bond85
Player Valuation: £225k
Thought I would give this a go. My thoughts on the squad and the needs for improvement.
Marco Silva's first game in charge of Everton ended with a 22-0 victory over ATV Irdning, a fifth tier side from Austria. While the level of the opposition was stunningly bad, we still got a glimpse of Silva's plan A.
- The preferred formation is 4-3-3/4-2-3-1
- Our number 10 (Dowell in the first half, Vlasic in the second) pushes forward and joins the striker when the opposition is in possession.
- As a result, our number 8 (Davies) will join the number 6 (Schneiderlin) in providing defensive cover and shifting the play swiftly from one side to the other. (Given the nature of the second half, when the opposition gave up, the distinction between the roles of the number 8 (Besic) and 6 (Connolly) was a bit less clear in the last 45 vs ATV Irdning)
- The wingers will to a great extent be direct and often cutting inside, with the full backs providing the width.
We're still in the early days of Silva's Everton career, so to treat these observations as evidence of how the Portuguese wants the team to play might be premature. However, it provides a bit more background when trying to set up a depth chart, like the ones often used when journalists and experts are assessing the squads (rosters) of teams in sports leagues like the NBA or the NFL.
As for the formation, to me it looked like a 4-2-3-1/4-3-3, with the right central midfielder acting as a number 10.
Current depth chart:
Goalkeeper: Jordan Pickford/Maarten Stekelenburg/Mateusz Hewelt
Right back: Seamus Coleman/Jonjoe Kenny/Cuco Martina
Right centre-half: Mason Holgate/Phil Jagielka/Matthew Pennington
Left centre-half: Michael Keane/Ashley Williams
Left back: Leighton Baines/Antonee Robinson
Right central midfielder (#10): Gylfi Sigurdsson/Davy Klaassen/Kieran Dowell/Nikola Vlasic
Defensive central midfielder (#6): Morgan Schneiderlin/Muhamed Besic/Joe Williams/Callum Connolly
Left central midfielder (#8): Idrissa Gana Gueye/Tom Davies/James McCarthy/Beni Baningime
Right winger: Theo Walcott/Sandro Ramirez/Yannick Bolasie
Striker: Cenk Tosun/Oumar Niasse/Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Left winger: Ademola Lookman/Kevin Mirallas
Some clarifications:
- Players like Galloway, Hornby and Charsley are doing their pre-season work with the under 23s, so they are not taken into consideration here.
- We have way to many players at the moment. The depth chart above consists of 33 players.
What will change in the coming weeks?
Of course, several players gets a new chance now that there's a new boss in town. Not only will the veterans in the squad have to be on their toes to keep their places, a few of the fringe players could really make Silva think twice before cutting them from the Everton squad. Players like Sandro and Klaassen are the obivous ones who will have to impress the new boss, but also guys like Mirallas, Besic, Martina and Vlasic will look to stake their claims for a place in the matchday squad (there's a long way from the current 33 down to the 18 who makes the squad vs Wolves one the opening day of the season).
Personally, I have never been a fan of Martina (not many Evertonians are), and the fact that both Kenny and Robinson got on before he did against Irdning, could be seen as a hint of a couple of things. Was it because
a) Silva wants to see the young full backs in action early to decide if they are good enough to be back-ups, while he already knows what he gets (or won't get) from Martina? or
b) Silva prefers Kenny at right back and doesn't see Martina as a candidate for the left back spot.
Though it might be a combination of the two I believe that Kenny and Robinson are in the same situation as quite a few of the other young lads: Pennington ("young" - he will be 24 in October), Dowell, Vlasic, Williams, Connolly and Baningime. The squad is so crowded that it could be that Silva and Brands final thoughts about these lads will be:
"Our long term goal for you is that you progress and develop into a good Premier League footballer. If you can show us during pre-season that you are good enough to get substantial game time in Everton's first team - you stay here. If you can't get ahead of enough of the players in the pecking order we will have to send you out on loan to make sure you get enough first team experience"
By this, I mean that the mentioned players somewhat creates their own fate this season. This will of course also be the case for the Besic' and the Miralli (surely the correct plural for Mirallas, or is it Mirallases?), but even more for the youngsters. These are too good to spend a whole season with the Under 23s.
