| Our squad next season 09:50 - Feb 27 with 668 views | TractorFrog |
Assuming we stay in league one for next season, I think we have a very good chance of winning the league. The core of our squad will be exactly the same for next year (the only important players we are losing are Celina and Bonne), and we will have the whole summer transfer window to strengthen around the edges, without needing time to 'gel' as the first XI will mostly be the same. We also have a great manager in Kieran McKenna who will only get better in the coming seasons as he is a rookie now. This assumes he will keep the same formation, but other formations could work well too if he mixed it up.
Goalkeeper - Walton is nailed-on as first choice, one of the best goalkeepers in the league if not the best. And Hladky is sufficient backup, he had a shaky start to the season but did well for Salford last year. I would imagine Holy will leave, but if we kept him instead of Hladky he would also be sufficient backup.
Centre-Backs - The current back three of Woolfenden, Edmundson and Donacien have just beaten the club record for clean sheets so I don't think we really need to sign a new first choice CB. Cameron Burgess is waiting as fourth choice and Corrie Ndaba would be back as fifth-choice, and they would probably be good enough as backup, but if we wanted to we could sell Burgess and sign a replacement.
Right Wing-Backs - Wes Burns is among the best in the league, particularly when supported by Donacien, and Kane Vincent-Young is sufficient backup; remember how good he was in 2019. No changes required here.
Left Wing-Backs - This is the only place where we need to sign a new starting player, as Dominic Thompson will be gone. I actually thought Hayden Coulson did very well here, so if we can get someone of that quality without injury problems we should be happy. Matt Penney is good enough as backup, Myles Kenlock will be released, and Bailey Clements needs another loan.
Centre-Midfielders - Sam Morsy and Lee Evans are the perfect midfield duo and should definitely stay as first choice next year, but we probably do need to strengthen their backup. Bakinson will be gone back to Bristol City, and we will probably release Tom Carroll. I think we need to sign maybe a clear Morsy backup and a clear Evans backup, unless El Mizouni is ready to step up as the Morsy backup. We should keep Rekeem Harper as well, even if he gets another loan, and Cameron Humphreys may be on the fringes too.
Attacking-Midfielders - we have Conor Chaplin and Sone Aluko (definitely deserves a new deal) here, and they are good enough to be starting players. We will lose Bersant Celina back to Dijon and probably won't be able to sign him permanently given the wages, so another signing here is a possibility. I also think Kyle Edwards still has a part to play and when we play wide players in the front three he could come into the team, so I don't think we necessarily need a signing here.
Strikers - despite his current poor form, I would definitely sign Macauley Bonne, as we know how good we can be and we know that he would want to stay at the club until he retires. I would also keep Joe Pigott as he will surely come good at some point. Then I would keep one of Jackson and Norwood and release the other, and sign one new striker to compete for the starting one or two places. Alternatively, if Tyreece Simpson stays, we could keep him and release Jackson and Norwood. Or maybe we don't even need the new striker as all four of our current strikers have shown they are good enough at this level, and will find their form with time. |  |
| They'd all laugh at me if they knew what I was trying to do. To create a new strain of super-wine in half-an-hour with a fraction of nature's resources and a FOOL for an assistant. 'Bernard Black, he's mad,' they'd say, 'he's insane, he's dangerous.' Well I'll show them! I'll show them all! | | Poll: | What hurt more? |
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| Our squad next season on 10:23 - Feb 27 with 593 views | tractordownsouth |
I think we may get some interest in Burns and Woolfenden at the end of the season.
Wouldn't surprise me if Burgess and Pigott move on, even if we have to subsidise the remainder of their contracts. I can't see any of the loans being re-signed, unless Bonne goes on a nice run until the end of the season or becomes available for much less than the figures being quoted recently. I doubt Carroll or Norwood's deals will be renewed either
Goalkeeper is no issue, as long as we can resist Championship interest for Walton. Hladky's been disappointing but we aren't going to get anyone brilliant to play second fiddle in L1.
