Couple of articles on Sky Sports today: http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/12691/7851084/Laudrup-set-to-trim-squad ---------------- http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/12691/7848894/Swans-fail-in-Duplan-bid ------------------------ Good to see that he's trimming the squad. Hopefully some of this trimming will involve putting a few young players out on loan. Duplan - be interesting to hear how much we went in with. Year left on his contract and playing in Holland you'd think £2.5m tops.
I saw this at the press conference. I always thought that unless you are a massive club it makes no sense at all to have a huge squad with players who never get a sniff of first team action. As the Manager has said, with a smaller squad everybody has an opportunity to break through whether it's purely on merit or through an unfortunate injury elsewhere and players are far more motivated. I think this is a practical approach that brings real benefits because the Club dramatically reduces the wage bill, allowing for real quality to be brought in by having a more flexible wage structure.
Think people are missing something here, if we go down to a squad of 22 it will have a detrimental effect at our club, we have the reserve games as well as first team games to play, it will mean that a lot of the first team will be taking part in the reserve games as well. If so there is more chance of injuries. But if he brings in 4 that means others will be going as well
We don't "have" to enter a team in the Reserves league.... This squad of 22 would make much more sense if we had a really talented youth academy/setup...but we don't, at least not yet...
He said 22 seniors and young players outside of that. By my reckoning that means the reserves will be made up of the 4 unused substitutes, the 4 outside of the match day 18 and the best of the youngsters. This makes sense too me. Larsen has also been quoted that the 22 is flexible, ie. if we get any serious injuries a replacement will be brought in. I wonder if that means there won't be any long term loans counted in the 22, that would give Lauds the flexibility.
valley i said the same thing a few days ago. he must know what he is doing but i am a bit worried that 22 is far to small for a premiership club. cut it down to 26-28 players yes but to me if we get a multiple of injuries to key players then we could be in trouble...thats my take on things...
There's always that argument Dai and it has some merit, but the balance has to struck between risking being under strength and having a bloated squad with players who are so far down the pecking order they struggle to get motivated. Our wage bill is huge for a club our size and he's right to trim it down imo. Looks like he's tried this tactic elsewhere so he must know the benefits and the potential pitfalls quite well.
I agree kangaroo that we need to cut the wage bill and the squad down to a reasonable level befitting a premiership club, I just think a squad of just 22 players is cutting it a bit fine and would rather a cautious approach of a few more to be sure....I'm probably wrong but thats the way i see it...
ML appears to be a nice guy but his previouse managerial incarnations showed him to be a ruthless one too. At his previouse clubs he systematically cut any excess from the squad, leaving a hungry, honest group of players with the right work ethic; all knowing they have opportunities to play. He is just using the press (yay!) to announce his intentions to the squad, using #22 as a red flag. Essentially he is saying "I don't want hangers on" or, in the words of the great man, the Mighty Captain, James Tiberius Kirk : "I've never trusted Klingons, I never will"
I do think that 22 is cutting it fine; a few injuries and we'll be up ****e creek. However, I accept that ML knows what he is doing and will support his decisions. There is a proviso, though. He has no experience of the Premier League, the physicality I mean and the injuries that occur as a result. Also, his longest managerial stints have been in warmer climes where injuries tend to be less severe. I would be happier with a squad of 25 to be honest.
...but does having only 22 seniors mean that the youngsters have to be up to scratch because there's a good chance 1 or 2 will be called upon. I like that scenario. Would like to see someone like Situ get some minutes.
Great play has been made on signings like Situ and Donnelly in the past yet what happened to them? They either need shipping out on loan to get some serious game time or be given a crack - and that's up to Laudrup. Wallowing around in a huge squad with no possibility of ever starting a game (even on the bench) can't be good for morale or motivation.
Personally i Think he is hoodwinking everyone. If im a player reading that bit of news, im already off to the gym and getting fighting fit to impress the new manager. I would be very suprised if we start the season with the numbers he suggests. He is just announcing his intention to be Ruth ess if needed, and in this age of internet etc all the players Are aware he means buisness. my take on it is as others have pointed out, the prem league is like no other in terms of physical demand,we fluked a pretty muchempty treatment room last year which made life a bit easier for team continuity i think it would be a risk to lose too many,blackpool suffered badly from a lack of strength in depth, we have better resources than them so dont need to cut off our nose to spite our face. In laudrup i trust none the less!
Yes 26-28 seems to be about where we need to be I think, I am concerned about the depth of the squad on those figures laudrup is quoting. We will be knackered if as you said we get injuries. I think his inexperience in the premier league is showing here.