If we look at the depth chart, the goalkeeper area is okay. If we get someone in here, it's a Hahnemann or Nash to be third in line because we want Hewelt to get first team football elsewhere. Pickford is a solid goalkeeper while Stekelenburg has shown he is okay with being second choice at this point in his career.
For me, the right back area is also okay. Ideally we could offload Martina, mainly because I don't want him taking game time from Kenny, but also because he's just not good enough on the left hand side. Can't see anyone coming in for him, though, and I believe he's fine with picking up his wages and getting on with it. Seems a nice guy in the pre-season videos, I'll give him that much.
A new centre half is a priority. It has to be. Even if Holgate is given his chance this season, we simply can not rely on Jags week-in week-out. Keane was supposed to be everything Harry Maguire turned out to be, but really hasn't been so far. I haven't quite given up on him yet, but he could do with someone pushing him harder than I believe Ashley Williams can do. Ashley was always a stop-gap solution, and is nowhere near good enough anymore. Yerry Mina is, if we believe Paul Joyce (and that is more often than not the right thing to do), our top target, and the only thing which concerns me a bit is that he doesn't have the pace of a Distin or a Yobo. He does however have the strength needed in the PL, and a man mountain who can also chip in with some goals from set pieces would fit nicely, I think. I am not yet fully aboard the Holgate hype train, but if we bring in a physical beast alongside him, and he's got Jags and Keane to push him for his place, I would give him the nod against Wolves.
Left back is the position every newspaper says we should strengthen. I agree. I am a huge fan of Leighton Baines, and believe he should play more often than not, but realistically we will need another left back for maybe 20-25 games in all competitions this season. That would be a perfect start for, say, Kieran Tierney, who would get sufficient game time while not having to be in the line of fire every week in his first year in the PL. I think we will go for a relatively young left back, who will rotate with Baines for game time, before he eventually (hopefully) will take over as the mainstay on the left back. Plattenhardt, Laxalt, Digne (again: Paul Joyce) and other have been mentioned, and this is the one position I am absolutely sure we will buy a new player before the start of the season. The dark horse here is of course Antonee Robinson. Can he show Silva he is good enough to play 20 games this year? I think the more realistic option here will be him being sent out on another loan, before coming back to compete with our new left back.
The number 10 position is a crowded one, but it's Gylfi Sigurdsson's to lose. Hopefully Silva won't use him out of position on the wing, but let him be first in line to support the striker from central midfield. Behind Gylfi in the pecking order is where it gets really interesting. Against ATV Irdning Kieran Dowell started in this role, and he showed his magnificent left foot, his ability to pick a forward pass and also his periodically nonchalant passing which causes him to give the ball away. However, in terms of stats, I have seen his passing range being likened to that of Kevin de Bruyne. Let's remember de Bruyne was also 21 once, and if that - or anything close to that, to be honest - is the reward, we have to make the most of Kieran Dowell. Creative midfielders who scores and racks up assists for fun are hard to come by. The question is - what will be most beneficial for Dowell? Again, I think this will be determined by this pre-season, but unlike a few others and their situation I don't think this is all down to Dowell himself.
- If Klaassen stays, will Silva see him as a number 10 or a number 6 (will Klaassen challenge Tom Davies or will he challenge Kieran Dowell for game time?)
- Who will be preferred by Silva - Kieran Dowell or Nikola Vlasic?
- If Bolasie and Sandro stays, Dowell is not likely to get any minutes on the right wing, where Silva played him in the second half vs Irdning.
- Will Silva want his wingers to cut inside or be more direct, providing width?
- Will Silva buy his favourite, Andre Carrillo, who is a right winger?
In terms of transfers, I can't see us bringing in another #10. Gylfi will be first choice, but there will be plenty of game time for a back-up. The pre-season will determine if that will be Klaassen, Dowell og Vlasic. None of them will want to spend the season as third choice, bearing 2017/2018 in mind, so without assurances from Silva that they're in his plans I think a some loans will be in the pipeline.
