tojo
Reserve team regular
Posts: 3,517
Member is Online
|
Post by tojo on Jul 13, 2024 19:14:51 GMT
Pretty sure I'm missing a few, but I think this is how we're looking at the moment? Looking short at CB if Okedina goes and obviously Jobe is out for pretty much the season. Another CB, striker, CM, LB, and maybe another pacey wide player if we're feeling flush. If we're intending on playing more on the front foot, then we'll need more pace and more options to avoid running players into the ground. That's still a fairly thin 23 man squad. No doubt we'll pack it out with some youth along the way mind. GK: Stevens, Reyes LB: Andrew, Gibbons* CB: Morrison, Ibsen Rossi, Watts, Okedina*, Jobe* RB: Bennett, Gibbons AM/W: Brophy, Kaikai, Kachunga, Richards, McConnell DM: Cousins, Digby CM: Thomas ST: Lavery, Loft The squad is still very light particularly in midfield and attack. Even the happiest of clappers can’t be happy with a Digby & Cousins midfield combo. I feel we are light on the left hand side still as well. Okedina is fine as back up CB as it stands but we need 2 midfielders to replace May & Lankester and another forward at least. IF the rumours of Gardener & Assombolonga were added to the squad it would look more complete. Still loads of work to be done IMO. Agree, and worried for the season ahead tbh, we do seem to struggle to recruit at this level. Still a month to go, and I guess we have offers on the table for some, probably holding out for a better deal.
|
|
|
Post by flouncingarburyboy on Jul 13, 2024 19:27:34 GMT
The squad is still very light particularly in midfield and attack. Even the happiest of clappers can’t be happy with a Digby & Cousins midfield combo. I feel we are light on the left hand side still as well. Okedina is fine as back up CB as it stands but we need 2 midfielders to replace May & Lankester and another forward at least. IF the rumours of Gardener & Assombolonga were added to the squad it would look more complete. Still loads of work to be done IMO. Agree, and worried for the season ahead tbh, we do seem to struggle to recruit at this level. Still a month to go, and I guess we have offers on the table for some, probably holding out for a better deal. Agreed but I also think we'll see the loan option used much more than previously. We saw evidence of that today and I think that Monk, whilst having been out of management for a bit of time, obviously still has contacts and networks. And perhaps a bit of a name...?
|
|
carolinec
Youth team regular
@caroline1109
Posts: 815
Favourite CUFC player: Dion Dublin
Favourite CUFC match: Nottingham Forest Worthington Cup 1998
|
Post by carolinec on Jul 13, 2024 20:06:00 GMT
I'd love to which of our players is the James Milner of the squad. Didn't they once release the results of the bleep test or did I make that up?
|
|
|
Post by artvandelay on Jul 13, 2024 20:07:24 GMT
I'd love to which of our players is the James Milner of the squad. Didn't they once release the results of the bleep test or did I make that up? Brophy or Bennett would be my guesses.
|
|
|
Post by El Goodo on Jul 13, 2024 21:15:54 GMT
Bennett followed by Digby was last season.
|
|
|
Post by Jerry1971 on Jul 16, 2024 9:04:46 GMT
So, what is left on the shopping list for this window? Using Bendigeidfran's list above once again, the squad (as I see it, being a little light on yoof as we know most will go out on loan etc):
Goalkeepers:
Stevens Reyes
Defenders:
Bennett Gibbons Andrew Morrison Ibsen Rossi Watts Jobe (long term injury) Okedina (transfer listed)
Midfield:
Digby Cousins Gardner Richards Hoddle Thomas (long term injury)
Wide players/forwards:
Brophy KaiKai Kachunga McConnell
Strikers:
Lavery Loft
A total of 22 players, of which two are long term injuries sadly and Jibs is on the transfer list so you could probably argue is not massively in the plans. Hence we have a group of 22, with 19 really the core. Even allowing for Thomas/Jobe to be fit and ready we'd have 21, (excluding Jibs) and would probably want 24/25 - the small squad approach Bonz used to favour has really been a little shown up over the past couple of seasons. For me, two more is probably the aim, and I think if we could encourage them, Assombalonga and Dominic Ball would be those two. Ball would cover for Diggers/Cousins, Jobe and Benno and has plenty of experience. Assombalonga would hopefully score goals. With those two I really think the squad would be just about as competitive as we could manage at this level at this stage of our development as a club.
|
|
Andrewlang
Cult hero
Posts: 17,827
Member is Online
|
Post by Andrewlang on Jul 16, 2024 9:14:33 GMT
2-5 more I think.
A striker, midfielder, left back, central defender, wide player.
