Next Season's Squad.

[Hendo]

If Swift goes and we don't get Baker, do we have anyone in the senior team or unders who can take decent corners, free kicks throw ins or penalties?

Kelly

oxf*rd Kelly on corners, they were woeful!

[Snowflake Royal]

If Swift goes and we don't get Baker, do we have anyone in the senior team or unders who can take decent corners, free kicks throw ins or penalties?

Kelly

oxf*rd Kelly on corners, they were woeful!

Obita can take a mean corner.

[Snowflake Royal]

If Swift goes and we don't get Baker, do we have anyone in the senior team or unders who can take decent corners, free kicks throw ins or penalties?

Kelly

oxf*rd Kelly on corners, they were woeful!

Obita can take a mean corner.

Swift's set pieces were mostly awful with the very occasional brilliance.

[Nameless]

Kelly

oxf*rd Kelly on corners, they were woeful!

Obita can take a mean corner.

Swift's set pieces were mostly awful with the very occasional brilliance.

Josh Barratt takes a mean free kick and would be an ideal corner taker. Would require the FA to allow Special Teams substitutions though as I can't see Barratt being a first team starter.
To be honest whatever team we pick there should be someone capable of striking a non moving ball unchallenged with a reasonable degree of accuracy, it's a fairly basic skill. They might not score award winning goals a couple of times a season but I would have thought simply putting the ball consistently into dangerous areas would over the season be more beneficial than scoring one in 20 or 30 times directly.

[Hound]

if Baker and Swift both left, assume we'd be replacing them with a similar type player. And by that, I don't mean Kelly.

[Snowflake Royal]

I reckon Blackett would be quite good on corners, his crossing is often excellent.

[Hound]

never quite understood why Blackett (and to a lesser extent Moore and Miazga) are such little threat in the box from our own corners. Maybe it is the delivery not being up to scratch

[URZZZZ]

Most our corners are really poor but McClearys corners are the worst, little floaty corners either straight into the goalies hands or with such little pace no momentum is generated. Swifts aren’t much better mind, 9 out of 10 hit the first man or go off the pitch with the other one being a peach. Set pieces is something we really should work on this summer, we don’t get nearly enough goals from them

[Stranded]

One would hope that given we seem to be trying more things out from attacking set plays we may see some more interesting corner routines next year rather than the standard, hit it into the box and hope that we normally use.

[leon]

never quite understood why Blackett (and to a lesser extent Moore and Miazga) are such little threat in the box from our own corners. Maybe it is the delivery not being up to scratch

Probably because the ball never actually gets in the box. The first defender has cleared it.

[Victor Meldrew]

As Sutekh posted earlier we need a new left-back, just as we did at the start of this season.

I can see / hope Medford-Smith and Howe get integrated

Dont entertain this nonsense. Left and right back are our best stocked positions right now.

Numbers do not necessarily equal quality.

[Vision]

I think it was Harriott who delivered the corner for the winner against Wigan.

He's not likely to be around next season but that's as good as anything I've seen for the vast majority of the season. Left foot, Inswinging, no frills just on the money and in the danger area.

[Hound]

yeah it was Harriott

Barrow's corners are rubbish as well

[linkenholtroyal]

I really think Will Vaulks would be good from Rotherham. I think He could be the Yiadom of this season a real little gem. He can play CB (good cover) and can also play a deeper playmaker role would be good to partner Rinhomota if we dont get Baker.

He has contract till 2020 might be able to get him for a million and low wages aswell.

