Who in our current squad would you say is Premier League quality?

[UddersBlade]

Rob Holding is - we’ve just not seen him play much yet. But he is certainly good enough for bottom end Premier League.

 

[Nick Jansky]

But will he come back as good after nearly a season off

His game is about intelligence & speed of thought rather than pace, so I’d have thought the chances are quite good.

 

[Lane Ender]

His game is about intelligence & speed of thought rather than pace, so I’d have thought the chances are quite good.

Good really hope he picks up where he left off

 

[wak1889]

Arblaster has already shown he can play there.

I wouldn't say hes shown he can play in the Premier league just yet, he made a dozen appearances in one of the worst teams to ever play in the Premier league, but there is potential without doubt but many young players have broken into premier league teams at a young age and never played there again afterwards

 

[HOT CURRIE 10]

Sorry folks,only Cooper for me.
Seriki maybe,only a handful of games against weaker opponents,so no,at present.
Hamer,got absolutely outclassed last season-no.
Arblaster,serious injury-no.
The End.

 

[Rufus Smalls]

A few have mentioned Burrows.

Much as I think he’s a decent player, his goals have masked his defensive limitations.

Good in the Championship but not good enough, in my opinion, for the Prem.

Hamer, Cooper would be definite, then Arblaster, Peck and Campbell have the room to improve to the standard required. Vini needs quality around him to allow him to play at his own pace.

As said, we would need at least 6-7 new players to be up to speed with the pace of the Prem, an almost impossible task given the gap now between the top two leagues.

 

[wak1889]

Davies? You’re having a laugh

Well he has played all his career bar this season in Premier league which is more than any other player in the squad, so yes I would say he is good enough to play in the Premier league

 

[wak1889]

A few have mentioned Burrows.

Much as I think he’s a decent player, his goals have masked his defensive limitations.

Good in the Championship but not good enough, in my opinion, for the Prem.

Hamer, Cooper would be definite, then Arblaster, Peck and Campbell have the room to improve to the standard required. Vini needs quality around him to allow him to play at his own pace.

As said, we would need at least 6-7 new players to be up to speed with the pace of the Prem, an almost impossible task given the gap now between the top two leagues.

Burrows is not nearly good enough yet, but I seem to remember a few on here tipping him for an England cap, some of our fan base really do need to watch other teams sometimes to realise there is football outside of S2

 

[ISZA ⚔️]

A fit Tom Davies can more than hack it in the prem.

 

[BrisBlade]

Almost every one of them could but you need all 11 on the pitch to be good enough. If just one isnt up to the task the rest will all fail, then its the bench which has to have the same quality. The rules need to change first season up you should be allowed unlimited loans in the matchday squad and if you stay up reduce the number gradually. But the other prem teams dont want that they want to let the bottom 3 just keep swapping

Agree with a couple of caveats. I would phase loan limits to 5 in first season after promotion going down to 2 in the fourth. This could also reduce the need for parachute payments (long term wage commitments will be lower). I would also restrict the additional loans to under 23 home grown to improve development prospects for the national team.

 

[BrisBlade]

Interesting topic. If (and is still a big if) we get promoted, the players I wouldn't wince at seeing on the team sheet for the first match by position (not a suggested line up!):

Cooper
Seriki Anel Burrows
Vini Peck Blaster Davies
Hamer O'Hare BBD (assume we buy him)
???

Not saying they are all nailed on PL quality (whatever that means), but think they all could do a job for us. The main miss is a dominant leader at the back. If we don't get that sorted I think we will struggle big time. Would like to get Souttar in if he's recovered - I know he's not quick but he's a proper organiser, plays well with Anel, and would make us more solid defending set pieces. At the other end of the park we've got lots of options but not sure I'm convinced by any of them. Pace and skill out wide would be nice, but needs to be someone who can contribute defensively as well.

 

[GymClassHero]

Agree with a couple of caveats. I would phase loan limits to 5 in first season after promotion going down to 2 in the fourth. This could also reduce the need for parachute payments (long term wage commitments will be lower). I would also restrict the additional loans to under 23 home grown to improve development prospects for the national team.

Can only have 2 loans registered at any one time anyway mate. Max of 4 total in a season so most of our business will have to be permanent anyway

 

[SGBlade]

Yeah that’s about the group that I would be ok with being squad members and a few of them in the first team next year, if we go up.

To stand any chance of being competitive:
1) make the two domestic loans absolute quality - probably paying huge loan fees
2) make really good use of international loan market for proven, international quality starters (I’m assuming we can have one or two loans from overseas?)
3) bring in a couple of out of contract / unwanted 32-33 year old proven Prem class players on 100k-a-week, one year contracts and hope their bodies hold up
4) sign the best 2-3 players from the champ at 20-25m a pop
5) take a punt on 3-4 young lower division/ international players and cross our fingers one of them is the next ndaiye
6) keep hold of all our best players

Even after all that, your chances of relegation are still probably 70-80% and you’ve spent 100m+. But you’re probably more competitive than we were last year and if you come down you should have a reasonable team or players to sell.

