Summer 2021 Transfers

Let me have a think

 

Is it April 1st already?

 

Definitely





as match day legends in the suites and since Moravia has a youth academy thing maybe as a youth coach in the future

 

In the words of John McEnroe 'you cannot be serious!'

 

Should be an automatic blocking policy on Bantam talk. One month for suggesting Hanson comes back and one year for suggesting we bring back McCall as manager.

 

And a permanent ban for uttering the words “I’m just happy to have a club to support”

 

I'm big Jim's biggest fan, but the answer is still sadly NO !!!

 

Nice to see ambition and a refusal to accept mediocrity.

 

Let's just assume Trueman and Sellars are going to be in place for now.

If they are, we will be working to their formation. Having a flat back four is nothing revolutionary, and looking for defensively capable midfielders to form the 2 in the 4-2-3-1 isn't anything new either.

But where we're really short is in the 3. Callum Cooke is the only player I'd like to see starting the first game of next season. We'll then need a back up attacking midfielder that isn't Clayton Donaldson, while the winger/forwards need a complete overhaul. Gareth Evans and Billy Clarke aren't dangerous enough, Vernam should be limited to impact sub because he's fast but crap, similar story for Crankshaw who's a non leaguer still learning.

If we're playing with a slower forward like Cook or Novak, it's ESSENTIAL that the winger/forwards are not only rapid, but provide a threat - this entire system rests on whether your wide men are threatening or not. I don't care if it means they feed our striker 3 or 4 chances a game, or if they're creating those chances themselves (preferably a bit of both), but we've fallen on hard times when all four of Clarke, Evans, Vernam and Crankshaw have failed to produce.

That's where next season will be won or lost IF we're sticking with Trueman and Sellars.

 

We will still play 4-2-3-1 under them.

You can't change your management style. Even an attacking manager or a defensive manager. These two are defensive.

 

Weirdly I don’t think we’re too far off with our squad of players. We need 1 or 2 new wingers, a right back and 2 more CMs to provide depth/competition.

On top of that, if we let O’Donnell and AOC go then we need a GK and CB. I’d be letting them go if we can, plus Evans and Clarke can go too. Maybe we need another striker if one of the 3 go but between Novak, Cooke and Donaldson think we have enough (assuming we’re playing 1 striker). Not a total rebuild of the squad in my opinion, just some tweaks needed.

 

That’s some tweak...

 

Absolutely. Have Grimsby and Southend got any other players that'll help fire us into automatics next season? Let's get em all signed up pronto.

 

Tweaks wont cut it and Donaldson wont be on the playing squad next year, neither will Cook who will hot heel back to Mansfield due to lack of service. That leaves Novak alone upfront and he's going to struggle playing as a sole striker.

As for 3/4/3, dont make me laugh. They may look like 3/4/3 on paper but in reality it will be the 4/5/1 or more likely 5/4/1 that they have devolved this formation into as soon as we were safe.

 

We need a bit of pace in central defence if want to play more expansive football also an all action midfielder especially if we play 442 and a quick and pacy striker to play next to Cook if he stays

 

Fair comments, but the fatal flaw is that there is no way Cook will come back given how he's been so isolated since he came. Potentially he is a 20 goals a season man, but he knows that wont happen with one striker. two wingers who couldnt beat an egg and a number ten whose major strength is taking penalties.

 

In no way a criticism of your post but when we do sign younger talent (such as Crankshaw, Vernam) and they don't fly immediately they get slated on here and then decline. We need a more positive outlook full-stop. That's partly us as supporters but mainly the club, a long term strategy and improvement as a result. Not bolfing my breath ;-)

 

Think we need to get into the very definition of the word 'tweak' here. Getting rid of 12 players as you suggest in your post, is a cull not a tweak. Personally, I'm for the cull. We are so far off from being anything other than a truly mediocre Lg 2 team/squad right now - which is where we will sit after the Morecambe game. My God, how things have gone. Morecambe playing us to seal promotion play off spot. Morecambe!

 

I certainly wouldn't want you to be bolfing - sounds awful. But we fans can only have a positive outlook when the club gives us something to be positive about.