State of the Squad At The End of The Season | Vital Football

State of the Squad At The End of The Season

SeasideEssexXile

SeasideEssexXile

Vital Football Legend
With gratefukl thanks to Abel who did all the work (y)(y) and shamelessly stolen by me to post on here.

Anyone over 21 is included for the squad limit of 25.

Contract positions of the squad are as follws with the + referring to the option.

Keepers:
Grimshaw 1+1
Maxwell 1+1
Moore - Option

Left Backs:
Garbutt 1
James 2+1

Right Backs:
Sterling back to Chelski
Gabriel 3+1

Centre Halves:
Ekpiteta 2
Husband 1+1
Keogh -Option
Thorniley -Option
Casey 2+1
Tharme 2+1

Midfield:
Stewart 1+1
Dougall 1+1
Connolly 1+1
Virtue 1+1
Robson -Option
Carey 2+1
Ward - Out of contract
Anderson - Option
Hamilton 1+1
Kirk - Option to sign
Bowler - Option
Dale 2+1

Strikers:
Madine - Option
Lavery 1+1
Yates 2+1
Beesley 3+1

So at present that's a squad of 29 meaning 4 have to be released / moved on before we get to the 25.

Thoughts on who should go and where we need to strengthen?
 
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Keepers:
Young 3rd choice keeper.
Grimshaw 1+1 New Contract
Maxwell 1+1 Keep
Moore - Option Release. Can get a third option for youth team(s)

Left Backs:
New First choice left back. Probably dependant on Garbutt going.
Garbutt 1 Try and get rid. Can't stay fit and doesn't make a big difference when he is.
James 2+1 Keep as backup and squad player. Don't mind him.

Right Backs:
Backup/squad player required.
Sterling back to Chelski He's been great, but guessing we can't keep him. Need a replacement even if it's a backup to Gabriel.
Gabriel 3+1 Keep

Centre Halves:
Spend on first choice left sided CB. Maybe a loan as well (1-2 additions).
Ekpiteta 2 Keep
Husband 1+1 Keep - Meh, sure. Shouldn't be in the first XI though.
Keogh -Option Keep - seems a good influence around the place. Wouldn't be suprised to see him on the coaching staff instead.
Thorniley -Option Pick the option up / TBC - I don't mind him, he's solid enough. But if we can get money for him then get rid, if we can't then he's a good 4/5th choice.
Casey 2+1 Send on loan.
Tharme 2+1 Send on loan.

Midfield:
2 additions, Brannagan would be ideal plus maybe another loanee as well.
Stewart 1+1 Keep. I know he has his injury problems but if he didn't he wouldn't be playing for us. I wonder how much a better training ground would help players like Stewart.
Dougall 1+1 Keep.
Connolly 1+1 Keep. Great versatility - might be happier with him as RB backup if desperate.
Virtue 1+1 TBC. I like Virtue, i'd give him the pre-season and see how he is but I wonder if a loan to League 1 would do him wonders. Just needs games.
Robson -Option Take up the option. Sell him to MK Dons. Looked great for them, just can't make it click for us. Best for him and us to move on (but make sure we get some cash!)
Carey 2+1 Keep.
Ward - Out of contract Release. We need better than him for CM. If we make additions in this area we won't be lacking depth.

Wingers/Wide Players:
Sign someone to replace Bowler. See how others get on in preseason to see if we need a second (loan?)
Anderson - Option Keep. No brainer. New contract if possible.
Hamilton 1+1 Keep. I would keep him, but wouldn't be suprised to see him go.
Kirk - Option to sign Not seen enough to justify £500k. We need better.
Bowler - Option He'll be going. Just make sure we get good money.
Dale 2+1 Still barely seen him. If it's fitness problems then let's see him after a proper pre-season.

Strikers:
We need more goals. We need more creativity as well but Madine has had to shoulder a lot this year. Can't be doing it again next.
Madine - Option Keep. But he's the barometer of progress for me, if he's still starting games at the end of the year we'll be near the bottom. He's a solid option for this level but I think Simms showed last year what extra quality there can make.
Lavery 1+1 Keep
Yates 2+1 Keep unless someone offers silly money (Hi Sunderland).
Beesley 3+1 Not a clue. Have seen like 15 minutes of him, the fact he's not getting onto the pitch when we are desperate for goals at that end of the pitch isn't the best sign.
 
Keepers:
Grimshaw - Keep as no 1
Maxwell - I think Critch's love of him is holding Grimshaw back. He looked nervous for the first time v Forrest and it was no coincidence Maxwell was on the bench.
Moore - Release + keep youth keeper as a no3.