Defensive central midfielder is one of the most difficult positions to assess, in my opinion. Morgan Schneiderlin is made for the role when he's arsed, so if the Schneiderlin from his first months in blue is the one who shows up this year I think we're good. I've put Besic in this role, even though he's often played as the left central midfielder when he's played in a midfield three. I believe his skill set is perfect for the number 6. He's got a good passing range, he covers a lot of ground and is extremely fast for a defensive midfielder. The question with Besic is if he's disciplined enough for such a hugely important role. This is the player who's supposed to make the team tick. I'm not entirely convinced Besic will ever develop to be the player he has the physical and technical tools to be (a bit like a certain mr. Barkley), but I really like the lad (I met him in Pizza Hut at Liverpool One the day after his debut against Porto and went straight to Everton Two to buy a shirt with his name on) and hope I'm wrong.
Joe Williams is a great fit for the number 6 role. He's like Besic in that he will never shy away from a tackle, he covers A LOT of ground and he can really pass the ball. A neat and tidy player who suffered an injury and missed the Austria training camp. I hope he'll make a swift recovery so that he will have some weeks to impress Silva more than he supposedly already has. The last player I've placed as an alternative here is Callum Connolly. He's a good, versatile player (Eric Dier 2.0?), but with Cuco Martina on the books I think that he'll provide that versatility off the bench if he stays. That means another loan for Connolly, who I'll come good for us eventually.
In Silva's tactic, the number 8 is a box-to-box midfielder who does a bit of everything. I am a bit concerned that Idrissa Gana Gueye is not enough of an attacking threat to be effective as a #8, while he does not have the passing range to play as the #6 in Silva's system. However, I think he will start the season as first choice. Tom Davies played left central midfield against ATV Irdning, and should see plenty of game time in this role going forward. I have always seen Davies and Davy Klaassen as each other's main rival for playing time, as I feel they have a lot of the same qualities. It will be exciting to see if Silva considers giving Klaassen a chance in this role, since he's got a lot of options at #10.
Injury-free James McCarthy would obviously stake his claim for this role, but at this point I am not sure there is such a thing as an injury-free McCarthy. Beni Baningime was seen on crutches and with a walking boot at the Irdning game, and I think he would benefit from a loan if he doesn't recover in time to give Silva something to think about the next few weeks. Beni could maybe be an alternative in the #6 role as well, but personally I would like him to get as much game time as possible in 2018/19.
Theo Walcott is surely the starter at right wing, though I was glad to see Sandro given the start against Irdning. Some of the neat attacking play we showed last summer, when Rooney, Sandro, Klaassen and Dowell played together was absolute class, and I have not given up Sandro yet. He's a great finisher, has got great movement and can link up well with the other attacking players. When he signed for us it was reported that he needs to feel that he's an important part of the team to be at his best, and I really hope Silva gives him his chance. If Bolasie goes, and I think he does, Sandro can be useful both as a right winger and as a striker. As we saw against Irdning, Silva is also testing Kieran Dowell as an inside forward on the right. There are backup minutes to be fought for in this position.
Cenk Tosun's finishing is different class, and he must start every game he can as our main striker. He never stops going, he's got that striker's aggression that no defenders likes to face and he can score from distance as well as headers. I don't think Oumar Niasse is anywhere near good enough for a team with our ambitions, but to cause havoc in the last ten minutes he can be option. If we, for some reason, have to start another striker than Cenk, I want Sandro or DCL to get the nod. I do not think Calvert-Lewin will ever be a prolific goalscorer, but he is a handful for defenders (like Okaka was at Watford) with his hard work, strength and pace.
On the left I hope Ademola Lookman is given the chance. His decision making is not nearly good enough at this stage, but he causes panic among the opposition defenders more often than not. Players who can beat his man with such easy are rare, and Lookman should be given the chance to prove his worth - especially considering our lack of alternatives. Vs Irdning Kevin Mirallas came on for the second half, and even if he produced the typical Kevin Mirallas pre-season cameo ("Wow, maybe he will be really good this year?" - Spoiler alert: he won't) we've been down that road so many times that everyone but him knows that he's nothing but a back-up at best. If we can off-load Kev I would like us to bring in a replacement, I do not like the thought of using DCL or Gylfi on the left wing.
