On paper: Is this team better than the last promoted team?

[ThatJa]

Simple question, is this current team on paper better than the one that included Sander Berge and Illiman N'Diaye?

I think so!

 

[Jimmy Fleck]

On paper the 22/23 team achieved promotion- the current squad have achieved nothing yet, so far far too early to say but I really like the look of this squad.

 

[jono_t2000]

Simple question, is this current team on paper better than the one that included Sander Berge and Illiman N'Diaye?

I think so!

In terms of more rounded strength across the whole pitch then 1000% yes.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

I'd say no because the 2022-23 team still had a significant element of the Wilder squad from the previous promotion who had already been there and done it.

Basham
Stevens
Baldock
Egan
Fleck
Norwood
Sharp

Ndiaye, Berge and McAtee got most of the plaudits that season but I think what ultimately got us over the line was the experience of the seven players above.

 

[tincan]

Far worse. The 23 team are the 91pt team and FA cup semi finalist. I doubt any team will top that

 

[Jimmy Fleck]

The biggest difference between the 2 squads is this season we seem to have a lot more exciting attacking players whereas 22/23 was all about ndiaye and later on mcatee.

 

[itsinyerblood]

Asking if a team that's played two games together, without, as yet, a settled side to make any comparison with, I'll go with the team
that actually achieved something.

I agree, the recruitment so far has exceeded recent season's input and suggests all manner of possibility, but at the time
of writing all we have to go on is potential. I think Wilder's done a great job in recruiting so far, plus the addition of young Blades is a huge
bonus so it's unsurprising that some Blades are excited. Let's review things after we've played 10-15 games, at least that way we'll have some idea if
we really do have something to get excited about.

 

[Tony_Kaufman]

I'd say no because the 2022-23 team still had a significant element of the Wilder squad from the previous promotion who had already been there and done it.

Basham
Stevens
Baldock
Egan
Fleck
Norwood
Sharp

Ndiaye, Berge and McAtee got most of the plaudits that season but I think what ultimately got us over the line was the experience of the seven players above.

I'd have to disagree with that. Basham was a shadow of himself, error prone and in decline. Stevens and Fleck were still carrying on their poor form from the restart (when they weren't injured), Egan was fine, Norwood started well but fizzled out which led to Doyle taking his place and Sharp only scored 2 goals that season.

Those seven players were not the driving force behind the promotion in my opinion. Far from it.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

I'd have to disagree with that. Basham was a shadow of himself, error prone and in decline. Stevens and Fleck were still carrying on their poor form from the restart (when they weren't injured), Egan was fine, Norwood started well but fizzled out which led to Doyle taking his place and Sharp only scored 2 goals that season.

Those seven players were not the driving force behind the promotion in my opinion. Far from it.

They weren't the driving force behind it but they were the old heads who were still the bedrock of the team.

These were the guys that will have steadied the ship behind the scenes when we had the bad runs in October and February/March.

 

[Tony_Kaufman]

They weren't the driving force behind it but they were the old heads who were still the bedrock of the team.

These were the guys that will have steadied the ship behind the scenes when we had the bad runs in October and and February/March.

Do you know that, or is that an assumption based on cliche?

The main reason we got promoted was Anel being solid but unspectacular at the back, RND and Norwood carrying the team through the early months, Ndiaye and McBurnie tearing it up before the World Cup break, Berge being good for most of the season. Ndiaye then stepping it up after the World Cup break where McAtee then stepped up big time, which was needed as McBurnie stopped scoring again, then Doyle took over from Norwood and ran the midfield. Oh, and plenty of clean sheets due to the defence being rock solid and Wes doing a great job with what little he faced.

It's fair to say that the reason we went up was the five players we then missed the following season. Ndiaye, Berge and Doyle who left and weren't adequately replaced, and Anel and McAtee who were shite compared to the promotion season.

 

[SGBlade]

I'd say no because the 2022-23 team still had a significant element of the Wilder squad from the previous promotion who had already been there and done it.

Basham
Stevens
Baldock
Egan
Fleck
Norwood
Sharp

Ndiaye, Berge and McAtee got most of the plaudits that season but I think what ultimately got us over the line was the experience of the seven players above.

Agree. I went ‘no’ for the same reason. Egan, Baldock, Norwood, Berge, McB (just), Bogle were all still quality top of champ players at the start of that season. Whilst Ndiaye, Doyle and McAtee were in the top 10 youngsters outside the top division, with (as we now know) premier league ceilings. I think RND started that season fit and firing as well?

Important to note that the question is ‘on paper’. I find myself much more excited about this current crop, in this new formation, than the team and formation that started in. 2022. Promotions to the top division are rare for us and should all be cherished, but it’s fair to say that team didn’t set any pulses racing.

On paper though:

• Cooper vs Wes - 2024
• Baldock / Bogle vs Gilchrist / Seriki - 2022
• Anel / Souttar vs Anel / Egan - for me 2022 shades it. Could be talked into a tie.
• fit RND / Lowe vs Burrows / McCallum - 2024
• Vini / Hamer / Blaster vs Berge / Doyle / Norwood - tough one. Tie. Both v strong.
• O’hare vs N’Diaye - 2022 (but I love o’hare)
• McAttee vs JRS - tough. It’s easy to forget how green McAttee was when he first came. But if you recall the hype around him, it was marginally more than JRS now. 2022.
• McB / Sharp vs Moore / Campbell - another tough one. I’m probably saying tie. McB did great that season but at the start of it his stock was very low. This is the weakest area in both teams. Hopefully we’ll strengthen even more this year or in Jan.

