Gerken / Spence / Chambers / Pennington / Knudsen / Graham / Nolan / Skuse / Edwards / Walters / Jackson. Subs - Bart / Downes / Kenlock / Chalobah / Harrison / Edun / Ward Yet he wants to add Collins. Nsiala / Bishop / Huws / Dozzell / Sears / Donacien / Rowe / Roberts all missed out today. For a start, should Collins come - CB would be interesting. Supposedly Nsiala has played well this season. People say Pennington did well today. Could only play 2 of the 4 ( inc Chambers clearly ) Short-term, Bishop / Huws / Dozzell / Rowe not fully fit, however they are getting there. Could have quite an unhappy squad before long if them four in particular get fit.
Squad rotation, injuries, suspensions,loss of form, tactical substitutes,suitability to a particular match or opposition,etc,etc. I think modern footballers (or most of them at least) are able to deal with competition for places without throwing their toys out of the pram. It's not as if they won't still be paid!
We pay players a good chunk of their wage performance appearance. Not 50/60% but quite a good amount. Sears will be without his. Of course, you've answered with good points - rotation sure, need a good squad. Various players not ready yet! Just thought it was potentially a point worth raising. On the positives, if you discount Adeyemi who is clearly done, we're approaching a fully fit squad for the first time in god knows how long. Gives Hurst options!
I think Hurst would prefer having too many players than not enough. I’m a big believer in having two competent players in each position, whether that’s covered by loans or academy lads. I’m guessing for his first year here (assuming the worst doesn’t happen and he doesn’t get sacked) then he will have a benchmark for his squad and will start to cut the deadwood out over the next two windows. It’s not looking good for the likes of Sears, Adeyemi, and Rowe in the short term, fully expect them to be moved on sooner than the others, if we get interest. Regarding the loans, Donacien is going to be permanent (hopefully sooner rather than later) and Walters could arguably join permanently in January if he impresses and Burnley want rid. Edun, Chalobah, and Pennington are unlikely to be in our price range when they return to their parent clubs. My top 22 would be: GK: Bart, Gerken RB: Donacien, Spence LB: Knudsen, Kenlock CB: Chambers, Pennington, Nsiala, Collins (if he joins) DM: Skuse, Downes, Chalobah CM/AM: Nolan, Huws, Dozzell, Edun, Bishop LW: Roberts, Graham, Rowe (generally interchangeable with other wing and vice versa) RW: Edwards, Ward, Walters ST: Jackson, Harrison (Walters and Sears if required) Not the greatest and most balanced looking of squads, compared to some gone by lately, but got numbers in key areas and we look versatile across midfield and out wide. My concern is that we don’t have three or four proven centre-backs (Chambers, Webster, Berra, Smith) and strikers (Murphy, McGoldrick, Sears, Pitman) we had throughout the better Mick years. Only real area of field I’d say we have improved on since last season is midfield.
Clearly Hurst has stamped his mark on what could be an impressive fresh squad of players. A lot of young talent out there gaining experience game by game. Just that elusive win, and I am sure we will be ok. Jon W will prove to be a good loan.
I think the best way to make the most of the players we have in the squad at the moment would be something along these lines, with some rotation in the forward areas based on form and at the back when there are injuries / fatigue. Walters, Harrison or Ward to play in a free role behind the front two. Width coming from wing backs Plenty of defensive cover. Nolan / Skuse / Chalobah / Dozzell linking play up. Centre backs also free to roam into the opponents half when in possession. 3-5-2 Bart Pennington / Chambers / Nsiala Donacien / Skuse / Nolan / Knudsen Walters Edwards Jackson
This is an obscene number of players (and others can play there too) to fill one space in the team. All good players and if all fit how can you possibly keep them happy?
Well that's true - but then if Edun can't get in the side before the other three are fit to play then why have we signed him? Some of these midfielders need to go in January.
Edun, to be fair to him, is fairly versatile and can play at both left-back and left-wing positions. Bishop, as Big Al said, is returning from injury and with his record, are we confident he'll play much? Nothing wrong with competition, in my opinion, and I think we'll see a few outgoings this January as Hurst begins to cut out the squad deadwood.