To sum up...
We have a big squad, and a lot of players have a lot to fight for this pre-season. I think we WILL buy a left back and a centre-half. IF we buy more than that I think it will be because of outgoings, that's where the big question marks are now. I fully understand that Silva and Brands needs time to assess what they have, when I - who does not risk anything by "buying" and "selling" players in this piece - can't tell what to do with at least a handful of our players.
My team for Wolves per July 15th:
Pickford - Coleman, Holgate, NEW (Mina?), Baines - Gylfi, Schneiderlin, Davies - Walcott, Tosun, Lookman
If I were in charge:
Must buy: Centre half, left back
Should buy: Left wing back-up for Lookman (any more would depend on outgoings - replacements for Besic, Sandro/Niasse, Klaassen, Schneiderlin if they are sold).
Sell:
Martina
Ashley Williams
Bolasie
Mirallas
Niasse
McCarthy
Loan:
Robinson (if new left back is brought in)
Pennington
Baningime
Besic (would love to see him a full season in the PL)
Joe Williams (if Besic stays. Him or Besic should be back-up to Schneiderlin if we're not bringing anyone in)
Connolly
Vlasic (or Dowell, but i love that left foot of his)
That would leave this depth chart:
Goalkeeper: Jordan Pickford/Maarten Stekelenburg/Mateusz Hewelt
Right back: Seamus Coleman/Jonjoe Kenny
Right centre-half: Mason Holgate/Phil Jagielka
Left centre-half: NEW PLAYER/Michael Keane
Left back: Leighton Baines/NEW PLAYER
Right central midfielder (#10): Gylfi Sigurdsson/Davy Klaassen/Kieran Dowell
Defensive central midfielder (#6): Morgan Schneiderlin/Muhamed Besic or Joe Williams
Left central midfielder (#8): Idrissa Gana Gueye/Tom Davies
Right winger: Theo Walcott/Sandro Ramirez
Striker: Cenk Tosun/Oumar Niasse/Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Left winger: Ademola Lookman/NEW PLAYER
This is 24 players, and a good, quite exciting core, I believe.
Marco Silva's first game in charge of Everton ended with a 22-0 victory over ATV Irdning, a fifth tier side from Austria. While the level of the opposition was stunningly bad, we still got a glimpse of Silva's plan A.
- The preferred formation is 4-3-3/4-2-3-1
- Our number 10 (Dowell in the first half, Vlasic in the second) pushes forward and joins the striker when the opposition is in possession.
- As a result, our number 8 (Davies) will join the number 6 (Schneiderlin) in providing defensive cover and shifting the play swiftly from one side to the other. (Given the nature of the second half, when the opposition gave up, the distinction between the roles of the number 8 (Besic) and 6 (Connolly) was a bit less clear in the last 45 vs ATV Irdning)
- The wingers will to a great extent be direct and often cutting inside, with the full backs providing the width.
We're still in the early days of Silva's Everton career, so to treat these observations as evidence of how the Portuguese wants the team to play might be premature. However, it provides a bit more background when trying to set up a depth chart, like the ones often used when journalists and experts are assessing the squads (rosters) of teams in sports leagues like the NBA or the NFL.
As for the formation, to me it looked like a 4-2-3-1/4-3-3, with the right central midfielder acting as a number 10.
Current depth chart:
Goalkeeper: Jordan Pickford/Maarten Stekelenburg/Mateusz Hewelt
Right back: Seamus Coleman/Jonjoe Kenny/Cuco Martina
Right centre-half: Mason Holgate/Phil Jagielka/Matthew Pennington
Left centre-half: Michael Keane/Ashley Williams
Left back: Leighton Baines/Antonee Robinson
Right central midfielder (#10): Gylfi Sigurdsson/Davy Klaassen/Kieran Dowell/Nikola Vlasic
Defensive central midfielder (#6): Morgan Schneiderlin/Muhamed Besic/Joe Williams/Callum Connolly
Left central midfielder (#8): Idrissa Gana Gueye/Tom Davies/James McCarthy/Beni Baningime
Right winger: Theo Walcott/Sandro Ramirez/Yannick Bolasie
Striker: Cenk Tosun/Oumar Niasse/Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Left winger: Ademola Lookman/Kevin Mirallas
Some clarifications:
- Players like Galloway, Hornby and Charsley are doing their pre-season work with the under 23s, so they are not taken into consideration here.
