Next Season's Squad.

[windermereROYAL]

I think he should have held back on that interview until after July 2nd, I would think it will make some people think twice about renewing STs.
Looking grim, but I`m 100% in wait and see mode.

[Hound]

It’s no different to what was said at the end of last year really. It still all hinges on binning the deadwood

[Lower West]

Why has the optimism faded so suddenly. The writing was clearly on the wall as far as transfers is concerned.

[Crowbar6753]

So its looking a bit grim on the transfer front thanks to FFP, but its not all doom and gloom just yet! we still have a competitive squad which would still just about hang on to safety i guess.
So if we where to put a squad out today with the players currently on our books i would go for:

Southwood

Yiadom Moore Blackett Obita

Rinomhota Swift

Meite Loader Barrow

Bodvarson

Subs: Ward, Gunter, Osho, Olise, Barrett, Novakovich, Gmac

Yes i know there would be questions over the keeper with regards to experience, but there is plenty of potential with both of them. The defense is pretty solid and obita is questionable, so Blackett would revert to left back and one of McIntyre or Osho would fill in. The whole midfield is solid and competitive, so my only concern would be up top, and regards to the fitness of Bod? but we still have the option of Novakovich, Meite or Baldock.
This team wouldn't pull up any trees but if the worst did happen then its not all doom and gloom

[URZZZZ]

So its looking a bit grim on the transfer front thanks to FFP, but its not all doom and gloom just yet! we still have a competitive squad which would still just about hang on to safety i guess.
So if we where to put a squad out today with the players currently on our books i would go for:

Southwood

Yiadom Moore Blackett Obita

Rinomhota Swift

Meite Loader Barrow

Bodvarson

Subs: Ward, Gunter, Osho, Olise, Barrett, Novakovich, Gmac

Yes i know there would be questions over the keeper with regards to experience, but there is plenty of potential with both of them. The defense is pretty solid and obita is questionable, so Blackett would revert to left back and one of McIntyre or Osho would fill in. The whole midfield is solid and competitive, so my only concern would be up top, and regards to the fitness of Bod? but we still have the option of Novakovich, Meite or Baldock.
This team wouldn't pull up any trees but if the worst did happen then its not all doom and gloom

Rino, Swift and Loader would be one of the worst midfield trio we've ever seen. Imagine the likes of Warnock, Pulis and co against those three, they'd have a field day

Add to that Blackett and Moore aren't exactly tall, neither Obita and Yiadom. Our two tallest players would be our striker and RW. We'd be in big trouble with an XI like that IMO

[Zip]

So its looking a bit grim on the transfer front thanks to FFP, but its not all doom and gloom just yet! we still have a competitive squad which would still just about hang on to safety i guess.
So if we where to put a squad out today with the players currently on our books i would go for:

Southwood

Yiadom Moore Blackett Obita

Rinomhota Swift

Meite Loader Barrow

Bodvarson

Subs: Ward, Gunter, Osho, Olise, Barrett, Novakovich, Gmac

Yes i know there would be questions over the keeper with regards to experience, but there is plenty of potential with both of them. The defense is pretty solid and obita is questionable, so Blackett would revert to left back and one of McIntyre or Osho would fill in. The whole midfield is solid and competitive, so my only concern would be up top, and regards to the fitness of Bod? but we still have the option of Novakovich, Meite or Baldock.
This team wouldn't pull up any trees but if the worst did happen then its not all doom and gloom

Rino, Swift and Loader would be one of the worst midfield trio we've ever seen. Imagine the likes of Warnock, Pulis and co against those three, they'd have a field day

Add to that Blackett and Moore aren't exactly tall, neither Obita and Yiadom. Our two tallest players would be our striker and RW. We'd be in big trouble with an XI like that IMO

Blackett is about 6 feet two. How much taller do you want?

