The Current 1st Team Squad

[Guest LondonOwl313]

13 hours ago, beloved_aunt said:

As it stands …

 

Goalkeepers

 

Current

Westwood – keep everything crossed he re-signs and we can keep him as number 1

Dawson/Wildsmith – loan one of them out if possible, the youth team keeper Wallis is meant to be very good and should be adequate as third choice and in case of keepers you’ve got emergency loan and recall where necessary.

 

Targets

Don’t need to sign anyone new

 

Full backs

 

Current

Palmer/Iorfa – should be good enough to cover the right back slot

Penney – has a lot of potential but you’d want a recognised first choice ahead of him

Baker/Fox – Not good enough, move on if at all possible

 

Targets

So, we need to sign a first choice left back.  Hard to tell how good Aschraff Lazaar was on loan as injured a lot but might be fine with a full pre-season.  Jake Bidwell is out of contract at QPR and Luke Garbutt might be a loan option from Everton.

 

Centre backs

 

Current

Lees – Obviously keep unless we get a huge bid

Thorniley – Wouldn’t be first choice but a great squad player

Van Aken – Unless Bruce really is a miracle worker

Hutchinson – Still think he’s a natural CB and playing him here reduces his injuries and cards as well

 

Targets

So, we need to sign 1-2 centre backs.  Michael Hector is obviously first choice if we can get him.  I’d also look at potential loans for Grant Hanley (not played much for Norwich this season), Ashley Williams and Axel Tuanzebe.  On a free could there be a sentimental return for Gary Cahill?

 

Centre midfielders

 

Current

Hutchinson/Bannan/Pelupessy/Lee – On the face of it a good balance and cover in the middle with Reach also able to fill in. But Lee/Hutch probably can’t be relied upon for a full season.

 

Targets

Probably lack a bit of physicality in here.  Mo Diame on loan from Newcastle would be ideal.  Nick Powell is out of contract at Wigan and if we could get him as a number ten would give us a lot more options in how to play.

 

Wingers

 

Current

Reach – Only real option but also our most sellable asset if we do need to raise funds.

 

Targets

Will be an area where we need lots of activity, unless Bruce is tempted to use 3-5-2 as he has done before with Hull City and Birmingham and might suit us.  Potential loan winger targets would include Rolando Aarons, Patrick Roberts, Yannick Bolasie.  Could we also make a bid for Marcus Maddison at Peterborough?

 

Strikers

 

Current

Fletcher/Forestieri/Nuhiu/Joao/Rhodes/Winnall – All have their strengths but we probably still need to get shot of 2/6.  The annoying thing is that those on the biggest wages - Rhodes and Fletcher - will be hardest to shift which means we might have to sell the younger players taking up less wages (Joao and Nuhiu) which isn't the better long term interests of the club and would leave you with a foursome of strikers around 30 and not likely to all be fit for 40 games.  Only positive is if we can actually get fees for any of them.

 

Targets

In this area of the team will probably be more of a question of moving on, but someone up top with genuine pace is still something we’re lacking and should be considered if we can sell 2-3 of our forwards.

Agree with nearly all of this but would ditch Pelupessy too as don’t think he’s good enough for where we’re aiming. The two Newcastle loanees have looked ideal when actually playing but if they’re not fit there’s no point buying them.. will leave that for Bruce to have a view on

 

On the striker front, the only one there who is consistently at the level is Fletcher, so would keep him. Forestieri is a good player when he turns up and Rhodes is a natural goalscorer but with question marks over whether he can still do it. If we got big offers for either of them I’d take it, but if someone only bid say £2-3m I’d just keep them and see what we can do with them. Can’t see anyone offering more anyway given their age, length of contract and wages so think they’re worth more to us than the money we’d get so keep.

 

Nuhui needs to go.. and I’d then sell both João and Winnall to raise funds to reinvest. Both are the right age and we need to start selling players for decent money.. reckon we could possibly get £3-5m for each of them. If we don’t sell them at 26-27 their value will drop, and I think we’ve seen enough to know João will always be inconsistent and Winnall will never be good enough for where we’re going, plus Bruce clearly doesn’t like him.

 

That would leave us with Fletcher, Forestieri and Rhodes up front, plus £6m cash. Would then try and get a decent striker on loan like Connor Wickham or Tammy Abrahams. Would spend the money on the defence and midfield 

[Hack-Abusi]

Transfer List: Fox, Van Aken, Fletcher, Foriestieri

 

Loan: Dawson / Wildsmith / Baker / Van Aken - Other youngsters with the stipulation that they are first team members of whatever team they join ensuring they are fully prepared for first team football in January or next season

 

Gonna be a MASSIVE summer for Bruce - he has a serious rebuilding job on his hands thanks to Carlos and DC's mishandling of the transfer market in DC's first 2 1/2 seasons in charge.

 

We are really lacking in midfield and at the back ..

 

We could do with, for me, minimum 6 signings for these areas, left back, right back, centre back, 2 wingers and a monster in midfield.

 

I'd be inclined to drop Hutch back in to centre defense if we are able to bring in a quality central defensive midfielder. I think it will work out better on his legs personally.

 

Strikers we have an abundance of, but again, nothing with drastic pace. Bruce may want to bring in a young rapid striker to compliment what we have

 

But we definitely need to move some of the existing under contract players on

 

Absolutely no room for sentiment (christ, said that a million times this last couple of weeks) so EVERY player has their price ...

[DesWalker]

1 hour ago, Hack-Abusi said:

Transfer List: Fox, Van Aken, Fletcher, Foriestieri

 

Loan: Dawson / Wildsmith / Baker / Van Aken - Other youngsters with the stipulation that they are first team members of whatever team they join ensuring they are fully prepared for first team football in January or next season

 

Gonna be a MASSIVE summer for Bruce - he has a serious rebuilding job on his hands thanks to Carlos and DC's mishandling of the transfer market in DC's first 2 1/2 seasons in charge.

 

We are really lacking in midfield and at the back ..

 

We could do with, for me, minimum 6 signings for these areas, left back, right back, centre back, 2 wingers and a monster in midfield.

 

I'd be inclined to drop Hutch back in to centre defense if we are able to bring in a quality central defensive midfielder. I think it will work out better on his legs personally.

 

Strikers we have an abundance of, but again, nothing with drastic pace. Bruce may want to bring in a young rapid striker to compliment what we have

 

But we definitely need to move some of the existing under contract players on

 

Absolutely no room for sentiment (christ, said that a million times this last couple of weeks) so EVERY player has their price ...

 

Agree with all of this, especially Hutch to CB.  If we get Hector then CB would be covered with Lees, Hector, Hutchinson, Thorniley and Irofa can play there also.

 

Full backs and Midfield the priority.  I think we are going to see wholesale changes in midfield especially.  I can see Bannan being the only member of the current squad starting the first game of next season.  I think SB will sell Reach if we get the right offer.

 

Up front it'll depend on who SB can get out as to who he brings in.

 

I reckon he'll bring in 5/6 loans (5 being allowed in the matchday squad).

 

So reassuring to know we've got someone in charge who knows what they are doing and won't have Doyen interfering.