Pre Season Friendlies

[danielcufc]

The issue for me is relying on so many players with chequered injury histories. That's where we don't seem to have learned. I understand that to get a Cousins quality player we have to take a punt on him but one or 2 are ok not 4 or 5 in a squad. I was surprised personally we kept Fejiri after last season, Haunstraup is injured again so doubt we will ever see much of him and May/Rossi coming back from season ending injuries. Thomas has struggled with injuries at QPR too. If these guys are out often it then only takes a few more injuries and we are down to bare bones and the youngsters.

I don't expect us to have a squad of 30 pro's and would have liked us to have had some more attacking options signed by now. Bonner's interview yesterday suggest we are trying for 3 in the forward areas so hopefully we have them in before Oxford.

[lesj]

I think this is where we need treatment staff at the top of their game. last year not only the lack of being able to recruit as successfully as we would have liked, but far too many got injured either on or off the field of play. Could the players have a fitness programme this year that makes them less susceptible to injuries than last year ?

It was obviously the injuries of far too many first choice players that almost cost us survival.

[mike_CUFC]

We were incredibly unlucky with injuries last season, yes we took a risk on a few injury prone players but we also lost people like May for most of the season so combined we looked very short whilst still having a decent size squad.

Our defence looks solid this season and midfield isn’t too shabby either, as others have said a couple more attacking players and we can re evaluate then.

[Tom Shaw's Fist of Rage]

Maybe it's more elsewhere where Bonner saying we need about 3 more was ridiculed then.

Think ElG and Imp have summed up the practicalities in terms of squad rules and budget realism.

Think it's easy to just disregard Janneh and Haunstraup but they're still here and still drawing a wage. By the time we bring attacking players in Janneh will be roughly where he was last year as the last choice senior attacking back up. We've brought in Andrews so we are less reliant on Haunstraup but you never know we might get some use out of him at some point.

Similarly it doesn't really feel like we have the likes of May and Rossi because we haven't seen them in ages but they're not so far away that we can bring someone in to cover them, as then we'll be over the limit. This is a downside to the short term loans not being a thing, I think a few of those to start the season would make us all feel a lot better.

[tojo]

Jul 16, 2023 9:33:40 GMT lesj said:

I think this is where we need treatment staff at the top of their game. last year not only the lack of being able to recruit as successfully as we would have liked, but far too many got injured either on or off the field of play. Could the players have a fitness programme this year that makes them less susceptible to injuries than lest year ?

It was obviously the injuries of far too many first choice players that almost cost us survival.

Agree, but add to that a core of players who wanted away.

[jamescufc7]

It will be interesting to see if we bring in anymore loans or if the 2/3 will be permanent signings. Personally I think we are still light in central midfield and would like a loan of a young player from a premier league under 23s. Even if it’s only until January it would take the pressure off of May.

[rozza1]

Jul 16, 2023 9:07:39 GMT danielcufc said:

The issue for me is relying on so many players with chequered injury histories. That's where we don't seem to have learned. I understand that to get a Cousins quality player we have to take a punt on him but one or 2 are ok not 4 or 5 in a squad. I was surprised personally we kept Fejiri after last season, Haunstraup is injured again so doubt we will ever see much of him and May/Rossi coming back from season ending injuries. Thomas has struggled with injuries at QPR too. If these guys are out often it then only takes a few more injuries and we are down to bare bones and the youngsters.

I don't expect us to have a squad of 30 pro's and would have liked us to have had some more attacking options signed by now. Bonner's interview yesterday suggest we are trying for 3 in the forward areas so hopefully we have them in before Oxford.

Agree with this. 1 or 2 a fair risk, 4+ is too dangerous.

[rozza1]

Jul 16, 2023 9:00:12 GMT jwills61 said:

So for me, I think we need 3 attackers and I’d loan a young (and sure somewhat untested) RB to come in and be backup to Lennett.

Jubril can play there but there’s going to be times where we’re stretched thin at CB and having another RB will be necessary.

