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[windermereROYAL]

With no home crowd. There's no longer a home advantage.

Let's get to a secure position. Then start to focus on the future.

3 home wins in 19 league games since the restart.

[bloody Volvo driver]

Totally agree with Zip’s first 2 sentences about having some of the division most gifted players but that we overplay.

The problem is we don’t have intelligent players, who know when to twist and when to stick. There are times to play but there are times to move the ball on quicker and 2-3 times yesterday we lost good positions due to poor decision making, alas a trait this has been far too prevalent throughout the season.

Sort this out and we will become a team to be reckoned with.

[NewCorkSeth]

We are truly blessed to have Olise. I know we have a past of bigging up our home grown talent a little too much but wow. What a player. Looks so mature. Bowen must be so excited at the prospect of playing him more next season.

Thought Moore was near imperious. Morrison very good too.

I may be wrong as I was watching it in the sunshine so missed a few of the finer derails but did it seem like Puscas has gotten better at his hold up/keeping the ball in our possession when he gets the longer balls played up to him?

[Hound]

Yeah puscas hold up was massively improved

Delighted Bowen is playing Olise. Fair play to him for that and he is putting in the performances to warrant it

The midfield 5 - obita, swift, Ejaria, Olise and Meite - all young and with the exception possibly of Obita, all likely to get better with experience

Could be exciting times if we can keep them together with Rino in the mix as well

[Zip]

With no home crowd. There's no longer a home advantage.

Let's get to a secure position. Then start to focus on the future.

It’s going to depend on who we get to keep from the current squad. I would like to see us sign Miazga and Pele but can’t see any chance of that happening. We will almost certainly offload Gunter, GMac, Adam, Mannone and loan out Aluko again as he didn’t even make the squad yesterday. That will free up some wages but will leave us light at right back especially if Yiadom is ever out injured. Not such a problem at centre back as I think Tom McIntyre can step up. I would give Osho a new deal as I think he is a justified fourth choice centre back.

So if we can keep hold of the rest and bring in a couple of loanees (right back and winger) we will have cut the wage bill significantly without spending too much(Ejaria for £3 million). However we may have to lose one of our stronger players because of FFP so possibly Swift, Puscas or Rinomhota may have to go.

We don’t need another massive overhaul this summer. Lose 8 or 9. Bring in 4 and that brings the size of the squad down to about 25 which seems about right to me.
However we need to get the best out of this squad. When I look at teams like Preston, Bristol City and Blackburn I don’t see sides that are anything special. We have enough talent to be moving ahead of them but Bowen has not found a playing style that suits us at home. He needs to be more positive. Away from home is a different matter. We seem able to soak up pressure, counter and score.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

When I look at teams like Preston, Bristol City and Blackburn I don’t see sides that are anything special. We have enough talent to be moving ahead of them but Bowen has not found a playing style that suits us at home. He needs to be more positive. Away from home is a different matter. We seem able to soak up pressure, counter and score.

Agree with that, a fair few teams making a play off challenge who are good but nor amazing, we should be in the position with our squad.

[Hound]

I’d like to see a few more of the youth lads brought through obviously. Southwood and Holsgrove probably the closest

[Zip]

I’d like to see a few more of the youth lads brought through obviously. Southwood and Holsgrove probably the closest

I would have Southwood as our number two next season and take Walker’s wages off the books. Don’t know enough about Holsgrove to comment.

[Snowflake Royal]

I’d like to see a few more of the youth lads brought through obviously. Southwood and Holsgrove probably the closest

Yep

The good thing about this season coming to a close in midtable is that we can afford to give the likes of Olise, Richards, McIntyre, Osho, Andresson, maybe East, Frost and Nevers etc minutes to get under their belt.

I think it's safe to say few people would have called Richards, Rino or Olise as the next three to break through before they did. Hell, even after he did in Richards case! So you never know who might surprise you and just fit in well. Rino for example, isn't the most talented player by any stretch of the imagination, he's good sure, but his strength lies in the decisions he makes and his commitment more than his technical skill.

[Lower West]

Jordan Holsgrove's loan has been terminated. Expect to see him get minutes before the end of this season.

[Snowflake Royal]

Jordan Holsgrove's loan has been terminated. Expect to see him get minutes before the end of this season.

Supposedly not possible because he was out on loan, but not sure how true that is.

[Hound]

I’d like to see a few more of the youth lads brought through obviously. Southwood and Holsgrove probably the closest

I would have Southwood as our number two next season and take Walker’s wages off the books. Don’t know enough about Holsgrove to comment.

Watched bits and pieces of pre season and thought he looked a real prospect

[RoyalBlue]

With no home crowd. There's no longer a home advantage.

Let's get to a secure position. Then start to focus on the future.

