Pre season is almost upon us...

Springbournered

Springbournered

Reserves
Who else is getting a little bit twitchy at the lack of fresh legs coming in. I don’t mean this to be a negative post at all and honestly cannot wait for it to begin.

We have a great chance early in the season to pick up some much needed points. We made one (expensive imo) signing so far, but I really feel that our defence needs the investment that it’s been lacking over recent seasons. RB, RCB are the areas I think we need to strengthen the most now!

Thoughts..
 
1 signing and almost into training/ pre season friendlies!! No defenders! Assuming of course we have not already signed the much vaunted ( gobbed off about) Jockwonder Tierney and World Superstar ( ha ! ) Lerma!
 
Can`t see us buying anyone in on the right side of defence with Smith/Francis/Fraser/Cook and Ake able to fill those roles.
 
speedyj1 said:
Can`t see us buying anyone in on the right side of defence with Smith/Francis/Fraser/Cook and Ake able to fill those roles.
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Fraser isn’t the answer as a right back unless we play a back 5 and wastes his attacking threat, also leaves us vulnerable to diagonal far crosses to far post as he is so short. Both franno and smith have had spells injured in the last two seasons so immediately we lack cover and often rules out playing a back 5 due to a shortage of bodies. Cook doesn’t look as comfortable on the right as on the left or middle of the five.

Imho we haven’t replaced mark Wilson yet; someone that can play right back or right centre back to fill in when we have injuries
 
Whatever happened to the Mepham bids? More to come there? Lerma?? ... or was that all media hype?

Without defensive reinforcements it’ll be a tricky season.
 
We supposedly offered £14 (??) million for Mepham, any more than that and Brentford are taking the pi55. Need to move on if they’re not going to be reasonable. I still don’t really want him, think Simpson is good enough and he wouldn’t cost us anything. Yes, even though he is a dreaded “left footed CB”.

I think Rico (LB) and Lerma (CDM) would be great signings, being reported everywhere that we’re in for them. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lerma is wrapped up soonish (just a hunch).
 
AFCBade said:
Fraser isn’t the answer as a right back unless we play a back 5 and wastes his attacking threat, also leaves us vulnerable to diagonal far crosses to far post as he is so short. Both franno and smith have had spells injured in the last two seasons so immediately we lack cover and often rules out playing a back 5 due to a shortage of bodies. Cook doesn’t look as comfortable on the right as on the left or middle of the five.

Imho we haven’t replaced mark Wilson yet; someone that can play right back or right centre back to fill in when we have injuries
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Marc Wilson as a concept is great. Marc Wilson in reality was utter garbage. Get the point though.
 
If we could get Rico and Lerma done then it makes our signings look far more rounded. Obviously we've little idea if they're actually brilliant or rubbish, but they're positions we need.

I would be disappointed if we went another window without a right sided centre back. It's been about 4 years now (Wilson who never played aside). Surely we have other targets than only Mepham?
 
Steve Cook should be spending the off-season learning how to play on the right, because you know Eddie will bench him before he drops Francis, rightly or wrongly. And if he feels there isn't enough cover on the right, why shouldn't he sign another right-sided CB, pushing Cook even further down?

There's no reason our go-to CB partnership can't be Ake and Cook; with a stronger midfield we could actually be a solid team with just that. But Cook's weird inability to perform on the right is holding him back.
 
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