Our present squad

Save Dwindlehurst said:
Shaping up very nicely now. Competition and back up in all positions with good young players in the mix. Really like the way we have gone about our business this summer unlike previous years.
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Could agree more and Sage doesn't sound like a manager who crys if he hasn't got players as back up and equal to first team ability
 
We are signing ourselves into a potential problem with the squad size. It appears already have 27 players over the 21 age limit and with the possibility of another two signings on the way the Club will have to ship out players or play them in the Academy team. JRS looks on the way out and I would think Whitworth will be sent on loan again. Disasi is almost in the bag and offers are out for senior midfielders. So who else is to go to make way for the new signings if they come in? Munoz is in demand but may want European football. We haven’t got adequate replacements if we get big offers for Sarr or Wharton and anyway the fans would not be happy. Devenny may go but he does have his uses especially in penalty shootouts. It’s going to be an interesting 10 days and Im sure SP doesn’t want to be banging the phone an hour before the window closes.
 
I am sure they know the rules regarding squad size and requirements. They may also have different players in the Europa/League Cup squads. 15 games in EPL from Sep to Dec. And at least 7+ games in Europa/Cup, so if too many players they could have a couple who only play in the league and others who only play in the cups. Last year we only registered 23 senior squad players so makes a change.
 
martinelliff said:
I am sure they know the rules regarding squad size and requirements. They may also have different players in the Europa/League Cup squads. 15 games in EPL from Sep to Dec. And at least 7+ games in Europa/Cup, so if too many players they could have a couple who only play in the league and others who only play in the cups. Last year we only registered 23 senior squad players so makes a change.
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We will be short for Europe as we don't have enough own Academy players who are over 21. We need 4 but by my count inky have 2, Mitchell and JRS.
 
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
 
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DANGERCLOSE said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/2094746635460911427
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This is madness. He has only just turned 21 and is a star in the making. When he played in the EPL under Hodgson at 18 he looked very good. Hodgson never liked young players but made exceptions. Injuries blighted his first year at Derby but they didn’t want to send him back as they saw his potential. They seem to be getting what they wanted and whatever they are paying it won’t be enough. Similar Championship players have gone to the EPL for £15-20 million.
 
I think many of us had high hopes for Ozoh when he first broke into the team as a teenager.
He already looked to have the physique to play senior fooball and he looked unphased by his involvement.
Subsequently I only saw bits and pieces of him at Derby, and then in our friendlies.

I don't think he's quite good enough to play at Premier League level.
I don't see the awareness, the first touch and technique that's required.

I hope I'm wrong, and if that's the case we then have a buyback option or chunky sell on provision.
 
IF we sign this Malik Fofana kid, Then he could be the answer to our left sided hole. Pino is there at the moment, but fails to convince completely. our problem is then that we have a frontline that can be catergorised like:
Left Sided: Pino, Guessand,
Right sided: Sarr, Drakes-Thomas
*id prefer to seem them as* Center Forward: Nketiah, Gozo, Franca (+JSL, Mateta...Sarr could go in this list also)
Utility: McNeil

Fofana hopefully will bring some directness, speed and quality to what is a uninspiring front line lacking goals.
What this list also tells me is there's way too may CF's to play 1 up top, with not many players linking the DM's to the Front line.
3 up top makes a little sense, if they are dynamic enough - i.e. play comes down the left, the RCF becomes the 2nd CF. or if the CF drops deeper, the 2 Wide Attackers run behind, narrower to become 2 CFs etc... but the question of how to utilize these players in the best way looks complicated.

One hopes that Sage has identified Fofana as someone who he wants to help the first team, but that's a lot of players to fit into 3 slots, which not much natural width available.
 
Done deal apparently
 
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