This Squad Next Season

[Akinbiyi]

Without speculating about potential signings, what do we think to our current bunch’s chances of coping at the next level?

You have more time on the ball which could be a factor for a few of our players, but the quality of the passing, the movement, the pace of some the players and of the counters will ask BIG questions of them.

I think most of us will be in agreement that these lads should be good enough at Prem level:
Henderson
JOC
Egan
Stevens
Norwood
Fleck
McGoldrick

Then Sharp, Bash, Duffy, Baldock - who knows? Certainly wouldn’t rule them out, they’ve proven people wrong by being good enough at this level but age/pace/technical ability respectively might see them not good enough to start regularly - but they’ll get the chance to prove me wrong and I’m sure of that.

We need to keep our core and build on it to be successful and I’m sure that’s what we’ll do. Couple of seriously quality additions in key areas will raise the game of everyone else.

Everyone will get a crack at it and my god do they deserve it. Let’s enjoy the ride.

What a team. What a club.

 

[JPBrods]

Going to be fucking hilarious when Leon Clarke bags at the Emirates. I'll be howling.

 

[Akinbiyi]

Going to be fucking hilarious when Leon Clarke bags at the Emirates. I'll be howling.

They can keep Leon, we’ll take Massey off their hands. He might never play a game but he’ll never have to buy a drink in Sheffield.

 

[bromtom]

Baldock will be fine. He's got pace and he doesn't stop.

Needs to work on the final pass but it's been gradually improving over the course of the season.

Stevens being absolutely immense makes him seem a bit off the pace but he himself is fantastic, Stevens has just gone a bit further.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

I think we need to appreciate that some while not starting will still be useful squad members. I think the transition will be similar to how we moved some on from L1, but kept the core and strengthened where gaps needed filling. I think we need to pick between Baldock & Freeman, and though I think Freeman has on the whole been marginally better I think Baldock is the more likely to improve. We need someone better than him though in that position. Likewise, genuine competition for JOC and the midfielders. Up front is where we’d probably have the biggest change in my opinion – we can’t just rely on our main two from this year, great as they are.

Keepers: Henderson and Moore
Defence: Bash, Egan, JOC, Stearman, Cranie possibly, new LCB
Wingbacks: New RWB, Stevens, Baldock, new LWB
Midfield: Norwood, Fleck, Duffy, Lundstram, 3 new players to challenge the starters
Strikers: McGoldrick, Sharp, 3 new players

Thanks for everything you’ve done and GLTTL: Freeman, Coutts, Clarke, Wright, Lavery, Washington, Lafferty

Thanks for....er......bye! Holmes, Carruthers, Heneghan, Thomas, Evans, Bryan.

 

[bromtom]

I think we need to appreciate that some while not starting will still be useful squad members. I think the transition will be similar to how we moved some on from L1, but kept the core and strengthened where gaps needed filling. I think we need to pick between Baldock & Freeman, and though I think Freeman has on the whole been marginally better I think Baldock is the more likely to improve. We need someone better than him though in that position. Likewise, genuine competition for JOC and the midfielders. Up front is where we’d probably have the biggest change in my opinion – we can’t just rely on our main two from this year, great as they are.

Keepers: Henderson and Moore
Defence: Bash, Egan, JOC, Stearman, Cranie possibly, new LCB
Wingbacks: New RWB, Stevens, Baldock, new LWB
Midfield: Norwood, Fleck, Duffy, Lundstram, 3 new players to challenge the starters
Strikers: McGoldrick, Sharp, 3 new players

Thanks for everything you’ve done and GLTTL: Freeman, Coutts, Clarke, Wright, Lavery, Washington, Lafferty

Thanks for....er......bye! Holmes, Carruthers, Heneghan, Thomas, Evans, Bryan.

Also give some of the youngsters a chance, Tyler Smith and Norrington-Davies in particular. If you're willing and fit, you can achieve more than your experience would suggest.

 

[Boxer Blade]

Without speculating about potential signings, what do we think to our current bunch’s chances of coping at the next level?

You have more time on the ball which could be a factor for a few of our players, but the quality of the passing, the movement, the pace of some the players and of the counters will ask BIG questions of them.

I think most of us will be in agreement that these lads should be good enough at Prem level:
Henderson
JOC
Egan
Stevens
Norwood
Fleck
McGoldrick

Then Sharp, Bash, Duffy, Baldock - who knows? Certainly wouldn’t rule them out, they’ve proven people wrong by being good enough at this level but age/pace/technical ability respectively might see them not good enough to start regularly - but they’ll get the chance to prove me wrong and I’m sure of that.

We need to keep our core and build on it to be successful and I’m sure that’s what we’ll do. Couple of seriously quality additions in key areas will raise the game of everyone else.

Everyone will get a crack at it and my god do they deserve it. Let’s enjoy the ride.

What a team. What a club.

Hard to disagree with most of that, was a discussion we had in the pub last night, the player's you mention are pretty similar to our thoughts ,you want to stick with the players that have got us where we are but we also have to be hard nosed and professional as well, and wilder/knill will get it right I suspect .

 

[Akinbiyi]

Hard to disagree with most of that, was a discussion we had in the pub last night, the player's you mention are pretty similar to our thoughts ,you want to stick with the players that have got us where we are but we also have to be hard nosed and professional as well, and wilder/knill will get it right I suspect .

Definitely pal.

I think the key is signing SERIOUS quality in key areas. That’ll get an extra 10% out of some of the lads around them.

 

[Barney]

Sharp
Norwood
JOC
Egan
Henderson
Stevens

These will all be fine. But we will need to offload quite a few and get at least 5 additions to be competitive and ensure we stay up.

We could keep largely the same side but that would be relying on team spirit overriding individual talent which would be far more risky in the prem.

Of course we should maintain the team mentality but we need to recruit premier league quality to fall back on.

This is our one big chance to invest big and establish ourselves in the big time. I hope Wilder will be allowed to carry that out.