30 May 2025 21:00:56
Check out this squad to start next year with.
GK: Garcia (23m) / Onana/ Heaton
CB: Yoro/ Kukonki, MdL/ Licha, Heaven/ Fredrickson
LWB: Dorgu/ Amass
RWB: Amad/ Kamason
MF: Ugarte/ Collyer, Mainoo/ Kone
10's: Cunha/ Zirkzee/ Mount/ Garnacho
SK: Rasmus/ Obi
Youth to supplement the bench.
Pick the holes. For me they are,
Shortage of goals, potentially and what if Garcia is injured medium term, unreliable backup.
Haven't sold Garnacho, just hopeful a way forward can be found.
Of course sell those who are not mentioned and clear debts, improve PSR etc etc.
Worst case, something not working get to Xmas and dip into transfer market.
Thoughts?
31 May 2025 00:15:28
Gotta say I hope it goes a lot further than adding just a GK and Cunha. I do think we'll see a good deal of the youth next season but I hope they won't be plugging gaps of departed players, he's hinted at a smaller squad but still expecting 4-5 quality signings.
31 May 2025 02:08:25
True Spenno. It is arguably more important to get players out.
The above allows for a good deal to be shipped out, and the squad is not too bad.
I do agree, as noted, there are areas where a few extra players may be necessary, aka, a second keeper, a striker, a Garnacho replacement etc, but they may not be required.
31 May 2025 03:42:27
So what us happening to McGuire, Shaw, Dalot? That defense of yours is way too inexperienced to get top half epl. But presuming we keep Dalot and McGuire for one more season, it looks a little better.
Now factor in that Licha might never get back to what he was after a very lengthy time injured. MDL is out with knee ligaments and probably won't start season. Evans retiring, lindelof gone. Shaw is two weeks away from dislocating his eyelash and missing another season.
We do have some promising youth at CB. But I think we need to bring someone in to replace some of this experience.
Next is goals. I like hoyland, I think he will come good. But we need a first choice striker who will score goals, we are the only team in the epl who have no second striker to come off the bench. Yes Obe is promising youth, he does need to get chances, but he is 17 and should be 3rd choice with game time off the bench and jn the cups.
Gutted frimpong is going to Liverpool btw, he would have been perfect for our right side.
31 May 2025 04:44:59
If we went into next season with that team we are bang in serious trouble…. Weak slow ponderous defence, made up of injury prone players, a midfield with no legs at all…. and the glaring problem of NO GOALS
Yeah that be great, but at least we could start planing for the championship, where all those players may thrive, Rasmus might even get to double figures in championship, but could not even guarantee that!
That would be a shocking team/ squad.
31 May 2025 06:13:15
Dodgy, those defenders would be some of the first out the door, in that order you noted.
I had almost forgiven Maguire for being so calamitous, with his goal scoring feats to prolong the miserable season, but he ruined it for himself in the final, where he acted like an idiot all game and lost the mind games. For that reason, he needs to go, asap.
Shaw is Shaw, get rid.
Dalot I would maybe keep for another season.
Licha and MdL are suited to the central role, if/ when fit, but only if we stop having the two other CBs on the byline at start of plays.
Yoro and Heaven have shown enough to me to be first team players next year, so I think we can afford to get rid of some of the aforementioned dross.
Yes agreed potentially short on goals, wouldn't be against a striker of course, was looking to keep the spending down.
31 May 2025 07:31:30
Onana/ NEW/ Heaton
Yoro/ Mazraoui/ Fredricson
De Ligt/ Maguire
Heaven/ Martinez/ Kukonki
And/ Dalot/ Kamason
Dorgu/ Amass/ Leon
Ugarte/ Casemiro/ Kone
Bruno/ Mainoo/ NEW
NEW/ Mount
Cunha/ Zirkzee
NEW/ Obi
Is far, far more likely.
31 May 2025 07:36:55
A gk and a striker are a must.
Amorim saying we won't be able to do a lot in the transfer market is a woʻrry. He hasn't shown anything to get the best out of this bunch.
Selling garnacho for me would be a mistake. He adds something different to the other players. Always think he looks the better attacker when on the pitch. There are plenty we should be selling before him.
Hopefully wilcox and vivell can produce this summer and bring in some player amorim may be able to get the best out of.
I do worry for next year if we start the season with the same squad we finished with.
