25 man squad

[Blue Valkyrie]

Are Kayal and Baldock not close to a return?

Yes, but the * was just really a sort of mitigation to explain their lack of PL minutes so far.

 

[Triggaaar]

Points accumulated already and profile of fixtures remaining tells us we are on for a secure mid-table finish.

Really? I disagree. Points accumulated have us just a few points above the rest, and who really thinks Everton and others will stay down there? Also, a third of our games will be against top 6 sides, but we've only played 2 out of 9 games so far. I think it's naive to think we're on for a secure mid-table finish, we're in a relegation fight.

 

[Triggaaar]

Yes, but the * was just really a sort of mitigation to explain their lack of PL minutes so far.

Yeah I'm just asking, I don't know when they're back.

 

[Bob!]

....
We really ought to get negotiating with Uwe and Hemed, as they're the out-of-contract players we most want to keep hold of.

Do we really want Hemed as our second 'big man' option (hopefully) going into a second PL season?
I would expect us to be looking a 2 strikers, hopefully one in January, and perhaps the other in the Summer to push both Murray and Hemed down the pecking order.

 

[Finchley Seagull]

Really? I disagree. Points accumulated have us just a few points above the rest, and who really thinks Everton and others will stay down there? Also, a third of our games will be against top 6 sides, but we've only played 2 out of 9 games so far. I think it's naive to think we're on for a secure mid-table finish, we're in a relegation fight.

Agreed. I also think we have a tougher second half of the season to come as four of the top six come to the Amex (United, Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal), whereas only two do in the first half of the season. Logically that means we have two less home games against teams who aren't in the big six, the games we are most likely to win.

We had a great result last Friday but it does feel like some people are getting carried away. It is a good start, nothing more. Defeats in the next two and there will be a lot of pressure on the Stoke and Palace home games.

 

[Machiavelli]

Agree re Skalak. Hemed may be down to what happens for the next few months. If Murray plays like he did on Friday more often, Hemed may find himself on the bench with the prospect of another striker coming in January. He may decide he'd rather wait until the end of the season to decide on what to do.

I'm not his biggest fan in terms of his form over the last year or so but if Bong carries on playing like he did last Friday, we'll be looking to negotiate a new deal with him soon too.

You're probably right on Hemed, and I also agree with the other poster that Hunemeier might want to return to Germany. They're both players that are worth something, and are excellent to have in the 25, and the 18, if not the 11. I see Hemed and Murray sharing game time from now until January, with one starting the other coming on after the hour. The wild card is what happens with Baldock.
RE Bong, he was brilliant on Friday, perhaps the best performance I've seen from him, which augurs well. If we stay up, I think we should be looking at an upgrade at left-back.

 

[Machiavelli]

Do we really want Hemed as our second 'big man' option (hopefully) going into a second PL season?
I would expect us to be looking a 2 strikers, hopefully one in January, and perhaps the other in the Summer to push both Murray and Hemed down the pecking order.

Perhaps, but that'll cost. The alternative of not getting Hemed on a new contract is that we'll lose him for nothing in the summer, whereas if we sign him now, he'll attract a transfer fee, which we could reinvest in that second striker.

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

We should just go for it. Points accumulated already and profile of fixtures remaining tells us we are on for a secure mid-table finish. We are an attractive option, great stadium, ever growing fan base, a club that is going places. Cheeky bid for Zaha?

This, the week before we play them!

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

Really? I disagree. Points accumulated have us just a few points above the rest, and who really thinks Everton and others will stay down there? Also, a third of our games will be against top 6 sides, but we've only played 2 out of 9 games so far. I think it's naive to think we're on for a secure mid-table finish, we're in a relegation fight.

Agreed, two defeats could see us adrift BUT two wins and we're looking good, to be honest if we can keep our points at the same amount of games, plus 10% we're be doing OK, so 9 games we should have 9.9 points and we have 11, all good so far.

 

[AZ Gull]

Amber = those in the last year of contract - who can 'walk away on a free' in the summer
Bold = those with no PL minutes so far after 9 games ( those with * have had significant injuries )

1. Ryan
2. Maenpaa
3. Krul
4. Bruno
5. Schelotto
6. Rosenior
7. Suttner
8. Bong
9. Dunk
10. Duffy
11. Hunemeier
12. Goldson
13. Pröpper
14. Stephens
15. Kayal*
16. Sidwell*
17. Knockaert
18. March
19. Murphy
20. Skalak
21. Izquierdo
22. Groß
U21 Brown
23. Murray
24. Baldock*
25. Hemed


So, as things stand it is looking like Skalak, and Goldson ( loan ) out in January, and a striker and a defender in.

