THE CONCRETE ROUNDABOUT (TCR)

Obviously we don't have a manager next season but we do know (or strongly suspect ) the following players are under contract.

Tomlinson, Tripp, Nemane, Maguire, Sherring, Waller, Sanders, Thompson, Offord, Williams, Lemonheigh-Evans, Gilbey, Kelly, KTS, Crowley and Hendry. Hogan is also more than possible plus we have an option on Orsi.

So for anyone coming in we have 2 wingbacks, 6 centre halves, 5 central midfielders and 1 or 2 strikers. Already it looks like we will need to shed some of them as I would suggest 11 of them would expect to be involved in most games but it also means we probably can't move too far from the current wingback set up as that would meaning signing at least 2 fullbacks and 2 wingers with less midfield slots.
Sadly to me it looks like the squad is a mess and I imagine it will to a new manager who will want to make changes, the only two managers who would probably like the current squad are Russell Martin and Luke Williams.

Whilst you know who is sourcing these players and to a lesser extent managers (though I do feel most of the gaffers are sold down the river and are the scapegoats) I really do not give a flying fig who we sign. Until he is gone there is nothing this club will achieve. The biggest thing we do in the summer is sack him and hire someone competent. As I have said before we paid good money to get Neil Hart. We can do the same for a DoF. That would be the biggest ambition this club can have.

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It's the hope that kills you

I would buy 5 athletic, physically imposing players and randomly scatter them through the team. L2 sorted.

Minimal changes. We don't want a huge turnover again.

So you are in favour of a similar manager style wise and just telling them they have to manage the squad they have?

I want wingers. And wingers who can cross. But dats just me

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Absolute number one priority.........a proven, decent striker. Someone more Max Dean, Kieran Agard (at L2 level) calibre who will bag 15-20+. Losing Max Dean and not replacing him is one of the biggest failures of Sweeting yet. Orsi has shown he can do it, but highly doubt he'll be here next season after Lindsey left and could just about be a one season wonder. Hogan and Hendry aren't the answer at all.

Also definitely need another experienced CB - we've shown how vulnerable we are defensively and how much injuries cost us, and I'm far from convinced yet by Sanders or Waller. Maguire too injury prone it seems, Sherring has been massively disappointing to say the least.

Agree with Alby too, at least one winger/wing-back if we are going to play that style. Someone powerful and quick - we've had players like Corbeanu, Laird, KKH etc in recent seasons who absolutely ate up defenders and add so much to attack. We've lack any real threat from the wings this season apart from Nemane.

Finally, an experienced or highly rated young goalkeeper to take over the number one spot. Trueman is just under contract until the summer. Not against him staying but think he's more of a number two.

If we can make say six quality additions in those areas rather than 15 mixed bag signings without losing our better current players, we might do well.

We have a decent experienced CB who got injured 2nd game in. We have been an absolute disaster in that position for a few seasons now. This season is more down to injuries that them being poor.

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It's the hope that kills you

If we have form for it and it's been a regular problem which has contributed to failings then we should probably cover for it next season.

Not just you