Our present squad

[Eaglecoops]

We have 5 games 3 lge 2 cups in 18 days , this is the preseason to get the right balance and find how it works 🙏🤞😰😳👍🏻

Exactly right. An important period for us. If we don’t get a tune at all from this squad in those games or at least see some significant progression in the right direction there will be worry and almost certainly be calls for a managerial change from some fans and possibly owners.

The trouble with this league and particularly now that the 3 promoted look to be making a concerted effort to stay in it, is that you can quickly get stuck in the bottom 3 and then every match becomes a battle, which is not good when you have to play European games too.

I’m not saying it’s what is going to happen however West Ham are a prime example of how we don’t want to go.

 

[JHB]

Formations can be flexiable.

IMO the issue we had last seasons is that Glasners way of playing was so rigid, so we had no width.

Sarge has already shown that he plays things a little differently. He's a high energy high press manager.

This is true. There are many ways of playing the same formation. Glasner was too rigid but having watched our first two games I can see why to be fair to him. sage’s way of playing in those two games left us wide open and looked more than a little naive for the Premier League. Hopefully he can course correct and find the right balance as the players get used to his approach

 

[Eaglecoops]

This is true. There are many ways of playing the same formation. Glasner was too rigid but having watched our first two games I can see why to be fair to him. sage’s way of playing in those two games left us wide open and looked more than a little naive for the Premier League. Hopefully he can course correct and find the right balance as the players get used to his approach

Yep, 20 yards gap between the full backs and their nearest centre half was constantly screaming diagonal which the opposition sussed pdq. Something has to change.

 

[Lanzo-Ad]

If Mateta dosent start against Fulham i think he will be gone to somewhere the window is open.

 

[Frickin Saweet]

with so many new faces and unknowns, hopefully some gems, I think it's going to take us a good few games to get into our groove. I'm not expecting much from the next 3-4 fixtures. There will be a barrage of doommongering, however i think we'll slowly work our way into the season and come good. A bit like how Bournemouth started last season. They stuck at it and started performing individually and as a team. I just hope that people can stick with the manager and team through this initial settling in period.

 

[MrRobbo]

This is true. There are many ways of playing the same formation. Glasner was too rigid but having watched our first two games I can see why to be fair to him. sage’s way of playing in those two games left us wide open and looked more than a little naive for the Premier League. Hopefully he can course correct and find the right balance as the players get used to his approach

Yes. Its going to take a little time to understand the spaces, when and how to press etc. At the min we are comparing a well oild Glasner system vs a half baked Sage system.

We also had a few occasions where Foden and Cherki found pockets of space behind the midfield to run at the defence. That never happend with Glasner. Mainly because Wharton and Kamada played with such defensive shackles on last season (but also why our midfield scored no goals)

 

[Lanzo-Ad]

If 3-4-3 was any good, a lot of teams would play it, they don't, when you play a back 4, it is easy to slightly change formation in front of the defence, 3-4-3 isn't.

 

[DANGERCLOSE]

Updated

Henderson/Benitez/Matthew's

khalaili/Mingueza

Riad/Ahanor
Richards/Tomiyasu
Canvot/Disasi

Mitchell/Chilwell

Wharton/Doucoure/Lerma
Kamada/Hughes/Timber

Sarr/Guessand/Gozo
Mateta/Strand Larsen/Nketiah
Pino/McNeil/Dario Osorio

 

[mtp1958]

If Mateta dosent start against Fulham i think he will be gone to somewhere the window is open.

Sage said out injured 4 weeks

 

[CrazyBadger]

did you watch any games in the 2nd half of the last season? 4 wins in c20 games was relegation form (and a couple of those wins were injury time winners)?

Playing 343 against a low block doesn't work - surely we can all agree on that. Similarly having no plan B takes inflexibility to another level.

The formation does not break down a low block. Once the oppo sits 10 behind the ball it matters very little. What's needed is movement, dynamism, intelligence and accuracy.

A Low Block is one of the hardest things to come up against in football. Very few teams are able to deal with it, its how Greece once won the Euros, and it's how we once won the FA cup, along with a hundred other examples.
Sideways, slow side-to-side passing looking for opportunities are too easy to defend. one touch, pass and move, intelligent runs pulling defenders out of position - and no shortage of individual skill, is required. English Teams in are pretty bad at that too, in comparison to our european counterparts.

To blame the formation for the reason we were bad vs a well organised defence is naive at best.