Left Backs:
Garbutt 1- Sell. Disappointing Nd just never seems available.
James 2+1 - Keep

Right Backs:
Sterling - Chelski have a good history for keeping players at loan clubs where they are settled (Lukaku - WBA). I would love to see him back. I can't see him breaking in to their first team next season
Gabriel 3+1 - Keep.

Centre Halves:
Ekpiteta 2 - Keep AND MAKE CAPTAIN
Husband 1+1- Keep
Keogh -Keep and look to add to the coaching staff. His interaction with the kids yesterday was an example of a model pro.
Thorniley -Keep and sell.
Casey 2+1- Keep + loan
Tharme 2+1-Loan out to Div 1/2

Midfield:
Stewart - Without doubt our best midfielder but he has managed 11 games this season and 16 last and it just isn't enough. Sadly get rid.
Dougall - 50/50. Jis firm has dipped dramatically not helped by wasted trips around the globe.
Connolly - Keep. Versatile and is improving.
Virtue- Keep
Robson -Invoke option and sell.
Carey - Keep
Ward - Get rid
Anderson - Keep and new contract.
Hamilton- Sell - not good enough for this level.
Kirk - I'd sign him.
Bowler - Invoke option and sell. Minimum £6m.
Dale - Get rid. Just doesn't look good enough.

Strikers:
Madine - Keep
Lavery - Keeo
Yates - Reluctantly sell. His off the field issues will eventually catch up with him.
Beesley - Keep and loan out out.
 
A couple of questions:

Which ones of these lot are not now in the 25?
Who is Tharme? I missed that one
And, before any final decisions, I think we need to see more of some of these: Beesley, Virtue, Moore
 
SaskPool said:
A couple of questions:

Which ones of these lot are not now in the 25?
Who is Tharme? I missed that one
And, before any final decisions, I think we need to see more of some of these: Beesley, Virtue, Moore
Click to expand...

Beesley, Virtue, Casey and Dale are all in a similar spot to me - they’ll be around for pre-season and we’ll see at the end of that whether they stay or get loaned.

Moore is a “luxury” we can’t afford tbh, he takes up a place in the squad which is just a waste for a 3rd choice keeper. I think Grimshaw was meant to be the no. 3 but he’s been better which should help us free up a slot.
 
inside_man said:
Beesley, Virtue, Casey and Dale are all in a similar spot to me - they’ll be around for pre-season and we’ll see at the end of that whether they stay or get loaned.

Moore is a “luxury” we can’t afford tbh, he takes up a place in the squad which is just a waste for a 3rd choice keeper. I think Grimshaw was meant to be the no. 3 but he’s been better which should help us free up a slot.
Click to expand...
Only seen Moore once but he kept a clean sheet with decent saves,needs a run in the team ,what we have are all right but far from being the best…
 
premier 1 said:
Only seen Moore once but he kept a clean sheet with decent saves,needs a run in the team ,what we have are all right but far from being the best…
Click to expand...

I think Grimshaw can be our keeper for the next 5+ years if we wanted. He’s young and this is his first experience out of youth teams, he’s very talented.

As it stands, Moore is OOC and Maxwell isn’t (and is club captain). Just struggle to see Maxwell losing that battle unless he wanted guaranteed football.
 
It must be hard being a 3rd choice keeper. That said we have used him once this season and despite having had injuries to the keepers ahead of him do we really need to use a place in a limited squad up by having 1.
I don't think there are set rules that state you have to have 3 keepers in your squad, if you don't why don't we run with only 2 and if the time comes when we need an "emergemcy" loan then the efl will surely allow it, as they do now when clubs have a keeoer shortfall / crisis after all the transfer windows have shut.
 
SeasideEssexXile said:
It must be hard being a 3rd choice keeper. That said we have used him once this season and despite having had injuries to the keepers ahead of him do we really need to use a place in a limited squad up by having 1.
I don't think there are set rules that state you have to have 3 keepers in your squad, if you don't why don't we run with only 2 and if the time comes when we need an "emergemcy" loan then the efl will surely allow it, as they do now when clubs have a keeoer shortfall / crisis after all the transfer windows have shut.
Click to expand...

For how often they play, we should be looking to source an u-21 keeper who starts for our youth teams but is a bench option if we're desperate (do we still have a homegrown quota requirement for match day squads anyway?).

Moore has looked fine to me, but to me it should be 1 of him or Maxwell. If it's Maxwell that leaves and he becomes no. 2 i'd have a lot less confidence in him!
 
We are clearly looking to midfield as the priority for the window.
Posh's confirmation that we had agreed a £800k desl for Norburn, before his injury, and the triallist midfielder from the toon, who played on Monday just 2 potentials.
I thought on Monday the lad did alright, what I saw of him. He certainly had a bit of presence about him.

