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Squad surgery


Gritty

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I’ve been thinking about the squad.

GK

Carson. Solid – keep

Grant. Good backup but will he be content to stay as a reserve?

Mitchell: Getting good reviews. Let him out on loan with 24 hour recall

Roos: Get sense he’s fallen behind Mitchell. Get him out on loan with 24 hour recall

Transfer implication: Nothing unless Grant goes, then consider a backup keeper

RB

Christie: Had excellent season. Keep

Baird: Obviously unhappy and will leave

Transfer implication: Need a RB to compete with Christie (It’s not Hanson)

LB

Olsson: Quality - Keep

Forsyth: Quality - Keep

Lowe: Youth team product who could cover if needs be

Transfer implication: Nothing. We’re sorted there

CB

Shackell: Quality - keep

Keogh: Quality – keep

Bucko: Brilliant backup. But he may want 1st team football…

Rawson: Promising but may need games to develop. Let him out on loan with 24 hour recall?

Albentosa: Assume he’s going

Pearce: Ditto

Shotton: Ditto

Transfer implication: So despite having 7 centre halves on the books (plus Forsyth and Hanson can play there in an emergency), I reckon 4 could leave. And we may want Rawson out on loan? I reckon we might actually need another centre half.  I guess someone more experienced who can play RB and CB would be ideal as they could challenge Christie too. That would be Shotton or Baird but both unhappy obviously

Central Midfield

The engine room

Bryson. Keep. The engine that keeps us ticking

Hendrick. Good all rounder

Johnson. I feel like he’s a Pearson type player and could play more games if we play 442

The Hughes role

Hughes. keep if we can. Have a sneaking suspicion he’s going to Newcastle though….

Butterfield. The Hughes backup.

Central / Defensive Midfield

Thorne. Keep. But we need reliable backup

Hanson: The reliable backup

[Baird] – See above

Transfer implication: Seven midfielders [eight if Baird here] feels at least two [three] too many but if we take into account Thorne is likely to miss a load of games that’s maybe one too many. I wouldn’t force any out but I can see whoever loses out on game time going on loan somewhere prior to being sold. I’d probably accept a bid for Hendrick if one came in. I just think next season is going to be Johnson’s...

Wingers

Weimann – After the 2nd leg against Hull I love the man. 100% effort – Keep (and can play up front in a 442 if needs be)

Russell: He works really hard but I always feel he’s not quite at the bar….

Ince: Enigma. Most talented winger but he’s very much a form player. Either 5/10 or 9/10. Could see him doing well in no.10 role or at tip of diamond. Will Pearson make him or break him?

Camara: Well, we’ve hardly seen him…

Blackman: Not even sure what position we should be thinking about for him.Not impressed. Sell/loan out

Transfer implications: 5 first team wingers is 1 too many (albeit some can play in multiple positions): Loan / sell one of blackman/Camara/Russell (probably blackman)

Centre Forwards

Martin – Keep although I do wonder how he’ll adjjust if we change system

Bent – I would like to keep but surely he will want to leave if he’s not getting games

[Blackman] -

[Weimann]

[Ince]

Transfer implications: We may play a 442. So even if Bent stays I think we are looking a little short up front as Weimann and Ince are very much 2nd strikers and may be playing elsewhere anyhow. Blackman hasn’t convinced either. So I reckon we loan/sell Blackman (as above) and buy two strikers. Someone like Nugent and AN Other

Summary:

We may need a reserve GK (unless another of U21s is good) if Grant goes, and need a RB, possibly a reserve CB (these could be covered by one signing),  and a couple of forwards. 

And we could end up losing some/all of: Grant, Baird, Bucko, Albentosa, Pearce, Shotton, Hendrick, one of Blackman/Camara/Russell

 

Thoughts?

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Agree with a lot of what's said as I think the current side could achieve promotion.

But at the same time if we just kept(a healthy/fit): Carson, Keogh, Christie, Thorne, Hughes, Ince and Martin. The rest of the squad is really replaceable imo. Not saying these 7 players must start every game but on their day they can be really special. 

