The amount we're getting is just about right. With no loans allowed you have to make sure you have plenty of cover for all positions and players that give you the versatility to play different systems. Let's break it down: CDM: Williams & Sessi. We should always have the option to play 4-1-4-1 or something similar this season plus we have 2 good tacklers like Morsy & James we can use at CM next to a more attacking player CM: Williams, Sessi, Moncur, Mallan, Mcgeehan, Potts, Mowatt,- yes it sounds a lot but they aren't all going to be fighting for the same spot. Brad & Stevie are natural on the wing, Mcgeehan & Moncur could be used as a number 10 or upfront etc.... Now we can all but guarantee we won't be in a position like last season against Bristol at home! CAM: Mcgeehan, Mallan, Moncur, Mowatt, Potts- We will never have an issue playing a 4-4-1-1 or something similar this season. Winger: Isgrove, Hammill, Potts, Mallan, Hedges, - We should always have someone available who is comfortable out wide
It is obvious that we are going to be a high pressing high intensity midfield so to avoid burn out we need as many midfielders as Warnock needs forwards .
We seem to be ok for centre midfielders- but we have only one winger Isgrove at the club. Hammill will not see out the season IMO - hope I'm wrong. So we need 2 wingers and 2 spare just incase of injury etc. So IMO we need another 3 fast wingers. Potts would be one of them.
Looked odds on to win it but fell apart in the last two overs. Derbyshire sneaked home with two balls to spare. Time was beating Derbyshire was a given - they've done the double over us in this competition this season.
We've got ten now I believe. That seems a lot to me. Particularly if, as the opening post suggests, a number can play in more than one position across the midfield. I don't know, other than Adam Hammill, I'm struggling to even identify any of them, never mind tell you what position they play in. Managers seem to like a squad of 22 players, two for each position. If 10 of those are midfielders it would suggest we'd be limiting ourselves elsewhere. Even if we play 4-5-1, we'd still have 5 midfield players out of the side which seems excessive to me. It's not a major criticism, having too many players, better than struggling to put together a team I suppose. I'm just worried it limits the quality we can afford to bring in. If there's a set wage budget, the average amount you can pay a player is less if you have ten players than it is if you have seven or eight. You're sharing the same amount across more people and as better quality players can demand a higher wage... it's the old adage of quality over quantity. More worrying for everyone is our options up front. I hope paying a bunch of midfield players to sit in the stands isn't preventing us from affording a decent quality striker.
I think we will definitely be playing 4-5-1 this season which will at times be quite narrow, flooding the midfield. Which is probably sensible given that real quality is required to play 4-4-2 as it is more open. Which we don't have compared to other teams. This season is going to be a really really tough one. I would take 21st now.
Pre seasons a different beast. Honestly you don't think we won't line up with only one up front at Bristol City on Sat?
Might do. But like i say, think we'll change it up. Doubt hecky would play 442 in the last 4 friendlies if he had no real intention of using it.
It is, though if you're planning to play one up front all season and don't trial it in a single pre-season game I'd say you've wasted a valuable aspect of pre-season - tactics.