I think it is reasonable to feel that the squad is in better shape than last season, certainly than this time last summer.
I also think it's reasonable to feel that there are still gaps in a squad that need to be plugged if we are to challenge at the top of the table.
And the problem is, according to reports on here, TS has said we are unlikely to bring in anyone over the next 2 weeks & most likely signings will be towards the end if the transfer window.
So we could be starting the season with just the strikers we currently have. And like last season when we started with no fit left back we could get off to a stinker.
As Shirley Bassey once sang......" it's all just history repeating"
See this is where the grey areas start coming in, people were complaining that TS gives it the big’n too much and should learn, so he has come out with a lower key statement that indicates he is learning. That’s suddenly what people don’t want to hear.🤷🏻♂️Everything has been done under the radar so far so maybe he is continuing in that vein, I wouldn’t be surprised if something happens. If he comes out and says 3 are in this week and it doesn’t happen, we all know how this forum alone starts bedwetting. He is not willing to have his pants pulled down by agents so is playing the game. We 100% need better forwards/ left backs.Patience is key.
I think it is reasonable to feel that the squad is in better shape than last season, certainly than this time last summer.
I also think it's reasonable to feel that there are still gaps in a squad that need to be plugged if we are to challenge at the top of the table.
And the problem is, according to reports on here, TS has said we are unlikely to bring in anyone over the next 2 weeks & most likely signings will be towards the end if the transfer window.
So we could be starting the season with just the strikers we currently have. And like last season when we started with no fit left back we could get off to a stinker.
As Shirley Bassey once sang......" it's all just history repeating"
But then again she also sang ‘Hey big spender’ but perhaps more pertinently ‘I who have nothing’!!!
Has TS or BG actually said we are not signing a striker in this window because that that seems to be the pessimistic view amongst fans ?
No. Sandgaard HAS said that he doesn't expect more business before the start of the season but that's it.
He hasn't expressly said that we are definitely looking at more business either to be fair but the implication of his statement seems to be that more deals will take more time.
Has TS or BG actually said we are not signing a striker in this window because that that seems to be the pessimistic view amongst fans ?
No. Sandgaard HAS said that he doesn't expect more business before the start of the season but that's it.
He hasn't expressly said that we are definitely looking at more business either to be fair but the implication of his statement seems to be that more deals will take more time.
Which in all fairness makes sense to me. It isnt ideal that it will take us closer but if its the right deal and we havent panicked then im all for it.
It's all about brinkmanship. Selling clubs and agents know that the later they hold out the more money they all get as the panic sets in for buying clubs. At our level of buying a £3-500k sale can bankroll the clubs for a bit. Also the player might get a longer more lucrative contract.
I still think TS had money to put in, but doesn't want another dub or sicknote employee.
I think it is reasonable to feel that the squad is in better shape than last season, certainly than this time last summer.
I also think it's reasonable to feel that there are still gaps in a squad that need to be plugged if we are to challenge at the top of the table.
And the problem is, according to reports on here, TS has said we are unlikely to bring in anyone over the next 2 weeks & most likely signings will be towards the end if the transfer window.
So we could be starting the season with just the strikers we currently have. And like last season when we started with no fit left back we could get off to a stinker.
As Shirley Bassey once sang......" it's all just history repeating"
See this is where the grey areas start coming in, people were complaining that TS gives it the big’n too much and should learn, so he has come out with a lower key statement that indicates he is learning. That’s suddenly what people don’t want to hear.🤷🏻♂️Everything has been done under the radar so far so maybe he is continuing in that vein, I wouldn’t be surprised if something happens. If he comes out and says 3 are in this week and it doesn’t happen, we all know how this forum alone starts bedwetting. He is not willing to have his pants pulled down by agents so is playing the game. We 100% need better forwards/ left backs.Patience is key.
Patience got us an ex Palace player with a sad injury history. Result one forward pass to wax lyrical over as Adkins did and then nothing.
It's all about brinkmanship. Selling clubs and agents know that the later they hold out the more money they all get as the panic sets in for buying clubs. At our level of buying a £3-500k sale can bankroll the clubs for a bit. Also the player might get a longer more lucrative contract.
I still think TS had money to put in, but doesn't want another dub or sicknote employee.
The longer we delay into the start of the season the more we are behind the 8-ball. I would have thought we would have learnt THAT lesson from last season.
Now I know it's not my money but spending an extra couple of hundred thousand now rather than waiting until August 31st might be the difference between success & failure......and staying in this division another season will cost TS a whole damn more than £200k.
