OUR 22 MAN SQUAD - AN INVESTIGATION..

newyddion

Well-known member
From a recent Chris Wilder interview.. reading between the lines..

“The young boys won’t be part of the first-team squad,” he said. “The likes of Finch, Fletcher, Hackney, Gibson, Caolan Boyd-Munce, Dodds, Bilongo – you’re talking Championship football, they need to go and learn"

a few in the squad notable by their exclusions..

30 MF Hayden Hackney
31 FW Sonny Finch
32 DF Bryant Bilongo
33 MF Joe Gibson
34 DF Daniel Dodds
35 MF Isaac Fletcher
36 FW Calum Kavanagh
37 MF Kamil Conteh
38 DF Daniel Dodds
39 MF Jeremy Sivi


looking at the squad and judging by pre season I thought Bilongo would be part of the squad and with Joe Gibson so close to the first team last season I was thinking maybe he was the natural successor to Marcus Tavernier.

“I’ve said what we’re looking to get in (he has kept the number four, five, nine, ten and 11 shirts free for signings) and I’m confident we will but if we don’t we’ll assess off the back of that.
four, five and nine done with another two (or three) on the horizon. I do think Akpom has changed the thought process, lifting a £10m weight off our shoulders

Finch, a 17-year-old midfielder who was one of four debutants along with Roberts and substitutes Dodds and Bilongo, is a case in point.
“He’s not even ready for loan football,” argued Wilder. “He’s working with the first team and it’s beneficial for some of the young players to be with us instead of going out (on loan).
He's not ready for loan football, needs must and young players can develop overnight in terms of 'being ready' no pressure on the lad.. but he could be the next Michael Owen or Wayne Rooney!! lol

1 GK Zack Steffen (on loan from Manchester City)
2 MF Isaiah Jones
3 DF Ryan Giles (on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers)
4 MF Alex Mowatt (on loan from West Bromwich Albion)
5 DF Matt Clarke
6 DF Dael Fry
8 MF Riley McGree
9 FW Rodrigo Muniz (on loan from Fulham)
13 FW Matthew Hoppe
14 DF Tommy Smith
15 DF Anfernee Dijksteel - possible candidate for defensive midfielder?
16 MF Jonny Howson (captain)
17 DF Paddy McNair
18 FW Duncan Watmore - ATTACKING MIDFILDER? - we also have Sonny Finch who is not leaving
20 MF Caolan Boyd-Munce - DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER? - we also have Kamil Conteh who has not been mentioned as leaving
21 FW Marcus Forss
23 GK Liam Roberts
25 MF Matt Crooks
26 DF Darragh Lenihan
27 DF Marc Bola
28 GK Luke Daniels
29 FW Chuba Akpom - OUR NEW STRIKER? - we also have Calum Kavanagh

7 Tavernier, 10 Payero, 11 Sporar some big shirts to fill..

7 Anfernee Dijksteel, Kamil Conteh
10 Duncan Watmore, Sonny Finch
11 Chuba Akpom, Calum Kavanagh

That's just the players we know aren't moving. Perhaps the shirt numbers is a a thing to get the younger players motivated. Literally playing for the shirt! We could be in the premier league next season and one of these young players could be wearing that favoured shirt number. That's how close it is I guess.. or they could sit back and watch the years drift off and pretend that they didn't get their chance.

On one hand quite romantic and emotional to think that the next prem start could be within our ranks already.. on the other hand we could easily drop £20m to £30m in the transfer market and end up no further forward than we are right now! 20/22 is not such a young age in the professional game and 25/26 certainly isn't there' careers could be over in a blink of an eye without it taking off or progressing how it could have.
 
From a recent Chris Wilder interview.. reading between the lines..

“The young boys won’t be part of the first-team squad,” he said. “The likes of Finch, Fletcher, Hackney, Gibson, Caolan Boyd-Munce, Dodds, Bilongo – you’re talking Championship football, they need to go and learn"

a few in the squad notable by their exclusions..

