Srg

4 minutes ago, Ghost of Clough said:

Thinking about the formation a bit more...

Warne has commented on "winning over players and fans", which could include the players stubbornness to change style and formation. You could see the team struggle to play 352 last season (for a variety of reasons), but we've heard first hand how they enjoyed finishing the season in a 3421.

Warne also isn't one to sit stubbornly on a single formation, used pretty much every formation imaginable since he became Rotherham manager, and tweaked the squad to transition between formations every season. I wouldn't be surprised if we start the season with 3421, before transitioning to 352 for next season. This will be mainly due to transitioning between having wingers (Mendez-Laing and Barkhuizen) who won't fit into a 352. With Warne talking of singing a CM, but still having a number of other CMs contracted who're around the first team (Hourihane, Smith, Bird, Sibley, Tommo, DRobinson, Radcliffe), I can see a plan to make that 352 transition.

 

We would have an effective 31 man squad (first team and fringe players), although 7-9 of those are unlikely to see much football and mostly play in the U21s.

GK: Wildsmith, Vickers, Loach
RCB: Nelson, Rooney, Bardell
CB: Bradley, Forsyth
LCB: Cashin, Cox
RWB: Ward, Wilson, Moore
LWB: Elder, Moloney
CM: Bird, Smith, DRobinson, Radcliffe
CM: Hourihane, Signing, Tommo
AM: Signing, Mendez-Laing
AM: Sibley, Signing, Barkhuizen
CF: Signing, Washington, Collins, Brown

I'd agree with that squad assessment, although I get why from how you've written it out, I don't think we would see Moloney if Elder got injured. You'd likely see Wilson or Ward on the left. Same with Moore and Cox really, I think they're at best candidates for Papa John's. Don't think we'll see them in the league unless we were in a desperate crisis.

We haven't signed McGee. He's signed permanently for Tranmere. So stick him on your outs, as well as Chester and Stearman. You've missed Elder from the ins.

It's Radcliffe, too, and yes, he is for the u23s at the moment.

22 minutes ago, PistoldPete said:

Another right back? They are like the buses. 

You're quoting a post from May and the guy has signed for another team this week

43 minutes ago, Nuwtfly said:

 

BBC seemed to think it was a 3-5-2 on Saturday, not a 3-4-2-1. I didn’t watch the game but, as you say, what SRG and Big Trav are saying marry up…

 

It wasn’t that. I watched it. Barkhuizen spent the half hour on the pitch he had close to Elder. 

2 minutes ago, papa_lazarou said:

Best of luck to the lad, but FFS that kit is fecking awful.

Weird place to sign if that is his aim. 

1 minute ago, Blondest Goat said:

I wouldn't read too much into a game against Matlock.  Warne said he sent the team out with no instructions and when asked what he hoped to get out of the game said "nothing".  It was just a kickabout.

Would be mightily weird to just play a formation we aren’t planning on using. I am aware what he said, but that didn’t stretch to naming a team and a position. 

I’ll be shocked if the base plan isn’t 2 AMs and 1 ST. Obviously, I’m sure it’s fluid based on situation, but that is what he is after. 

I think one thing we can all agree on is this is a big season for him. We’re playing a formation that should suit him and as things stand, he’s the only real natural No. 10 type in the squad. It’s up to him now. 

Just now, Nuwtfly said:

What makes you so certain of that? Can’t remember is playing the 3-4-3 you’re mentioning very much over the course of the season and when we did a bit at the end we were pretty poor at it. 

Played it on Saturday and the commentators talked about it at length. Tallies up with Warne’s talk of attacking players too. 

Wish him the best, but still think this is a massively meh step in his career for him personally. 

52 minutes ago, Nuwtfly said:

In my opinion, that's roughly the team for next season as it stands.

Going by the (?) on there, I'd say we'll bring in 4 more.

I'm personally not convinced that Curtis Nelson is an automatic starter. Saw him more as cover when we signed him initially but I could be wrong. Wouldn't be surprised to see another center-half of at least his caliber (or better) come in. Still think Wes Harding must be on our radar. Di'Shon Bernard would be a fantastic addition, but I suspect he'll have Championship interest. Joel Latibeaudiere would be fantastic but unlikely for similar reasons.

I definitely don't think we will allow both Knight and Bielik to go and not bring in another central midfielder. It's a long old season and I don't think Bird/Hourihane/Sibley/Smith/Thompson give you enough. If we can find someone who can come in and do a bit of everything that would be ideal, but it'll have to be someone who will drive the ball forward like Knight did, at least. Cameron Brannagan, maybe. Owen Moxon. Ovie Ejaria from Reading would be nice if they want to clear the decks. I think Matty Longstaff (Newcastle) is also now a free agent. As is Bradley Dack, Josh Onomah, Daniel Johnson, Sam Clucas and Tashan Oakley-Boothe.

As much as I am onboard the Dajaune Brown hype-train, I still don't think we should be going into the season relying on Collins and Washington with a youngster who still "needs to learn the game" to quote Paul Warne as our forward options. I think we're going to play with two strikers so we need probably two more goalscorers.

