We've had a better first eleven, but i'd say it definitely has the potential to be the best squad.
When did we ever have 8 or 9 players that can decently interchange in the front 3?
I'm more concerned with the squad being too good. Up front at least.
Assuming we stick with a 433 you've got to select one central striker from Samuel, Kashket, Bayo and Parker. And two wide forwards from Fred, Smyth, Wheeler and Aarons. Assuming Fred and Smyth reappear at some point that's a lot of serious talent to manage and egos that won't be massaged with a run-out in the Berks & Bucks Cup.
I'd say those forward options are Championship quality. Picking three midfielders from Gape, Thompson, Freeman and Ofoborh, with Bloomfield, Pattison and JGS as back up is top end of League One quality.
But defence, hmm. Jacobson, Stewart, Grimmer, Jombati are probably lower League One level. Mascoll, Charles, Phillips, Allsop probably upper League Two. Yates, no idea.
Is this the best squad we've had? Probably yes up front, though with the potential to go sour if not managed. But it's also probably the most unbalanced squad we've had too. If it leads to a season of 4-3 victories and 90th minute winners I'm up for that though.
@aloysius said:
I'm more concerned with the squad being too good. Up front at least.
Assuming we stick with a 433 you've got to select one central striker from Samuel, Kashket, Bayo and Parker. And two wide forwards from Fred, Smyth, Wheeler and Aarons. Assuming Fred and Smyth reappear at some point that's a lot of serious talent to manage and egos that won't be massaged with a run-out in the Berks & Bucks Cup.
Getting in that 3, occasionally 4 will be one heck of a mission, even with the odd player of two injured every so often!
Parker must wonder how he's getting into the lineup!
Aloysius, if you’re worried that our squad could be ‘too good’, I’m looking forward to the season more than ever! That’s not a bad place to be. Don’t agree with all your player ratings and would certainly have Stewart and Charles higher, but it’s all about opinions, eh.
I cant help but feel we are a bit top heavy, I wouldve liked another defender if El Abd had to go, and would also have liked a good loanee keeper... but if we keep winning goalfests I'll be more than happy
@MindlessDrugHoover said:
Got an air of the Gorman era about it - doesn't matter if we concede three, we'll just score four.
although thankfully there's a lot less sideways passing, and I have yet to hear GA come out with the classic "och, we were so unlucky..."
We're much better at seeing out leads as well. Fleetwood aside!
That Gormania half season was frustrating that we were so superb yet never got the points lead on teams we deserved, with so many draws.
@crabbie said:
too early in the season for this poll with so many signings only 5 games in and 2 new faces even since the last game
Since it seems only to be only concerned with whether players that played significant amounts of time for a club last year are still at that club this year, any time after the end of the transfer window seems fine, doesn't it?
@Malone So... we saw out leads against Franchise and Southend for all of a couple of mins. Failed to do so against Fleetwood (as you say) and also Reading. Consequently, I'm struggling to see any evidence of this so far this season, although I think it's possible that we would be more resilient than during that awful run of matches last spring.
@LeedsBlue said: @Malone So... we saw out leads against Franchise and Southend for all of a couple of mins. Failed to do so against Fleetwood (as you say) and also Reading. Consequently, I'm struggling to see any evidence of this so far this season, although I think it's possible that we would be more resilient than during that awful run of matches last spring.
Yes that is true in fairness. I'm meaning more as a general pool of work over the Gareth years.
We're down to 62.8% now. That graphic didn't take into account Adam El-Abd's departure. Three of the top six are in the top six in the table, but then so are Coventry.
This is set up to be a fun season. The one reason I am not playoff-level optimistic is that we never seem to have many clinical, 2-0 or 3-0 wins. Our games are always close, and even if we win more than we lose, there will always be wins that turn to draws, because we could not put teams away.
That all being said, I would love to be proven wrong! I certainly feel confident we can fight for a mid-table finish.
@Shev Spot on, as ever. What was good about last year is that we made ourselves competitive, so even though we didn't control many games, we didn't really get tonked either. And as a team who were tipped to be relegated, it was this 'keep it tight' approach which helped us to remain competitive enough to survive. I'd love a few games this season where we control things from the word go and run out comfortable winners, but i think the Southend game shows that even a poor team in this league will still have enough about them to make things difficult. Winning a few games 'comfortably' would move us from a bottom third to a top third team. I'm looking forward to this transformation.
