Squad as it stands then; Team A --------------------Vorm--------------------- -------------Chico-------Williams----------- Rangel---------------------------------Taylor ---------------Ki---------Britton------------- ---------------------------------------------- Dyer--------------Michu------------Routledge ------------------Graham-------------------- Team B ------------------ Tremmel ----------------- --------------Monk------Bartley------------ Jazz-------------------------------- Bessone -------------Agustien--Gower--------------- ------------------Orlandi-------------------- De Guzman---------------------?????????? -------------------Schecter----------------- Extra = Tate, Moore, Lita and Dobbie. Assuming we get one of Hernandez or Ince or Adomah to fill the wing spots that makes 26 seniors. 3 too many. Also if rumours are correct and Laudrup wants 2 wingers that would mean De Guzman is only considered for the 3 centre-midfield spots....and we would have 4 too many. It's pretty clear that we shall have to shed 4 by the end of the month, whether it's transfers or loans. Of the extra Tate and Moore lend themselves to more of a utility role which could count in their favour. Might turn out that we let a defender and a forward out on loan and sell 1 forward and 1 midfielder. U-21 TEAM --------------------Cornell----------------------- -------------Alfei---------Situ------------------- Obeng--------------------------------B. Davies -------------March------Lucas------------------ --------------------Zola------------------------- Loveridge--------------------------G. Edwards -----------------Donnelly----------------------- Also; Tancock, Jordan Smith, H. Jones, and Jamie Proctor LONG TERM We've never had such a strong squad in our entire history I feel. If we can maintain our Premiership status the positions we should strengthen next summer are GK, CB, LB, and Striker. 1 quality player in each position would absolutely cement our Premier League status IMO....short of a complete catastrophe. Obviously life isn't as simple as that and I dare say if we stay up the big boys will come knocking for a couple of our players again. Also this U-21 team is starting to look pretty strong. I can count 8 that I would have no qualms about picking for the first 18 in an emergency crisis....I would personally pick Situ, Obeng and B. Davies before Monk, Tate and Bessone. Questions Which 4 do we let go and why? Long term, who should we be looking to bring in next summer? Who of the under-21's has the best chance of making it into the 23 man squad Laudrup wants eventually?
I think we need 25 players for the squad, of which 8 must be domestic. Also Cornell and Obeng are born before 1/1/92 and so are classed as seniors - I think. Clearly some of the boy are going to be making tea.
Having not read this thread properly because I'm out, slightly intoxicated and only logging in while the Mrs is in the bog, I just noticed one point I'd like to comment on about the big boys calling. The new signings we've made so far seem to be because of Laudrup and his status. My thoughts are, if we're successful this season, the signings he's made will be going nowhere and hopefully the old guard will appreciate him by then too. If not, I'm sure he'll have yet more options