[URZZZZ]

So its looking a bit grim on the transfer front thanks to FFP, but its not all doom and gloom just yet! we still have a competitive squad which would still just about hang on to safety i guess.
So if we where to put a squad out today with the players currently on our books i would go for:

Southwood

Yiadom Moore Blackett Obita

Rinomhota Swift

Meite Loader Barrow

Bodvarson

Subs: Ward, Gunter, Osho, Olise, Barrett, Novakovich, Gmac

Yes i know there would be questions over the keeper with regards to experience, but there is plenty of potential with both of them. The defense is pretty solid and obita is questionable, so Blackett would revert to left back and one of McIntyre or Osho would fill in. The whole midfield is solid and competitive, so my only concern would be up top, and regards to the fitness of Bod? but we still have the option of Novakovich, Meite or Baldock.
This team wouldn't pull up any trees but if the worst did happen then its not all doom and gloom

Rino, Swift and Loader would be one of the worst midfield trio we've ever seen. Imagine the likes of Warnock, Pulis and co against those three, they'd have a field day

Add to that Blackett and Moore aren't exactly tall, neither Obita and Yiadom. Our two tallest players would be our striker and RW. We'd be in big trouble with an XI like that IMO

Blackett is about 6 feet two. How much taller do you want?

Let me rephrase the question. Would you fancy Blackett against the likes of Flint, Morrison, Cooper etc etc...Now compare to someone like Miazga. Both Blackett and Moore are good enough as CB's. Together, nah

[Zip]

Rino, Swift and Loader would be one of the worst midfield trio we've ever seen. Imagine the likes of Warnock, Pulis and co against those three, they'd have a field day

Add to that Blackett and Moore aren't exactly tall, neither Obita and Yiadom. Our two tallest players would be our striker and RW. We'd be in big trouble with an XI like that IMO

Blackett is about 6 feet two. How much taller do you want?

Let me rephrase the question. Would you fancy Blackett against the likes of Flint, Morrison, Cooper etc etc...Now compare to someone like Miazga. Both Blackett and Moore are good enough as CB's. Together, nah

I would prefer Miazga obviously but if we don’t have the money we may have to make do with what we have. The three you have mentioned cause most centre backs problems.

[URZZZZ]

Blackett is about 6 feet two. How much taller do you want?

Let me rephrase the question. Would you fancy Blackett against the likes of Flint, Morrison, Cooper etc etc...Now compare to someone like Miazga. Both Blackett and Moore are good enough as CB's. Together, nah

I would prefer Miazga obviously but if we don’t have the money we may have to make do with what we have. The three you have mentioned cause most centre backs problems.

I'm not disputing that we may have to make do with what we have. My point was to the original post that our back 8 would struggle physically with opposing teams. You only have to look at the teams that got promoted. Zimmermann (1.94m), Basham (1.9m), O'Connell (1.9m), Mings (1.91m). Blackett and Moore are quite a lot smaller than them

Then there's Morrison, Bamba, Boly, Bennett etc...from the year before. And that probably explains why we haven't won an away game with a clean sheet for nearly two seasons! Because our defence is simply not capable of closing teams out. Other teams can. That's why we've been languishing in two successive relegation battles

It's a shame Ilori was so oxf*rd useless considering his height

[Hendo]

Let me rephrase the question. Would you fancy Blackett against the likes of Flint, Morrison, Cooper etc etc...Now compare to someone like Miazga. Both Blackett and Moore are good enough as CB's. Together, nah

I would prefer Miazga obviously but if we don’t have the money we may have to make do with what we have. The three you have mentioned cause most centre backs problems.

I'm not disputing that we may have to make do with what we have. My point was to the original post that our back 8 would struggle physically with opposing teams. You only have to look at the teams that got promoted. Zimmermann (1.94m), Basham (1.9m), O'Connell (1.9m), Mings (1.91m). Blackett and Moore are quite a lot smaller than them

Then there's Morrison, Bamba, Boly, Bennett etc...from the year before. And that probably explains why we haven't won an away game with a clean sheet for nearly two seasons! Because our defence is simply not capable of closing teams out. Other teams can. That's why we've been languishing in two successive relegation battles

It's a shame Ilori was so oxf*rd useless considering his height

You do know you’re talking about a difference of about 10cm at most? We’re not talking about Jodi Morris here!

I think you’re getting slightly hung up on this...

[Snowflake Royal]

Yeah, reasons to not be keen on Blackett at centre back are his concentration, positioning and frequent casualness. Nothing to do with height.

[URZZZZ]

I'm not getting hung up on this at all. We haven't won an away game with a clean sheet in over 40 games now. Even then, Leeds missed a 90th minute penalty. Because as soon as the opposition lump it in the box and go direct one, we concede. We seem to concede so many crosses. Having a taller defender reduces the chances of us being susceptible to those crosses

^ As already stated, I never said I wasn't keen on Blackett CB. My idea was with Blackett and Moore at CB, and a Rino, Swift, Loader midfield three, we'd be bullied by the more physical teams and struggle

[Lower West]

Perhaps Blackett could play as the DM.

