Who needs replacing, who needs to go? IMO Tate, Monk, Allen, Britton Tate would make a great sub, ability to play at any defensive position, but not good enough as part of the starting 11. Allen, Britton - fantastic players but I feel they too small for their central midfield roles we need bigger i.e Pratley and with Bodde back to full fitness what are their realistic chances of starting. Monk, what can I say great servant but dont think he's up for PL challenge time to take a back seat
Tate and Monk will both have a part to play, even if they´re not first 11. They´re experience and the fact they´re pro´s who have genuinely "seen it all" in their rise from L2 will be invaluable to younger players and in general as a calming effect on the team. Britton and Allen both have the technique to play in the Premiership in my opinion, and I expect them both to start a lot of games next year.
Allen......you got to be kidding. He's class too small. No chance Messi is small hasn't held him back. Size doesn't matter the heart,fight,flair and work rate do. All four you mention should get there chance, all have there plus point.
Fitness and injuries being kind to him, Allen will be in the matchday squad, if not the starting 11 for the majority of the games next season. He is class and has the technique to more than just survive in the Premiership. I agree that we may need some physical presence in the centre next season but i dont think that Allen will be sacrificed for it.
Have to agree with Monk & Tate being back up players next season, Allen & Britton would be a massive loss if we were to lose them.. They dictate the way webreak up play and spread the ball around. For "Little" men I believe they are the heart of our team. So many times this season when our wingers or CAM have lost the ball and dont get back your sure to see a little allen or britton hot on there heel trying to get it back for us. The only gripe i have with Allen and Britton is the should not be on the posts when defending corners, but at the same time where else could they be?
my wife tells me size doesnt matter, nobody ever told Billy Bremner he was too small, and that Messi bloke isnt 6 foot either, Allen and Britton put a hell of a shift in every week they play and are we forgetting Monk's £90 million block at Wembley he deserves his chance as does Tate
Monk and Tate are great servants and deserve their pop at the top. However, I don't believe that either are remotely good enough to survive against the pace and movement of PL strikers; for me, squad members at best. Joe and Leon? They have the footballing ability but so do most other PL midfielders. If I was Buck I would insist that both players muscle up in the close season because they will need that extra physicality to compete. Messi is a one-off being such a talent that he can be small and lightweight yet get away with it. Our lads are nowhere near his quality so they will have to address issues such as being stronger on the ball etc. Evidence? Two games in particular (and there have been others) during the second half, when Reading and Forest got a stranglehold in midfield that Joe and Leon simply were unable to break. They have no problems as footballers but they will need more fitness and strength to compete successfully in the PL.
Basically any game where we´ll be bombarded with diagonal/long balls into the box, our current midfield would struggle to regain posession, purely because we´ll probably have the smallest midfield (assuming we start with the same 11 we finished the season with, for example). Ball goes into box, CB clears, the ball falls inbetween the penalty area and the centre circle... Leon or Joey either get beaten to it in the air, or muscled by someone as they´re taking it under control, either of which isn´t ideal! I´d like to see a midfield of Joey/Leon, Dobbie/Pratley and Bodde if I´m honest. I think if we had all of those players as options for the midfield, plus maybe one more in a physical/all action mould, then we could compete with most teams.
I have looked into my crystal balls .... they make walking painfull but 100% reliable for this sort of thing!! The one on the right (I call it Thor) predicts we shall be saying goodbye to..... Pratley, Cotterill, Beattie, Orlandi, VDG and Serran The leftie (I call it Messie) has spoken and said adios to ... Pintado, Sean Mac, Donnelly and Butler. Their friend that hangs around with them thinks perhaps Gower and Augustien may have to watch their backs too!
Personally I would keep Tate and Monk. They are two of the best servants at this club and really do deserve a pop at the PL. Maybe only as sub appearences, but give them a chance. I would be disgusted if we hung them out to dry after what they have done for us. Joey Allen??? Are you being serious!!!! Young Joey is a class act and I doubt BR has even marginally thought about letting him go!
Defenders .. Keep Rangel , & Williams as regulars . Tate , Taylor & Monk as squad players & sign a big time CB & a mid grade Premier league left back . The rest might be in a jam . Mid fielders Re - sign Pratley .. Keep Dyer & Sinclair as regulars with Allen , Bodde , Britton , Pratley & Dobbie sharing most of the mid midfield . If a good midfield player deal pops up , have a try at him otherwise midfield should be sound . Gower can Phil in just about anywhere .
The last thing we want to do is rip the squad apart - we certainly shouldn't get rid of the players who have been playing "the Swansea Way" and helped us to get into the Premiership. Any change to the team has got to be gradual.
