[danblue]

 Waller is my hero, on 07 June 2024 - 06:35 AM, said:

Very impressed with the recruiting so far, hats off to Cookie & his team..(& Kirk?s)

A goalkeeper to come in next ? 🤔

RB & a keeper and we're good to go!

[martatcross]

danblue, on 07 June 2024 - 08:02 AM, said:

RB & a keeper and we're good to go!

Need to offload first squad is at 22 outfield players I believe

[Goku]

martatcross, on 07 June 2024 - 09:02 AM, said:

Need to offload first squad is at 22 outfield players I believe

Correct on the number - 22 plus Boot and Cook who don't count. Would expect one of Palmer or Williams to go and then potentially some loaning out of players like Hobson, possibly Quigley or Drummond too, and we don't know if Banks is staying yet either.

This post has been edited by Goku: Today, 09:13 AM

[JonB]

martatcross, on 07 June 2024 - 09:02 AM, said:

Need to offload first squad is at 22 outfield players I believe

Not sure how many times we have to go over this but we dont have to have only 22 outfield over whatever age it is, we can only register 22 when that date comes around which is not until after the window closes i think. Whilst i doubt we will end up in a position with paying folk who arent registered we could have 25\30 players that need registering at the club but can only use the 22 we register until we made any changes after the January transfer window for whichever 22 we want for the second half of the season.

There is nothing to stop us from making more signings if we want to. Also the keeper wont count towards it anyway along with U21s or whatever the age limit is. No one has to leave for us to sign anyone when it comes to the 22 player limit. Anyone we look to offload could not be registered and still go out on loan\transfer to a NL club after the window closes.

This post has been edited by JonB: Today, 09:14 AM

[dtp]

Goku, on 07 June 2024 - 09:12 AM, said:

Correct on the number - 22 plus Boot and Cook who don't count. Would expect one of Palmer or Williams to go and then potentially some loaning out of players like Hobson, possibly Quigley or Drummond too, and we don't know if Banks is staying yet either.

Must admit from a quick count up from the players in and out of contract thread I had counted Connor Cook as part of the squad number. As such, I thought we were up to 23 outfield players over 21 when it seems to be 22. So, if we only sign U21 players going forward there would not need to be any departures, loans out, or players not counted in the squad.

Interesting team selection now -

Boot
Mandeville, Dunkley, Grimes, Gordon
Naylor, Akinola
Colclough, Madden, Dobra
Grigg

???

[JonB]

Not getting this Mandeville at right back option...he did ok there for a few matches last season but i dont see it as a long term option.

[azul]

JonB, on 07 June 2024 - 09:36 AM, said:

Not getting this Mandeville at right back option...he did ok there for a few matches last season but i dont see it as a long term option.

Same here. Doubts about whether Sheckleford is good enough for L2 is one thing but apparently no doubts about Mandeville playing in that position in L2 while detracting from the attack is another.

Handy that we know he can play there if need be but to have him ahead of Sheckleford?

[Phil V 72]

 azul, on 07 June 2024 - 09:47 AM, said:

Same here. Doubts about whether Sheckleford is good enough for L2 is one thing but apparently no doubts about Mandeville playing in that position in L2 while detracting from the attack is another.

Handy that we know he can play there if need be but to have him ahead of Sheckleford?

Though Cook prefers 4-2-3-1 when Mandy played RB we did sometimes drop into a sort of back 3 with Mandy pushing up. Reckon we might see more of Naylor dropping into defence at certain times too.

[Spireite since 78]

JonB, on 07 June 2024 - 09:36 AM, said:

Not getting this Mandeville at right back option...he did ok there for a few matches last season but i dont see it as a long term option.

Does Mandy get in the 3 behind Grigg, instead of Madden, Dobra and Coco ?

I don't think he does, but did well as an attacking full back, so that is one way to get him into the starting 11.

Already like the look of our starting 11.

For me Freckleton is a no brainer if we can do it, can cover a few positions and does not count towards the outfield quota.
Plus I think he will come on a bit this season

[dtp]

Phil V 72, on 07 June 2024 - 09:52 AM, said:

Though Cook prefers 4-2-3-1 when Mandy played RB we did sometimes drop into a sort of back 3 with Mandy pushing up. Reckon we might see more of Naylor dropping into defence at certain times too.

And that was my thinking about it.

A front four which includes Mandeville, Madden & Grigg lacks pace.