(also importantly can take corners and free kicks)

[West Stand Man]

GOALKEEPERS
A. Jaakkola - lose
S. Walker - Lose
L. Ward
L. Southwood
RIGHT BACKS
A. Yiadom - definitely retain
C. Gunter - keep unless someone is interested, in which case lose.
T. Watson - useful back-up but could go on loan
LEFT BACKS
J. Obita - let's see if he can return to form and fitness
T. Blackett - retain unless someone offers sensible money
O. Richards - good back-up
CENTRE BACKS
L. Moore - definitely retain
P. McShane - lose
J. O'Shea - lose
T. McIntyre
T. Holmes
G. Osho
D. Gravenberch - lose
CENTRE MIDS
A. Rinomhota - key player next season?
L. Kelly - lose
D. Meyler - lose
R. East
M. Olise
RIGHT WING
Y. Meite - is proving to be a valuable member of the squad/team. Retain.
G. McCleary - try to offload
A. Popa - lose
ATTACKING MIDS
J. Swift - let him go if there is anyone offering good money
S. Aluko - try to offload
J. Barrett
LEFT WING
M. Barrow
C. Harriott
STRIKERS
J. Dadi Bodvarson
S. Baldock - try to offload
D. Loader - loan
M. McNulty - lose
A. Novakovich - bring back and see how he performs in the EFL
S. Smith - loan


Add in a handful of new faces. Definitely at least one new CB (Miazga would be perfect if he was available); at least one new attacking MF; and at least one proven goalscorer along the Oliveira style. Obviously a new goalkeeper too, can't see Arsenal letting Martinez go on a permanent but they might entertain another loan for half the season (with options to extend ??)

It would be good to see the first team squad much smaller than the current one. There are too many disgruntled players hanging about when you have a large squad.

[maffff]

As Sutekh posted earlier we need a new left-back, just as we did at the start of this season.

I can see / hope Medford-Smith and Howe get integrated

Dont entertain this nonsense. Left and right back are our best stocked positions right now.

To the squad, not saying to be starting / playing / necessarily on the bench. To start bridging the gap between u23s and first team.

Obita and Blackett - yes, I'd keep both. Is Richards any better than Ramarni? Could Richards do with a loan?

Yids is obviously our number one full back. Will Gunter stay this summer? Watson has struggled at Wimbledon - Howe is more attacking and similar in style to Yiadom, I'd love to see him start bridging the gap.

[Nameless]

I can see / hope Medford-Smith and Howe get integrated

Dont entertain this nonsense. Left and right back are our best stocked positions right now.

Numbers do not necessarily equal quality.

It’s not even correct, we could nearly field an entire team of goalkeepers - by far our best stocked position. All competing for one place in the team !

[Brain Traysers]

Most our corners are really poor but McClearys corners are the worst, little floaty corners either straight into the goalies hands or with such little pace no momentum is generated. Swifts aren’t much better mind, 9 out of 10 hit the first man or go off the pitch with the other one being a peach. Set pieces is something we really should work on this summer, we don’t get nearly enough goals from them

I don't agree that we are that bad at set pieces. We have scored 13 goals from them, joint 14th best in the league, level with Leeds and Norwich, and the same as Ipswich and Bolton combined (arguably the difference between their place in the league and ours). These 13 are 27% of our 48 goals, the 8th best in the league.

As a proxy for number of set pieces, I've taken WhoScored's attempted passes from corners (198 - 21st highest in the league) and free kicks (554 - 4th in the league - are we really fouled that much?). Then looking at their numbers for chances derived from 'set pieces' we get a shot away from 16.1% of set pieces (worst in the league, lower than 22% average), but our conversion rate of 1.7% is 14th best (broadly in line with 1.9% league average). Its just that one stat that looks 'bad'.

I think it's an area we have been focusing on - just not to the levels of Rotherham (league best 46% of their goals, getting a shot from 37% and converting 3.4%) and Millwall (2nd best 36%, 29% shot rate, 2.4% conversion). We also have been at the more creative end of the league - the goal against Bristol City is a prime example, as was this from an otherwise bad day out, but there are more examples of nice routines that were unsuccessful.

[Hound]

Bacuna, Swift and Baker have all taken decent set pieces at times certainly

[NewCorkSeth]

Dont entertain this nonsense. Left and right back are our best stocked positions right now.

Numbers do not necessarily equal quality.

It’s not even correct, we could nearly field an entire team of goalkeepers - by far our best stocked position. All competing for one place in the team !

Huh? Next season we have 3 senior Goalkeepers. Walker, Southwood and Ward. 3 players for 1 position. Only one of which has made an appearance for the first team.

Contrast that to our 8 full backs for 2 positions..