It seems that across the pitch (with two obvious exceptions), competition for places is increasingly getting tougher.
We’d be in the legendary ‘top six’ if Stephens and Kayal had not let us down against Cardiff & Leicester respectively. This is turning into one hell of a season.
Here is the current picture.
Single Striker:
Murray’s goal scoring record is comparable with the Premier League’s very best Strikers.
The likes of Mo Salah have not scored more than him! Andone is pushing hard but Murray is king at the moment. Locadia has not had a proper go (still an unknown quantity) and then there is Connolly and Gyökeres who are regularly sending CH a weekly ‘pick me’ message with their class performances for the U23 side.
Number 10:
Groß still dominates this position with March making a good effort to fill it but not really looking the part. I can’t see CH playing a striker here so perhaps Wigan’s Nick Powell will jump in the car down south with his giant teammate Burn next month to give Pascal something to really think about. He’d come fairly cheap with only 6 months left on his contract. He could be as good as Maddison. The likes of Tilley, Alzate and Ahannach all stand a chance of playing this role in the future if they can continue to improve but it’s the prospect of speed freak and assist builder Percy Tau for next season that really gets my juices flowing.
Central Midfield:
For quite some time, the Stephens-Kayal axis was a central part of our dramatic rise and improvements under CH. Pröpper (who will surely be facing England and maybe Dunk in next year’s inaugural Nations League Semi-Final) has managed to dislodge the excellent Beram but has our lynchpin Stephens just lost his place to the absolute weapon that is Bissouma? I think so. Dale’s red card not only cost us 6th place, it could cost him a place in the starting line-up a lot longer than three games. There is also good quality in the U23s; at 19, Sanders and Molumby might not be ready but 22yr old Normann will need a first team place or transfer for the start of next season.
The Wingers:
Wingers are rarely consistent (we all know that) but Solly March is proving to be our most stable one with Groß like asset stats already. We have yet to see a run of good games from the patchy Izquierdo & Knockaert, how good would we be if they both found some form and goals at the same time? Then there is our record signing who like we saw with Bissouma, Bernardo and Andone, just needs some more Premier League experience to really shine, so much yet to see from Ali-J. The likes of Dreyer from the U23s could make the grade in the future but we also have Ecuadorean prospect Billy Arce contracted to 2022, can he manage the switch to Europe?
Full Backs:
Bruno continues to perform despite having the big 40 looming over him for the year after next. But ex-Barcelona ace Montoya is making a huge claim for the starting role. Bong has been solid this season but Bernardo has now overtaken him. We have exceptional 3rd choice full backs in Suttner & Schelotto but I suspect both will be off after Christmas to find first team football. Either would excel in the Championship and would walk into a side like Cardiff or Huddersfield. George Cox looks a great prospect from the U23s at left back but we’ll probably need a youngish right back to keep Montoya and Bruno in check going forward.
Centre Backs:
England’s Lewis Dunk has nailed his place down alongside a probable multi million pound move to enable him to play in the Champions League next season. However, could his sidekick Duffy have just lost his place to Balogun with that reckless red card? Time will tell. The second half of the season could see the emergence of Wigan’s giant Burn or even Dunk’s long term replacement from the U23s, Ben White. It all looks very healthy at the back.
Goalkeepers:
Seemingly no real completion for Ryan due to HGP priorities but does he need it? The Bmuff cup game will give a challenger the chance to shine but let’s hope Maty stays fit.
There are not too many holes that will need to be filled in January; our strength in depth is already something to behold!
We’d be in the legendary ‘top six’ if Stephens and Kayal had not let us down against Cardiff & Leicester respectively. This is turning into one hell of a season.
Here is the current picture.
Single Striker:
Murray’s goal scoring record is comparable with the Premier League’s very best Strikers.
The likes of Mo Salah have not scored more than him! Andone is pushing hard but Murray is king at the moment. Locadia has not had a proper go (still an unknown quantity) and then there is Connolly and Gyökeres who are regularly sending CH a weekly ‘pick me’ message with their class performances for the U23 side.
Number 10:
Groß still dominates this position with March making a good effort to fill it but not really looking the part. I can’t see CH playing a striker here so perhaps Wigan’s Nick Powell will jump in the car down south with his giant teammate Burn next month to give Pascal something to really think about. He’d come fairly cheap with only 6 months left on his contract. He could be as good as Maddison. The likes of Tilley, Alzate and Ahannach all stand a chance of playing this role in the future if they can continue to improve but it’s the prospect of speed freak and assist builder Percy Tau for next season that really gets my juices flowing.
Central Midfield:
For quite some time, the Stephens-Kayal axis was a central part of our dramatic rise and improvements under CH. Pröpper (who will surely be facing England and maybe Dunk in next year’s inaugural Nations League Semi-Final) has managed to dislodge the excellent Beram but has our lynchpin Stephens just lost his place to the absolute weapon that is Bissouma? I think so. Dale’s red card not only cost us 6th place, it could cost him a place in the starting line-up a lot longer than three games. There is also good quality in the U23s; at 19, Sanders and Molumby might not be ready but 22yr old Normann will need a first team place or transfer for the start of next season.
The Wingers:
Wingers are rarely consistent (we all know that) but Solly March is proving to be our most stable one with Groß like asset stats already. We have yet to see a run of good games from the patchy Izquierdo & Knockaert, how good would we be if they both found some form and goals at the same time? Then there is our record signing who like we saw with Bissouma, Bernardo and Andone, just needs some more Premier League experience to really shine, so much yet to see from Ali-J. The likes of Dreyer from the U23s could make the grade in the future but we also have Ecuadorean prospect Billy Arce contracted to 2022, can he manage the switch to Europe?
Full Backs:
Bruno continues to perform despite having the big 40 looming over him for the year after next. But ex-Barcelona ace Montoya is making a huge claim for the starting role. Bong has been solid this season but Bernardo has now overtaken him. We have exceptional 3rd choice full backs in Suttner & Schelotto but I suspect both will be off after Christmas to find first team football. Either would excel in the Championship and would walk into a side like Cardiff or Huddersfield. George Cox looks a great prospect from the U23s at left back but we’ll probably need a youngish right back to keep Montoya and Bruno in check going forward.
Centre Backs:
England’s Lewis Dunk has nailed his place down alongside a probable multi million pound move to enable him to play in the Champions League next season. However, could his sidekick Duffy have just lost his place to Balogun with that reckless red card? Time will tell. The second half of the season could see the emergence of Wigan’s giant Burn or even Dunk’s long term replacement from the U23s, Ben White. It all looks very healthy at the back.
Goalkeepers:
Seemingly no real completion for Ryan due to HGP priorities but does he need it? The Bmuff cup game will give a challenger the chance to shine but let’s hope Maty stays fit.
There are not too many holes that will need to be filled in January; our strength in depth is already something to behold!