Ideally this is where I'd like to see us spend whatever budget we have, at least on one of them. I still think we're missing that promotion team goalscorer right now. Sam Nombe is one that really catches the eye at Exeter City. Then there's all the other names mentioned like Sam Smith, Freddie Ladapo and Matty Godden.

If we do actually have a bit of money to spend, esepcially after sales, there's always names like Johnson Clarke-Harris and Lawrence Shankland (Hearts), too. Colby Bishop (Portsmouth) was great last season, but would demand a fee. Same goes for Aaron Collins (Bristol Rovers) who would probably demand an even higher one!

The second forward would probably be someone from the free agent market. I notice Lucas Joao is a free agent now. Dare I say it, so is Britt Assombalonga, who is apparently keen to stay in England...not sure he'd be worth the wages, mind.

All in all, I think we'll see at least 4 more: CB, CM, ST, ST. A fifth may end up being some sort of attacking midfielder, maybe. But if we were going to play a formation with one of those, why not give Sibley a chance?

No, it’ll be one striker, 2 attacking mids and 2 centre midfielders forming a “box”. 

1 minute ago, Sparkle said:

I expect this lad to be a substitute mainly with ward the starter and when Mendiz Lang goes off after his 60-65 minutes ward will move into mendiz position when wide right and at wing back wilson will come on 

Mendez-Laing won’t be playing wide right. That position doesn’t exist when we play with wing backs. 

5 minutes ago, Sparkle said:

May well be the case, which smells at you needing to pay a sell on to FGR if we actually paid any money - a bit harsh to a smaller club?

He moved on a tribunal awards £100k, but was essentially a free transfer as was out of contract. They couldn’t put a sell on fee in there I don’t think?

16 minutes ago, Magicman said:

Classing them as all advanced wide men who could rotate. 

But they’re not really. We look extremely likely to be playing with 2 attacking midfields with 1 striker, then playing with wing backs. We’d have to be a shocking state for Barkhuizen to be considered for RWB. Barkhuizen is one of the two attacking midfielders as it stands. 

Don’t disagree he seems a little bit of an odd man out at the moment but Wilson has zero bearing on that. 

Poor Ross. Looks like the love child of Matt Hancock and Steve Cooper. 

Signed for Wigan. 3 year deal. 

25 minutes ago, Magicman said:

Can't see Barkhusien getting much game time with Wilson & NML ahead of him for a spot.

Wilson and Barkhuizen play different positions?

No, can only sign pre-contact with foreign leagues (including Scotland). So, they can't within England in January.

Things are being done. You've seen that with Rooney today. @Big Travposted a few weeks back we were in talks with a whole stack of players, including most, if not all, of the players you've mentioned.

9 minutes ago, Kernow said:

He is annoyingly likeable. I do get the impression that I would be exhausted after about 15 minutes of being around him, but you can see how much he cares about the people he has within the club so how could you not want to play for him?

Have you seen the short clip of Kane arriving in Spain? Warne rocks up, shirtless, hits him with the Ric Flair woo, gives him a hug and then thanks Kane for trusting 'us' with his career.

What an absolute guy. 

Seems like a bit of copium at the moment, trying to reason with the fact we haven't signed anyone more exciting to play striker. This 20 goal+ talk will die down when we sign someone.

7 minutes ago, duncanjwitham said:

If he'd played every minute in the league of last season, he would have scored 18 (at the rate he was scoring at).  So him scoring 20 is not beyond crazy, if we're playing more to his strengths this year.

(Obviously over-simplistic stat is over-simplistic etc etc.)

Yeah, that stat is a bit overly simplistic.

Main problem for me, and you could already see that at Matlock, is he really struggles whenever he gets involved in the build up. Has a touch of teflon, isn't fast, can't dribble and can't really pass either. Fantastic when he's the man on the end of the move, but the move oven goes to hell whenever he's involved earlier in it.

Fundamentally, we either need someone better (ideally, IMO) or we need to find a way of playing which means he basically rarely touches the ball unless it's a shot.

44 minutes ago, Carnero said:

And he's a Derby fan!

and scored against us!

14 minutes ago, Tamworthram said:

Fair enough but the team must be returning from Spain pretty much straight after the Salford game in time for next weeks friendly at tropical Chesterfield whereas it’s three and a half weeks before we play Wigan. How long do the benefits of playing in extreme temperatures last? I have no idea.

In perpetuity, in theory. I'm no expert by the way, but they'll still be doing training once their back at Moor Farm. Which means, they should be able to work harder in the cooler conditions easier. They'd only really lose the benefits if they stopped working as hard or sat on the sofa like me.

13 hours ago, Caerphilly Ram said:

DET saying QPR and Ipswich are also interested, not sure we can compete with them due to league status, however it could have a domino effect say if Ipswich were to sign him that may make them receptive to Ladapo leaving.

Clarification point worth making, this article from Leigh Curtis (who's obviously reliable on us) doesn't say we're actually interested. He's just reporting on other reports.

FWIW, I don't think we are.

Can't see him going on loan as things stand. He's valuable cover in a variety of defensive roles.

Great stuff. Think he's shown enough to know he has a decent future.