Squad - Where We Are Now | Page 5 | Vital Football

Squad - Where We Are Now

clanfordimp said:
I'm really hoping Sanders can step-up this season.

Looks to have all the attributes to be a good player in midfield but again we'll just have to wait and see.
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Sanders is an interesting side story to keep an eye on this season. In the final year of his contract and I don't think I'm being too disingenuous in suggesting he was cold shouldered by MA. It naturally stirred conjecture as to how he may be reintegrated under MK.

I may be going off at a tangent here but I do read into the signing of Mandroiu as an indicator that Sanders may be stepping up this year due to their reported friendship from their time at Brighton. I can't imagine the latter would have signed without sounding out Sanders in great depth, nor receiving very good feed back about facilities, opportunities and the direction the club is heading etc..
 
What we need compared to what we have will very much depend upon what formation MK prefers. We certainly have enough quality in central defence in play a 3 at the back meaning it could well be the wing back positions which need a closer look at. We don't have the pace of Bramall or Norton-Coffey who would be perfect for that formation. Robson I think is more than capable as a left back with Roughan vying for that role. Poole, Eyoma, Benn are good options as right backs. I'm really not sure any of them are suited to a wing back role.
So then you consider only needing 2 central midfielders if you are looking at a back 3. Currently we have Bishop, Sanders, Oakley-Boothe and Sorensen. Not bad on paper. Hard working players. Possibly a tad lightweight but thinking back to the period when Keith Alexander liked to play only two in the middle of the park and that was frequently Peter Gain and Ricky Butcher, players not exactly renowned as enforcers.
If we go into the Exeter game with the squad we currently have I would be quite excited to see how it pans out. You've still got over a month to paper over any problems which become apparant
 
sedgleyimp said:
What we need compared to what we have will very much depend upon what formation MK prefers. We certainly have enough quality in central defence in play a 3 at the back meaning it could well be the wing back positions which need a closer look at. We don't have the pace of Bramall or Norton-Coffey who would be perfect for that formation. Robson I think is more than capable as a left back with Roughan vying for that role. Poole, Eyoma, Benn are good options as right backs. I'm really not sure any of them are suited to a wing back role.
So then you consider only needing 2 central midfielders if you are looking at a back 3. Currently we have Bishop, Sanders, Oakley-Boothe and Sorensen. Not bad on paper. Hard working players. Possibly a tad lightweight but thinking back to the period when Keith Alexander liked to play only two in the middle of the park and that was frequently Peter Gain and Ricky Butcher, players not exactly renowned as enforcers.
If we go into the Exeter game with the squad we currently have I would be quite excited to see how it pans out. You've still got over a month to paper over any problems which become apparant
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Agreed, with one exception. Robson I reckon is more of a WB. He loves to get forward and go rampaging down the wing, or even cut inside a bit and have a go at goal. Still think he needs a little more experience as a defender, but he’s a learner. Be interesting to see what impact he has in an attacking sense.
 
Updating my original post, and again assuming we play a 4-4-2, here is where we stand at present as regards position options:-

Rushworth/Long/Wright

Benn/Eyoma/Poole
Poole/Jackson/Montsma
O'Connor/Walsh/Roughan
Robson/Roughan

Adelakun/House
Oakley-Boothe/Sanders/Sorensen
Mandroiu/Bishop/Maguire
Vernam/Scully

Hopper/Draper
Kendall/House/Makama

Outgoings will be, I'm sure, Long or Wright out on loan, and MaGuire to be paid up.

Incomings maybe (hopefully) a defensive midfielder, and (possibly) a striker - in which case I would Bishop, Sorensen, or Adelakun to move on and Draper to go out on loan again.

In my view though, we are only two signings at most away from the final squad.
 
mikeosullivan said:
Updating my original post, and again assuming we play a 4-4-2, here is where we stand at present as regards position options:-

Rushworth/Long/Wright

Benn/Eyoma/Poole
Poole/Jackson/Montsma
O'Connor/Walsh/Roughan
Robson/Roughan

Adelakun/House
Oakley-Boothe/Sanders/Sorensen
Mandroiu/Bishop/Maguire
Vernam/Scully

Hopper/Draper
Kendall/House/Makama

Outgoings will be, I'm sure, Long or Wright out on loan, and MaGuire to be paid up.