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How different pre season will be this time round. Oh jesus.

Last year the players heading into Moor Farm wanting to ask questions about Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic..

This time round, it'll be about ostriches and getting on with business.

I think the only real thing we need to sort out is who plays the CM role in a 442.

Got to say Hughes has to start week in week out though I doubt he and Bryson could do it together. If Hendrick of Hull away turns up in August then you'd have to give him the starting role alongside Hughes.

Would love him to bring a few in though. Shake it up a little.

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1 hour ago, Walsall_Ram said:

How different pre season will be this time round. Oh jesus.

Last year the players heading into Moor Farm wanting to ask questions about Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic..

This time round, it'll be about ostriches and getting on with business.

I think the only real thing we need to sort out is who plays the CM role in a 442.

Got to say Hughes has to start week in week out though I doubt he and Bryson could do it together. If Hendrick of Hull away turns up in August then you'd have to give him the starting role alongside Hughes.

Would love him to bring a few in though. Shake it up a little.

As Leicester start to ramp it up looking at 20-30m internationals we could really see some of their fringe players look at playing under their old manager again. Wouldn't rule that out.

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Anthony knockheart? Schlupp? Wouldn't be surprised if we had a look at those 2 over the summer.

 

Quite a few of the players are very well liked by the fans but I can see changes this summer, 3 attempts and 3 fails. Pearson will want to be bring his own players in to play the system he wants which I guess will be 4-4-2. The 2 central midfield slots wil be vital, Hughes if still here has to be one of them but I don't think Bryson, Hebdrick or Butterfield will cut it in the other. Thorne maybe but how often will be play? Wel probably buy another midfielder and some of the old, well liked guard will leave 

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Don't think it's that simple, and there are a few players there with "quality" wrotten next to them, that simply aren't quality. 

Pearson will make changes. The spine will be the main thing. He will want leaders and winners. These are things we are lacking. A new centre half/captain is a must. 

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30 minutes ago, DeanYatesFarPost said:

Pearson will look to bring in players he knows from Lester. The one that fits the bill will be Matty James who he signed from Man Utd. Not able to get in their team now , but would help him freshen it up.

 

there may be a few from Leicester but with Pearsons record I doubt he will just look at one source of signings. Id expect a couple of relative unknowns too

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Other than the obvious fringe players in the squad, it'll be interesting to see if Ince and Martin are still here next season as neither strike me as Pearson's type of player...

if if we end up playing 442 we need at least another winger who's creative but also capable of tracking back. Someone who can take a decent corner would be nice too.

also, I think Bryson's days may be numbered with a 442, which would be a shame - 433 seems to suit him better.

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I still don't think Johnson will get much game time if Big Nige plays 4-4-2, as he likes to play skilful, pacey wingers like Schlupp, Mahrez, Knockaert etc.  Can't accuse Bradley of being either of those...

I doubt he'll tinker much with the defence either, Shackell, Keogh & Sir Jake appear to be his kind of centre halves.  Dawson can also cover at RB soI don't think we should worry out that position.

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Need right back cover, top quality winger and a top striker. Possibly a defensive midfielder to cover for Thorne, but I thought Hendrick did brilliant vs Hull, so maybe he is that cover. 

Sell / loan if we can - Grant, Baird, Shotton, Pearce, Albentosa, Johnson, Camara, Bent.

Unsure on Blackman, I feel Pearson might be able to get the best of of him, whether or not his best is any good for us is another question. 

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1 hour ago, seths-cap said:

Why wouldn't Bryson be able to play in a 442? 

His best performances of recent seasons seem to be when he's played just off Martin to get the knock downs. I'm not sure he's best suited to a CM role in a 442 when you need to sit back a little more. but that's just my opinion, it'd be nice if I was proven wrong... Though if we did go 442, at least one of the current midfielders is going to be shipped out as we'd be overloaded in that position.

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