If the season started tomorrow ...

[Derbydave96]

If the season started tomorrow, would you be confident of promotion with the squad we currently have? Do we deserve the tag of promotion favourites?

Considering  last seasons failure and the fact that our rivals are beginning to seriously strengthen as well (Boro, QPR, Brentford), do you think we have enough?

If there are any improvements you want to see realistically, what positions and what players (in and/or out) 

And finally maybe a rating out of 10 for your confidence of promotion with the current team (10 being confident of top 2, 0 being Clement out by Xmas and us fighting at the wrong end of the table)

I'll kick this off.

Currently think we have a very good squad, but not sure if it's top 2.

Not 100% happy with left-back but don't think that will change.

Centre back - still a problem area in my eyes. We need a big commanding left footed centre half, Shackell or someone of that ilk. Wouldn't mind Shotton or Keogh being moved on.

Right back - Wouldn't mind Christie going out for 6 months on loan and bringing in a first team right back, wisdom esque, someone who defends first.

Wingers - assuming we play with wide men, think we're a little short here. I see Dawkins as a centre mid, so that leaves Ince, Russell and possibly Weimann. Would like to see Calero out on loan for 6 months and us to bring in a solid back up, to fill ward role, quite probably a young prem loan.

And finally possibly another forward, slight maverick kind of player, with us shipping Sammon out elsewhere.

As for the score currently 8/10

 

[SaintRam]

Confident of promotion? No. Confident of being in contention? Yes. 

We have strengthened (although not enough in my opinion), Boro have strengthened, QPR, Hull and Burnley haven't weakened as much as expected yet. If the season started tomorrow with us having a completely new head coach, in general opinion the strongest attacking squad in the league but also the weakest defensive squad of at least the 5 here, I'd say you can only really be confident of a top 6 finish. Which I am.

[Cam the Ram]

The main difference between us and the other probable promotion contenders is we haven't lost any key players (yet)

• Hull - Ince, McShane, Quinn, Rosenior, Figueroa, Sagbo and they're likely to lose plenty more
• Burnley - Ings, Trippier and possibly Shackell
• QPR - About half of their squad will have left by the time the season starts
• Boro - Bamford, Vossen
• Brentford - Pritchard
• Ipswich - Mings
• Wolves - Sako

The only player you could possibly consider key for us who've we lost was Eustace but we've replaced him with someone pretty much identical to him 

[DEL]

The main difference between us and the other probable promotion contenders is we haven't lost any key players (yet)

• Hull - Ince, McShane, Quinn, Rosenior, Figueroa, Sagbo and they're likely to lose plenty more
• Burnley - Ings, Trippier and possibly Shackell
• QPR - About half of their squad will have left by the time the season starts
• Boro - Bamford, Vossen
• Brentford - Pritchard
• Ipswich - Mings
• Wolves - Sako

The only player you could possibly consider key for us who've we lost was Eustace but we've replaced him with someone pretty much identical to him 

Apparently they're also losing James Henry to Charlton?

 

[Tombo]

So we've signed 5 players and you want 5 more at LB, CB, RB, Wide and ST?

Some people are never pleased.

[DEL]

So we've signed 5 players and you want 5 more at LB, CB, RB, Wide and ST?

Some people are never pleased.

Madness is it?

[Van der MoodHoover]

If the season started tomorrow, would you be confident of promotion with the squad we currently have? Do we deserve the tag of promotion favourites?

We should be one of about 7 or 8 who would be regarded as more likely to be promoted than not.

Considering  last seasons failure and the fact that our rivals are beginning to seriously strengthen as well (Boro, QPR, Brentford), do you think we have enough?

We have enough to be competitive against any team in this division, but the sustainability of peak form is a doubt. We do not yet have 2 proven capable players for each position in my view, we have not settled on our preferred tactical formation and we have not yet convinced in terms of a Plan B. 

If there are any improvements you want to see realistically, what positions and what players (in and/or out)

A mobile stopper of a LCB to be first choice. I would prefer Dunk over Shackell. Actually, unearthing a new Des Walker would be nice but you did say realistic. And a pacier version of Chrissy Martin, but I cannot think of any names in UK so would be crossing fingers that Chris Evans has a couple of unknown gens on his famous lists.

And finally maybe a rating out of 10 for your confidence of promotion with the current team (10 being confident of top 2, 0 being Clement out by Xmas and us fighting at the wrong end of the table)

On a pre-season assumption of all our squad available and fully fit for the opening day I will go 7/10. But we are currently a high risk squad I feel and a couple of injuries/loss of form quickly knocks us to a 5.

 

You posed some good questions DD

[Ramant62]

I think the longer the Shackle debacle goes on, and the increasing likelyhood that he's not gonna come, the less chance we have of promotion. We all seem to agree that we need a commanding centre back and a leader, and also a right back cos I can't see Christie making the grade. We have got in some cracking players, but we still haven't sorted out our main problem which is the defence which surely should have been dealt with first. Sort this out, and get the team to gel quickley and I don't see any reason at all why we shouldn't go up. Leave it as it is, or go with what we've got and strengthen at a later time and I can only see mid table at best.

