot stopping in this division, which also means no to Archer)
New Right Back, and a Left Back too while we're at it
Liam Kelly on a permanent.
Marcus Browne is probably beyond us, but test the waters with a decent offer.
Matty Taylor on a permanent (hope that home town pride is enough)

Current Squad
Give the following young players a chance in pre-season (if there is one): Atkinson, Lofthouse, Adam Smith, Goodrham, Nico Jones (disappeared this season). Keep them in training with the first team squad if we can't get at least National League loans for them.
Be honest with Rob Hall and Napa. Judge them without sympathy for their injuries. If they're still good for the level, use them sparingly at first.
Make Sykes the first name on the team sheet. Agyei replaces Mackie as second choice striker.
Mould Gorrin into a DM who can judge tackles better. He commits to lost causes too much.

Outgoings
I think we all feel Dickie and Brannagan are givens.
Mackie - I know KR wants to keep him, but he's taking the space of someone we could develop into a first teamer (Fabio Lopes?)
Hanson - Real shame, but I don't know if he'll ever become the player we were hoping we signed 2 years ago.
Eastwood - Gutted as he was a hero only a week ago, but he's not getting better. So many teams in this league do very well with PL cast-offs, and we could be one of them.

Not sure I’d go for Browne, not consistant enough and is always looking for the foul. Also not sure I’d go for Kelly, too small/lightweight.

Definitely need a RB & LB, plus wingers (Cadden & Whyte on loan?!!) Will also need another striker (big, strong & athletic) and a decent ball player in midfield (midfield general).
 
We need;

Another keeper, not necessarily to replace Eastwood but to at least compete with him.
A new right back, another Cadden type. Long decent back up though.
A new left back. Ruffles has great consistency but we just need that bit more.
An experienced centre back to partner Moore, a real organiser and leader.
Sign Kelly on a permanent as an option to Gorrin every game.
Brannagan will go and could be one of the hardest to replace.
A Gavin Whyte type winger. Less tricks, more pace.
A game changer in behind the striker(s)
Two strikers, one of which has to be a cast iron guarantee of 20 league goals.
The other, a bigger target man as something different. Bit like the job Ryan Taylor did.

Oh and keep Robinson but have a bit of a reshuffle among the coaching staff to freshen it up. Officially promote Mous, wave goodbye to Faz and bring in an outsider with a serious reputation as a number two.

My god, just posted mine then read yours, very similar wants!!
 
Looking at the team if we lost CB and Dickie,:

Eastwood
Long Mous Moore Ruffles
Gorrin
Sykes Henry
Hall Agyei Forde
Subs: Stevens, Atkinson, Jones, Napa ... "kids"

While you would want to improve the first XI, that's a decent foundation on which to build.

Not sure about Hall, Henry and Agyei.
 
Not sure I’d go for Browne, not consistant enough and is always looking for the foul. Also not sure I’d go for Kelly, too small/lightweight.

Definitely need a RB & LB, plus wingers (Cadden & Whyte on loan?!!) Will also need another striker (big, strong & athletic) and a decent ball player in midfield (midfield general).
I'd definitely go for Browne if we can. After his performance against Blackpool in February, I could see him being our starting striker next year (I would rather him than Taylor back, if for nothing more than resale value). He's also a versatile forward player, which is very useful at our level. Clearly has developed some sort of affinity with the club and is visibly improving with each year that passes.
 
Are people here on a wind up?!

Writing off Henry, Browne and Kelly.

Seriously get a grip!

Henry has had a good season, didn't have the same spark in the 3 play off games but still has a place in the team

Browne while is a good player is too inconcistent, thats why he has struggled making his name in the championship, I would sign him if we could get him at the correct price.

Kelly I agree with others is too small, lightweight for league 1. But if he's cheap could be a decent back up where teams aren't trying to bully their way through. He has better passing capability than Gorrin.
 
Are people here on a wind up?!

Writing off Henry, Browne and Kelly.

Seriously get a grip!

I think they’re good players, but I think we could get better.

Browne frustrates me as he obviously has the ability, but he blows hot & cold.

Again, Kelly looks a good clever player, but I just feel we need a strong/clever/taller central midfielder, but if we can have Browne & Kelly plus others then I’d take it, but if it’s a choice then I’d see if we could get better.
 
Re. Full backs. There’s nothing particularly wrong with Long and Ruffels having those positions but we do lack dynamism in those positions when they both play. Neither really race forward and swing crosses in. Preferably either side or at the very least down one side we need a Cadden type - someone who can push teams back by direct running.

In fact, Cadden could be the man. Maybe a bit fed up in Corona-ridden US and fancies a return? Who knows!
 
Hall wasn't good enough to get into Forest Green's side let alone ours, but would be a good squad player. Napa isn't up to this standard, and could go on loan. He's had many chances, and in a physical Division 1, will simply get pushed out of the way. Jones would also benefit from being loaned out to get first team football. Stevens needs too move on and a decent back up/first choice keeper needs to come in to really challenge Eastwood, if we are to avoid some of the recent errors he's made. Eastwood knows that KR doesn't have a great deal of faith in Stevens, and turns to a loan keeper each time Eastwood is injured. Pre-season showed the youth team aren't up to first division football at the moment, as all of the preseason games showed. We have real talent in Atkinson and Agyei, who should be given their chance at some point.
Have you seen Atkinson then? Calling Agyei a real talent is pushing it too
 
So, remind me when next season starts?

But we need:

A new keeper to challenge Eastwood
An older CB to partner Moore when Dickie goes
CF to replace Mackie
I would consider trying to bring Archer back, believed he’s only the third choice keeper at Fulham, also look into Whyte at Cardiff he’s not getting game tome and not even in the quad sometimes.
 
We need;

Another keeper, not necessarily to replace Eastwood but to at least compete with him.
A new right back, another Cadden type. Long decent back up though.
A new left back. Ruffles has great consistency but we just need that bit more.
An experienced centre back to partner Moore, a real organiser and leader.
Sign Kelly on a permanent as an option to Gorrin every game.
Brannagan will go and could be one of the hardest to replace.
A Gavin Whyte type winger. Less tricks, more pace.
A game changer in behind the striker(s)
Two strikers, one of which has to be a cast iron guarantee of 20 league goals.
The other, a bigger target man as something different. Bit like the job Ryan Taylor did.

Oh and keep Robinson but have a bit of a reshuffle among the coaching staff to freshen it up. Officially promote Mous, wave goodbye to Faz and bring in an outsider with a serious reputation as a number two.
I’m wonder whether the club will go back for Will Grigg
 
Reasons to be cheerful: Agyei, Sykes and Kelly (if we can get him) and their potential to grow into great players.

Reasons to be fearful: losing Browne, Taylor, Brannagan and Dickie- and not replacing them- would mean a relegation battle I think. Brannagan and Dickie are HUGE losses and will be really hard to replace at this level.

I'm worried if I'm honest but I hope that's informed mainly by my general disappointment.
 
Ruffles is a really consistent player who chips in with vital goals , lots of positions to spend the wages on first before even thinking of replacing him . I think he is very underrated as he isn't a flashy player .

Strikingly average at best. Bottom half L1 full back unfortunately.
 
Strikingly average at best. Bottom half L1 full back unfortunately.
Based on what ? I really have no idea what he has done wrong apart from not being a Baldock/Cadden style full back . With Fosu/ Browne in front of him ideal. A good , solid league one full back with a great attitude . You need a blend of players that compliment each other .
 
Back
Top Bottom