[Crowbar6753]

So its looking a bit grim on the transfer front thanks to FFP, but its not all doom and gloom just yet! we still have a competitive squad which would still just about hang on to safety i guess.
So if we where to put a squad out today with the players currently on our books i would go for:

Southwood

Yiadom Moore Blackett Obita

Rinomhota Swift

Meite Loader Barrow

Bodvarson

Subs: Ward, Gunter, Osho, Olise, Barrett, Novakovich, Gmac

Yes i know there would be questions over the keeper with regards to experience, but there is plenty of potential with both of them. The defense is pretty solid and obita is questionable, so Blackett would revert to left back and one of McIntyre or Osho would fill in. The whole midfield is solid and competitive, so my only concern would be up top, and regards to the fitness of Bod? but we still have the option of Novakovich, Meite or Baldock.
This team wouldn't pull up any trees but if the worst did happen then its not all doom and gloom

Rino, Swift and Loader would be one of the worst midfield trio we've ever seen. Imagine the likes of Warnock, Pulis and co against those three, they'd have a field day

Add to that Blackett and Moore aren't exactly tall, neither Obita and Yiadom. Our two tallest players would be our striker and RW. We'd be in big trouble with an XI like that IMO

Hi Urzzz, i'm not suggesting its a great scenario, and i wouldn't want to start the season with this team, but the club seems to have its hands tied at present and if we cannot offload any players then the harsh reality is that we have no money to spend and bring in players. This was just an exercise to see what sort of semblance of a team we could put together if the season started today.

[Crowbar6753]

Rino, Swift and Loader would be one of the worst midfield trio we've ever seen. Imagine the likes of Warnock, Pulis and co against those three, they'd have a field day

Add to that Blackett and Moore aren't exactly tall, neither Obita and Yiadom. Our two tallest players would be our striker and RW. We'd be in big trouble with an XI like that IMO

Blackett is about 6 feet two. How much taller do you want?

Let me rephrase the question. Would you fancy Blackett against the likes of Flint, Morrison, Cooper etc etc...Now compare to someone like Miazga. Both Blackett and Moore are good enough as CB's. Together, nah

Miazga has gone! and i'm guessing by the current state of affairs, he isn't coming back anytime soon. So we have to make do with what we have!! it sucks, but what can we do.

[Snowflake Royal]

Perhaps Blackett could play as the DM.

What is the obsession with playing people out of position? Play them where they are best. For Blackett, that is left back.

[Lower West]

Perhaps Blackett could play as the DM.

What is the obsession with playing people out of position? Play them where they are best. For Blackett, that is left back.

From the players available Gomes is going to need to cobble together a team that is competitive. Blackett sitting in as DM, can drop back and make a three. Midfield options are non existant as matters stand. Last year Meyler was brought in to strengthen. Meyler has gone, along with Edwards and Bacuna. Very concerning.

Sol Campbell started life as a striker, before moving to left back, before eventually becoming a class central defender.

[Snowflake Royal]

Perhaps Blackett could play as the DM.

What is the obsession with playing people out of position? Play them where they are best. For Blackett, that is left back.

From the players available Gomes is going to need to cobble together a team that is competitive. Blackett sitting in as DM, can drop back and make a three. Midfield options are non existant as matters stand. Last year Meyler was brought in to strengthen. Meyler has gone, along with Edwards and Bacuna. Very concerning.

Sol Campbell started life as a striker, before moving to left back, before eventually becoming a class central defender.

I'll see your Sol Campbell, who played most of his senior career at CB, and raise you the half a dozen or more square pegs in rounds holes we've failed with in just the last few years.

Don't play Blackett out of position. Give, East, Holsgrove, Frost, Olise etc a chance. You know, like we gave our a player of the season Rinomhota a chance.

I'll give you one thing, Blackett would be a lot better at DM than oxf*rd John Shitty O'Shea.

[Hound]

Meyler hasn’t gone anywhere (yet)

He’s still an option if desperate

[sandman]

Perhaps Blackett could play as the DM.

What is the obsession with playing people out of position? Play them where they are best. For Blackett, that is left back.

Not as weird as your bizarre obsession with insulting John O'Shea.