I think we'll sign another CB - possibly a Man Utd loanee as the types of skills McKenna requires from defenders are more likely to be found higher up the pyramid. Presumably, Ndaba will come back and be in the squad, with Armin or Baggott as the emergency cover.
The wingbacks seem fine, providing we keep Burns. LWB is the weakest spot in the team but I really think Kyle Edwards would be excellent there. McKenna seems to think he can play there, and unless he can't I don't think we need anyone else.
With Morsy, Evans, Harper and El Mizouni I think the midfield only needs one more body in there. Possibly an older head on the way down who doesn't mind being a rotation option?
Providing they're okay with sharing minutes, I don't see why Aluko and Chaplin won't still be here.
Striker is the biggest uncertainty. I think Jackson will be kept on, but we may even need 3 bodies here. Or perhaps 2 strikers and another number 10 if Chaplin is seen as one of the 4 forwards. |  |
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| Our squad next season on 10:35 - Feb 27 with 576 views | Blue_badge |
| Our squad next season on 10:23 - Feb 27 by tractordownsouth |
I think we may get some interest in Burns and Woolfenden at the end of the season.
Wouldn't surprise me if Burgess and Pigott move on, even if we have to subsidise the remainder of their contracts. I can't see any of the loans being re-signed, unless Bonne goes on a nice run until the end of the season or becomes available for much less than the figures being quoted recently. I doubt Carroll or Norwood's deals will be renewed either
Goalkeeper is no issue, as long as we can resist Championship interest for Walton. Hladky's been disappointing but we aren't going to get anyone brilliant to play second fiddle in L1.
I think we'll sign another CB - possibly a Man Utd loanee as the types of skills McKenna requires from defenders are more likely to be found higher up the pyramid. Presumably, Ndaba will come back and be in the squad, with Armin or Baggott as the emergency cover.
The wingbacks seem fine, providing we keep Burns. LWB is the weakest spot in the team but I really think Kyle Edwards would be excellent there. McKenna seems to think he can play there, and unless he can't I don't think we need anyone else.
With Morsy, Evans, Harper and El Mizouni I think the midfield only needs one more body in there. Possibly an older head on the way down who doesn't mind being a rotation option?
Providing they're okay with sharing minutes, I don't see why Aluko and Chaplin won't still be here.
Striker is the biggest uncertainty. I think Jackson will be kept on, but we may even need 3 bodies here. Or perhaps 2 strikers and another number 10 if Chaplin is seen as one of the 4 forwards. |
As per your opening remark, it's very much a question as to who we lose to Championship or higher clubs.
I can see any of Walton, Wolf, Edmunson, Burns, Morsy attracting interest - and if the money is high enough for Ashton I believe they'll be allowed to move on. |  | | |
| Our squad next season on 10:40 - Feb 27 with 564 views | SheffordBlue |
While the CBs are good we're unbalanced with no naturally left-sided centre back. Whether Burgess can be coached into that role remains to be seen but currently the left wing back has to be more defensively minded as Edmundson is playing on his wrong side.
Really hope some of the higher quality players are bought into the longer term plan and that unless there's silly money that Ashton doesn't cash in. |  |
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| Our squad next season on 12:15 - Feb 27 with 466 views | Asa |
It’s been a funny old season.
Edmundson seems to have a lot of mistakes in him in possession and is an accident waiting to happen. A lot of it is likely down to being on the left side. Fridge is trying to beat too many players as the last man. He’s been very lucky so far.
Incredibly Wolf and Donacien are both playing a lot better than him (unthinkable a few months back) and I’d like to see a left side ball playing centre back come in for those four to compete for three places.
Then you’ve got Burgess who is limited with the ball, a left sided player who had one of the best debuts I’ve seen in a Town shirt and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him gone in the summer.
The other end of the pitch, the forgotten man Jackson, who I was happy to see gone in January, is legitimately our best option of the four strikers. | | | |
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