30 MF Hayden Hackney
31 FW Sonny Finch
32 DF Bryant Bilongo
33 MF Joe Gibson
34 DF Daniel Dodds
35 MF Isaac Fletcher
36 FW Calum Kavanagh
37 MF Kamil Conteh
38 DF Daniel Dodds
39 MF Jeremy Sivi


looking at the squad and judging by pre season I thought Bilongo would be part of the squad and with Joe Gibson so close to the first team last season I was thinking maybe he was the natural successor to Marcus Tavernier.

“I’ve said what we’re looking to get in (he has kept the number four, five, nine, ten and 11 shirts free for signings) and I’m confident we will but if we don’t we’ll assess off the back of that.
four, five and nine done with another two (or three) on the horizon. I do think Akpom has changed the thought process, lifting a £10m weight off our shoulders

Finch, a 17-year-old midfielder who was one of four debutants along with Roberts and substitutes Dodds and Bilongo, is a case in point.
“He’s not even ready for loan football,” argued Wilder. “He’s working with the first team and it’s beneficial for some of the young players to be with us instead of going out (on loan).
He's not ready for loan football, needs must and young players can develop overnight in terms of 'being ready' no pressure on the lad.. but he could be the next Michael Owen or Wayne Rooney!! lol

1 GK Zack Steffen (on loan from Manchester City)
2 MF Isaiah Jones
3 DF Ryan Giles (on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers)
4 MF Alex Mowatt (on loan from West Bromwich Albion)
5 DF Matt Clarke
6 DF Dael Fry
8 MF Riley McGree
9 FW Rodrigo Muniz (on loan from Fulham)
13 FW Matthew Hoppe
14 DF Tommy Smith
15 DF Anfernee Dijksteel - possible candidate for defensive midfielder?
16 MF Jonny Howson (captain)
17 DF Paddy McNair
18 FW Duncan Watmore - ATTACKING MIDFILDER? - we also have Sonny Finch who is not leaving
20 MF Caolan Boyd-Munce - DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER? - we also have Kamil Conteh who has not been mentioned as leaving
21 FW Marcus Forss
23 GK Liam Roberts
25 MF Matt Crooks
26 DF Darragh Lenihan
27 DF Marc Bola
28 GK Luke Daniels
29 FW Chuba Akpom - OUR NEW STRIKER? - we also have Calum Kavanagh

7 Tavernier, 10 Payero, 11 Sporar some big shirts to fill..

7 Anfernee Dijksteel, Kamil Conteh
10 Duncan Watmore, Sonny Finch
11 Chuba Akpom, Calum Kavanagh

That's just the players we know aren't moving. Perhaps the shirt numbers is a a thing to get the younger players motivated. Literally playing for the shirt! We could be in the premier league next season and one of these young players could be wearing that favoured shirt number. That's how close it is I guess.. or they could sit back and watch the years drift off and pretend that they didn't get their chance.

On one hand quite romantic and emotional to think that the next prem start could be within our ranks already.. on the other hand we could easily drop £20m to £30m in the transfer market and end up no further forward than we are right now! 20/22 is not such a young age in the professional game and 25/26 certainly isn't there' careers could be over in a blink of an eye without it taking off or progressing how it could have.
40 Cornet
41 Popple

No 12 , 22 or 24

19 Coburn unless/until he goes on loan




Screenshot_2022-09-01-15-40-56-44_6012fa4d4ddec268fc5c7112cbb265e7.jpg
 
Steffen/Roberts/Daniels

McNair/Conteh
Lenihan/Fry
Clarke/Bola

Jones/Smith
Crooks/Gibson
Howson/Dijksteel
Mowett/Boyd-Munce
Giles/Bilongo

McGree/Watmore/Finch/Kavanagh
Muniz/Akpom/Forss/Hoppe


Tavernier pays for the Transfers
Spence goes in the back
Overall the wage bill is reduced


Easy to throw names about and get upset/fed up.. but where do these players fit in?