But, I didn?t want to lose the dead ball distribution from Mandeville

[JonB]

Spireite since 78, on 07 June 2024 - 09:53 AM, said:

Does Mandy get in the 3 behind Grigg, instead of Madden, Dobra and Coco ?

I don't think he does, but did well as an attacking full back, so that is one way to get him into the starting 11.

Mandeville and whether he is one of the attacking three is a different argument and if the answer is he's not in that three then we shouldnt shoe horn him in at full back to get him in the team when everyone has been saying our defence is a worry due to the amount we conceded last season.

For what its worth with the attacking 3 Mandeville and potentially Jacobs are the only ones that appear to right sided, likes of Colclough, Dobra, Berry all seem much happier on the left.

[azul]

Goku, on 07 June 2024 - 09:12 AM, said:

Correct on the number - 22 plus Boot and Cook who don't count. Would expect one of Palmer or Williams to go and then potentially some loaning out of players like Hobson, possibly Quigley or Drummond too, and we don't know if Banks is staying yet either.

Think I agree there. We have one left sided CB and three right sided CBs so something has to give. There are also too many players queuing up behind the one striker role especially if Madden is playing in there and it also has a left side bias. Think the squad look strong but it still looks a bit unbalanced to me.

At least we have a month of friendlies and all of August to finalise the squad

[azul]

Spireite since 78, on 07 June 2024 - 09:53 AM, said:

Does Mandy get in the 3 behind Grigg, instead of Madden, Dobra and Coco ?

I don't think he does, but did well as an attacking full back, so that is one way to get him into the starting 11.

Already like the look of our starting 11.

For me Freckleton is a no brainer if we can do it, can cover a few positions and does not count towards the outfield quota.
Plus I think he will come on a bit this season

Unless there is some outgoings there will be a lot of rotation going on in the attacking department

[Goku]

azul, on 07 June 2024 - 10:04 AM, said:

Think I agree there. We have one left sided CB and three right sided CBs so something has to give. There are also too many players queuing up behind the one striker role especially if Madden is playing in there and it also has a left side bias. Think the squad look strong but it still looks a bit unbalanced to me.

Agreed, as you and JonB say we're left-sided when it comes to our attack. I see no reason why we can't repurpose one of Berry, Dobra or Colclough to be a suitable right winger if needed. There's enough talent in each of those players to be able to have them operate effectively on the right, surely? I remember Dobra being subbed on and being put on the right wing during a home match last season and he looked really good. Ideally you want Colclough, Dobra, Madden and Grigg in the same team and to do that in Cook's favoured formation you need one of them to play on the right. Nice problem to have.

[JonB]

Goku, on 07 June 2024 - 10:22 AM, said:

Agreed, as you and JonB say we're left-sided when it comes to our attack. I see no reason why we can't repurpose one of Berry, Dobra or Colclough to be a suitable right winger if needed. There's enough talent in each of those players to be able to have them operate effectively on the right, surely? I remember Dobra being subbed on and being put on the right wing during a home match last season and he looked really good. Ideally you want Colclough, Dobra, Madden and Grigg in the same team and to do that in Cook's favoured formation you need one of them to play on the right. Nice problem to have.

Yeh tend to agree with Dobra, he is probably the one more suited to playing on the right more than the others. Actually think he seems to look like he prefers being wide and drifting in and never looked comfortable in the central role of the three.

[Rogerwillis]

 dtp, on 06 June 2024 - 09:07 PM, said:

As I have mentioned elsewhere, Chris, Williams can also cover at RB.

However, I am not sure that Sheckleford is the man to be first choice in L1. In his first season he played second fiddle to King and only made rare appearances and in his second season he did make more starts but also missed out on quite a number.

As such, I think we need a regular starter with Sheckleford as cover.

Good job we are in league 2

[dtp]

Rogerwillis, on 07 June 2024 - 11:12 AM, said:

Good job we are in league 2

I agree but predictive text has its own mind at times!!!

[Webster]

Rogerwillis, on 07 June 2024 - 11:12 AM, said:

Good job we are in league 2

A concern over Shackleford is that he appears to be injury prone

[fishini]

 Webster, on 07 June 2024 - 11:54 AM, said:

A concern over Shackleford is that he appears to be injury prone

How many has he had compared to others? Seems to me to be no more than others

[monte]

Webster, on 07 June 2024 - 11:54 AM, said:

A concern over Shackleford is that he appears to be injury prone

I think RB & GK and then loans (maybe a fast CB [could be frecks] ).

Once a couple of players leave too