Easier said than done but I’d hope we were trying to sign a cheap loan option there that gives us an extra body.

I assume we’re prepared to take a risk on not doing that though.

CM is another tough one as we’ll start the season without Cousins or May being able to contribute too much but we don’t want to block their path for when they’re fit and firing.

Think that means we’ll wait a bit before sending Simper out on loan.

With Cosuins injury record in the last two years and May yet to return from a long term injury we definitely would benefit from another midfielder. Seen a few say Thomas can play further back but that's not his natural position nor is his minutes per season record particularly good.

We relied on Simper as cover last season and it was a mess, unless there's been significant improvement over summer he's not ready for League 1.

Supporters voicing their concerns are more than justified, they're being realistic.

[imp566]

Jul 16, 2023 13:29:16 GMT rozza1 said:

Jul 16, 2023 9:00:12 GMT jwills61 said:

So for me, I think we need 3 attackers and I’d loan a young (and sure somewhat untested) RB to come in and be backup to Lennett.

Jubril can play there but there’s going to be times where we’re stretched thin at CB and having another RB will be necessary.

Easier said than done but I’d hope we were trying to sign a cheap loan option there that gives us an extra body.

I assume we’re prepared to take a risk on not doing that though.

CM is another tough one as we’ll start the season without Cousins or May being able to contribute too much but we don’t want to block their path for when they’re fit and firing.

Think that means we’ll wait a bit before sending Simper out on loan.

With Cosuins injury record in the last two years and May yet to return from a long term injury we definitely would benefit from another midfielder. Seen a few say Thomas can play further back but that's not his natural position nor is his minutes per season record particularly good.

We relied on Simper as cover last season and it was a mess, unless there's been significant improvement over summer he's not ready for League 1.

Supporters voicing their concerns are more than justified, they're being realistic.

I'd take issue with that, Simper was heralded as one of the bright spots in a struggling team when he came in for May mid season. A lot were disappointed he was sent out on loan (and hardly got any game time) at Woking! I think he will stay as perfectly adequate cover for midfield until at least May is restored to full fitness.

[El Goodo]

Yeah I think Simper's good enough to contribute to the squad properly, especially with a better-functioning team around him. Unfortunately he'd likely find himself spending a lot of time on the bench, and waiting to send him out on loan means he can only go to non-league, when really he would benefit massively from time in L2 at this point in his career.

[rozza1]

Jul 16, 2023 14:58:52 GMT imp566 said:

Jul 16, 2023 13:29:16 GMT rozza1 said:

With Cosuins injury record in the last two years and May yet to return from a long term injury we definitely would benefit from another midfielder. Seen a few say Thomas can play further back but that's not his natural position nor is his minutes per season record particularly good.

We relied on Simper as cover last season and it was a mess, unless there's been significant improvement over summer he's not ready for League 1.

Supporters voicing their concerns are more than justified, they're being realistic.

I'd take issue with that, Simper was heralded as one of the bright spots in a struggling team when he came in for May mid season. A lot were disappointed he was sent out on loan (and hardly got any game time) at Woking! I think he will stay as perfectly adequate cover for midfield until at least May is restored to full fitness.

Down to opinion but I'd say he needs a loan down the leagues.

I wasn't particularly impressed during his spell in the team last season, in fairness the team as a whole was fairly mediocre so not his fault. But also he was just on loan at a poor Wealdstone team, after struggling to get game time at Woking. I'd be very surprised if he's ready for League 1.

[pgtips (lurid)]

The Ipswich fixture is the perfect preseason test. I'm really keen to go.

[svh]

We have an offer in for Bonne apparently.

[artvandelay]

I'm always absolutely astounded, even though I know I shouldn't be, by football fans' ability to turn a mundane comment into a subject of debate. 2 or 3 players just means more, because if he had seventeen, and we signed three, he would be criticised for that. It also hints at him understanding the vagaries of the transfer market!

[artvandelay]

Jul 16, 2023 19:04:12 GMT svh said:

We have an offer in for Bonne apparently.

Good!