Looks like a 24 man squad to me backed up by a few youngsters. Last year it was 18 man squad backed up by youngsters. I'd say that this squad is stronger with the kids from the last couple of years (Struijk, Dramah, Greenwood, Gelhardt and Summerville) now considered solid first team squad members as they grow a bit older and wiser.
Older and wiser maybe but they haven’t played a lot and hasn’t Joffy been subbed off as a sub twice this season?
Dramah had a hell of an experience at Cardiff playing 22 games and earning player of the season. We're not allowing him on loan due to Aylings absence but once Ayling comes back I reckon he will go back out in January. Struijk has gained alot of experience here and there and has started every game. Greenwood signed a new contract this summer and has transformed himself in to a central midfielder. He might not start too many games but will replace Klich at the end of this season. Gave a very mature performance at Brentford last game of last season in DM. Gelhardt has his critics but he kept at it against two recent England international players in Tarkowski and Coady and earned himself two good opportunities before coming off. He's getting there but is only 20. He's got better every year. With James leaving, I reckon Summerville will get more game time and I'm excited to see what the lad can do once he finds his confidence. He was outstanding vs Barnsley, a very underrated performance. All these guys will be better than they were last season when we were forced to play them. Therefore we will get stronger just as a result of the experience and growth of these lads.
With the exception of Struijk and at a push Joffy, I don’t think any of the others have played enough to be premier league ready.
I get that. I'm just saying that the squad seems bigger and these lads that were on the periphery have improved. Squad should have more depth.
You could well be right but my point is that I don’t know if they have, and I don’t know how they have given such little game time. To clarify, I’ve always been sceptical about how much U23 football prepares players for first team football.
Although some were very limited, we have actually shipped out on loan or by sale 10 players who can say they have played in the Premier League
I think you are being generous, I would say nearer to a 20 man squad at the very best backed up by youth, decent youth but ones that would seriously struggle to make more than a handful of other PL teams benches
Many of them played Barnsley off the park last week. The season before we never won a cup game? Marsch said today that Koch and Llorente are first choice CBs so we now have Cooper on the bench along with Klich and Ayling and Forshaw. Firpo will start before long meaning Struijk on the bench too.