Comments
Not even close to the first season squad, the League Cup semi final season or the names put together by Gorman.
No, but I’m more exited by this squad’s potential than any in years. Especially given how much youth there is in the side now too.
No where near at the moment.
We've had a better first eleven, but i'd say it definitely has the potential to be the best squad.
When did we ever have 8 or 9 players that can decently interchange in the front 3?
I'm more concerned with the squad being too good. Up front at least.
Assuming we stick with a 433 you've got to select one central striker from Samuel, Kashket, Bayo and Parker. And two wide forwards from Fred, Smyth, Wheeler and Aarons. Assuming Fred and Smyth reappear at some point that's a lot of serious talent to manage and egos that won't be massaged with a run-out in the Berks & Bucks Cup.
I'd say those forward options are Championship quality. Picking three midfielders from Gape, Thompson, Freeman and Ofoborh, with Bloomfield, Pattison and JGS as back up is top end of League One quality.
But defence, hmm. Jacobson, Stewart, Grimmer, Jombati are probably lower League One level. Mascoll, Charles, Phillips, Allsop probably upper League Two. Yates, no idea.
Is this the best squad we've had? Probably yes up front, though with the potential to go sour if not managed. But it's also probably the most unbalanced squad we've had too. If it leads to a season of 4-3 victories and 90th minute winners I'm up for that though.
Getting in that 3, occasionally 4 will be one heck of a mission, even with the odd player of two injured every so often!
Parker must wonder how he's getting into the lineup!
Stewart seems a really good L1 CB, no?
Aloysius, if you’re worried that our squad could be ‘too good’, I’m looking forward to the season more than ever! That’s not a bad place to be. Don’t agree with all your player ratings and would certainly have Stewart and Charles higher, but it’s all about opinions, eh.
Stewart could play higher if injuries didnt keep popping up
I cant help but feel we are a bit top heavy, I wouldve liked another defender if El Abd had to go, and would also have liked a good loanee keeper... but if we keep winning goalfests I'll be more than happy
Got an air of the Gorman era about it - doesn't matter if we concede three, we'll just score four.
although thankfully there's a lot less sideways passing, and I have yet to hear GA come out with the classic "och, we were so unlucky..."
Interesting that we have made 12 signings and plenty of departures too, but the core of the team remains the same.
too early in the season for this poll with so many signings only 5 games in and 2 new faces even since the last game
We're much better at seeing out leads as well. Fleetwood aside!
That Gormania half season was frustrating that we were so superb yet never got the points lead on teams we deserved, with so many draws.
Since it seems only to be only concerned with whether players that played significant amounts of time for a club last year are still at that club this year, any time after the end of the transfer window seems fine, doesn't it?
@crabbie is referring to the poll at the start of the thread rather than that infographic.
@Malone So... we saw out leads against Franchise and Southend for all of a couple of mins. Failed to do so against Fleetwood (as you say) and also Reading. Consequently, I'm struggling to see any evidence of this so far this season, although I think it's possible that we would be more resilient than during that awful run of matches last spring.
Yes that is true in fairness. I'm meaning more as a general pool of work over the Gareth years.
Makes sense now I look at it. The positioning under the graphic caused me to make an unfounded assumption.
We're down to 62.8% now. That graphic didn't take into account Adam El-Abd's departure. Three of the top six are in the top six in the table, but then so are Coventry.
Might not be the best squad, but on paper, with Aarons and Smyth on loan as well, it must be the most exciting attack
This is set up to be a fun season. The one reason I am not playoff-level optimistic is that we never seem to have many clinical, 2-0 or 3-0 wins. Our games are always close, and even if we win more than we lose, there will always be wins that turn to draws, because we could not put teams away.
That all being said, I would love to be proven wrong! I certainly feel confident we can fight for a mid-table finish.
Poibts to ensure survival and anything on top of that is gravy
@Shev Spot on, as ever. What was good about last year is that we made ourselves competitive, so even though we didn't control many games, we didn't really get tonked either. And as a team who were tipped to be relegated, it was this 'keep it tight' approach which helped us to remain competitive enough to survive. I'd love a few games this season where we control things from the word go and run out comfortable winners, but i think the Southend game shows that even a poor team in this league will still have enough about them to make things difficult. Winning a few games 'comfortably' would move us from a bottom third to a top third team. I'm looking forward to this transformation.