Right Backs Chris Gunter 2022 (+1 year option) - Egbo Adam Matthews 2022 - Clare (accepting he may play elsewhere)
Centre Backs Akin Famewo 2022 (season long loan with option to buy) - O'Connell
Ryan Inniss 2022 (+1 year option) - no change
Jason Pearce 2022 (with opportunity to move into coaching role) - Lavelle Deji Elerewe - no change
Left Backs
Ben Purrington 2022 - Sessengon No one - no change (Clayden?)
Central Midfielders George Dobson 2023 - no change
Jake Forster-Caskey 2022 (+1 year option) - available to play Alex Gilbey 2023 - no change
Albie Morgan 2023 - no change Ben Watson 2022 - Fraser No one - McGrandles
Attacking Midfielders/Wingers
Diallang Jaiyesimi 2024 - no change No one - Charlie Kirk No one - Corey Blackett-Taylor
Strikers
Ronnie Schwartz 2023 - Chuks Aneke Jayden Stockley 2024 - no change Conor Washington 2022 - Josh Davison
That we're better off than this time last year is undisputed, but that's hardly something to shout about seeing that we kicked off last season with relegation form!
Right Backs Chris Gunter 2022 (+1 year option) - Egbo Adam Matthews 2022 - Clare (accepting he may play elsewhere)
Centre Backs Akin Famewo 2022 (season long loan with option to buy) - O'Connell
Ryan Inniss 2022 (+1 year option) - no change
Jason Pearce 2022 (with opportunity to move into coaching role) - Lavelle Deji Elerewe - no change
Left Backs
Ben Purrington 2022 - Sessengon No one - no change (Clayden?)
Central Midfielders George Dobson 2023 - no change
Jake Forster-Caskey 2022 (+1 year option) - available to play Alex Gilbey 2023 - no change
Albie Morgan 2023 - no change Ben Watson 2022 - Fraser No one - McGrandles
Attacking Midfielders/Wingers
Diallang Jaiyesimi 2024 - no change No one - Charlie Kirk No one - Corey Blackett-Taylor
Strikers
Ronnie Schwartz 2023 - Chuks Aneke Jayden Stockley 2024 - no change Conor Washington 2022 - Josh Davison
It's trending in the right direction. But we still need more. Someone who could play LB and CB and LCB in a back three. It's a shame because we had one in Purrington who wasn't a world beater but would have provided solid depth. I imagine they couldn't come to an agreement on a contract, and perhaps we end up with someone better, but it's a risk when what we need is cover and depth given we have solid fullbacks in place now.
A wide attacker who scores goals as mentioned above. The issue there is, that's a lot easier said than done. You're probably looking at someone with clear risks, ie injuries, or a Prem/Champo loanee who is unproven.
Another CF and moving Davison on would be good, but a lower priority. If we go into the season with Davison as our third choice CF, it's not ideal but it's not the worst thing in the world. It's what he should have been last season. The biggest problem is when Chuks is your second choice in front of Davison, Davison can become second choice quite quickly when Chuks is injured.
I have lingering doubts about Stockley's ability to thrive in the system Garner wants to play. I worry about his mobility and technical quality as a lone striker. Same as I did last year under Adkins. If you can get wingers and midfielders around him to link play, he should be fine. But he can also look very isolated very quickly and suddenly his best quality of winning headers goes to no one.
Lastly, I worry about our lack of cover at DM. JFC can play there, but it's not his best position. Albie has played there but he lacks the ball winning and positional awareness to be a longer term solution if something happens to Dobbo. And Clare isn't really a sitting midfielder, and he also seems to be a defender now. I don't think Henry is a ball winner, but if we're a team with a lot of possession I could see him coming in to play as a deep lying play maker.
That said, our midfield is very strong and very deep. We should dominate most games in the middle of the park in and out of possession. You can basically play Dobbo and any of the other two together and have a strong midfield.
Numbers wise, we're really not too far aware. Two, maybe three in my opinion. There seems to be enough potential quality coming through the youth ranks to provide cover in the event of a true injury crisis somewhere. Kanu, Leaburn, Williams, Harness, Harvey, and Campbell probably aren't ready for regular first team football, but might be able to hold their own for two or three games if called upon. Henry seems like he's the closest to first team ready and maybe has the most potential. Expect him to get minutes in the cups and then reassess in January.
Slow and steady wins the race. You don't win anything for having the best squad on paper on July 10th, even if the season starts early. We don't necessarily have big names at this level, but unlike last season, we have a squad built with a cohesive vision to play a system and style of football, AND a manager who seemingly wants to play that system and style. Rotherham were a great example last year of how well that can go, even if they were probably a bit more rough and ready than we'll be this season. If we finish off the squad well, I think we should be in and around the top six.