Thinking back to the Karanka days and the likes of Forshaw, Zucullini, Wildshut, Fabbrini, De Pena.. they all played their parts, most went on to bigger and better things.

It might be just one of them when we’re done. We’ve got all the ingredients there to go top six.. but it doesn’t get handed on a plate.

Some of the names mentioned Josh Onomah, Teddy Teuma, Emil Riis.. do they improve the squad? Are they value for money?
 
Steffen/Roberts/Daniels

McNair/Conteh
Lenihan/Fry
Clarke/Bola

Jones/Smith
Crooks/Gibson
Howson/Dijksteel
Mowett/Boyd-Munce
Giles/Bilongo

McGree/Watmore/Finch/Kavanagh
Muniz/Akpom/Forss/Hoppe


Tavernier pays for the Transfers
Spence goes in the back
Overall the wage bill is reduced


Easy to throw names about and get upset/fed up.. but where do these players fit in?

Thinking back to the Karanka days and the likes of Forshaw, Zucullini, Wildshut, Fabbrini, De Pena.. they all played their parts, most went on to bigger and better things.

It might be just one of them when we’re done. We’ve got all the ingredients there to go top six.. but it doesn’t get handed on a plate.

Some of the names mentioned Josh Onomah, Teddy Teuma, Emil Riis.. do they improve the squad? Are they value for money?
I agree with the above and dont see the point in purchasing for the sake of it either.

Conteh is a CM so I would imagine Dijksteel is back into RCB and Conteh challenging howsen.

Although wilder seems reluctant to play youngsters, maybe this will force him to play them and it will unearth yet more gems from within the club.

Dodds looked really aggressive and direct on the Right when he came on against Marseille.

Key will be keeping players fit notably Akpom and Muniz for me.

But we cannot and I must stress cannot continue to play with 1 upfront and Mcgree behind, it has to be 2 upfront at all times no matter who we play!
 
Steffen/Roberts

Jones/Smith
Dijksteel/McNair
Lenihan/Fry
Clarke/Bola
Giles/Fisher

Howson/Hackney
Crooks/Mowatt
McGree/Finch


Muniz/Forss/Hoppe/Watmore/Akpom

Think we might see Dijksteel and McNair feature more in midfield than we’d like to.

That squad finishes around 10-14 imo
 
I agree with the above and dont see the point in purchasing for the sake of it either.

Conteh is a CM so I would imagine Dijksteel is back into RCB and Conteh challenging howsen.

Although wilder seems reluctant to play youngsters, maybe this will force him to play them and it will unearth yet more gems from within the club.

Dodds looked really aggressive and direct on the Right when he came on against Marseille.

Key will be keeping players fit notably Akpom and Muniz for me.

But we cannot and I must stress cannot continue to play with 1 upfront and Mcgree behind, it has to be 2 upfront at all times no matter who we play!
Dijksteel/Conteh
Bola/Bilongo

Nothing is black and white, I’m sure we’ll mix it up and have two up top. That squad can go top six imo.

Didn’t fancy Dodds much tbh
 
Dijksteel/Conteh
Bola/Bilongo

Nothing is black and white, I’m sure we’ll mix it up and have two up top. That squad can go top six imo.

Didn’t fancy Dodds much tbh
I have no problem the kids being played and think it could actual be a positive thing but I sense wilder is stubborn and will not use them, Hackney is a tidy footballer too!
 
I have no problem the kids being played and think it could actual be a positive thing but I sense wilder is stubborn and will not use them, Hackney is a tidy footballer too!
Squad players are squad players

Steffen/Roberts/Daniels

McNair/Conteh
Lenihan/Fry
Clarke/Bola

Jones/Smith
Crooks/Gibson
Howson/Dijksteel
Mowett/Boyd-Munce
Giles/Bilongo

McGree/Watmore/Finch/Kavanagh
Muniz/Akpom/Forss/Hoppe

You’re gonna have the first 18 and then a bit of movement with injuries & suspensions. Variations on the formation 3-5-2, 3-5-1-1 & 3-4-3
 
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