31 May 2025 08:39:31
Id think that squad could finish worse this seasons.
Cunhas goals and assists would replace Bruno no issue there but the rest are not going to suddenly do better. Why keep garnacho he is not happy and the manager doesn't want him apparently.
Awful terrible squad that would be.
31 May 2025 09:43:25
If we are serious about improving next year we need a decent clear out and overhaul from players, mentality and unity.
My 11 year old and his mates spent the half term rebuilding the team so if the club wants a blueprint I can send them there way.
Very much feels like we need to horse trade to bring players in if our budget is £100m. but we can sell multiple players with minimal impact and bring a replacement in to add quality.
We already know that Rashford, Sancho, Malacia, Antony all have no impact on the squad so who we bring in for any money from those is a bonus.
31 May 2025 10:50:29
Have you heard of the saying about the baby and the bathwater?
You've absolutely stripped far too many players needlessly away from that squad.
Mazraoui, Dalot, Maguire and Martinez are all very capable players who at least offer solid squad depth.
I wouldn't be totally against keeping Casemiro either. Ideally he leaves due to his wages and his limited ability to play twice a week. Yet towards the end of this season he was arguably our best midfielder, rotated in and out of the line up, only playing once per week. He offers experience and leadership. Ignoring the wages and only thinking about it from a footballing perspective it makes more sense to keep him. Especially as bar Ugarte the other options in midfield currently are very inexperienced (Mainoo, Collyer, and Kone) .
You've also kept Garnacho despite the very public report that the manager has told him to find a new club.
While you've only added Garcia and Cunha to the squad, which is very unrealistic. More than two will certainly join.
I'm a big advocate of giving youth a chance at our club, but that needs to be in the right way. They need to come into a structured side with leaders to support and guide them. You can't just chuck 6 or 7 players with next to no first team experience into the squad as vital players who will play regularly.
When SAF won with kids, what is often forgotten is that he still had many great older, experienced professionals in the squad to help guide them. While it's also fair to say the EPL was a very different beast back then. The standard in quality across the league in terms of the ability of the players is much higher now. Mid-table EPL sides do well in Europe and actually challenge for domestic cups.
When SAF gave a raft of youth players a chance they were far more talented then most of the players they were up against, which went a long way to level the playing field against the more experienced and more physical opposition players. That just isn't the case now for most youth players. They are up against players with as much talent and ability, but they are also physically stronger, quicker and have experience. Young players need players around them with that experience to guide them through games.
31 May 2025 13:57:09
Downsie,
Your squad is not too dissimilar to mine, only you have retained a few older players. I suspect the squad will be smaller than yours suggests and I would hope the likes of Casemiro are moved on, purely for the wages they are on.
The main approach on my squad is to start again, get rid of the crap from this year, most hasn't been good enough.
I did state I kept Garnacho, hoping it would be resolved, off how people are amazed he is there, even with that statement. if he goes, then he will be replaced.
Most of those kids have been having regular exposure to the first team since Amorim came in, that is probably for good reason.
Yes I would say we probably need a couple of signings to supplement it, but we also need to sell first.
That squad would not be as bad as most are making out. You seem to forget how bad we were the last few years with some of the names left in.
31 May 2025 13:59:14
Shappy I kept Martinez in the squad.
Maz I don't think has a place, he is not a RWB, nor a CB, where does he play.
Maguire just no.
Dalot maybe for a year but if a offer came in I would get rid
Casemiro just no.
31 May 2025 14:00:17
Tumble, it is not as bad as you are suggesting, you just aren't thinking straight again.
31 May 2025 16:03:20
Jimbob, we need to be careful to make sure this is an evolution of the squad and not a revolution.
Changing too much too quickly nearly always ends in failure. Football is a team sport, and it's not as simple as putting the best individuals together.
I think we will likely keep a lot of players who don't have a long term future at the club this summer, partially because we can't move them on without making a loss and therefore can't afford to replace them, but also partially because you can't just totally rip everything up and start again.
I'd expect to see a squad something like this come the start of next season:
GK: Heaton, new keeper, one of Onana/ Bayindir.
It's unlikely we can get both of them sold this summer. Bayindir will be easier to shift as we still need around 35m for Onana to avoid making a loss.
CB: MdL, Maguire, Mazraoui, Yoro, Martinez, Heaven, Shaw, Fredricson or Kukonki.