 

[finlaytheblade]

Think it’s not just a question of individual players but also “the team” factor. The 2019 team had played together to win promotion and quite a few had been together since L1. In the Prem we basically kept the same team with little additions like Mousset, McB and Robinson but the core of the team was unchanged particularly the defence. We were also very lucky with virtually no injuries. The sum of the parts definitely exceeded the individuals. We also had our overlapping CBS which no one had seen before. The problem with last promotion and if we get promoted this year we won’t have anything like the same team who won promotion. The 2023 team we sold IllimAn and Berge on the eve of the new season plus we had lost our other 2 best players Doyle and McAtee so the team was effectively dismantled. If we get promoted this season we don’t have a settled team that can just step up as we have so many loans and long term injuries in Blaster and Souttar (who is a loan anyway) and have so many other injuries we never seem to put out the same team from one game to the next. Would we just buy all the current loan players? Even if we did it would be nothing like the situation in 2019. Add to that the gap between EFL and EPL has grown enormously. It’s daunting.

Bring it on !!!

 

[Tarqs]

Sorry folks,only Cooper for me.
Seriki maybe,only a handful of games against weaker opponents,so no,at present.
Hamer,got absolutely outclassed last season-no.
Arblaster,serious injury-no.
The End.

Hamer had 10 goal contributions for one of the worst teams in premier league history. Think he was one of the only positives tbh,

 

[Need4speed]

Apart from Cooper I think our best starting 11 currently are at best backup. Currently having six loans probably means we have to sign a whole team or loan them.

 

[HOT CURRIE 10]

Hamer had 10 goal contributions for one of the worst teams in premier league history. Think he was one of the only positives tbh,

He was a positive,but he was no match for many of the premier league midfielders ,frequently he gave the ball away,caught in possession many times,out of position leading to quick breaks. He is certainly better this season albeit against weaker opponents. I like him very much but he is limited. I haven’t seen or heard any premier sides interest in him.

 

[Tarqs]

He was a positive,but he was no match for many of the premier league midfielders ,frequently he gave the ball away,caught in possession many times,out of position leading to quick breaks. He is certainly better this season albeit against weaker opponents. I like him very much but he is limited. I haven’t seen or heard any premier sides interest in him.

But much of that is down to the players around him. We had a midfielder playing who went to stockport the following season, another to chesterfield. A full back who was mid 30s and well past his best. Forwards with no movement... It was an utter shit show.

 

[Tom Bott]

What about a manager who has watched the Pompey & Boro games and , on that evidence , picks a team that can't dominate Luton feckin Town ?

Yet has won more matches than any manager in the PL or the lower 3 divisions.

Absolutely baffling, maybe winning is no longer an important part of football.

 

[Shadota]

I'd say there are a few that would be wholly capable in the PL:

• Cooper
• Souza
• Arblaster
• Hamer
• BBD

A few others who are maybes. Burrows would be dependent on his defensive abilities being tested, as he'd be up against some of the best players in the league (e.g. Saka). O'Hare's workrate would likely ensure he would get a place in the squad, though his limitations in other areas might mean he comes up short.

I'd probably include Peck too, as he certainly has the potential to be a Premier League player. But as I've not seen him play in PL yet, I shall withhold judgement until he has.

 

[LBA_Blade]

Ok my take on this. We have put out three different teams in the last three games. All of which would get absolutely mullered in the Premier League. The strikers there do not miss the chances Luton and Portsmouth missed. Lets us start with the loan players. All come from Premiership teams but can't get in their squads, that tells us something. JRS & Bereton Diaz would be ok as squad players. Jury out on Rob Holding and Harry Clarke but suspect at best backup. Not fussed on Choudhary, and although I quite like Gilchrist as a young player I don't think he is a right back or a centre back in a two, therefore squad player at best (one that can't get in our squad now) Now our own players. Cooper in goal is fine but we need a proper backup. I am happy with Burrows on the left ( full back or wing back) but we need proper competition or a better starter. McCallum isn't good enough. We have no right back other than Seriki, but he is not a starter in the Premiership. Centre backs - thanks Robinson but if we are in the premiership I am not giving you a contract. I know a lot will disagree but I don't think Anel is good enough, he is booked frequently because he gets caught out of position. Therefore we need to sign three centre backs. Only other defender RND - no chance he is good enough. Midfield is interesting I think Souza, Peck, Arblaster Davies, Hamer, O'Hare could all be ok, but only ok. But here is the important point, a midfield comprised of a combination of these would be no where near good enough, I would only want to be starting one of these as a regular in my first eleven, so essentially they are squad players. Sorry Brooks if you can't force yourself into playing for us now in the Championship it is time to move on. Strikers - well we know Cannon will be here - I don't know whether he is good enough. Campbell looks ok and has the movement you need in the Premiership. Moore has the capacity to be a squad player, as does One if we don't send him out on loan.
In short we probably need to sign a whole team, that sounds dramatic but remember 5 loans will be gonging back (assuming Diaz was loan to buy)

It does, they are at us as currently we are a Championship side. Either way we are looking at double digit signings to fill the teamsheet.

