Englishteacher
Active member
If I was Warnock, this is the verdict of the squad that I would have given to Gibson and Bausor. See what you think.
Goalkeepers:
Neither Stojanovic or Pears are remotely close to being strong enough for a side with aspirations for a top ten finish next season. We look extremely vulnerable from crosses and set pieces with both of them in goal because neither command their area. Warnock should have no problem picking up an experienced keeper who is out of contract.
Fry - Warnock CBs need to be talkers and organisers but Fry is too quiet and timid- he could be more effective if he has an alpha male (Chris Morgan-type) alongside him at CB. His market value has declined dramatically over the course of the season but I thought he marshalled Connor Wickham pretty well today. If the team does well next season and frequents the top half of the table, his market value will go back up so he might be worth keeping for one more year and trying to cash in elsewhere.
Bola - Not worth writing more than a sentence about - move him on.
Wood - great pace for a centre half and probably looks good in training but needs to go on loan to league one or two for a couple of years to play men’s football.
Spence - his final ball and decision making is currently not good enough for RW and he is not trustworthy enough defensively to be a RB. Despite his impressive pace, he seems unable to react quickly enough to stop a winger’s cross. He is worth persisting with on the right for next season to see if he can add consistency as he could become one of the best in the division in a team with a well-drilled structure.
Friend - it is possibly worth giving him another year as a back up centre back and club captain if he accepts a reduced wage. He is a good character who is unlikely to cause a fuss about having a reduced role in the squad. While his pace has diminished in recent years and his distribution is erratic at best, he is still quicker than the average Championship centre back.
Johnson - mixed feelings here. He has managed to combine excellent moments with amateurish errors in every game he has played at LB since the re-start. This may have been caused by him trying too hard to earn that new contract. He has a decent left foot, a decent turn of pace and a good heart but he makes too many rash mistakes and naive fouls around the box to be a reliable upper-tier Championship LB. I would let him go with his head held high knowing he played an important part in our survival over the last 8 games. He should have no problem finding a lower-end Championship club for next season.
Macnair- he is arguably the best CB currently at the club but he fancies himself as more of a marauding midfielder. Some fans have forgotten he was our best player from August to November. In a well-organised Warnock team, he would step up again. If he stays, he would likely weigh in with 6-10 goals next season. However he is one of very few players with decent market value and potential suitors so he may be worth selling to raise funds for other positions.
Howson - 7/10every week. Nothing flash and past his prime but still reliable and fit enough to cover the middle of the park, carry out Warnock’s instructions and make the right decisions with and without the ball. He is a good character to have around the squad and tries to lead by example even if he lacks the Leadbitteresque leadership Warnock would ideally want in that position.
Saville - he is a decent championship plodder who does everything fairly well without having any obvious strengths. He puts his tackles in, retains the ball and gets around the pitch. We have no chance of recouping anything close to the 7 million we paid for him so we may as well try and make the best use of him that we can. He is another quiet character who would benefit from having a vocal leader around him in the middle of the park.
Fletcher - he is getting consistently better with every season - although that wasn’t too difficult after his first season. He is a decent outlet to chase the balls down the channels and has developed a calm head to make good decisions in the final third. He is better at heading the ball than he thinks he is too. Keep him as the second striker and extend his contract if we can afford it to avoid him leaving for free in a year’s time.
Assombalonga - he has so many frustrating weaknesses to his game. He struggles to hold the ball up with his back to goal, he makes sloppy passes in the final third and gets bullied pretty easily by top-end Championship centre backs. He has decent pace but weak acceleration - he needs about 25 metres to get up to speed. Despite all his failings, he will score you goals to win you games and always get in the right positions. Warnock may be able to get a better main striker for half the price and half the wages. If he stays, he would no doubt leave for free at the end of the season so any offer over 5 million should be seriously considered. Take him off free kicks too. That worldie against Cardiff was a mistake - he meant to lean back and balloon it over the bar.
Coulson - decent back up LB or LW. He has good pace and plays with passion but he is positionally naive and lacks the trickery to dribble past higher-end championship defenders. His final ball is generally poor; he can’t be relied on for a 7/10each week. For his break-through season in the Championship though, he has done pretty well. He has potential to grow so is worth retaining to see if can add more to his game next season.
Wing - Difficult one this. He strikes the ball beautifully. He is the best free-kick taker in the club. He is occasionally great at weaving Hollywood through-balls for the attackers. If you give him a clear shot at goal from outside the box he will more than likely score. However, he struggles with many of the game’s basics: tackling, retaining the ball, marking, positioning, chasing second balls. Therefore he can’t be relied on for a starting role in a Warnock team. He might be worth bringing off the bench in a tight game. There is a small chance he could do a James Ward-Prowse and improve the weaker aspects of his game to become a rounded midfield player but time is not on his side. He is another quiet character who needs to have a Leadbitter-esque leader around him constantly demanding more.
Dijksteel - his post-lockdown performances suggest he might actually have what it takes to be a lower-end Championship right back in a team with a well-drilled system. He is more reliable than Spence at cutting out crosses and he has surprised me with some of his forward passing; however, Warnock should be able to wheel and deal to find a better RB option on the cheap.
Walker - I think Warnock will like him. He was just starting to find his feet in men’s football during his loan spell for Crewe before the lockdown cut it short. He has the raw dribbling ability and confidence to cause real problems in the final third. I would try bringing him on next season to replace Fletcher for the last 10 minutes of games to chase the balls down the channels against tiring defenders. He should win free kicks around the box.