I just wonder if we have that little bit of individual quality to get us through tough times. Grant, Taylor, Bielik, Bauer, or Cullen from 2019. That said, some of those players were unicorns at this level, and we are far more of a system-based side, so maybe the application of that system is the difference maker this time around.
The team that got promoted under Bowyer still needed work after the season started and before the deadline, so I have no issue with nothing happening in the next 2 weeks, as long as we don’t end up with the Leko, Lee & Arter type scenario. I am quietly confident this won’t happen so fingers crossed we will have a decent squad/first XI by the end of the window.
the only thing I would caution is that we do need a real bit of quality to come in still. I don’t look at that team and think, we just need a few for cover, I look at it and think, we need better, so the likes of DJ for example is cover
Yann signed after the season started too, and was the final piece of the jigsaw that gave that team the extra it needed. As long as we have a team good enough to pick up points and keep us in touch at the top then a bit of business a few weeks into the season is fine, especially if waiting that bit longer gets you real quality like Yann or Bielik, for example.
The problem last season was that the squad was full of holes when the season started. This year’s still needs additions but we can, for example, put a full squad of senior pros and still have a few experienced players left out completely.
Another thing waiting can tell you or help tell you is where you are short in relation to the league. Especially when you are re-building. It is hard to know the effect new players may have, but gaps may become evident when it all kicks off. It is easier to fill these sort of gaps when you know where they are.
With the height we now have in our squad,we need to ensure that when we get set pieces we have someone capable of accuracy,none of this near post stuff,or popping the ball tamely into the keepers hands.Old fashioned corners aimed for near the penalty spot will bring rewards.
When you and I played together, Ray, you couldn't reach the penalty area with your corners 🤣🤣🤣
In fairness those lace up leather balls weighed a ton when they were wet.
Especially when coupled with those bloody great big steel toe capped hob nail boots I bet...😎
Yep,thats what I wore and that what I played with when I first played ,on pitches llike cabbage patches.modern generation dont know they are born.God help you if on the rare occasion someone got the ball in the air and you headed it on the lace .
The team that got promoted under Bowyer still needed work after the season started and before the deadline, so I have no issue with nothing happening in the next 2 weeks, as long as we don’t end up with the Leko, Lee & Arter type scenario. I am quietly confident this won’t happen so fingers crossed we will have a decent squad/first XI by the end of the window.
the only thing I would caution is that we do need a real bit of quality to come in still. I don’t look at that team and think, we just need a few for cover, I look at it and think, we need better, so the likes of DJ for example is cover
Yann signed after the season started too, and was the final piece of the jigsaw that gave that team the extra it needed. As long as we have a team good enough to pick up points and keep us in touch at the top then a bit of business a few weeks into the season is fine, especially if waiting that bit longer gets you real quality like Yann or Bielik, for example.
The problem last season was that the squad was full of holes when the season started. This year’s still needs additions but we can, for example, put a full squad of senior pros and still have a few experienced players left out completely.
Another thing waiting can tell you or help tell you is where you are short in relation to the league. Especially when you are re-building. It is hard to know the effect new players may have, but gaps may become evident when it all kicks off. It is easier to fill these sort of gaps when you know where they are.
I think that pre season training plus friendly matches should identify any gaps and we should attempt to fill those gaps by the time the season kicks off.
Right Backs Chris Gunter 2022 (+1 year option) - Egbo Adam Matthews 2022 - Clare (accepting he may play elsewhere)
Centre Backs Akin Famewo 2022 (season long loan with option to buy) - O'Connell
Ryan Inniss 2022 (+1 year option) - no change
Jason Pearce 2022 (with opportunity to move into coaching role) - Lavelle Deji Elerewe - no change
Left Backs
Ben Purrington 2022 - Sessengon No one - no change (Clayden?)
Central Midfielders George Dobson 2023 - no change
Jake Forster-Caskey 2022 (+1 year option) - available to play Alex Gilbey 2023 - no change
Albie Morgan 2023 - no change Ben Watson 2022 - Fraser No one - McGrandles
Attacking Midfielders/Wingers
Diallang Jaiyesimi 2024 - no change No one - Charlie Kirk No one - Corey Blackett-Taylor
Strikers
Ronnie Schwartz 2023 - Chuks Aneke Jayden Stockley 2024 - no change Conor Washington 2022 - Josh Davison
That we're better off than this time last year is undisputed, but that's hardly something to shout about seeing that we kicked off last season with relegation form!