Andrew
|
|
nickpom
Reserve team regular
Posts: 3,202
|
Post by nickpom on Jul 16, 2024 9:30:20 GMT
So, what is left on the shopping list for this window? Using Bendigeidfran's list above once again, the squad (as I see it, being a little light on yoof as we know most will go out on loan etc): Goalkeepers: Stevens Reyes Defenders: Bennett Gibbons Andrew Morrison Ibsen Rossi Watts Jobe (long term injury) Okedina (transfer listed) Midfield: Digby Cousins Gardner Richards Hoddle Thomas (long term injury) Wide players/forwards: Brophy KaiKai Kachunga McConnell Strikers: Lavery Loft A total of 22 players, of which two are long term injuries sadly and Jibs is on the transfer list so you could probably argue is not massively in the plans. Hence we have a group of 22, with 19 really the core. Even allowing for Thomas/Jobe to be fit and ready we'd have 21, (excluding Jibs) and would probably want 24/25 - the small squad approach Bonz used to favour has really been a little shown up over the past couple of seasons. For me, two more is probably the aim, and I think if we could encourage them, Assombalonga and Dominic Ball would be those two. Ball would cover for Diggers/Cousins, Jobe and Benno and has plenty of experience. Assombalonga would hopefully score goals. With those two I really think the squad would be just about as competitive as we could manage at this level at this stage of our development as a club. I believe that you have missed out Barton and Njoku? Although they both likely go out on a development loan. I'd definitely be looking for one more defender (probably a right-sided full-back/centre-back?) and one more forward; funnily enough I feel fairly comfortable about the midfield group.
|
|
|
Post by Jerry1971 on Jul 16, 2024 9:40:25 GMT
I believe that you have missed out Barton and Njoku? Although they both likely go out on a development loan. I'd definitely be looking for one more defender (probably a right-sided full-back/centre-back?) and one more forward; funnily enough I feel fairly comfortable about the midfield group. I did Nick, and deliberately as I'd guess both will go out for lengthy parts of the season, as they should to gain experience and game time at this stage of their careers. I just see Hoddle and McConnell ahead of Barton and Njoku in terms of being ready for L1, hence why they are in my 19/21/22... We should add Chadwick to the Barton/Njoku camp as a potential loan out too.
|
|
|
Post by ilovechadders on Jul 16, 2024 9:53:50 GMT
I believe that you have missed out Barton and Njoku? Although they both likely go out on a development loan. I'd definitely be looking for one more defender (probably a right-sided full-back/centre-back?) and one more forward; funnily enough I feel fairly comfortable about the midfield group. I did Nick, and deliberately as I'd guess both will go out for lengthy parts of the season, as they should to gain experience and game time at this stage of their careers. I just see Hoddle and McConnell ahead of Barton and Njoku in terms of being ready for L1, hence why they are in my 19/21/22... We should add Chadwick to the Barton/Njoku camp as a potential loan out too. You can probably add Kaunda to the potential loan list too, assuming that he accepted his contract offer as a 1st year pro.
|
|
|
Post by texaspete on Jul 17, 2024 20:20:30 GMT
Building a very experienced (old!) squad. Could be an issue with pace/stamina which massively cost us last season with the slowest centre-back pairing in the league.
Not exactly building for the future either - can’t remember us having so many players over 30…
|
|
|
Post by Jonah (Option 3 Badge Chooser) on Jul 17, 2024 21:08:17 GMT
McConnell injured today according to twitter
|
|
Bendigeidfran
First team star
Posts: 9,528
Favourite CUFC player: Steve Claridge
Favourite CUFC match: CUFC v Gateshead 18/05/14
|
Post by Bendigeidfran on Jul 17, 2024 21:50:05 GMT
Building a very experienced (old!) squad. Could be an issue with pace/stamina which massively cost us last season with the slowest centre-back pairing in the league. Not exactly building for the future either - can’t remember us having so many players over 30… It feels that way, but in reality I think we have a good mix. Of the 8 new signings, Reyes, Gibbons, Watts, Richards, Loft and Lavery are all in their early to mid 20s, with Smith and Gardner being in their 30s. Of the existing squad, it's only Kachunga, Morrison and Andrew who are well into their 30s. I'd imagine there'll be a fair bit of rotation in the more taxing positions so at the moment feel like the balance is about right.
|
|
malotru
Youth team star
Posts: 1,675
Member is Online
|
Post by malotru on Jul 18, 2024 6:18:41 GMT
I think we’ve got 1 first XI signing left to make and that’s a striker. Another 2 maybe that will be squad players to deepen the strength in midfield and defence. Unless Bennet and/or Okedina leaves then at least 1 if those will need to be replaced with a new incoming.
|
|
JoshHuntCUFC
Youth team regular
Posts: 779
Favourite CUFC player: Mark Peters
|
Post by JoshHuntCUFC on Jul 18, 2024 10:27:06 GMT
In a 3-4-2-1 formation I estimate we need 2 signings. RCB and ST.
GK: Reyes, Stevens, Chadwick - RCB: [NEW], Jobe^, Okedina* CB: Morro, Rossi LCB: Watts, (Andrew) - RWB: Bennett, Gibbons
CM: Gardner, Digby, Hoddle CM: Smith, Cousins, Thomas^
LWB: Andrew, Brophy - CAM: Kachunga, Richards CAM: Kaikai, McConnell - ST: [NEW], Lavery, Loft, Njoku
^Long term injury *Transfer listed (Secondary position for cover)
|
|