First Team
Goalkeepers
Dimitar Mitov 2017 plus one year option
Declan Rudd 2017 (Season long loan from Norwich)
Dillon Phillips 2018
Right Backs
Kevin Foley 05/01/2017
Chris Solly 2020
Centre Backs
Roger Johnson 2017
Harry Lennon 2018
Patrick Bauer 2019
Ezri Konsa Undisclosed "Long Term" (2019 estimated, signed December 2015)
Jason Pearce 2019
Jorge Teixeira 2020
Naby Sarr 2020 - loaned to Red Star FC 93 (France)
Left Backs
Morgan Fox 2018
Adam Chickson 2017
Central Midfielders
Andrew Crofts 2017
Alou Diarra 2017 - Contract terminated by mutual consent
Johnnie Jackson 2017
Oliver Muldoon 2017
El-Hadji Ba 2018
Ahmed Kashi 2018 (long term injury)
Fredrik Ulvestad (Signed on season long loan from Burnley)
Wide Midfielders
Ricky Holmes 2018
Ademola Lookman 2020
Jordan Botaka - Signed on season long loan from Leeds
Cristian Ceballos 2018 - loaned to STVV (Belgium)
Strikers
Karlan Ahearne-Grant 2019 new contract announced 1/9/16
Brandon Hanlan 2018
Nicky Ajose 2019
Lee Novak 2019
Josh Maginnis 2018
Tony Watt 2018 - loaned to Hearts
Igor Vetokele 2019 - loaned to Zulte Waregem (Belgium)
U23 Development Squad
Goalkeepers
Callum Thomas 2017 (estimated)
Jordan Beeney 2018 (had heard he signed a 2 year scholarship and 2 year pro deal)
Right Backs
Aaron Barnes 2017
Centre Backs
Elan Assiana 2017 (estimated)
Daniel Bowry 2017
Terell Thomas 2017
Kenneth Yao Undisclosed "Long Term" (2019 estimated, signed January 2016)
Left Backs
Archie Edwards 2018
Central Midfielders
Joe Aribo 2017
Chris Millar 2017
Anfernee Dijksteel 2017
Regan Charles-Cook Undisclosed "Long Term" (2019 estimated, signed December 2015)
George Lapslie 2019
Matt Carter 2018
Strikers
Mikhail Kennedy 2018
Josh Umerah 2018
Louis-Michel Yamfam 2018
3
Comments
We have cover at goalkeeper and in defence. The failure to move the expensive but very good Teixeira on and the emergence of Konsa gives us 6 centre halves which is probably 1 too many but other than keeping them all happy that isn't a bad thing. Tex is class above in this league as is Bauer. Pearce is proven, Lennon did well with Gills and is left footed. Roger Johnson knows what to do if he doesn't like it.
We have four experienced full backs as well.
In midfield Slade wanted more bodies this week but got only Ulvestad. He's as yet untested in English football but no shame in not having forced his way into a promotion winning Burnley side.
Given that I'd expect Crofts, Ulvestad and Holmes to all start when fit that only leaves one other midfield place. Lookman if Slade chooses to use him as a winger or Jackson if the gaffer wants a more defensive midfield. Or even leave Foley there. Botaka is a wild card as could be Ba, a player whose contract would have been terminated if they could have.
If and when Kashi and Diarra return that is a strong, if more defensively minded, midfield.
Muldoon and Charles-Cook will do well to break into that side but are there as cover if needed.
Up front Ajose, Maginnis and Novak is a strong trio. Even stronger if Lookman is seen as a forward to fight it out with Ajose for a starting place. KAG, Hanlan and Umerah give more options.
Weaknesses? There is a lot of the shoulders of Ulvestad and Holmes to push the team forward and not many alternatives until Botaka proves himself. While Novak is injured we lack a bit of guile and hold up play up front
Said a few weeks back that this would be a top six squad and still think the same if we can keep Holmes and Novak fit and if Ulvestad does the business.
Well done Russell.
Definitely one short on the wings. We can't expect to see Jackson out there all season, and Botaka has hardly featured this season so far. Perhaps Slade may play one of Fox or Chicksen further forward with the other at left back?
Not sure about up front. The numbers are there, but not sure on the quality. Had KAG kicked on a bit more than he has then I would be happy with him as one of our 4, with Hanlan as back up.
He & the board have brought in some good players and also kept players we could have lost too (Lookman, Solly) so there is some credit for both this Summer.