Yes, and also consider where we finished, miles off a promotion challenge. This is the key for me. The gap between where we finished and being able to put together a team that can get promoted this year, not just make the play offs. Personally, I can’t see the current squad, plus 3 or 4 more of a similar quality to the players we’ve signed and players we’ve got, being enough. So hopefully, the next few in, be it in 2 weeks plus time, are going to be the Cullen’s, Bielik’s or Kermorgants that will elevate us to the level needed
Comments
🤣🤣
https://forum.charltonlife.com/discussion/92021/updated-squad-list-13-july-2021/p1
Chris Gunter 2022 (+1 year option) - Egbo
Adam Matthews 2022 - Clare (accepting he may play elsewhere)
Akin Famewo 2022 (season long loan with option to buy) - O'Connell
Deji Elerewe - no change
No one - no change (Clayden?)
George Dobson 2023 - no change
Alex Gilbey 2023 - no change
Ben Watson 2022 - Fraser
No one - McGrandles
No one - Charlie Kirk
No one - Corey Blackett-Taylor
Jayden Stockley 2024 - no change
Conor Washington 2022 - Josh Davison
He hasn't expressly said that we are definitely looking at more business either to be fair but the implication of his statement seems to be that more deals will take more time.
Ok i'll come back after another 20 pages of no rumours, on the transfer rumours thread.
I still think TS had money to put in, but doesn't want another dub or sicknote employee.
It's Aneke, JFC and Fraser. People need to remember that.
More on topic, we aren't actively in for Stockon. As of Friday no one had been seriously in for him.
What I heard is a lot of championship teams are not convinced and would rather wait till January, even if a league 1 club comes in now.
Now I know it's not my money but spending an extra couple of hundred thousand now rather than waiting until August 31st might be the difference between success & failure......and staying in this division another season will cost TS a whole damn more than £200k.
Remember Sorba Thomas anyone ?
A wide attacker who scores goals as mentioned above. The issue there is, that's a lot easier said than done. You're probably looking at someone with clear risks, ie injuries, or a Prem/Champo loanee who is unproven.
Another CF and moving Davison on would be good, but a lower priority. If we go into the season with Davison as our third choice CF, it's not ideal but it's not the worst thing in the world. It's what he should have been last season. The biggest problem is when Chuks is your second choice in front of Davison, Davison can become second choice quite quickly when Chuks is injured.
I have lingering doubts about Stockley's ability to thrive in the system Garner wants to play. I worry about his mobility and technical quality as a lone striker. Same as I did last year under Adkins. If you can get wingers and midfielders around him to link play, he should be fine. But he can also look very isolated very quickly and suddenly his best quality of winning headers goes to no one.
Lastly, I worry about our lack of cover at DM. JFC can play there, but it's not his best position. Albie has played there but he lacks the ball winning and positional awareness to be a longer term solution if something happens to Dobbo. And Clare isn't really a sitting midfielder, and he also seems to be a defender now. I don't think Henry is a ball winner, but if we're a team with a lot of possession I could see him coming in to play as a deep lying play maker.
That said, our midfield is very strong and very deep. We should dominate most games in the middle of the park in and out of possession. You can basically play Dobbo and any of the other two together and have a strong midfield.
Numbers wise, we're really not too far aware. Two, maybe three in my opinion. There seems to be enough potential quality coming through the youth ranks to provide cover in the event of a true injury crisis somewhere. Kanu, Leaburn, Williams, Harness, Harvey, and Campbell probably aren't ready for regular first team football, but might be able to hold their own for two or three games if called upon. Henry seems like he's the closest to first team ready and maybe has the most potential. Expect him to get minutes in the cups and then reassess in January.
Slow and steady wins the race. You don't win anything for having the best squad on paper on July 10th, even if the season starts early. We don't necessarily have big names at this level, but unlike last season, we have a squad built with a cohesive vision to play a system and style of football, AND a manager who seemingly wants to play that system and style. Rotherham were a great example last year of how well that can go, even if they were probably a bit more rough and ready than we'll be this season. If we finish off the squad well, I think we should be in and around the top six.
I just wonder if we have that little bit of individual quality to get us through tough times. Grant, Taylor, Bielik, Bauer, or Cullen from 2019. That said, some of those players were unicorns at this level, and we are far more of a system-based side, so maybe the application of that system is the difference maker this time around.
Just thought that that was quite interesting, given that it felt like they were signing players every other day last summer.