So, on paper, I’ll marginally go with 2022. Also, the squad fillers in 2022 were seasoned pros like Bash, Stevens and Ozzy. Not as exciting as having the class of 2024 youngsters looking to break in but, over a 50 game season, invaluable to a promotion push.

And before anyone starts saying ‘but Norwood was crap at the end of that season’, or ‘the football was boring’ etc. that wasn’t the question asked .

 

[Fjortoft's Aeroplane]

The starting XI might be a shade better (with the exception of Ndiyae), but I think we had a fuller squad in 22/23 with more strength in depth.
I'm not even sure we have a forward that can do as well as an in-form McBurnie currently and I'm not even a McBurnie fan.
Creativity shouldn't be a problem, putting the chances away might be.

 

[bornablade]

'Unfortunately the game is not played on paper'.

 

[Grizzly blade]

Midfield wise I would say yes.
But not having an Ndiaye up front is a huge missing cog.
Imagine him in this squad with the creativity around him to play off.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

No "on paper" that side was miles ahead full of players with a promotion a 9th place finish and a couple of promising youngsters too.

Doesn't mean this side can't match it or do better just on paper nowhere near

 

[JackSUFC]

I think this year’s team will be more exciting to watch, even without an Ndiaye.

Heckingbottom went full on pragmatism at times which made for some very dull games. Not complaining though as it did the job.

Wilder has built a team who look capable of playing with the handbrake off.

 

[Old Programme seller]

We did start of with some beautiful attacking football then we somehow went all defensive the team itself was very settled you could arguably pick the side before Hecky, yes it was short in midfield just like we’re short up front now so it’s hard to compare like for like and also this seasons squad haven’t achieved anything as yet.

 

[Bladey_blade]

Midfield wise I would say yes.
But not having an Ndiaye up front is a huge missing cog.
Imagine him in this squad with the creativity around him to play off.

JRS has all the elements to fill this void

 

[Grizzly blade]

JRS has all the elements to fill this void

We will see.

Not sure he has the build, and very few have that skill but we can hope he does.

 

[CPB]

In terms of overall balance and strength (on paper). Yes. I'd even say better than last season too of course.

Still light in areas. RB being one although Seriki fit I'd be inclined to give him a go as backup/competition. He looked v.good Vs Wrexham.

Caveat though that N'Diaye was a cheat code. And I don't feel we have one of those at present. Or likely too.
Mcatee grew into the season too and became a great player latter 3rd of the season.

Berge had got his role nailed down and then like a few have said experienced lads in Sharp, Norwood, Egan Basham who all have done it before.

 

[blade too long]

Time will tell

Do like how its shaping up though
Seems to be a lot more energetic

 

[Bill puntin]

'Unfortunately the game is not played on paper'.

As Brian Clough once said it’s played on grass

 

[CaptainMorgans]

I'd say 2022, right now.
There's a lot of unknowns with this team. We've not seen Gilchrist or Burrows properly tested and we need to find out whether Brooks / Arblaster / Peck can stay consistent at this level. Souza still has a bit to prove too.

The 2022 team were firstly, pretty hard to breakdown.
Then secondly, we had Berge, McAtee, Ndiaye & a very strong Oli McBurnie (first half of season) that could easily win you a game when playing badly. Even Bogle had some of that in his locker.

I think this 2024 team might be easier on the eye and, to coin a Wilder phrase "good between both boxes," as we have so much talent in midfield.
Just not sure we have the match winners (relative to 2022) to go with it.

If that 2022 squad wasn't constantly dogged by injury crisis we would have absolutely walked the league.

 

[3Cheers4Ramirez]

Not yet but it will be

 

[SwissBlade]

Interesting that most are talking the first 11 and it does depend on how you define “team”.

If we’re talking starting 11 then I think like many have said, the 2022 version was strong and experienced, with a lot of seasoned promotion winners. That can’t be underestimated like PeterNdlovu081 alluded to. But we also have to remember that many of them were on the downward at the end of their careers so they didn’t have the legs. That’s why we needed a few other players coming in. We also had a big reliance on Berge and Ndiaye.

If we’re referring to the squad then I think now, as a 25 we’re better prepared and whilst we perhaps don’t yet know if we will have stand out players like Ndiaye or Berge, we have a side which can lose 2-4 players and we’d still be very competitive as the players coming in are similar levels.

We have a modern squad now, as I’ve said elsewhere it means you have starters and finishers.

With 5 subs available, often tues and Saturday games, additional time added on, it’s essential to have 4-5 players to come in second half and do to sides what we had done to us last season.

Bringing peck for Arblaster, Brewster for Moore, Rak-Sakyi for Brooks, Seriki for Gilchrist doesn’t weaken our side. We have to use players better and earlier.

But all that is on paper, 2022 got promoted, this side haven’t even played a home league game yet

 

[Aston max]

Not convinced defensively yet

 

[BladesOnToast]

N'Diaye, Doyle, McAtee, Berge, Balock, Anel (in the form he was in that season), McBurnie... I'll be overjoyed if this season's side is equal to that lot.

 

[Gin&Juice]

It’s younger, faster and fitter. But we miss some of the experience. I actually prefer the team now to that team, but N’Diaye was something special, the problem was he bailed us out of Hecky’s cautious approach.

 

[SRA76]

Put it simple. NO