Goats squad analysis thread 2021/22

[Bluestar]

GS was left out of the 25? Not a good sign on the timeline of a return. What's the rules - if he returned next week for example, could we register him immediately? or have to wait until January?

That situation has to run its natural course, which could easily take a year.

 

[billyblue80]

That situation has to run its natural course, which could easily take a year.

His contract runs out in the summer...

 

[Bluestar]

His contract runs out in the summer...

Exactly. This could easily run on for a Year.

He will never play for us again.m

 

[Houghty19]

Exactly. This could easily run on for a Year.

He will never play for us again.m

Agreed we won't see him in a blue shirt again.

 

[messymascot]

At least the whole new contract debate becomes moot. He will be gone by 30th June 2022 at the latest. The sooner the better as we will save 500k every month sooner.

Back to the squad I really hope our full back shortages don't come back to haunt us.

 

[messymascot]

Interesting... so the Echo have a 'Pick The Team' app currently running on their website which let's you pick your preferred starting XI and compares it to the most popular picks overall. Thought I'd give it a go:

View attachment 137791

So it pretty much looks like most fans agree with the actual players in the preferred XI although the formation can differ slightly - either a 4-2-3-1 (mine says 4-5-1 although it isn't really) and 4-4-2.

I actually think a 4-4-2 would work but with Rondon instead of Richarlison.

If ths is our first choice 11 it is fairly good however what lies beneath is extremely worrying in 4-4-2 this is out first choice back up team.

Begovic
Kenny Keane Holgate Delph
James Davies Gbamin Iwobi
Rondon Gordon

That back 4 is horrifying. Gbamin and James might actually be improvements, but in Gbamins case we have not seen enough to assess and James has more ability but less application and is also injury prone. We can only hope with a less condensed season that we don't need too many of them to play at any one time. The only thing I will say is at least we have some game changing options from the bench. Rondon is an improvement on King. If James is a rotation option with Townsend at least that gives us the option of changing style if plan A isn't working. Iwobi can effectively be our 3rd attacking change instead of 1st. Also of Gbamin is up to standard it might give Allan a breather and give us the option of putting 3 pairs of legs in there instead of 2. Holgate is the only one of the back 4 I would be happy keeping as a squad player.

 

[MikeH72]

Don't have to look far Tim. About a mile to be honest.

They have TAA and Robertson, then a left back cover who's probably no better than Kenny. They are then into providing cover from other positions just like us.

The one benefit they have over us is that TAA is probably more reliable fitness wise than Seamus. But there isn't much in it.

But they have two top quality first choice full backs and we don’t, we have a finished Seamus Coleman as first choice. They’re obviously not as short as us.

 

[navidson]

Happy for him to never play for us again

Wonder if Man Utd fans ever didn't celebrate Ronaldo or Robin Van Persie's goals?

Allegations eh...

 

[Barnfred 55]

But they have two top quality first choice full backs and we don’t, we have a finished Seamus Coleman as first choice. They’re obviously not as short as us.

Oh I agree. Not just in quality but also in reliability injury wise. I was talking from a numbers point of view really.

 

[Kever10]

Wonder if Man Utd fans ever didn't celebrate Ronaldo or Robin Van Persie's goals?

Allegations eh...

Tbf, I would've been happy for him never to play for us again prior to said allegations.

 

[messymascot]

Last night showed just how weak this squad is. First 11 fine. Anymore than 2 injuries and we are a mess. I know other teams are similar but our drop off from first 11 to squad is probably one of the biggest in the league.

 

[Goat]

Manager: Undefined

Goalkeepers (3)
Jordan Pickford (HG)
Asmir Begović (HG)
Andy Lonergan (HG)

Right Backs (2)
Séamus Coleman
Jonjoe Kenny (HG)

Left Backs (1)
Lucas Digne

Centre Backs (5)
Yerry Mina
Michael Keane (HG)
Mason Holgate (HG)
Ben Godfrey (HG)
Jarrad Branthwaite (UA)

Midfield (6)
Allan
André Gomes
Abdoulaye Doucouré
Jean-Philippe Gbamin
Tom Davies (HG)
Fabian Delph (HG)

Wide Forwards (5)
Richarlison
Andros Townsend (HG)
Demarai Gray (HG)
Alex Iwobi (HG)
Anthony Gordon (UA)

Strikers (3)
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (HG)
Salomón Rondón
Cenk Tosun

Total players: 25

Players purchased so far: 5
Begovic, Townsend, Gray, Lonergan, Rondon

Players culled so far: 6
Bernard, Virginia(Loan), Kean(Loan), Nkounkou(Loan), James(TBC), Number 10(TBC)

Non-HG players: 10
Homegrown players: 13
UnderAge players: 2

 

[Tree13]

A quick revisit of this thread shows us exactly where in the squad we still have dead wood to shift (CM, and Tosun) and where we have a lack of depth (RB, LB and wider forwards).

Interesting to see that all but one of the new signings under Benitez are classed as Home Grown - a possible indication that some longer-serving HG members of the squad are for the high jump?

 

[Zatara]

A quick revisit of this thread shows us exactly where in the squad we still have dead wood to shift (CM, and Tosun) and where we have a lack of depth (RB, LB and wider forwards).

Interesting to see that all but one of the new signings under Benitez are classed as Home Grown - a possible indication that some longer-serving HG members of the squad are for the high jump?

Id say that if were going with this as a first 11:

Pickford
Coleman Mina Godfrey Digne
Doucoure Allan
Townsend Richarlison Gray
DCL
​

Were actually light in every single area of the pitch in terms of quality options for rotation/backup.

Players to move on Jan/Summer
Keeper: Begovic/Lonergan
Right back: Kenny
Centre back: Keane/Holgate
Centre mid: Gbamin/Delph/Gomes/Davies
Wide: Iwobi
Centre forward: Rondon/Tosun

I'll have missed a few.

Of course, we also have younger players like Dobbin, Gordon, Onyango, Branthwaite and more who may break into the squad as options.

There seems to be a lot of work to be done and hopefully it starts in January.

 

[Goat]

Manager: Waste of oxygen

Goalkeepers (3)
Jordan Pickford (HG)
Asmir Begović (HG)
Andy Lonergan (HG)

Right Backs (2)
Séamus Coleman
Jonjoe Kenny (HG)
Nathan Patterson (UA)

Left Backs (1)
Vitaliy Mykolenko

Centre Backs (5)
Yerry Mina
Michael Keane (HG)
Mason Holgate (HG)
Ben Godfrey (HG)
Jarrad Branthwaite (UA)

Midfield (6)
Allan
André Gomes
Abdoulaye Doucouré
Jean-Philippe Gbamin
Tom Davies (HG)
Fabian Delph (HG)

Wide Forwards (5)
Richarlison
Andros Townsend (HG)
Demarai Gray (HG)
Alex Iwobi (HG)
Anthony Gordon (UA)

Strikers (3)
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (HG)
Salomón Rondón
Cenk Tosun

Total players: 26

Players purchased so far: 7
Begovic, Townsend, Gray, Lonergan, Rondon, Patterson, Myko

Players culled so far: 7
Bernard, Virginia(Loan), Kean(Loan), Nkounkou(Loan), James, Number 10, Digne(TBC)

Non-HG players: 10
Homegrown players: 13
UnderAge players: 3