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Its a squad game


Professor
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The loss of Dan Seaborne and minor injuries to two FBs has demonstrated how right Nigel Adkins is when he says that success is not about the 11 on the field but it is about the squad. The cut to 5 subs has made this much harder and its easy to see why he has complained about that decision.

 

Currently there seem to be several ways that problems arise. 3 defenders out and question marks over some of the understudies, having 3 excellent payers in CM but having to leave one of them out when all three are worth a starting place, and having two quality strikers but not sure how it would go if one of them was out for a whole match.

 

So, will there be loans to fill in for the failed attempts to buy a striker and to cover Seaborn's absence? Or is this squad good enough that even with more than 3 or 4 changes the team could still perform to the same level? And, have we actually replaced AOC or was he surplus to requirements anyway?

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The squad is great, real strength in depth and there's also versatility. Dickson and Fox can play left wing, Cork can probably play anywhere in the back 8 bar goalkeeper (and I wouldn't put that past him), Adam can play anywhere in the front six, and nobody really knows Guly's best position because he's been tried, and been a success, everywhere. Forte, too, is a useful attacking option to have.The only position that concerns me is up top. Connolly would be some kind of Superman to last every game, and while Barnard will be back and imo will do well, his future is still uncertain. A loan striker, an out and out goal getter, would help our squad, but what we have can cope for now.Seaborne's loss is saddening. Not knowing how long he'll be out, we rely on Jos, Radhi and Martin to cover. With Cork able to fill in, I still think we're ok in this position.

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I think we have a pretty strong squad but lets not kid ourselves, we defiitely need loan signings to push us on. Realistically are back up players like Holmes, Forte or Jaidi going to cut it??

Norwich got Lansbury on loan from Arsenal last season and he really made a difference, we need to make another centre half signing and a striker IMO.

I don't know what is going on with Barnard, i have heard absolutely nothing from him this season, is he fit, when is his court case?

 

It is about quality, im sure with our standing in the league and financial muscle we can get quality in, i just hope we don't wait until we get a few bad results to do so

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I think we have a pretty strong squad but lets not kid ourselves, we defiitely need loan signings to push us on. Realistically are back up players like Holmes, Forte or Jaidi going to cut it??

Norwich got Lansbury on loan from Arsenal last season and he really made a difference, we need to make another centre half signing and a striker IMO.

I don't know what is going on with Barnard, i have heard absolutely nothing from him this season, is he fit, when is his court case?

 

It is about quality, im sure with our standing in the league and financial muscle we can get quality in, i just hope we don't wait until we get a few bad results to do so

 

Been on a number of threads. Still carrying ankle injury from last season

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I appreciate we've done this striker and CB thing to death and that the club won't say anything unless and until something happens. So we can only speculate while waiting to see if any loans come about.

I'm not sure Adkins does think he has adequate depth in all areas, as playing Cork out of position seemed a compromise because he didn't have a RB he could trust. Whilst it put both Cork and Schneiderlin on the field it weakened the right-side of defence and we missed Cork in MF. On the CB, clearly Adkins wanted cover or competition for left CB and now he's lost Seaborne he doesn't have that any more. A loan there seems essential otherwise the decision to bring in Jos is negated because the squad remains the same in structure now as it was before Jos came.

Up front, I agree with SNSUN and so it would seem does Adkins, otherwise why would the reported bids for quality strikers have been made? On the other hand, if we had got the likes of Maynard in, Adkins would have the same problem with 3 top strikers that he has with 3 top players in CMF. Not easy at all, but given the launchpad we now have to push on for the Prem; and that next year the start might not be this good again; there must be a powerful case for the club to build on what it has by two strong loans.

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The squad is great, real strength in depth and there's also versatility. Dickson and Fox can play left wing, Cork can probably play anywhere in the back 8 bar goalkeeper (and I wouldn't put that past him), Adam can play anywhere in the front six, and nobody really knows Guly's best position because he's been tried, and been a success, everywhere. Forte, too, is a useful attacking option to have.The only position that concerns me is up top. Connolly would be some kind of Superman to last every game, and while Barnard will be back and imo will do well, his future is still uncertain. A loan striker, an out and out goal getter, would help our squad, but what we have can cope for now.Seaborne's loss is saddening. Not knowing how long he'll be out, we rely on Jos, Radhi and Martin to cover. With Cork able to fill in, I still think we're ok in this position.

 

I share your optimism

 

Bart backing up Davis

 

Dickson, Butterfield, Jaidi, Fox and Martin backing up the first choice four of Richardson, Fonte, Seaborne/Hooiveld and Harding

 

Dickson, Fox, Chaplow, Schneiderlin Holmes De Ridder and Forte all adequate stand ins for the first choice Guly, Lallana, Cork and Hammond

 

Guly, Forte, Barnard, De Ridder and maybe Lallana backing up Connolly and Lambert

 

...and that's without looking at the youngster banging on the door of the first team!

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