Best Of

The squad is interesting in that there are definite segments in relation to the takeover last summer:

GA holdovers: Grimmer, Taffs, Scowen, Wheeler, McCleary, Vokes etc.

Blooms pre-takeover: Leahy, Low, Ravizzoli, Pattenden, Lubala, Kone, Sadlier etc.

Blooms first takeover summer: Udoh, Fred, Harvie, Hartridge etc.

Current window: Bradley, Dane 1, Dane 2, two incoming

I would think that the current regime will not have any attachment to a player brought in before last summer unless they are absolutely in line with the data approach. Even with regards to last summer, there was likely at least a mixed approach if not mostly the old approach, as Scott Mitchell was still with us.

That's not to say players are going to start getting shipped out the door mercilessly in this window, just to point out that this window is the first that really belongs to the new regime. It would not surprise me if the squad looks extremely different by the end of summer 2025 even if we don't go up.

9:47am as I write this!

Good afternoon @Shev.

Morning?!

If it is not Schumacher (and I don't think it will be, as he is capable of landing another Champo job without having to drop down) I hope more and more it is some random European we have never heard of. The British names on the list are not setting the pulse racing at all.

I tunerd in to Wycombe Sound at the requisite time, and they were just playing music!

Unfortunately has a reputation for taking a tumble

I think between Dec, Fred, Gids we can probably cover RB. Jasper out for a while by the sound of it. Left back cover I think should be a priority, the drop off from Harvie is pretty big if we lost him to injury.

Whatever happens I am very excited to see how the final squad shapes up from Feb onwards. I assume the 2 new guys will be announced this week if being reported by the very reliable Pete O’rourke.

Gids playing as a serviceable emergency right back has helped a bit hasn’t it? I’d much rather rotate he and Jack than sign someone who is going to limit Jasper’s playing time. Much more important to develop our players than someone else’s.

I suppose we are lucky in a way that aside from King Kone we have goal threat elsewhere in the squad to worry opponents (even more so potentially with the new signings) so I think the defence might need a bit of strengthening for the final push.