If you were the manager.........

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

It's almost a question to be asked in another thread. Do you tinker with the current squad on the basis that in the main, they're good enough to get us promoted and then next year make the wholesale changes. Or do you make wholesale changes this year? Personally, I'd like to see the start of the rebuild this year with a clear out of a lot of players

[Holmes_and_Watson]

2 hours ago, OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint said:

It's almost a question to be asked in another thread. Do you tinker with the current squad on the basis that in the main, they're good enough to get us promoted and then next year make the wholesale changes. Or do you make wholesale changes this year? Personally, I'd like to see the start of the rebuild this year with a clear out of a lot of players

It can be a transition as it should be every window. Just with a clear plan of manager, system, coaching and importantly recruitment, to finally give one of our managers all of the tools they need to succeed.

That’s not necessarily the scouting, but in getting the targets over the line. SR should bear in mind how many misses they’ve had and get the squad PL ready, even if that means not trying to be overly clever. That means working very hard to be clear with players who won’t be getting minutes and working very hard to find them other clubs.

The contract status of our squad and the wretched couple of PL seasons we’ve lend itself to the transition. Unless there’s contract clauses in play:-

Players leaving in 2025:-
Lumley 25, Walker-Peters 25, Ugochukwa 25 (U21), Lallana 25, Grønbæk 25, Amo-Ameyaw 26 (U21), Payne 25 (U21)

Walker-Peters’ replacement was Sugawara last summer. Amo-Ameyaw has an obligation to buy clause, so will be gone too. Of the others, there was little to no impact.

That’s 7 players going for a start. From, what we all know is a bloated, ill-fitting squad as it is.

Players leaving in 2026

McCarthy 26 (would prefer to loan Baz out again, as Alex saw out his last contract), Bree 26 (Could see us extending), Taylor 26 (thought he’d be used much more, but has vanished), Stephens 26 (if we play 3 at the back, or sell enough. Versatile, but not first choice in our Championship team), Bella-Kotchap 26, Onuachu 26, Stewart 26 (Will be going nowhere), Bragg 26 (A year to be involved, or make a loan impact for an extension), Smallbone 26 (really useful in some systems, passed by in many others. So, depends on new manager), Fraser 26 (early impact, but faded), Aribo 26 (versatile, but not enough game changing from any position), Dibling 26 (U21) (If not signing a new deal, hopefully a move can be agreed to fund a chunk of our rebuild), Ballard 26  

That’s another 13 in their last year. While it should be made clear they are not in first team plans, that’s not to say they can’t get into them. Injuries will keep some (Stewart). Some are fine to have as squad players for a while longer (Bree)and some are on too high a wage to want to go anywhere (McCarthy, Aribo)/ looking to be free agents. Sales elsewhere (Bednarek, Downes, Fernandes, Ramsdale) will also bring some back into contention (Stephens) but would really need replacing with PL quality players (something SR should be aware of before their eyes light up with pound signs, for a change.)

But we should be looking to upgrade on all these positions. For every upgrade we make, the clearer their futures are. If moves can’t be permanent, then they can be loaned.

Where we should start from:-

GK          Ramsdale 28, McCarthy 26                                                                                                          

DR          Sugawara 28, Bree 26                                    
DL           Manning 27, Welington ?, Larios 27 (U21)                                                                            

DCL        (Any DC sale should really be replaced with a left footed centre half)                                        
DCR        Bednarek 27, Harwood-Bellis 28, Edwards 28 (U21), Wood 28, Stephens 26                          

DMC      NEW - Romeu replacement needed since SR window 1, Charles 27 , Bragg 26 (U21)                                           
MC         Downes 28, NEW                                             
AMC      Fernandes 29 (U21), NEW, Akachukwu ? (U21),  O'Brien-Whitmarsh 27 (U21)                                     

AML       Armstrong 27,   Sulemana 27, Edozie 27 (U21), Juan ?     
AMR      NEW (Tella, SAA, Dibling if he goes replacement.)                                                                                              

SC           Archer 28, Robinson 27 (U21)                                    
FC           Brereton Diaz 28, Stewart 26 – due to Injury, NEW - Adams Upgrade promised and needed since SR window 1                               

Armstrong was not only prolific in the Championship, but would be available of competing with Archer and playing AMR if needed.

7 definitely going
10 others that wouldn’t be first, or often second choice

That still leaves 21 players, with a requirement for 5 first team/ fighting for first team players. Those are the ones we should be looking to bring in PL ready players. Ideally permanently, but loans with options possible too.

It’s not including Larios, Akachukwa, O’Brien-Whitmarsh and Robinson who have barely featured. There should be another 3 or 4 pushing through from the U21s too.

We’d also have January and the ’26 window, should we go up. If we are going up, that would make getting experienced PL players a lot easier. But not impossible to get them this window (especially using loans with options)

 

 

Edited yesterday at 14:31 by Holmes_and_Watson

[pimpin4rizeal]

On 01/03/2025 at 20:38, OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint said:

Yes, that team would be perfectly competent as a Championship side but in 18 months time, if we get promoted and need to strengthen the squad, we'll be in the same situation as this season when we struggled to attract quality players to the club.

We should be looking this summer to bring in players who can take us up and stay with us when we get promoted. 

My argument is it’s gonna be harder to attract premiership quality players when we are in the championship .

for example I doubt we are gonna be throwing around 15-20 on strikers .. so it’s probably better to try keep hold of rhe 15-20m attackers we have the likes of paul sully AA archer are gonna be top players at this level ..

there’s no guarantee that the players we sign will step up a level as we saw with ThB and downes we ended up spending a big chunk of our budget on those two and they where signed when Wilcox  was here 

Edited 19 hours ago by pimpin4rizeal