Wright looks like an exciting signing but I’m struggling to see how we get him game time at the moment. Our captain plays his position currently, Nunez and Slimane to come back, Marcondes has performed well. Does he take Sorensens spot? Or is Schwartau taken out of the action for a bit. All of a sudden we start to look overloaded in CM, which may be a good thing with the intensity of our style and number of games to play but may hinder fluidity between players.
OUT Barnes (ST) - Burnley - Free ✅ Fassnacht (RW) - Young Boys - Free ✅ Hanley (CB) - Birmingham City - Free ✅ Tomkinson (CB) - Ross County - Free ✅ Warner (CB) - Newport County - Free ✅ Gordon (RW) - Recalled ✅ Hills - (CB) - Stockport County - Loan ✅ Aboh (ST) - Colchester United - Loan ✅ Mair - Motherwell - Loan ❌ returned after injury IN Jurasek (RW) 21 years old - Salvia Prague ✅ Dobbin (LW/RW/ST) - Loan ✅ Reyes (GK) - Recalled from loan ✅ Alan Domeracki (CM/LW) - Dundee ✅ Dylan Jones (ST) - 20yr old - Plymouth Parkway ✅ Ruari McConville (CB) - Brighton ✅ Jacob Wright (DM) - Man City - Loan to buy ✅
Who would have thought a couple of weeks ago that we might be talking about being overloaded in midfield
Jacob Wright is a DM who can also play at RB or CM, which says a lot about his skills defensively and ability to progress the ball out of defence. More surprisingly, he's scored 3 goals in 11 appearances for Citeh's U21 side. He's also an excellent free kick taker as these highlights show against Spurs U18s. He's the number 6 shielding the defence.
Like Crnac, Schwartau will now be up his training time and focus on his SS/CAM role. That still leaves 7 midfielders: DM: McLean Sørensen Wright CM: Núñez Slimane Forson Gibbs Forson and Gibbs are injured and Slimane is just returning from injury. Wright could well make the bench against Derby. Domeracki will presumably join the U21s to begin with.
Updated First Team Squad list: Goalkeepers Gunn Long Reyes Mair Defenders Stacey Duffy Doyle Chrisene McConville Cordoba Fisher Midfielders Sainz Gibbs Jurasek Marcondes Wright Forson Sorensen Slimane Dobbin McClean Hernandez Nunez Schwartau Forsyth Forwards Sargent Crnac 27 in all; as listed this morning on the Club website; Mahovo still listed in U21s.
Thorup has often said that he doesn't like too big a squad at training. If you take out the 4 keepers, omit Gibbs, and add Mahovo, he has 23 outfield players to work with.
Looking at that range of midfield options, I think I'd be surprised if Lunghi and Onel are still with us next season.
Yeah I was thinking the same unless they look at loaning Gibbs out for a season after his injury struggles and maybe Forsyth
I think it's useful to see the squad by positions: GK: Gunn Long RB: Stacey Fisher LB: Crisene Mahovo CB: Duffy McConville CB: Córdoba Doyle DM: McLean Sørensen Wright CM: Núñez Slimane Forson Gibbs WR: Jurásek Hernandez AM: Marcondes Schwartau WL: Sainz Dobbin Forsyth S: Sargent Crnac
Forsyth's favoured positions are in central midfield, CM or AM -- despite which we've mostly seem him meeting the call wide on the right in his 1st team appearances this season.
He's got quite a pecking order ahead of him at CM or AM. I see a 24 man squad plus Forsyth and Mahovo, though there are other young guns knocking at the door now and even more once preseason arrives.
It does look like there are a few players there that aren't going to get a significant run of games unless we have another injury crisis. Incredible options for JHT if he ever gets a fully fit squad.
This weekends game could see an additional 7 first team players available for the squad. Cordoba Hernandez Slimane Nunez Jurasek McConville Wright Assuming all are fit and able to return, Obviously you drop out Hills and Aboh, as they are now out on loan. Then the youth players - Djedje, Myles, Bridge. That’s 5 fairly obvious ones, it then becomes a bit more tricky, so maybe Schwartau earns a rest, which feels harsh but may be best for his development. And the final one may be Chrisene/Mahovo or Sorensen. With Sainz to add the following game!
So we need 20 players with 9 on the bench. Much will depend on the fitness of the new players, but 2 will have to go from this lineup: GK: Gunn Long RB: Stacey Fisher LB: Crisene Mahovo CB: Duffy McConville CB: Córdoba Doyle DM: McLean Sørensen Wright CM: Núñez Slimane WR: Hernandez Jurásek AM: Marcondes Schwartau WL: Dobbin S: Sargent Crnac My guess would be that the new players, Núñez and Slimane won't be ready to start so it could be McLean, Sørensen and Marcondes in midfield again unless JHT thinks Wright is ready to start. There may be players returning who could be considered a risk and therefore are left out for now. As Suffolk says, the problem deepens with the return of Sainz next week. Whichever way it goes, it doesn't look like our own U21s will be on the bench for a while.
