The squad is not weaker!


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Tin hat on but. . . .

We look a much better side already this season. The plan was always going to be look for better players who need a fresh start, e.g. Prichard, Evans. I know we haven’t seen Prichard but Evans looked brilliant last night. My man of the match in the 1st half.

However, more importantly, we were always going to promote heavily from the U23’s and look for quality loans/ buys from premier league u23 sides.

These types of players will always come later in the window after they’ve been assessed by their current clubs. This will also always be done later in a summer with a big competition like the euros.

we already look like we are a much quicker and better passing side who can control the middle of the park.

I think the predictions of 10th to 5th are way off the mark even if we start the season with the players we have and we are only a couple of good fullbacks away from being a really class (at this level) side.
It most definitely is. We’ve lost our best CB and a 30 goal striker. We’ve got absolutely no full backs at the club. Most of the squad is made up of players who have barely played at senior level.

To say we aren’t weaker is mental.
 
With all due respect he played eighteen games at Blackpool scoring once and creating a couple. I’ve said I think he has ability but he still needs to prove himself.

I didn’t say it with Darren Bent because he’d scored 100 league goals in the top two flights, half of which were in the premier league, by the time he was 25.

He played 21 times and scored twice. The difference between the two is a play off semi final game changing goal. Hes good enough. We should be playing him
 
I wonder how many of these squad isn't that bad type threads we would have had had we not scored a late winner last night ;)
 
Absolute rubbish. The first 11 (if we sort out the fullback issue) might be stronger, but the wider squad itself, there is no way you can claim it is stronger than last season. Only good side about our team tbh was the strength in depth that we had.
We were lacking strength in the 1st team last season never mind in depth. Our midfield got bullied for most of the season. Evans looks like an instant upgrade so does Neil and O9. Stewart looks far better than Wyke. Embleton looks better than O’Brien and we haven’t seen Pritchard yet. At CB we are no stronger but no weaker and as I’ve admired fullback is a problem but nothing we can’t cover.

we will sign defenders though.
I wonder how many of these squad isn't that bad type threads we would have had had we not scored a late winner last night ;)
It was the 1st half which impressed me.
 
A few of our youngsters are looking capable of making the step up but we're still 5 or 6 short imo. We've got no senior fullbacks at the club
Johnson spoke about having two players for every position and a 25 man squad. 20 Senior Players supported by 5 from the U-23's.
Presumably the 5 U-23's are Younger, Neil, Hawkes, Diamond and Kimpioka.
We already have 16 senior players at the club (inc Patterson and excluding Willis) which includes zero full backs.
Presumably if we add 4 full backs that's our lot unless we off can off load.
Nothing to stop us adding more apart from the template.
 
Last season we had Wyke starting. This season we have Stewart. How anyone hasn't noticed that Stewart is a better player than Wyke is beyond me.
Winchester and Younger both look better RBs than Power / McLaughlin.
We had McFadz last season. Neil and Taylor both look better than him.
I've seen Doyle half a dozen times and he's a step up from Sanderson, who was really good. We have more than one fit CB, that's better than last season.

Do you honestly believe that we're not stronger? We have a bunch of midfielders that look light years ahead of last season's. If the model is to promote from the U23s and augment this with a smaller number of signings, this gets my wholehearted support. Part of the deal with having a data driven approach is that you use this model to promote from the U23s. If there's a lad in the U23s whose data shows they're a better fit than what's in the marketplace, you promote them. If you have five, you promote all five. You get the added bonus of them not needing to settle / move / get used to a new environment. If we'd signed the likes of Younger, Neil, Patterson etc. from other clubs, would you be happier?
Doyle hasn’t played a game in a competitive environment and who are the light years ahead midfielders ?
 
Doyle hasn’t played a game in a competitive environment and who are the light years ahead midfielders ?
Every player has to make a debut. He looks astonishingly accomplished for someone so young. An extrapolation of your logic would mean no players would ever play, because 'they've not played'. Have you not seen Doyle play for us? If you have, do tyou not think he looks exceptional?
Evans / O9 / Embleton / Neil have all looked better than anything we had last year.
 
Every player has to make a debut. He looks astonishingly accomplished for someone so young. An extrapolation of your logic would mean no players would ever play, because 'they've not played'. Have you not seen Doyle play for us? If you have, do tyou not think he looks exceptional?
Evans / O9 / Embleton / Neil have all looked better than anything we had last year.
I’ve seen him in a non competitive environment. No one can say he’s exceptional when he’s never played in a game where points are at stake and seasoned professionals are fully committed. I think he’s a superb footballer but I’m not sure how mobile he is or how he will cope with the ball going repeatedly into the box aerially . The hyperbole isn’t helpful to him
 
So many different options on this one, definitely a tough subject with so many factors... my opinion is...