- We have way to many players at the moment. The depth chart above consists of 33 players.
What will change in the coming weeks?
Of course, several players gets a new chance now that there's a new boss in town. Not only will the veterans in the squad have to be on their toes to keep their places, a few of the fringe players could really make Silva think twice before cutting them from the Everton squad. Players like Sandro and Klaassen are the obivous ones who will have to impress the new boss, but also guys like Mirallas, Besic, Martina and Vlasic will look to stake their claims for a place in the matchday squad (there's a long way from the current 33 down to the 18 who makes the squad vs Wolves one the opening day of the season).
Personally, I have never been a fan of Martina (not many Evertonians are), and the fact that both Kenny and Robinson got on before he did against Irdning, could be seen as a hint of a couple of things. Was it because
a) Silva wants to see the young full backs in action early to decide if they are good enough to be back-ups, while he already knows what he gets (or won't get) from Martina? or
b) Silva prefers Kenny at right back and doesn't see Martina as a candidate for the left back spot.
Though it might be a combination of the two I believe that Kenny and Robinson are in the same situation as quite a few of the other young lads: Pennington ("young" - he will be 24 in October), Dowell, Vlasic, Williams, Connolly and Baningime. The squad is so crowded that it could be that Silva and Brands final thoughts about these lads will be:
"Our long term goal for you is that you progress and develop into a good Premier League footballer. If you can show us during pre-season that you are good enough to get substantial game time in Everton's first team - you stay here. If you can't get ahead of enough of the players in the pecking order we will have to send you out on loan to make sure you get enough first team experience"
By this, I mean that the mentioned players somewhat creates their own fate this season. This will of course also be the case for the Besic' and the Miralli (surely the correct plural for Mirallas, or is it Mirallases?), but even more for the youngsters. These are too good to spend a whole season with the Under 23s.
If we look at the depth chart, the goalkeeper area is okay. If we get someone in here, it's a Hahnemann or Nash to be third in line because we want Hewelt to get first team football elsewhere. Pickford is a solid goalkeeper while Stekelenburg has shown he is okay with being second choice at this point in his career.
For me, the right back area is also okay. Ideally we could offload Martina, mainly because I don't want him taking game time from Kenny, but also because he's just not good enough on the left hand side. Can't see anyone coming in for him, though, and I believe he's fine with picking up his wages and getting on with it. Seems a nice guy in the pre-season videos, I'll give him that much.
A new centre half is a priority. It has to be. Even if Holgate is given his chance this season, we simply can not rely on Jags week-in week-out. Keane was supposed to be everything Harry Maguire turned out to be, but really hasn't been so far. I haven't quite given up on him yet, but he could do with someone pushing him harder than I believe Ashley Williams can do. Ashley was always a stop-gap solution, and is nowhere near good enough anymore. Yerry Mina is, if we believe Paul Joyce (and that is more often than not the right thing to do), our top target, and the only thing which concerns me a bit is that he doesn't have the pace of a Distin or a Yobo. He does however have the strength needed in the PL, and a man mountain who can also chip in with some goals from set pieces would fit nicely, I think. I am not yet fully aboard the Holgate hype train, but if we bring in a physical beast alongside him, and he's got Jags and Keane to push him for his place, I would give him the nod against Wolves.
Left back is the position every newspaper says we should strengthen. I agree. I am a huge fan of Leighton Baines, and believe he should play more often than not, but realistically we will need another left back for maybe 20-25 games in all competitions this season. That would be a perfect start for, say, Kieran Tierney, who would get sufficient game time while not having to be in the line of fire every week in his first year in the PL. I think we will go for a relatively young left back, who will rotate with Baines for game time, before he eventually (hopefully) will take over as the mainstay on the left back. Plattenhardt, Laxalt, Digne (again: Paul Joyce) and other have been mentioned, and this is the one position I am absolutely sure we will buy a new player before the start of the season. The dark horse here is of course Antonee Robinson. Can he show Silva he is good enough to play 20 games this year? I think the more realistic option here will be him being sent out on another loan, before coming back to compete with our new left back.