 

[Jimmy]

Updated

Henderson/Benitez/Matthew's

khalaili/Mingueza

Riad/Ahanor
Richards/Tomiyasu
Canvot/Disasi

Mitchell/Chilwell

Wharton/Doucoure/Lerma
Kamada/Hughes/Timber

Sarr/Guessand/Gozo
Mateta/Strand Larsen/Nketiah
Pino/França/McNeil/Dario Osorio

That looks like a squad that can play twice a week.

Wonder who the players are that don’t count to our 25 limit? Riad of course won’t be in.

 

[waterfordpal]

There are 2 ways to play against a low block : you either have a player who can dribble past guys and cross thus turning the defence or you get in early crosses behind the defence BEFORE they can get organised. Unfortunately Mitchell in particular has never ever put in an early crosses behind the.

 

[whatton]

That looks like a squad that can play twice a week.

Wonder who the players are that don’t count to our 25 limit? Riad of course won’t be in.

The cutoff date for the under 21 players who don’t count is 1st January 2005.


This means that Canvot, Gozo, and Ahanor don’t count.

We now have 27 players for 25 squad places.

One of these is Riad who can presumably left out for now.

We therefore still need to lose one player.

 

[Eagleman13]

The cutoff date for the under 21 players who don’t count is 1st January 2005.


This means that Canvot, Gozo, and Ahanor don’t count.

We now have 27 players for 25 squad places.

One of these is Riad who can presumably left out for now.

We therefore still need to lose one player.

Dangerclose listed the updated list of players, there are 29 of them. Riad is out for the season as such, that's 28, you listed the 3 lads who are not counted because of the age, that leaves 25, which is great for the EPL.

However, we will not be able to name as many for our Europa League squad, because of age restrictions & 'homegrown' player restrictions(doombear was looking at this not so long ago).

 

[Spindle]

If we get Timber over the line, along with our other attacking midfield/wing signings, I’m going to scream if Sage is still too scared to change Glasner’s formation. It barely even worked for Glasner towards the end.

We lost 2 crucial CBs for a back 3 in Guehi and Lacroix and have used this window to bolster our midfield whilst only playing a middle 2.

Surely now you pick your 2 favourite CBs (sorry Richards if that means you’re benched) and then pack the midfield to stop us getting walked through.

Everyone plays a back three these days.


Think about Everton with deals though. They sold Beto and Ndiye, got everything ready for the big superstar Bagulon, and he flounces getting on the plane to Liverpool this morning 🤣
I guess he googled "Liverpool", they have ONE striker, a £5.5m reserve who scored 1 in 4 in a weaker league. Ha ha ha, typically lucky they got to play us early though

 

[ASCPFC]

Everyone plays a back three these days.


Think about Everton with deals though. They sold Beto and Ndiye, got everything ready for the big superstar Bagulon, and he flounces getting on the plane to Liverpool this morning 🤣
I guess he googled "Liverpool", they have ONE striker, a £5.5m reserve who scored 1 in 4 in a weaker league. Ha ha ha, typically lucky they got to play us early though

Honestly, whenever I go to Liverpool these days, I quite like it.

 

[mtp1958]

Honestly, whenever I go to Liverpool these days, I quite like it.

New Brighton is good place to go , also Liverpool has alot nice places to eat and drink , and now around Everton new ground

 

[PatrickA]

We have cover in every position and should no longer have to field 2 keepers and 3 untried youngsters on the bench as was the case on occasions last season.

Questionmarks remain in the make up and the resilence of the central defence and who will take the left sided number 10 role.
It's fine to rotate on occasions, but you still need to know your best team.
Part of the success under Glasner was due him knowing his best team and drilling them so each player knew his precise role.

I suppose the other question relates to what sort of contribution Sarr and Mateta make this season.
In theory they should both want to impress, Mateta to keep his French place and Sarr to eventually get his move.
Sadly, it's rarely that straightforward.

 

[Mystic Smeg]

Best window for many a year
Considering financial restrictions fair play Mr Parish and Co. 👏🏼

 

[MrRobbo]

Everyone plays a back three these days.


Think about Everton with deals though. They sold Beto and Ndiye, got everything ready for the big superstar Bagulon, and he flounces getting on the plane to Liverpool this morning 🤣
I guess he googled "Liverpool", they have ONE striker, a £5.5m reserve who scored 1 in 4 in a weaker league. Ha ha ha, typically lucky they got to play us early though

And why was Ndiye so cheap too? Think he had 3 years left on his contract as well.