The squad

Resevoir_Red said:
We won't find a striker that has the quality of Josh though for a modest price under £20m.
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Unlikely, but not impossible. I wouldn’t even class King as a striker anyway tbh, more of a wide forward. Has rarely looked effective as a nine (bar one six month period.)
 
Waz afcb said:
Unlikely, but not impossible. I wouldn’t even class King as a striker anyway tbh, more of a wide forward. Has rarely looked effective as a nine (bar one six month period.)
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To be fair when was ever given a chance apart from when Callum was injured?
 
Waz afcb said:
Unlikely, but not impossible. I wouldn’t even class King as a striker anyway tbh, more of a wide forward. Has rarely looked effective as a nine (bar one six month period.)
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Ineffective as a number 9? I’d argue the period when he played there week in week out was when he was at his most effective.
 
Plenty of assumption on here that Charlie would be involved... I certainly hoped he would be. I don't know the ages of all potential squad members so can't work out who doesn't count in the 25 but it certainly feels like a thin and a young squad with only Pughie and (unlikely you would think) out of contract players who could be added.
 
According to the Shrews forum it's only a contract until January. I guess that means the door is ever so slightly ajar that he might come back fit and with ten odd matches under his belt.
 
So copied and pasted from kirsikka's OP and adding CCV, this is it (I think)... certainly short of 25, given that U21s don't have to be included although U21 loans count. Most on this thread were hoping for more additions and, of course, we're not obliged to fill 25 places.

Our first eleven/eighteen looks fine to me, after that we're going with youth... that's not a criticism, more a clear policy.

Surely Pughie gets a contract... if he wants one... probably down to game time.

--- Goalkeepers ---
Asmir Begović
Mark Travers
Will Dennis
--- Defenders ---
Steve Cook
Lloyd Kelly
Chris Mepham
Adam Smith
Jack Stacey
Diego Rico
Jack Simpson
Cameron Carter-Vickers
--- Midfielders ---
Dan Gosling
Jefferson Lerma
Lewis Cook
Philip Billing
Nnamdi Ofoborh
--- Wingers/Forwards ---
David Brooks
Arnaut Danjuma
Junior Stanislas
Rodrigo Riquelme
--- Strikers ---
Dominic Solanke
Sam Surridge
Joshua King
--- Youngsters ---
Gavin Kilkenny
Jaidon Anthony
Jordan Zemura
 
kirsikka said:
I took this post by @dragonm8 from another thread as I though it was worth some discussion on it's own, going through the squad area by area.




--- Goalkeepers ---
Asmir Begović
Mark Travers
Will Dennis

It seemed clear that if Begovic could find a new home he'd be off and the likely replacement was Philips from Charlton. The cards didn't fall that way for Asmir though so he's with us and is now the man in possession. No need for any new recruits here as we have an excellent prospect as second choice and would hope there's never a need for the Dennis to be pressed into action. Third choice keeper isn't a wise place for us to be spending budget at the moment so that's understandable.


--- Defenders ---
Steve Cook
Lloyd Kelly
Chris Mepham
Adam Smith
Jack Stacey
Diego Rico
Jack Simpson

We've reportedly had a bid knocked back for a CD in Davies at Preston so hopefully there is still a plan in place to bring in another quality body. In addition to that, it seems likely Daniels will get getting a new deal as long as he doesn't break down. That would leave us in pretty decent shape for quality and depth, with Ofoborh as the emergency option.

The danger is if a PL club decides to try and get Cook (West Ham linked) or Rico (Sheff Utd linked). Even given Cook's contract situation it has to be on our terms, giving us enough cash and leaving us enough time to get in a suitable replacement.


--- Midfielders ---
Dan Gosling
Jefferson Lerma
Lewis Cook
Philip Billing
Nnamdi Ofoborh

This should be an embarrassment of riches in the Championship but the players still need to be on it 100% to exert their quality over the opposition. Ease off even a little and they could come off worse in the battle, as we've seen. Still, four genuinely good players and a young player who prospered in L1 last season should be more than enough in terms of quality and depth.

There were a few murmerings but I don't think there's any realistic prospect of any of them moving on.


--- Wingers/Forwards ---
David Brooks
Arnaut Danjuma
Junior Stanislas
Rodrigo Riquelme

This is affected a little by the formation we use but there are some concerns. Sadly, season after season Junior misses big chunks of games so if we get 20 out of him then we should be thankful. That leaves the other three carrying the burden between them. That would leave us with one niggle or suspension from not having a first team sub option when a player is having a bad game.

Brooks and Danjuma have both proved susceptible to picking up one thing or another. And Riquelme is a total unknown when it comes to playing full throttle first team football twice a week. There's also the danger a PL club might hit the big red panic button and thwack a massive bid for Brooks onto our doormat.

I'd love to see another option here. If Brooks goes then it should be two but he could be the key to the season so I hope we keep hold of him.


--- Strikers ---
Dominic Solanke
Sam Surridge
Joshua King

We need King gone sooner rather than later and we then need his replacement through the door. Given the preferred formation, it looks like it will be one up front but sometimes horses for courses will demand a two which means a minimum of three first team strikers on the books.

If King doesn't get the move then we need to sit him down and make sure his head is in the right place so he can earn a move back to the PL in January.


--- Youngsters ---
Gavin Kilkenny
Jaidon Anthony
Jordan Zemura

I think a season at L1 under his belt means Ofoborh would have been playing in the Championship this year come what may so I consider him a first team squad player rather than a youngster. The other three have all shown something, either in the past, in preseason friendlies or in a cup match. Good to have as emergency options but impossible to say how well they would adapt when called upon. If so, I can only wish them the best of luck. Sometimes you are forced to play the kids and then it's sink or swim for them.


So, despite all the departures, I think we're only really three players short of the squad we need to carry some depth into the season. Daniels seems a given, then another defender and a wide forward/winger. After that it would be a case of one out one in which is something out of our hands and dependent on players being bought. In an ideal world, the only one going would be King.

The feedback coming from the club was to judge them when the window closes, not what happens at the start of it. They've got just over a week to show they really do mean to go for it this season. It doesn't need to be extravagent spending. Smart recruitment is much more preferable. A Callum Wilson instead of a Lewis Grabban.
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According to Donald Trump in the debate last night, "The Squad" are now called AOC +3.

He probably won't be the last to get CCV's name wrong.
 
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