[Anon]

The squad as it is looks very strong. As things stand right now, we're dependent on Thorne remaining fit. Worryingly dependent, given his injury record.

I do not understand why we are so focused on landing Shackell. All the evidence from last season shows that our defence is fine when afforded adequate protection from midfield and that our team falls apart without a specialist defensive midfielder. So let's take a look at those two positions;

Centre backs - We've only lost Whitbred, who was injured most of the time anyway, and replaced him with Reading's captain. So many are underestimating the signing of Pearce in my opinion. This is a player who, I'll remind you, has as much premiership experience as your waifu Shackell and is 6 years younger. Albentosa should also be chomping at the bit to win a first team place, and I expect/hope for huge improvement on his form from last season.

Defensive Midfield - We let Eustace go on a free and lost Mascarell as his loan expired. So far we have replaced them with Chris Baird. I haven't really seen Baird play enough to comment, but I think it's important to acknowledge that he is not a specialist DM. He is a utility player who can cover the position.

 

So what do I want to see from our remaining transfer activity?

- Knock Shackell on the head. We don't need him and with the price already at 3 million and rising Burnley are having our pants down.

- Get a specialist defensive midfielder.

- Possibly bring in another winger. This is dependent on where Clement sees Dawkins and Weimann playing. If he's happy to regard Dawkins as a winger and Weimann to cover that position as relief then we're ok.

[tomsdubs]

Baird will be a competent DM but still Thorne's ability to play a full season concerns me. The Pearce signing is being greatly underestimated I agree, he's won this league before and knows what it takes. I think Albentosa will be a better player this season than what we saw also. We should move on from Shackell, too much money and we need to get players in sooner rather than later.

My main concern is Martin, taken ages to get back in to training still. We don't have any backup that can do a similar job, last season we completely fell apart without him. Not sure what system we'll play granted but he adds so much to the team.

[Tombo]

My main concern is Martin, taken ages to get back in to training still. We don't have any backup that can do a similar job, last season we completely fell apart without him. Not sure what system we'll play granted but he adds so much to the team.

Been back in training all week and involved tomorrow.

[Anon]

My main concern is Martin, taken ages to get back in to training still. We don't have any backup that can do a similar job, last season we completely fell apart without him. Not sure what system we'll play granted but he adds so much to the team.

I agree that Martin is hugely important to us, but I'm not sure how we'd go about strengthening the position. There are several factors we'd need to consider before doing such a thing;

• Martin was vital as the pivot of our 4-3-3, but we don't know if that's how Clement will want to set up.
• We already have 3 players (Bent, Martin, Weimann) who will expect to start fighting for 1 or 2 positions.
• Martin doesn't have a bad record with injuries. I'm more willing to put faith in his fitness than, for instance, Thorne.
• I'm not convinced we'd be able to attract the right kind of player when it is obvious they'd be nothing more than back up and would likely spend the entire season in the reserves. Chris Wood is a specialist at sitting on the bench, but I'm not sure he's much better than Sammon.

[Alph]

Think the first choice team is good enough. It was good enough last season. Losing all 3 defensive midfielders and 2 strikers killed us. Or rather it killed our best system of playing. 

My only question marks are against the new coaching staff. No because I question their CV's but because I just don't know what to expect at all. There's nothing to go on. 

If Mac was here and comitted and he didn't have 2 key points of his system completely obliterated (not common that positions are so hammered that your back up to the back up to the back up is injured) then I'd be buzzing again. 

Right now I'm laid back with no real expectation or concern. Just curiosity

[DCFC.dv]

Madness is it?

Madness??

 

 

No... THIS IS DERBY!!!!!!

[MuespachRam]

Been back in training all week and involved tomorrow.

It is amazing to say that they were saying that both Martin and Thorne would be back for the play offs last season.....obviously Martin was nowhwere near and would have been rushed back....just like Thorne was....

[Tombo]

It is amazing to say that they were saying that both Martin and Thorne would be back for the play offs last season.....obviously Martin was nowhwere near and would have been rushed back....just like Thorne was....

They said they could give him injections to see him through to the summer. I think he's been out longer now because they found in the summer they he needed surgery.

[MuespachRam]

They said they could give him injections to see him through to the summer. I think he's been out longer now because they found in the summer they he needed surgery.

they would have rushed him back, they rushed Thorne back and ruined his rehabilitation, they rushed Martin back and made it worse. 

[Ambitious]

I think we will need a full pre-season to even get close to speed, in fact I wouldn't at all be surprised if we started really slow. I hope I'm wrong but I can see a lot of bedding in issues.

66/1 to be bottom at the start of September looks a good bet. 

[Tombo]

I think we will need a full pre-season to even get close to speed, in fact I wouldn't at all be surprised if we started really slow. I hope I'm wrong but I can see a lot of bedding in issues.

66/1 to be bottom at the start of September looks a good bet. 

I don't think bottom! Maybe quite low though.

[Rampage]

We are a potentially fragile squad. Is Martin really recovered, likewise Thorne. Do we have an obvious first choice back four - NO .Weimann may be brilliant, he may not. Is Hughes still tired after the short break he has had. Dawkins has had no break. Can Baird do the CDM position? Is Carson a confident keeper, likewise Grant after last year's run in?