Tavernier - play him every week. He is not consistent enough yet to build the team around him but he should be the first name on the team sheet.
Goalkeepers:
Neither Stojanovic or Pears are remotely close to being strong enough for a side with aspirations for a top ten finish next season. We look extremely vulnerable from crosses and set pieces with both of them in goal because neither command their area. Warnock should have no problem picking up an experienced keeper who is out of contract.
Fry - Warnock CBs need to be talkers and organisers but Fry is too quiet and timid- he could be more effective if he has an alpha male (Chris Morgan-type) alongside him at CB. His market value has declined dramatically over the course of the season but I thought he marshalled Connor Wickham pretty well today. If the team does well next season and frequents the top half of the table, his market value will go back up so he might be worth keeping for one more year and trying to cash in elsewhere.
Bola - Not worth writing more than a sentence about - move him on.
Wood - great pace for a centre half and probably looks good in training but needs to go on loan to league one or two for a couple of years to play men’s football.
Spence - his final ball and decision making is currently not good enough for RW and he is not trustworthy enough defensively to be a RB. Despite his impressive pace, he seems unable to react quickly enough to stop a winger’s cross. He is worth persisting with on the right for next season to see if he can add consistency as he could become one of the best in the division in a team with a well-drilled structure.
Friend - it is possibly worth giving him another year as a back up centre back and club captain if he accepts a reduced wage. He is a good character who is unlikely to cause a fuss about having a reduced role in the squad. While his pace has diminished in recent years and his distribution is erratic at best, he is still quicker than the average Championship centre back.
Johnson - mixed feelings here. He has managed to combine excellent moments with amateurish errors in every game he has played at LB since the re-start. This may have been caused by him trying too hard to earn that new contract. He has a decent left foot, a decent turn of pace and a good heart but he makes too many rash mistakes and naive fouls around the box to be a reliable upper-tier Championship LB. I would let him go with his head held high knowing he played an important part in our survival over the last 8 games. He should have no problem finding a lower-end Championship club for next season.
Macnair- he is arguably the best CB currently at the club but he fancies himself as more of a marauding midfielder. Some fans have forgotten he was our best player from August to November. In a well-organised Warnock team, he would step up again. If he stays, he would likely weigh in with 6-10 goals next season. However he is one of very few players with decent market value and potential suitors so he may be worth selling to raise funds for other positions.
Howson - 7/10every week. Nothing flash and past his prime but still reliable and fit enough to cover the middle of the park, carry out Warnock’s instructions and make the right decisions with and without the ball. He is a good character to have around the squad and tries to lead by example even if he lacks the Leadbitteresque leadership Warnock would ideally want in that position.
Saville - he is a decent championship plodder who does everything fairly well without having any obvious strengths. He puts his tackles in, retains the ball and gets around the pitch. We have no chance of recouping anything close to the 7 million we paid for him so we may as well try and make the best use of him that we can. He is another quiet character who would benefit from having a vocal leader around him in the middle of the park.
Fletcher - he is getting consistently better with every season - although that wasn’t too difficult after his first season. He is a decent outlet to chase the balls down the channels and has developed a calm head to make good decisions in the final third. He is better at heading the ball than he thinks he is too. Keep him as the second striker and extend his contract if we can afford it to avoid him leaving for free in a year’s time.
Assombalonga - he has so many frustrating weaknesses to his game. He struggles to hold the ball up with his back to goal, he makes sloppy passes in the final third and gets bullied pretty easily by top-end Championship centre backs. He has decent pace but weak acceleration - he needs about 25 metres to get up to speed. Despite all his failings, he will score you goals to win you games and always get in the right positions. Warnock may be able to get a better main striker for half the price and half the wages. If he stays, he would no doubt leave for free at the end of the season so any offer over 5 million should be seriously considered. Take him off free kicks too. That worldie against Cardiff was a mistake - he meant to lean back and balloon it over the bar.
Coulson - decent back up LB or LW. He has good pace and plays with passion but he is positionally naive and lacks the trickery to dribble past higher-end championship defenders. His final ball is generally poor; he can’t be relied on for a 7/10each week. For his break-through season in the Championship though, he has done pretty well. He has potential to grow so is worth retaining to see if can add more to his game next season.
Wing - Difficult one this. He strikes the ball beautifully. He is the best free-kick taker in the club. He is occasionally great at weaving Hollywood through-balls for the attackers. If you give him a clear shot at goal from outside the box he will more than likely score. However, he struggles with many of the game’s basics: tackling, retaining the ball, marking, positioning, chasing second balls. Therefore he can’t be relied on for a starting role in a Warnock team. He might be worth bringing off the bench in a tight game. There is a small chance he could do a James Ward-Prowse and improve the weaker aspects of his game to become a rounded midfield player but time is not on his side. He is another quiet character who needs to have a Leadbitter-esque leader around him constantly demanding more.
Dijksteel - his post-lockdown performances suggest he might actually have what it takes to be a lower-end Championship right back in a team with a well-drilled system. He is more reliable than Spence at cutting out crosses and he has surprised me with some of his forward passing; however, Warnock should be able to wheel and deal to find a better RB option on the cheap.
Walker - I think Warnock will like him. He was just starting to find his feet in men’s football during his loan spell for Crewe before the lockdown cut it short. He has the raw dribbling ability and confidence to cause real problems in the final third. I would try bringing him on next season to replace Fletcher for the last 10 minutes of games to chase the balls down the channels against tiring defenders. He should win free kicks around the box.
Tavernier - play him every week. He is not consistent enough yet to build the team around him but he should be the first name on the team sheet.