We are certainly (atm) weaker in defence, not because we didn't keep Sanderson but because Willis is out and obviously no fullbacks. Sanderson done well over half a season but he was behind Willis, Wright, Flanagan and O'Nien in the pecking order.. yes he stepped up, no he wasn't our best defender. Time will tell is Doyle can step up over a run of games.

Verdict.. 3 full backs needed (1 of them needs to have experience playing CB). A new CB to replace Flanagan would be nice but it's probably not going to happen.

Midfield, love the shape when Niel or Emelton are the front point of a middle 3. Happy with Hawkes and Diamond competing to be 4th choice on the wings behind Geads, Gooch and Pritchard (really know nothing about Pritchard, I understand he's a central player but if Geads or Gooch get a knock, Embleton or Pritchard will end up moving wide).

Verdict... Im happy with options as long as O'Nien is a Midfield option and not moved to defence, need that physicality.

Attack, Wyke needed those pin point crosses, Steward needs the ball to feet. Stewart is a better fit for the system we hope LJ plays. Dare I say, Griggs movement will thrive off Embleton and he might just be a useful player this season.

Verdict... for fuck sake replace O'brien as our 3rd option.

So 4 players needed in my view, I would hope a few are permanent. We are potentially stronger than last season if we get them.
 
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Last season we had Wyke starting. This season we have Stewart. How anyone hasn't noticed that Stewart is a better player than Wyke is beyond me.
Winchester and Younger both look better RBs than Power / McLaughlin.
We had McFadz last season. Neil and Taylor both look better than him.
I've seen Doyle half a dozen times and he's a step up from Sanderson, who was really good. We have more than one fit CB, that's better than last season.

Do you honestly believe that we're not stronger? We have a bunch of midfielders that look light years ahead of last season's. If the model is to promote from the U23s and augment this with a smaller number of signings, this gets my wholehearted support. Part of the deal with having a data driven approach is that you use this model to promote from the U23s. If there's a lad in the U23s whose data shows they're a better fit than what's in the marketplace, you promote them. If you have five, you promote all five. You get the added bonus of them not needing to settle / move / get used to a new environment. If we'd signed the likes of Younger, Neil, Patterson etc. from other clubs, would you be happier?
A squad with 1 striker and zero full backs can’t be stronger. That’s just the way it is.
 
I’ve seen him in a non competitive environment. No one can say he’s exceptional when he’s never played in a game where points are at stake and seasoned professionals are fully committed. I think he’s a superb footballer but I’m not sure how mobile he is or how he will cope with the ball going repeatedly into the box aerially . The hyperbole isn’t helpful to him
Of course you can say he's exceptional. I've never seen a CB be that good at 17. Exceptional is exactly what he is i.e. different to the norm. I get that you think he's unproven, but, that doesn't stop him being exceptional. Having seen him, there's nothing to say his performances, thus far, won't translate to the league. By all means, have an opinion, but, your having an opinion is not an absolute. I'm sticking with exceptional.
 
Of course you can say he's exceptional. I've never seen a CB be that good at 17. Exceptional is exactly what he is i.e. different to the norm. I get that you think he's unproven, but, that doesn't stop him being exceptional. Having seen him, there's nothing to say his performances, thus far, won't translate to the league. By all means, have an opinion, but, your having an opinion is not an absolute. I'm sticking with exceptional.
You convinced he’s good enough in the air ? Have you seen enough of that ? Are you talking about exceptional to the third tier or national league north because you are otherwise talking from a very limited reference point as to exceptional 17 year olds
 
A squad with 1 striker and zero full backs can’t be stronger. That’s just the way it is.
We had two strikers score last night. That confounds your first point. We had Power at RB last year - Winchester played better than any of Power's efforts at RB. We had McFadz at LB last season - having Neil and Taylor is a step up from that. Both Neil and Taylor have the potential to be good at LB. It may surprise you to learn that most good fullbacks start out as wingers and midfielders, before switching when they make the transition from U23 to senior. We have better players in the full back positions than we had last year. Yes, they may be less experienced, but, the experienced players didn't exactly shower themselves in glory, last season.
 
We had two strikers score last night. That confounds your first point. We had Power at RB last year - Winchester played better than any of Power's efforts at RB. We had McFadz at LB last season - having Neil and Taylor is a step up from that. Both Neil and Taylor have the potential to be good at LB. It may surprise you to learn that most good fullbacks start out as wingers and midfielders, before switching when they make the transition from U23 to senior. We have better players in the full back positions than we had last year. Yes, they may be less experienced, but, the experienced players didn't exactly shower themselves in glory, last season.

Do you think Lee Johnson thinks our squad is stronger now than what it was?
 
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You convinced he’s good enough in the air ? Have you seen enough of that ? Are you talking about exceptional to the third tier or national league north because you are otherwise talking from a very limited reference point as to exceptional 17 year olds
I'm convinced he's going to make playing League One football look a piece of piss.
 
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