The number 10 position is a crowded one, but it's Gylfi Sigurdsson's to lose. Hopefully Silva won't use him out of position on the wing, but let him be first in line to support the striker from central midfield. Behind Gylfi in the pecking order is where it gets really interesting. Against ATV Irdning Kieran Dowell started in this role, and he showed his magnificent left foot, his ability to pick a forward pass and also his periodically nonchalant passing which causes him to give the ball away. However, in terms of stats, I have seen his passing range being likened to that of Kevin de Bruyne. Let's remember de Bruyne was also 21 once, and if that - or anything close to that, to be honest - is the reward, we have to make the most of Kieran Dowell. Creative midfielders who scores and racks up assists for fun are hard to come by. The question is - what will be most beneficial for Dowell? Again, I think this will be determined by this pre-season, but unlike a few others and their situation I don't think this is all down to Dowell himself.
- If Klaassen stays, will Silva see him as a number 10 or a number 6 (will Klaassen challenge Tom Davies or will he challenge Kieran Dowell for game time?)
- Who will be preferred by Silva - Kieran Dowell or Nikola Vlasic?
- If Bolasie and Sandro stays, Dowell is not likely to get any minutes on the right wing, where Silva played him in the second half vs Irdning.
- Will Silva want his wingers to cut inside or be more direct, providing width?
- Will Silva buy his favourite, Andre Carrillo, who is a right winger?
In terms of transfers, I can't see us bringing in another #10. Gylfi will be first choice, but there will be plenty of game time for a back-up. The pre-season will determine if that will be Klaassen, Dowell og Vlasic. None of them will want to spend the season as third choice, bearing 2017/2018 in mind, so without assurances from Silva that they're in his plans I think a some loans will be in the pipeline.
Defensive central midfielder is one of the most difficult positions to assess, in my opinion. Morgan Schneiderlin is made for the role when he's arsed, so if the Schneiderlin from his first months in blue is the one who shows up this year I think we're good. I've put Besic in this role, even though he's often played as the left central midfielder when he's played in a midfield three. I believe his skill set is perfect for the number 6. He's got a good passing range, he covers a lot of ground and is extremely fast for a defensive midfielder. The question with Besic is if he's disciplined enough for such a hugely important role. This is the player who's supposed to make the team tick. I'm not entirely convinced Besic will ever develop to be the player he has the physical and technical tools to be (a bit like a certain mr. Barkley), but I really like the lad (I met him in Pizza Hut at Liverpool One the day after his debut against Porto and went straight to Everton Two to buy a shirt with his name on) and hope I'm wrong.
Joe Williams is a great fit for the number 6 role. He's like Besic in that he will never shy away from a tackle, he covers A LOT of ground and he can really pass the ball. A neat and tidy player who suffered an injury and missed the Austria training camp. I hope he'll make a swift recovery so that he will have some weeks to impress Silva more than he supposedly already has. The last player I've placed as an alternative here is Callum Connolly. He's a good, versatile player (Eric Dier 2.0?), but with Cuco Martina on the books I think that he'll provide that versatility off the bench if he stays. That means another loan for Connolly, who I'll come good for us eventually.
In Silva's tactic, the number 8 is a box-to-box midfielder who does a bit of everything. I am a bit concerned that Idrissa Gana Gueye is not enough of an attacking threat to be effective as a #8, while he does not have the passing range to play as the #6 in Silva's system. However, I think he will start the season as first choice. Tom Davies played left central midfield against ATV Irdning, and should see plenty of game time in this role going forward. I have always seen Davies and Davy Klaassen as each other's main rival for playing time, as I feel they have a lot of the same qualities. It will be exciting to see if Silva considers giving Klaassen a chance in this role, since he's got a lot of options at #10.