It’s going to depend on who we get to keep from the current squad. I would like to see us sign Miazga and Pele but can’t see any chance of that happening. We will almost certainly offload Gunter, GMac, Adam, Mannone and loan out Aluko again as he didn’t even make the squad yesterday. That will free up some wages but will leave us light at right back especially if Yiadom is ever out injured. Not such a problem at centre back as I think Tom McIntyre can step up. I would give Osho a new deal as I think he is a justified fourth choice centre back.

So if we can keep hold of the rest and bring in a couple of loanees (right back and winger) we will have cut the wage bill significantly without spending too much(Ejaria for £3 million). However we may have to lose one of our stronger players because of FFP so possibly Swift, Puscas or Rinomhota may have to go.

We don’t need another massive overhaul this summer. Lose 8 or 9. Bring in 4 and that brings the size of the squad down to about 25 which seems about right to me.
However we need to get the best out of this squad. When I look at teams like Preston, Bristol City and Blackburn I don’t see sides that are anything special. We have enough talent to be moving ahead of them but Bowen has not found a playing style that suits us at home. He needs to be more positive. Away from home is a different matter. We seem able to soak up pressure, counter and score.

I reckon we might be able to keep Pele. Sadly I agree that we will be extremely lucky to keep Miazga - wages would probably be the biggest problem there.

[RoyalBlue]

With no home crowd. There's no longer a home advantage.

Let's get to a secure position. Then start to focus on the future.

Agreed. I think we would have got over the line with a win had the there been a home crowd yesterday. Even if Salisbury hadn't been convinced by the crowd on the penalty, I think the crowd would have been so incensed by its denial that they would have really got fired up and behind the team. That would've significantly lifted performance levels.

[dontbedaft]

we may have to lose one of our stronger players because of FFP

Isn't FFP being waived/relaxed because of COVID?

[Zip]

we may have to lose one of our stronger players because of FFP

Isn't FFP being waived/relaxed because of COVID?

Nothing has been said so far. I can only see FFP being waived for this season only.

[Lower West]

Jordan Holsgrove's loan has been terminated. Expect to see him get minutes before the end of this season.

Supposedly not possible because he was out on loan, but not sure how true that is.

Terminated wasn't the correct phraseology. Loan contract expires on 30th June. Reading have refused an extension.

[SCIAG]

I’d like to see a few more of the youth lads brought through obviously. Southwood and Holsgrove probably the closest

Yep

The good thing about this season coming to a close in midtable is that we can afford to give the likes of Olise, Richards, McIntyre, Osho, Andresson, maybe East, Frost and Nevers etc minutes to get under their belt.

I think it's safe to say few people would have called Richards, Rino or Olise as the next three to break through before they did. Hell, even after he did in Richards case! So you never know who might surprise you and just fit in well. Rino for example, isn't the most talented player by any stretch of the imagination, he's good sure, but his strength lies in the decisions he makes and his commitment more than his technical skill.

Frost is all but gone.

I’d love to see Holsgrove and Conor Lawless get some game time. Difficult to see them breaking into the current midfield with Olise doing so well, but I think we should be prepared to accept offers for Swift in the summer.

Think the best opportunity for a young player would be as a winger. Real shame Nolan left.

[Snowflake Royal]

I’d like to see a few more of the youth lads brought through obviously. Southwood and Holsgrove probably the closest

Yep

The good thing about this season coming to a close in midtable is that we can afford to give the likes of Olise, Richards, McIntyre, Osho, Andresson, maybe East, Frost and Nevers etc minutes to get under their belt.

I think it's safe to say few people would have called Richards, Rino or Olise as the next three to break through before they did. Hell, even after he did in Richards case! So you never know who might surprise you and just fit in well. Rino for example, isn't the most talented player by any stretch of the imagination, he's good sure, but his strength lies in the decisions he makes and his commitment more than his technical skill.

Frost is all but gone.

I’d love to see Holsgrove and Conor Lawless get some game time. Difficult to see them breaking into the current midfield with Olise doing so well, but I think we should be prepared to accept offers for Swift in the summer.

Think the best opportunity for a young player would be as a winger. Real shame Nolan left.

Working on the suggestion Holsgrove can't play this season. Lawless not listed on first team squad, but I do recognise his name... not seen him play I don't think.

[Millsy]

Disappointing result but not bad overall against a 'form' (if we can say that effectively at a neutral venue i.e. not really any home advantage except for pitch dimensions and travel perhaps. Unlucky with blind ref and crossbar.

To pick up on 3 things from OP's otherwise solid post and comments since ..

1) Meite - massively missed him when he went off. Yes sometimes no football brain but he assisted, was a huge strong handful and did very well creating something out of nothing several times. 7

2) Ejaria. 4? Harsh. 6 easily. Top player. Outshone by Olise though.

3) Zonal marking. If talking about their equaliser then I would normally have agreed with you but when I genuinely posed the question here a few months back to those more in the know the response from SCIAG et al were educational for me i.e. zonal marking is the norm at this level for set pieces. I don't agree/fully get it but if a non-pro like me doesn't agree then it probably means it's the right thing for pros to do! I'm not happy that they fell asleep though.