Newcastle United midfielder Mo Sangare is on trial at Championship club Blackpool.

The 23-year-old is out of contract at Newcastle in the summer and played the full 90 minutes for Blackpool in their 4-1 FA Lancashire Senior Cup semi-final defeat to Liverpool on Monday evening.

Sangare is yet to make a competitive first team appearance for The Magpies and has made just two appearances for the under-23s in the Premier League 2 this season, but he has trained with the first team on occasion.

And it appears the Liberian international’s future lies away from Tyneside with Blackpool currently taking a closer look.

His only senior playing experience came on loan at Accrington Stanley last season but he was limited to just two League One appearances for the club due to injury.

Sangare arrived from Liberia at the age of 14 and three years later he was plucked from obscurity by Newcastle chief scout Steve Nickson and offered a trial at United in 2016.
 
SeasideEssexXile said:
We are clearly looking to midfield as the priority for the window.
Click to expand...

How many midfielders would we need in the squad total?

4 + an U21 + Stewart (injuries and all that).

Carey
Dougall
Virtue (?)
?
U-21
Stewart

Unless we're looking at a change of system again and might play a midfield 3 with Carey / A.N.Other playing in front of a deeper 2.
 
Why does Sangare feel like an Oystain cheap option to me?

I see Carey as a 10 rather than a midfield player

I can see Matty V being on loan to prove his fitness. Going into a new season with Matty and Stewart could be a risk. No disrespect to Matty but he is coming back from a big injury I think.

I wonder if we will move to a more traditional 4-4-2 next season. It's a big ask of the two midfielders there with little support from the likes of Bowler and CJ ambling back on occasion to help out. Or maybe 4 - 3 -1 -2 with Carey or Keshi sitting behind the front 2?
 
Well we now know Madine will be leading the line next seaaon - he has earned it...

Blackpool striker Gary Madine has signed a new one-year contract with the club, with the option of a second year.
Madine, 31, has scored 21 goals in 86 games across two spells at Bloomfield Road, having returned in 2019 after an initial 2014-15 season loan spell.
The former Cardiff City and Sheffield Wednesday player has found the net eight times this season.
"This is a club that is going in the right direction, and I really want to be part of it," Madine told the club.
"I love everything about the place at the minute and I'm delighted to stay here."
 
Here is how I see it:

Keepers:
Grimshaw 1+1 - no1 for me
Maxwell 1+1 - happy for him to be no2 but don’t think he will be, let go if a good offer came in
Moore - Option - don’t know much about him so hard to judge, keep as no2 if Maxwell goes

Left Backs:
Garbutt 1 - Meh, can do better. Think he will stay but wouldn’t be upset if he didn’t.
James 2+1 - Not good enough, try and flog.

Right Backs:
Sterling back to Chelski - would love him back for next season
Gabriel 3+1 - Had a good season and clearly a fans favourite but backs it up on the pitch as well

Centre Halves:
Ekpiteta 2 - Oustanding. DO NOT SELL.
Husband 1+1 - Solid enough and happy with him for next season.
Keogh -Option - I’d take the option, good to have around but not sure I’d have him starting every week.
Thorniley -Option - take the option then either back him or sell him, I don’t mind him at all and would be happy if he stayed but think he may be sold.
Casey 2+1 - Loan him out
Tharme 2+1 - Judge him after pre season, if ready get involved if not loan out.

Midfield:
Stewart 1+1 - Absolutely a class above, just wish he was available more.
Dougall 1+1 - much better with Stewart next to him but I think he’s good enough for this level.
Connolly 1+1 - really grown into this season and has improved a lot
Virtue 1+1 - I like him but fitness is a huge issue, needs pre season but if it’s another injury hit campaign we can’t keep affording to pay him to sit on the side
Robson -Option - activate and sell or just release him and save hassle
Carey 2+1 - potential is massive with this lad, could turn out to be a gem.
Ward - Out of contract - let go
Anderson - Option - take option, was brilliant before his injury
Hamilton 1+1 - Sell, not good enough
Kirk - Option to sign - weird one this, starts a game then isn’t involved for a couple. Id be tempted to sign him.
Bowler - Option - would take any sensible offers for him. Had his brilliant January but my god is he frustrating and his end product at times is awful
Dale 2+1 - Think he needs a fair crack of the whip and the jury is definitely out

Strikers:
Madine - Option - Glad we’ve signed him up, been one of our best players since the turn of the year.
Lavery 1+1 - really like him, keep and hope he can push on next year
Yates 2+1 - Any sensible offers come in I’d let him go. Progession has derailed this season and can only think the regular off field drunken videos aren’t helping his case.
Beesley 3+1 - Who Knows?!

(Sorry I gave up colouring - hard work on phone)
 
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