I just looked Sinani up as I was posting something on the Loans thread, unfortunately if looks like the decision on whether he joins Huddersfield permanently is in their hands, which is a shame given his record there. Same issue with Famewo and Bushiri, they essentially aren't our players. To outline a rough 4-3-3 squad plan for next season... Out: Gilmour, Williams, Kabak (end of loans), Cantwell, Aarons, Hernandez (£25m total income?) In: Normann (£13m or free...), New AM, New DM, possibly new RB or striker but would be happy these two being on loan. Does that get us promoted? Still has the same issue we have now that Pukki isn't really a target for wingers, but perhaps we'd be able to muddle through with a somewhat dysfunctional attack if we're strong defensively. I don't think we'll be able to afford a striker of sufficient quality to usurp Pukki without compromising spending elsewhere, that could probably wait another season and be the big focus of the following summer. Equally Idah should be able to show signs of being a 20-goal striker in the Championship, either when Pukki is unavailable or ahead of him. If Idah can't do it next season, or has yet more injuries, his long term future is going to be questioned. Perhaps Sargent or a loanee could step up too. I wonder if Keinan Davis might be available this summer from Villa. Smith keen to work with him, hopefully a good relationship there. Scored 4 in 10 for Nottingham Forest after joining them in January. Still got a few years on his Villa deal but at 24 he's perhaps going to struggle to break through there, especially with Watkins and Ings ahead of him. That defence would be as strong as that which got us promoted last time around, if Byram stays fit. A third RB, either on loan or a loan-to-buy could be a bonus. A New DM alongside Normann could be an equal/stronger screen than Skipp/McLean. Attacking midfielder would need to be key signing, arguably moreso than DM because at least Sorensen can play there and other can fill in if we're desperate. I think we're really looking for a Stiepermann replacement more than anything. Someone tall, strong, who can pose an aerial threat with late runs into the box, and has enough vision to feed Pukki occasionally. Phillip Billing last summer could have been that player given how he's performed this season, or Ola Toivonen was the rumoured signing from the past.
Yeah, parachute yoyo power! Though we can argue that most of those players are in-between Championship and Premiership quality if we did get promoted we wouldn't be getting in 13 players next time (or however many) we got in before. I think if he can stay fit there is hope Omobamidele would establish himself in defence and we make sure that if we buy defenders if we get promoted that they are ready to go, not loans for youngsters. We would be at the 2-3 quality additions stage rather than giant squad overhaul phase of team generation. That is unless James Dyson (Cromer born billionaire of vacuuming fame) was willing to launch a takeover and give us a couple of billion to spend. James, please? Surly all those billions are burning a hole in your pocket and you want to spend it on something really daft.
Yeah this is exactly the point. Our current squad can largely be split into 3 categories: Premier League capable (A): Krul, Hanley, Aarons, Byram?, (Normann), Rashica, Pukki Potential to be Premier League capable (B): Gunn, Omobamidele, Sargent, Idah, (Gilmour), Sorensen, Placheta, Tzolis, Rowe Good Championship level (C): Gibson, McLean, Rupp, Giannoulis, Lees-Melou, Dowell Obviously we'd like to hang onto as many A's as possible, but that's probably where we can make significant funds from a sale. In the Championship, we want to ideally play as many A's and B's as possible, with the aim of developing those B's into A's. Realistically that's the category most new signings will be in (hopefully) too. The C tier of McLean, Gibson, Dowell, etc can obviously play big parts of our season because we know they can be top end Championship players. But we need to factor in that McLean has already been ineffectual at Premier League level twice, and if we're halfway through a Premier League season in the future and he's a regular starter then something has gone seriously wrong. Upon re-promotion we need to clear out as many C's as possible and bring in A/B players, but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater and get rid of them when they still have the ability to make a telling contribution.
I thought Adshead looked fairly decent in pre season, capable of replacing Gilmour position in the squad. Also a question mark in whether Josh Martin comes back into the squad after doing ok last season in the Championship. Tomkinson surely moves up to take Zimbos spot as fourth choice CB. Can Flyn Clarke, Liam Gibbs, TDP, Abu Kamara be integrated?
Umm, actually, I appear to be one of the few on here who isn't in a state! What I would say, though, is that if our star performer is Grant Hanley, is it any wonder we are where we are?
Ooh Robbie tries so hard to be gracious and accommodating... but then he can't help himself but be stubborn with a swipe at Hanley in a desperate attempt not to have to admit being wrong. The lady is not for turning.