Let's hope Teixeira comes back fit and starts playing along with Bauer, Pearce, Lennon and Konsa and with 5 decent centre halves, two of which can cover full-back positions so will add to their game time there - we can agree the mutual termination of RoJo's contract so he can P*** off back to India or wherever he can get paid shedloads for doing as little as possible.
Just how well we do depends on injuries and whether players like Ulvested and Botaka step up and make a real difference.
But I guess every team has fans saying "we only need one or two more players to be really good" and we're no different.
----------Rudd----------
Solly--Bauer----Pearce--Fox
Holmes-Kashi-Diarra-Lookman
------Ajose---Magennis-----
and then
----------Phillips----------
Foley--Konsa---Tex--Chicksen
Botaka-Ulvestad-Crofts-Jackson
------Novak---Hanlan-------
With Mitov, Lennon, Johnson (sorry), Ba (sorry), Umerah, Muldoon, KAG, Terrell Thomas, Archie Edwards, maybe Charles-Cook/Kennedy should things get particularly tight re injury.
That top lineup should theoretically compete well in the division above. The second one is thinner, but definitely has a few useful backup players.
Of course, we're looking at injuries to Kashi and Diarra, so yes we seem like we're lacking in depth - and with Foley as CM and RB cover at the moment, this is exacerbated.
But at the moment, bar an extra RB for comfort's sake, can't particularly fault the makeup of the squad, even if it is evidently filled with some players that as CAFC fans we'd consider distinctly ordinary.
We're in League One, which is not fine, but this squad - for League One - certainly is likely to be very close to enough.
Slade really does have a conundrum now though. Konsa should be given the benefit of not having to play every week, but he's done well when he's appeared so he should still get minutes. On top of that we've now got Bauer, Texeira and Pearce all vying for the same position. On the one hand it's great - you always need a squad and they must be three of the best centre halves in the league, but Pearce was signed to play and Roland doesn't like paying for players who aren't in the 11, so I feel like Tex will still be banished, or at the very least earmarked to move on in January, making Slade reluctant to play him. Still, a back four of Solly, Bauer, Pearce/Tex, Fox is as good as it gets at this level. Add in the returns of Diarra and Kashi (if they ever happen) and we can afford to play two out and out wingers with the cover the central two will provide. Could be an exciting line up. Plus we never have to see Roger again!
Bye Alou
If he had gone to another Championship club (say Rotherham or Burton) I wouldn't have been that bothered!
I blame @Ollywozere
Rudd
Solly Pearce Tex/Bauer Fox
----Ulvestad/Crofts/Jacko (2 of)------
Holmes---------------Lookman
-------Magennis Ajose-------
Give Holmes and Lookman the chance to push on much higher up the pitch. Can't think many League 1 teams will have a better attacking threat than Holmes, Lookman, Magennis, Ajose. Novak and Hanlan waiting in the wings up front but we're probably still one short of a wide player. Central midfield is still a problem but Ulvestad may give us that different dimension and Kashi will provide class if he ever returns. Spoilt for choice in defence. Much happier than I thought I would be at the end of last season, after the Cheltenham game and on Wednesday morning.
http://www.cafc.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/charlton-athletic-karln-ahearne-grant-contract-extension-3286829.aspx
Like the flags Henry. Let me know when Roland starts executing CARD members with an anti-aircraft gun!
Most footballers do.
Any way, not enough options yet in midfield for me.
Still early days for Slade in the transfer market with us and hopefully he and his team will find maybe one or two more free aganeta and then have a good run at the Jamuary window lining up players in and out as appropriate.
I'd hoped for a bit more, remain upset about Diarra leaving.
It's noteworthy that only two of our senior central midfielders are contracted beyond next summer, namely, Ba and Kashi. Russell Slade and his management team will be acutely aware of that and hopefully it will be addressed when the opportunity arises to get a player or two in. Longer term, I think the club have high hopes for Regan Charles-Cook and Lapsie and hopefully they'll continue to push on this season.
I don't think Slade had enough time to target the players he wanted this window and has made do with what he could get.
Hopefully, Foley will do well and earn a longer deal, but it doesn't look that likely based on current viewings, and if Slade and team get some decent backing for reinforcements in January, that may be enough.
We will be in a better position to see how competitive we are in a month or so.
It sounds as if senior players like Foley and Crofts are likely to be valuable to the group, on and off the pitch, this season.
That may be enough to earn Foley a contact extension in January.