I like Edun, Nuggets but that's not the point. Brining these lads in on loan is not fair on them if they're not going to be in the side and I'm sure it pisses off our own players if the loanees are not making any contribution and they're here for a whole season.
Actually completely with you here Yorkie - providing players get fit / stay fit. I would say if Huws/ Dozzell / Bishop / Rowe etc all get fully fit - we've got the potential for a lot of unhappy people behind closed doors. Now granted - Sears has been crap / Ward needs to do better - but if I was them two, I'd be absolutely livid the transfer window has shut and Hurst has played sicknote not fit Graham ahead of both of them. That signing is the most desperate signing we've had in years at Portman Road. Might have something about him, but to date in his career the most games he's played is 11 I think or something like this. 3 sub appearances last year. No starts since the knee went wrong in 2016. Yet he comes here, and walks straight into the side. Further, our RB Donacien, who was clearly missed yesterday gets the chop. Edun, doing very well to date gets rewarded, somehow, with zero minutes. Hurst's really making a few very odd decisions.
We will, but if players are fully fit we're going to have 7 / 8 / 9 each week he's going to have to say ' sorry lads, you're not going to be in the 18 ' Can only play a certain amount of overage players in the U23s. We look a shower right now from many aspects I think.
Isn't this the same at every club in pretty much every league? Some Players get selected, some don't. The way to make sure you're in the first group is to perform when given the chance and work your b0ll0cks off in training. We won't get any better if there is no competition for places... As evidenced in the past 3 seasons. Nobody should be 'in the side' simply because they're fit enough to play. There needs to be some selection process beyond availability and producing the goods is the only way individuals as well as the club will improve. You don't hear many other clubs highlight this as an issue.. The likes of Derby, Villa, Forest to name 3 from the championship have large squads.. In fact every Premier league & Championship club would probably still add one or two more if they could, regardless of whether they've got 18 or 38 players on the books.
It seems some people will bitch if we've too few players for a given position or,seemingly too many,it's just their nature and they wonder why they're always "getting pelters"!
To me, starting or not starting loanees (and the advantages and disadvantages we have in using them) is a different debate to listing squad depth and options Hurst has in positions, which is what I was doing. He has brought loan players like Edun, Pennington, Walters, and Graham in areas where we lack options and quality. If these loan players are not good enough, do you expect them to remain in the squad? Maybe under the previous manager, but Hurst has already demonstrated he is a manager who values form over reputation, such as dropping an out-of-form Bart for Gerken for what many fans would say is the game of the season. Chalobah, Edun, and Donacien are all loanees and three of them didn't start on the weekend. I don't think Hurst is going to start the loanees out of some misplaced sense of duty to the parent clubs. As I said above, I'd much rather too many players to choose from than too few. Some supporters seem to be conditioned that the smaller the squad, the better the results because of the methods of our previous manager. Our players will want to play, but they have to back it up with good performances and not enough of them have so far this season, hence our position in the league. I like players like Grant Ward and Freddie Sears, but they haven't exactly been taking these chances that Hurst has given them this season.
Nuggets, Big Al and all... I guess my overriding view is that the focus doesn't seem to be on improving individual and team performances and instead it's perform or you'll be out and someone who is just as inept will replace you. In other words I think the squad has become a distraction from the real job at hand, which is having a group of 18-odd players and getting them to perform at the top of their ability, then having back up for injuries and perpetual under-performers. We are probably so abysmal in some areas, like free kick taking, due to this lack of focus.
Yorkie,I can understand you're frustration but as I've said several times before it looks like Hurst's intention is to strip everything right back to the basics and start afresh,a lot of patience is needed. This obviously doesn't make comfortable viewing,especially given our present League position.It looks from one perspective that he's taken all the various pieces thrown them up in the air and is trying various configurations to see how it works best. I think he's also perhaps not used to the (relatively) bigger budget and options/bigger squad it affords him. I'm still feeling positive about the direction we're headed(which from here can obviously only be upwards!).But, dam ,that first win is going to be welcome,once it comes
Nice post, Scowey We've been hampered in recent seasons because of injuries to key players without adequate cover to keep us going. Just last season we were complaining that players were comfortable in their position in the team because there was nobody waiting in the background to replace them. Now we've got plenty of cover and some people still want to have a whine. Like Bigal says, seems like some want to whine for the sake of it
