I have to confess I'm getting mildly aroused at the thought of next season...

[7:18]

Agree with you there, but nothing Hammond, Gillespie and Richards cant sort out

that would be amazing!

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Looking good, but still a left-back, midfielder, and reserve striker away from being a promotion-contending squad. We have a decent first eleven (bar left-back), but I don't think we can just rely on Livermore and Thomson in the midfield. If one of those gets injured, the replacement would be Fraser or El Abd - either of which is simply a nightmare waiting to happen. We could always just buy a winger and use Cox as a possibility in the middle. There's also the problem of having noone to change a game upfront when Forster or Murray are replaced. Virgo could be, but I'm presuming he'll be at the back.

.

I think that the left back is the ONLY gap. Everything else can be covered by moving people around;

GK; Kuipers / Sullivan / Emergency loan if required

RB; Whing / El Abd / Virgo
CB; Elphick / Virgo / Lynch / Hawkins / El Abd / Whing
LB; ? / Livermore

RM; Cox / Robinson
CM; Livermore / Thomson / Cox / El Abd / Fraser
LM; McLoed / Livermore / Cox

CF; Forster / Murray / Virgo / Robinson / Gatting / Dixon

 

[backson]

Going back to the original post, I am not only excited about this year, but the sort of players that are coming in are more likely (should we do actually go up) to keep us up there.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I think you've proved me right on one thing: "We have a decent first eleven (bar left-back)."

What I don't quite agree on is the back-up issue. We're agreed that left-back is a massive problem, and one that Adams should sort by August 9th, but the midfield and striker positions are very short of quality back-up in my opinion. Upfront, you've put Virgo down as third choice, which I guess he probably is, but in reality he'll be playing in defence. So, for example, it's the 70th minute at home to Orient and it's 0-0, what attacking move are you going to make from the bench? There's no attacking player we have to change a game like that, and turn the 0-0 into a 1-0. You can't start moving defenders upfront in the middle of a game. At least not regularly. It's just not going to help get the best out of the players involved. We need a striker who's happy to sit on the bench a lot of the time, play occasionally, and still contribute 10 goals.

As for midfield, well Livermore and Thomson is, in theory, a decent pair (although Thomson has a lot to prove, so still maybe not as good as we think). Fraser and El Abd aren't good enough to be playing if we want to go up, and Cox will be on the right. So again, who are you going to put in should Livermore get injured for 3 months? The midfield goes back to being a shambles. I think we HAVE to sign another midfielder. Either a central player (which frees up Livermore to potentially cover in other positions), or a right-winger (which means Cox can become the back-up in the middle). At the moment, there's just not enough cover. It's only July 3, and we've done well so far so I'm not complaining, but I don't think you can say left-back is the "only gap." Put it like this, if we only make one more signing this summer (even if it is a left-back), we WON'T go up.

I didn't list them necessarily in order of preference in each position, apart from putting the likely first choices in bold. They're all just in the order they came to me.

I still believe Currie will be signing, which is the extra wide midfielder you talk of, to free up Cox. Cox could feasibly cover centre-mid, but also some form of striker too, particularly alongside Murray to knock down for him. Not ideal I grant you, but we are talking about contingency plans here, not first choices.

If we're looking for a perfect squad situation then we actually would be looking for another keeper, another CM, TWO LBs and another Striker, but this is the Albion, and within the financial constraints we operate under, I'd rather we blew the money on a limited number of quality players, than spread it around 25 average ones.

 

[Soton Seagull]

It's starting to look like we have a real side, capable of a push for promotion or at least play offs. Genuinely excited (unlike the bulk of last season where we overachieved in a never really threatening kind of way).

I reckon Mayo will get a short term deal if we don't find a left back in time.

 

[Silent Bob]

Upfront, you've put Virgo down as third choice, which I guess he probably is, but in reality he'll be playing in defence. So, for example, it's the 70th minute at home to Orient and it's 0-0, what attacking move are you going to make from the bench? There's no attacking player we have to change a game like that, and turn the 0-0 into a 1-0. You can't start moving defenders upfront in the middle of a game. At least not regularly. It's just not going to help get the best out of the players involved. We need a striker who's happy to sit on the bench a lot of the time, play occasionally, and still contribute 10 goals.

 

[cjwoolven]

next season is looking brighter and brighter, with quality signings.

it looks like the team is really coming together, just the left back position which is the major problem at the moment...

but i also agree with the striker role, if virgo is our only good back-up striker, then we are in trouble. he WILL be playing in defence, so we need a striker who doesnt mind watching the game for 3/4's of the game, be a sub and be the spark for a late goal.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

, so we need a striker who doesnt mind watching the game for 3/4's of the game, be a sub and be the spark for a late goal.

That young lad who came off the bench and changed the game completely, away to Orient last season would fit the bill perfectly












If ONLY he could play like that 75% of the time rather than 20%

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

its looking good for me, just another player or two and we're there

-we need to know that sullivan is good enough to step in if FDM were to be injured, if he is then signing a back up keeper isn't necessary and we can use the wages elsewhere

-right back is fine, whing is a good player and we have virgo and el-abd as back up if need be

-centre back is naturally fine, plenty of quality AND strength in depth, probably our strongest area

-left back is obviously needed, don't think lynch is good enough and would be a waste of his CB talent

-right midfield is good with cox, and robinson as back up could do with another incase cox is needed elsewhere

-left midfield is good with mcleod and cox as back up, livermore could act as back up there aswell?

-centre midfield is ok with thomson and livermore (hopefully) but need another body incase one is injured/livermore is needed elsewhere

-strikers, we have excellent strikers in murray and forster but could do with another who will weigh in with say, 7 or 8 goals

 

[Silent Bob]

That young lad who came off the bench and changed the game completely, away to Orient last season would fit the bill perfectly

If ONLY he could play like that 75% of the time rather than 20%

It's make or break for him now, he's got a year left on his contract (I think) and I can't see Adams being too patient with him if he doesn't start to iron out some of his faults...

 

[unnameable]

I would retain Reid and Hart but not Mayo. Micky must have a plan for left-back so we should trust him. Left-back was his position after all. Don't forget that we have Hinsh to return (hopefully). If Currie and/or Hammond return(s) then the squad will be stronger than it's been for years.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Andrew Pearson (D)

Scott Chamberlain (M)
Wes Fogden (M)
Dan Royce (M)
Kane Wills (M)

Jonny Dixon (F)
Sam Gargan (F)
Kane Louis (F)

Anyone know if any of these players are any good/likely to figure on the first team this season?

 

[Silent Bob]

Anyone know if any of these players are any good/likely to figure on the first team this season?

Pearson is a decent looking centreback, but being a centreback I imagine he won't get much of a look in. Dixon hasn't look up to much in his appearances in the first team so far (albeit that isn't many). Dunno about the rest.

 

[algie]

Fogden had a brief spell in the first team lat year so he could suprise a few people this season.We are bound to have one youth player that will look good