Injury-free James McCarthy would obviously stake his claim for this role, but at this point I am not sure there is such a thing as an injury-free McCarthy. Beni Baningime was seen on crutches and with a walking boot at the Irdning game, and I think he would benefit from a loan if he doesn't recover in time to give Silva something to think about the next few weeks. Beni could maybe be an alternative in the #6 role as well, but personally I would like him to get as much game time as possible in 2018/19.
Theo Walcott is surely the starter at right wing, though I was glad to see Sandro given the start against Irdning. Some of the neat attacking play we showed last summer, when Rooney, Sandro, Klaassen and Dowell played together was absolute class, and I have not given up Sandro yet. He's a great finisher, has got great movement and can link up well with the other attacking players. When he signed for us it was reported that he needs to feel that he's an important part of the team to be at his best, and I really hope Silva gives him his chance. If Bolasie goes, and I think he does, Sandro can be useful both as a right winger and as a striker. As we saw against Irdning, Silva is also testing Kieran Dowell as an inside forward on the right. There are backup minutes to be fought for in this position.
Cenk Tosun's finishing is different class, and he must start every game he can as our main striker. He never stops going, he's got that striker's aggression that no defenders likes to face and he can score from distance as well as headers. I don't think Oumar Niasse is anywhere near good enough for a team with our ambitions, but to cause havoc in the last ten minutes he can be option. If we, for some reason, have to start another striker than Cenk, I want Sandro or DCL to get the nod. I do not think Calvert-Lewin will ever be a prolific goalscorer, but he is a handful for defenders (like Okaka was at Watford) with his hard work, strength and pace.
On the left I hope Ademola Lookman is given the chance. His decision making is not nearly good enough at this stage, but he causes panic among the opposition defenders more often than not. Players who can beat his man with such easy are rare, and Lookman should be given the chance to prove his worth - especially considering our lack of alternatives. Vs Irdning Kevin Mirallas came on for the second half, and even if he produced the typical Kevin Mirallas pre-season cameo ("Wow, maybe he will be really good this year?" - Spoiler alert: he won't) we've been down that road so many times that everyone but him knows that he's nothing but a back-up at best. If we can off-load Kev I would like us to bring in a replacement, I do not like the thought of using DCL or Gylfi on the left wing.
To sum up...
We have a big squad, and a lot of players have a lot to fight for this pre-season. I think we WILL buy a left back and a centre-half. IF we buy more than that I think it will be because of outgoings, that's where the big question marks are now. I fully understand that Silva and Brands needs time to assess what they have, when I - who does not risk anything by "buying" and "selling" players in this piece - can't tell what to do with at least a handful of our players.
My team for Wolves per July 15th:
Pickford - Coleman, Holgate, NEW (Mina?), Baines - Gylfi, Schneiderlin, Davies - Walcott, Tosun, Lookman
If I were in charge:
Must buy: Centre half, left back
Should buy: Left wing back-up for Lookman (any more would depend on outgoings - replacements for Besic, Sandro/Niasse, Klaassen, Schneiderlin if they are sold).
Sell:
Martina
Ashley Williams
Bolasie
Mirallas
Niasse
McCarthy
Loan:
Robinson (if new left back is brought in)
Pennington
Baningime
Besic (would love to see him a full season in the PL)
Joe Williams (if Besic stays. Him or Besic should be back-up to Schneiderlin if we're not bringing anyone in)
Connolly
Vlasic (or Dowell, but i love that left foot of his)
That would leave this depth chart:
Goalkeeper: Jordan Pickford/Maarten Stekelenburg/Mateusz Hewelt
Right back: Seamus Coleman/Jonjoe Kenny
Right centre-half: Mason Holgate/Phil Jagielka
Left centre-half: NEW PLAYER/Michael Keane
Left back: Leighton Baines/NEW PLAYER
Right central midfielder (#10): Gylfi Sigurdsson/Davy Klaassen/Kieran Dowell
Defensive central midfielder (#6): Morgan Schneiderlin/Muhamed Besic or Joe Williams
Left central midfielder (#8): Idrissa Gana Gueye/Tom Davies
Right winger: Theo Walcott/Sandro Ramirez
Striker: Cenk Tosun/Oumar Niasse/Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Left winger: Ademola Lookman/NEW PLAYER
This is 24 players, and a good, quite exciting core, I believe.