 

[Badger Blade]

Going down the squad list of players who are ours

Cooper - yes, best keeper we've had since Dean Henderson without some of the silly errors (so far). Best keeper we've had who is actually ours for a very long time.
McCallum - no, not strong enough defensively in a league where we'll do a lot of defending
Arblaster - yes, captain
Brewster - no, can barely do a job at this level. Should be released at the end of his deal and count him as the case study on how not to spend money.
Hamer - yes, key man
Moore - can do a job but not as a regular starter
O'Hare - not for me. Runs around a lot but needs to be more of a goal threat
Burrows - yes, just about. Someone on an upward curve in his career.
AA - if he's back in the right headspace then yes.
Shackleton - no
A.Davies - no, third choice if we go up.
Robinson - no, should be released at the end of the season with Brewster. Far too many flaws in his game to be coming up against top level opposition each week.
Souza - yes, if he has his game face on and doesn't behave like a petulant child if things don't go his way.
T.Davies - yes if he stays fit.
Campbell - could do a job
Cannon - no based on what little we've seen of him.
Caceres - no idea.
Faxon - no idea.
RND - no. Solid Championship level left back but not a lot more.
Brooks - maybe, never let himself down when he played in the PL last time but seems to be out of favour. Flashes of some good ability but needs to show more.
Seriki - not at the moment but maybe in a couple of seasons with more games under his belt.
Peck - of all the names listed is probably the one who will play the most games in the Premier League over his career though I fear most of them will be for someone else.

We basically need 10 Premier League quality signings, especially at the back with a genuinely good striker who the others can play second fiddle to - potentially someone from abroad. BBD on a permanent would be a decent starting point. The likes of Moore, O'Hare, Cannon, Brooks, Seriki can make up the numbers but it's likely to cost a fair whack to get what we need to be competitive.

 

[Keen Blade]

Yet has won more matches than any manager in the PL or the lower 3 divisions.

Absolutely baffling, maybe winning is no longer an important part of football.

Oh , it is ...
But his usp is often to make winning as agonising as possible ...
It must be a wind-up ,
Otherwise how to explain the excellent Boro lineup , shape , tactics and attractive play ?
We know he can do it when he wants !

He must view the fans like the Beadle views the boys in 'Oliver' ...

"Don't give 'em any meat !
"It gives 'em an artificial soul & spirit !"

"Keep em on gruel !"

 

[Tom Bott]

It must be a wind-up

Talking to two Wendy fans on Monday morning, both said it was the best Wendy had played all season.

They lost.

Which would you prefer ?

 

[Need4speed]

We lack a player that really frightens the opposition, an Illy or MGW or even McAtee - i guess our best hope for this is a loan.

 

[joe casey]

To succeed in the prem you've got to either have players with excellent ability or players that are physical specimens (ideally players with both but they don't often sign for Sheffield United).
One thing we had when we finished 9th was a lot of players who were physically up to the level - especially in that back line.

The likes of Souza, Campbell, BBD, Seriki should be able to manage physically. And then the likes of Hamer, Arblaster, Davies should have the technical ability.

I'm unsure on Burrows, Peck, Anel, O'Hare etc because they aren't physical specimens and they aren't technically superior either despite being great players at Champ level. However all have potential if fitted in with the right players (Anel looked a different player playing next to Souttar for example).

Whatever happens we'll need to recruit exceptionally well and ideally pull a couple of mcatee/ndiaye/mgw type players out the bag if we are to go up and put up a fight.

 

[Sky Blues]

O'Hare

A very good Championship player. But effort alone isn't enough for the Prem. For those who think he can make it in the Prem ask yourselves a simple question. Why didn't a single Prem side, including the newly promoted sides, show any interest when he was available on a free? You should know by now when I said he lacks the finishing touch it wasn't sour grapes. He's more like a Jack Russell. You always know he is there. Always biting your ankles but will never do much damage. And you only have to look back as far as last season to know that the Prem is on a totally different level.

 

[Th!stledo]

How's this for a brilliant idea?
On the lead up to the biggest game of our season,
Why doesn't someone start up a thread that is completely negative about virtually every member of our squad?
When did a small sector our fans become a bunch of entitled morons?
WTF people?

 

[BrisBlade]

Can only have 2 loans registered at any one time anyway mate. Max of 4 total in a season so most of our business will have to be permanent anyway

Sorry for the late response. Not been on here much this week. I was replying to a post suggesting it would be good for newly promoted teams to be allowed more loans in the PL. I realise it's not how the rules currently work, but think it's a decent idea. Levels the playing field a bit without long-term financial risk if you go straight back down and enables more young'uns in the player farms to get higher level experience.

 

[GymClassHero]

Sorry for the late response. Not been on here much this week. I was replying to a post suggesting it would be good for newly promoted teams to be allowed more loans in the PL. I realise it's not how the rules currently work, but think it's a decent idea. Levels the playing field a bit without long-term financial risk if you go straight back down and enables more young'uns in the player farms to get higher level experience.

I agree mate, unfortunately as we've experienced, the PL like to keep their big names pacified and to maintain the existing status quo.