Whilst it looks like the defence could do with strengthing, it's possible that the sheer number players at the club who play in front of the back four is going to cause Ole some problems. Some may say it's a nice problem to have, but on the other hand it could be a nightmare if Ole starts rotating too much. We saw last season that he couldn't make his mind up as to the best combination on the pitch, and his swapping and changing often caused more problems than it solved. If you take the keeper and back four out of the equation, even with Cowie and Smith gone, that leaves 6 slots available in front of them for more than 20 realistic candidates to fill - and that's excluding Medel and Campbell. Good competition right now for everyone to catch Ole's eye, but it's in serious need of thinning out before the transfer and loan windows close. Like to think he'd have a solid core of about 18 in total with half a dozen peripheral as a back up for cup outings etc. Who do you think we should allow to move on (sell) or loan out for the first half of the season?
3 keepers, two players for every position, a few utility players and a couple youngsters fills the squad. As you say, too many players that need significant thinning.
3 keepers, two players for every position, a few utility players and a couple youngsters fills the squad. As you say, too many players that need significant thinning.
It's definitely in front of the back four that's too thick on the ground. Just pick 6 to start from this lot......................... Whittingham Kim Bo-kyung Wolff Eikrem Noone Gunnarsson Mutch Ralls Dikgacoi Kiss Burgstaller Harris Jones Macheda Le Fondre Mason Maynard Daehli Berget Healey Javi Guerra Velikonja
Lets hope the Austrian tour and remaining friendlies helps Ole sort the wheat from the chaff. Clearly those just brought in will stay. From the above list it is possible to make cases for many to stay and even tbose on the most likely to leave list then go and score to bolster their selection, such as Berget and Velikonja. I thought Harris would go but if Noone's injury is long term we have to keep a wide man with pace as an option. I don't envy Ole's task. Several will be discarded and upset.
at least 7 or 8 will have to go from those. i'd keep the likes of ralls and mason if he's prepared to play a squad role, but i've highlighted those i think will go.
Berget , Velikonja , Kiss , Gunner , Eikrem , Jones , one of the strikers probably Maynard though I think he may be better than Le Fondre. Id probably sell Kim if we get a decent price.
Hell it took me some time to find you lot, what with all that scrawling down the list of teams!!......................
Must have really been something important you wanted to say then Phil? You know after obsessively searching
personally, the players that will be shipped out, i can't see us getting much money for them. clubs will know we need to ship them out, though we could get £3m+ for the likes of kimbo kyung and maynard, to the right buyer. obviously, for the likes of velinkonja and berget we will get nothing for them, in the case of velinkonja we may even have to pay him off to go. by buying in several players on high wages OGS has been backed to the same extent as MM, plus of course whitts signing a new deal will cost money. somehow i think theres been too much upheaval, there is freshening up the squad and then there's upsetting the balance and i'm not sure we've found the right balance……
Swampy - by "backed to the same extent as MM" I assume you mean as compared to when MM was with us in the Championship, not last year. If so, I reckon you're pretty much right there. Though most have come on Bosnan frees, Guerra, Le Fondre, Macheda, Burgstaller and Dikgacoi wouldn't have come here for peanuts in wages that's for sure, but offloading the wage commitments of Caulker, Medel and Campbell will considerably soften the impact overall - and a few more will go yet. As you say, still not sure about the mix and no idea who will start against Blackburn, but Ole's sure got a lot of choices right now. I realise the Championship is a long haul and not a sprint, but his managership credentials will be severley tested for the first half dozen games - he must have more or less hit the right combo by then.
Noone is going to miss the start of the season so maybe a wide player will come in to add to what weve got.
Harris is with the Development side in Portugal. Cant see him coming into it. We havent got pacy wide players. Pack the middle of the park and allow Fabio and whoever else is full back to overlap.
That's what I was just about to post - you beat me to it. Looking at the pre-season games so far, we haven't played with an out and out wideman. Maybe Ole wont bother and play narrow using the pace of Fabio and Brayford getting forward to provide the width.
Chris Burke is still looking for a club after turning down renewal at Brum - or are we too far from home?....
I get the impression Ole wants a big squad that he can chop and change. Competition for places was something he was accustomed to during his playing days. Hard too tell though based upon last season where he rotated frequently. Now he has a squad he has built himself we might see regular rotation.