Sidwell may also be vulnerable for replacement in the squad if his injury drags on.

The problem with that is: both Goldson and Sidwell count as two (of our current nine) Home Grown Players. If we want to maintain a 25-man squad, we have to name at least eight HGPs. Were both Goldson and Sidwell to miss out, it would require at least one incoming to qualify as an HGP. It is very unlikely that a striker would qualify, and given the financial premium that such players attract, I doubt that a defender or midfielder would qualify as such either.

For the same reason, I cannot imagine that Krul will be replaced in the squad in January either.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

The problem with that is: both Goldson and Sidwell count as two (of our current nine) Home Grown Players. If we want to maintain a 25-man squad, we have to name at least eight HGPs. Were both Goldson and Sidwell to miss out, it would require at least one incoming to qualify as an HGP. It is very unlikely that a striker would qualify, and given the financial premium that such players attract, I doubt that a defender or midfielder would qualify as such either.

For the same reason, I cannot imagine that Krul will be replaced in the squad in January either.

That is interesting, thanks, I'd forgotten about that rule.

 

[Triggaaar]

Agreed, two defeats could see us adrift BUT two wins and we're looking good, to be honest if we can keep our points at the same amount of games, plus 10% we're be doing OK, so 9 games we should have 9.9 points and we have 11, all good so far.

it's great so far, but some here r getting ahead of themselves.

 

[Wardy's twin]

Hemed and BFG should be high up the priority list. Hemed has proven he can score at this level and is well balanced in sharing game time with Murray. I can't see Skalak or Murphy making the 18 now. Bong and Bruno should be offered new contracts as well. I know Bruno is 'old' but still has a touch of class and something to offer on both the playing side and development of youth players.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

At what point does Ahannach make the squad ?

He is over 21.

 

[AZ Gull]

At what point does Ahannach make the squad ?

He is over 21.

I guess there is a small chance that he might replace Skalak in the squad in February, but I would imagine he would be a prime candidate for a loan spell in January.

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

it's great so far, but some here r getting ahead of themselves.

Well using the ToW method of points should equal games played + 10%, we're at 10 points, should have 11 and have got 12. We're not run away Premier League winners just yet as you say!

 

[ac gull]

Skalak could get replaced by a home grown player such as Watmore from Sunderland

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Argus speculates at end of article that Murphy and Skalak could be the candidates to be moved out of the squad.

http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/15640800.Hughton_eyes_all_positions_as_he_prepares_for_January/


Really need to rebalance the squad to be 3 keepers, 9 defenders, 9 midfielders, and 4 strikers. It is currently 3-9-10-3 ( + Izzy Brown ).

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Plenty of speculation now appearing for the Feb 1st squad...

Amber = those in the last year of contract - who can 'walk away on a free' in the summer
HGP = Home Grown Player - we can only name up to 17 non-HGPs

1. Ryan
2. Krul (HGP)
2. Maenpaa
4. Bruno
5. Schelotto
6. Rosenior (HGP)
7. Suttner
8. Bong
9. Dunk (HGP) or New Signing ( Central Defender )
10. Duffy (HGP)
11. Hunemeier
12. Goldson (HGP) or New Signing ( Central Defender )
13. Pröpper
14. Stephens (HGP)
15. Kayal
16. Sidwell (HGP)
17. Knockaert
18. March (HGP)
19. Murphy or New Signing ( Midfielder )
20. Skalak or New Signing ( Striker )
21. Izquierdo
22. Groß
U21 Brown
23. Murray (not HGP !!)
24. Baldock (HGP)
25. Hemed


Loans out for Skalak, Murphy and Goldson, maybe.

Dunk to be sold ? *shudder*

We need to keep an eye on the HGP numbers. Maybe this is why we supposedly want Josh Vela from Bolton

 

[Audax]

That list looks to me like we might end up being quite active in January. Quite a few we either need to re-sign, or replace. We could see quite a different squad from Feb onwards ... assume 3 go out on loan, could be looking at 5-10 new names on the list by the time we're done. I'd expect closer to 5 than 10 (given the latter would probably upset the group dynamic we have in place currently).

If we can maintain mid-table form, do we think it'll be easier to entice targets to want to make the move than it was pre-season? We'll have gone a long way towards reducing the risk of immediate relegation in the minds of our targets if we're still sitting in that 10-12 area of the table going into January.