Given that Martinez will miss the first part of the season and Shaw has a pretty awful injury record I think we'll absolutely keep Maguire and Mazraoui to offer some experience and squad cover. I don't see us signing a CB this summer, I expect we'll wait until next summer when Maguire and Shaw are likely to leave. If Kukonki is deemed ready to start playing some minutes then maybe Fredricson leaves on loan to get some game time. Kukonki can't leave on loan due to his age.
WB: Amad, Dalot, Dorgu, Amass, Kamason/ Mantato, Leon.
Dalot will 100% stay, his ability to cover both sides and his top class attitude in training are important things a squad needs. He also offers some experience, with the other options being very young. Mazraoui and Shaw could also deputise at wingback if needed.
CM: Ugarte, Casemiro, Mainoo, new CM, Collyer/ Kone.
I don't think Casemiro will leave this summer as I don't see anyone being prepared to match his wages. Besides he's actually been out best performing midfielder since January. When he doesn't have to play twice a week he is still useful. I expect we'll get a new midfielder, someone well rounded and capable right across the midfield. Given the reduced number of games I'd expect one of Collyer or Kone to leave to get game time. Collyer could also be sold to raise funds if the manager doesn't feel he'll play much.
AM: Cunha, Mount, Bruno?, new AM, Lacey maybe.
I expect at least one more alongside Cunha to join. It looks like the club would like that to be Mbeumo. We could get a third player here if Bruno departs. Amad and Zirkzee can also cover here. If Bruno does leave then we could look at Semenyo as the third option. For my money I think he'd be more likely to split his time between inside forward and wingback much like Amad. Shea Lacey may get a few chances, or he might head out on loan.
Options of Cunha, Mbeumo, Mount, Semenyo and Amad looks very good.
ST: Zirkzee, new ST, Obi.
Zirkzee I think will split his time between being back up in both ST and AM. Obi I think will start to get more chances coming on for the final 20 minutes in games that are pretty much already won. Højlund I think will be fired out the door to whoever we can find. It might be a loan with an obligation to buy to avoid taking a loss.
So that's a new keeper, midfielder, 2 or 3 attacking midfielders depending on whether Bruno stays or goes, and a striker.
5 or 6 new first team players, along with 5 or 6 academy players becoming more regular rotation players (Fredricson, Kone, Amass, Mantato, and Obi are the ones I expect will get some game time) .
31 May 2025 23:27:58
The thing that makes me laugh is that all season for the last few seasons, collectively we have been saying the players are not good enough, yet, when presented with an opportunity to have a clean slate, you all bring back in half the perennial underachievers! The mind boggles!
01 Jun 2025 11:04:46
… because it isn’t Championship Manager, try selling 30 players and replacing every one with a few mouseclicks.
01 Jun 2025 13:42:12
Jimbob, You just can't get rid of all the players in one go. Firstly it means you have a squad of total strangers trying to play a team game. Secondly the sheer cost isn't something we can afford. Many of the players you propose getting rid of bring nothing back into the club, meaning we have to replace them out of our own pocket.
Keeping a few of them until next summer solves both of those issues.
Just to be clear though I am still saying for us to move on:
One of Onana or Bayindir
Evans
Eriksen
Lindelof
Malacia
Gore
Rashford
Antony
Hojlund
Sancho
Garnacho
and Wheatley
Along with one of Collyer or Bruno.
So I'm still suggesting to move on 13 players.
Others who need to leave probably next summer include whichever keeper doesn't leave this summer between Onana and Bayindir, Heaton, Maguire, Shaw, Casemiro and possibly Martinez.
That's another 5 or 6 players.
Your suggesting to get rid of nearly 20 players this summer, That would require us to bring in at least 12 or 13 players into the squad even to have the bare bones smaller squad. Even if we promoted 5 academy players with the expectation that they will all make 10 or so appearances across the season we would still need to sign 7 or 8 players for the first team, which just isn't viable outside of a games console.
01 Jun 2025 19:59:19
Shappy, I have listed a 23man squad.
I can accept that a couple should stay for another season.
Mazraoui, dalot and maybe Maguire. That's it. And if you add those 3 to my list and compare to yours, it is not too dissimilar.
I also accept that a couple if the youth players mentions are maybe not ready, so they would need to be supplemented by a transfer.
I have though only mentioned Cunha and Garcia (although that option appears to be off the table now)
I'll write a separate post with a new squad soon that includes possible transfers.