Pape Matar Sarr

[ricky2tricky4city]

Yes, DM/6.

Gray is a wonderful talent. Let's see what he can do if he gets the chance in that role this season. Like you I'm not sure he's quite ready for that, or ready to be a first choice there now or next season.

But given shortcomings there what the rest of the team can and can't do is really important and could also change things quite a bit. Attacking and defending. So even though that perfect DM would be huge it's not the only path to improvement.

Ironically as soon as we get to 38pts we will probably have quite a few league games to give Gray free reign to learn on the job.

Not that I think he'd let us down anyway.

 

[parklane1]

Yes, DM/6.

Gray is a wonderful talent. Let's see what he can do if he gets the chance in that role this season. Like you I'm not sure he's quite ready for that, or ready to be a first choice there now or next season.

But given shortcomings there what the rest of the team can and can't do is really important and could also change things quite a bit. Attacking and defending. So even though that perfect DM would be huge it's not the only path to improvement.

I do agree that we need upgrades is other posistions for sure but again imo a DM is one of the most important posistions in any side, we do need upgrading in others as you say but our CM is wide open and that is making our defenders put under pressure all the time. I guess Stop! Hammer time but IF i was manager a proper DM would be top of my wish list. I guess we will have to hope and pray we get a few bodys in before next season kiks off. COYS

 

[braineclipse]

I do agree that we need upgrades is other posistions for sure but again imo a DM is one of the most important posistions in any side, we do need upgrading in others as you say but our CM is wide open and that is making our defenders put under pressure all the time. I guess Stop! Hammer time but IF i was manager a proper DM would be top of my wish list. I guess we will have to hope and pray we get a few bodys in before next season kiks off. COYS

But really disagreeing with you, but I think a proper dribbly creative winger would make about as much of a difference personally.

Not necessarily because that is more important than a DM, but because Bissouma and Bentancur are fine as DMs. But without Odobert (and Moore) the closest thing we have to a dribbly creative winger is probably... Werner?

It's been a profile we've been without almost all season, not even having a fine/decent option most games.

 

[Muttley]

I do agree that we need upgrades is other posistions for sure but again imo a DM is one of the most important posistions in any side, we do need upgrading in others as you say but our CM is wide open and that is making our defenders put under pressure all the time. I guess Stop! Hammer time but IF i was manager a proper DM would be top of my wish list. I guess we will have to hope and pray we get a few bodys in before next season kiks off. COYS

Are there so many of them around though? I would have to think deeply how we would find a 21-25 year old within our budget who can come in and own that position. I hear Richard Rio being mentioned. Not even sure who else we're linked with.

 

[parklane1]

But really disagreeing with you, but I think a proper dribbly creative winger would make about as much of a difference personally.

Not necessarily because that is more important than a DM, but because Bissouma and Bentancur are fine as DMs. But without Odobert (and Moore) the closest thing we have to a dribbly creative winger is probably... Werner?

It's been a profile we've been without almost all season, not even having a fine/decent option most games.

I would love a proper dribbly winger [ Waddle was one of my favourite players back in the day] so i do agree it would make us a far stronger team. But i still think we need better that Biss and i hope we replace him in the summer, Bents i love and we really have missed him and as you say he could do the DM job but i think he would be better as a floater in our M/F. I guess only time will tell what summer brings.

 

[parklane1]

Are there so many of them around though? I would have to think deeply how we would find a 21-25 year old within our budget who can come in and own that position. I hear Richard Rio being mentioned. Not even sure who else we're linked with.

Now that is a difficult question as for me its a specialist posistion and they are like gold dust to find because imo it not only takes a special talent but they are hard to find. But i really believe that if we go into next season having to play the likes of Biss, Sarr there we will have the same problems with our defenders being over run.

 

[Muttley]

I would love a proper dribbly winger [ Waddle was one of my favourite players back in the day] so i do agree it would make us a far stronger team. But i still think we need better that Biss and i hope we replace him in the summer, Bents i love and we really have missed him and as you say he could do the DM job but i think he would be better as a floater in our M/F. I guess only time will tell what summer brings.

The other dynamic here is the availability and freshness of the midfield over a season.

Season 1 (no UEFA): AFCON, injuries, suspension and even Malaria impacting our ability to have Sarr, Biss and Bents on rotation. Hoj plugged some gaps.

Season 2 (UEFA) : Trio of Biss, Bents, Sarr intact, Hoj gone (and Skipp) and incoming Gray, Bergval. Crazy season for Bents.

Season 3 (no UEFA?): Quintet of Bents, Sarr, Gray, Bergval and newbie, Biss gone? Access to Devine, Abbott, Hall etc

I think it swings the other direction. We will be so well stocked with one single churn that we may see players massively under utilised. We'd definitely be in a great position to use 5 or 6 midfielders every game including subs.

 

[Bullet]

Season 3 (no UEFA?): Quintet of Bents, Sarr, Gray, Bergval and newbie, Biss gone? Access to Devine, Abbott, Hall etc

It's a great point. We don't know how highly rated Devine, Donley, Abott etc are, so it is hard for us to know what recruitment we need. Hopefully Devine and Donley are deemed ready to contribute, so they take 2 proper spots in the squad (i.e. used fairly regularly, not as a very last resort when everyone else is dead).

I'm surprised Tyrese Hall hasn't really stepped up this year, not sure what is going on with him but I expected either a loan or a lot of bench appearances with a real starring role in the PL2. Something is up there.

 

[Muttley]

It's a great point. We don't know how highly rated Devine, Donley, Abott etc are, so it is hard for us to know what recruitment we need. Hopefully Devine and Donley are deemed ready to contribute, so they take 2 proper spots in the squad (i.e. used fairly regularly, not as a very last resort when everyone else is dead).

I'm surprised Tyrese Hall hasn't really stepped up this year, not sure what is going on with him but I expected either a loan or a lot of bench appearances with a real starring role in the PL2. Something is up there.

I think this is why some of us are worried about no UEFA football. Our path was plotted so a bunch were loaned out this season and we had the club trained type issues. Next season though, we would have had great B-listers in Phillips, Devine, Keeley etc. That squad depth would have started to kick in, By the time we get to the season after we'd be seeing all the club trained turn 21 and take the slots, hopefully for a CL campaign. We can still achieve it, but we've made it so much harder to keep everyone happy. That is of course assuming injuries normalise.

As for Hall, I think he has got about 15 games under his belt this season. Second half will probably see him out on loan. We've never really had a midfield injury crisis though. It's been the other positions. I know Olusesi seems to have been favoured but I thought I recalled him down the right wing for the U21s last season.