Incomings maybe (hopefully) a defensive midfielder, and (possibly) a striker - in which case I would Bishop, Sorensen, or Adelakun to move on and Draper to go out on loan again.

In my view though, we are only two signings at most away from the final squad.
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I think bishop Sorensen and adelakun deserve a crack at the first team same as sanders. I wonder if it was common knowledge that Appleton was going in that final match because adelakun was the player we all hoped. I also think Bishop was either injured or out of position. I feel with Sorensen he never recovered his loss of confidence early season.

I feel we are a striker and two central midfielders short. That’s assuming we don’t sell anyone on for money in which case they would need to be replaced
 
Chimpimp said:
Appearances 2021/22

Ted Bishop 42
Hakeem Adelakun 29
Lasse Sorensen 34
Max Sanders 24
Chris Maguire 36
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yeah but how many of them were in their natural position or as fit. I bet that’s a much lower number. Also discount the cup matches
 
In terms of where we are, there’s an argument for the following players to be loaned out or sold:

Sam Long
Hayden Cann
Elicha Ahui
Billy Brooks
Morgan Worsfold-Gregg
Oisin Gallagher
Chris Maguire
Freddie Draper
Jovon Makama

Then, assuming we are playing 4 at the back, we have Jackson, Walsh, O’Connor, Poole and Montsma fighting for the two centre back spots (albeit the latter probably won’t be until October).

Throw in the fact Eyoma and Roughan are also able to play there (arguably their best position), and I’d be surprised if that area isn’t trimmed down by one or two.

Our squad is a little bit bloated at the moment, but I don’t envisage it will be when the window closes.
 
bristolimp said:
yeah but how many of them were in their natural position or as fit. I bet that’s a much lower number. Also discount the cup matches
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Very probably. But they all had numerous opportunities, even so.

They all train every week and play in behind closed doors matches as well - so have every opportunity to show the manager is wrong not to select them more

Bishop played lots.

Sorensen and Sanders are young developing players but realistically weren't quite good enough last year.

Adelakun is talented but poor defensively, which is a problem for not very strong sides, as they do a fair bit of defending.

Next season Sanders and Sorensen should be better than they were this time last year and if we have a more physical and better side defending Adelakun might be worth a place.

The fact they didn't play more was due to correct selection from a difficult hand last year. But people don't seem to want to acknowledge that as the case.
 
Chimpimp said:
Very probably. But they all had numerous opportunities, even so.

They all train every week and play in behind closed doors matches as well - so have every opportunity to show the manager is wrong not to select them more

Bishop played lots.

Sorensen and Sanders are young developing players but realistically weren't quite good enough last year.

Adelakun is talented but poor defensively, which is a problem for not very strong sides, as they do a fair bit of defending.

Next season Sanders and Sorensen should be better than they were this time last year and if we have a more physical and better side defending Adelakun might be worth a place.

The fact they didn't play more was due to correct selection from a difficult hand last year. But people don't seem to want to acknowledge that as the case.
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True, but this season there is one massive difference. Time will tell of it was him or them! Either way very interesting
 
Chimpimp said:
The fact they didn't play more was due to correct selection from a difficult hand last year. But people don't seem to want to acknowledge that as the case.
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Overall I'd agree with that, apart from Maguire getting selected every week ahead of Sanders or Sorensen.

That was definitely not form-based, although of course it doesn't mean that either Sanders or Sorensen would have established themselves as first choices given a longer run.

Adelakun was completely underused from the bench after his run in the side. Probably a correct selection decision to drop him, as you say, but to then banish him from games completely was wrong. Adelakun has the ability to change a game if brought on for the last twenty minutes.
 
Nobody has a clue, as some else posted wait out and see how the team sets up and plays and tactics employed.

At the moment pure conjecture but funny all the same.
 
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