Who would we keep in this squad in the prem…

I'd try and keep it together as much as possible, with a few exceptions.

It will be tough whatever we do, and new signings are a bit of a lottery, so I'd put more faith in teamwork and squad unity than exciting big names.

I would look to bolster with 2-3 players with lots of PL experience: maybe past their best, but model pros with something still to offer. We signed Cooper and Pallister in '98, had our second best PL season, and established ourselves in the PL for the next decade.

I wouldn't go looking to sign other Championship club's best players. That's always an expensive route as they want top £; most of the players haven't been picked up by PL clubs already for a reason, and they rarely bring and PL experience, which we badly lacked last time.
 
Frozen Horse said:
I'd try and keep it together as much as possible, with a few exceptions.

It will be tough whatever we do, and new signings are a bit of a lottery, so I'd put more faith in teamwork and squad unity than exciting big names.

I would look to bolster with 2-3 players with lots of PL experience: maybe past their best, but model pros with something still to offer. We signed Cooper and Pallister in '98, had our second best PL season, and established ourselves in the PL for the next decade.

I wouldn't go looking to sign other Championship club's best players. That's always an expensive route as they want top £; most of the players haven't been picked up by PL clubs already for a reason, and they rarely bring and PL experience, which we badly lacked last time.
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Agree with this, Champo players attract top dollar and there's usually a reason they've not yet made the leap to the EPL.

Overseas markets offer better value and I'd be looking to spend there I think. EPL loans are a pretty solid way of attracting a calibre of player otherwise beyond our means too.

Should we go up there needs to be a clear plan on our objectives - how long to become an established EPL club for instance (if such a thing exists?) May be that we need to go up/down a few times for that to happen. As a result I'd be almost tempted to hang on to Carrick regardless of results. The sacking of Karanka midway through our last season in the top flight fractured the club in ways it's only just recovering from.
 
Tough one this. Even a month ago I would have said that only Chuba is definitely Premier league standard. Now I think we have more options. We do though have a lot of loans which means we either go full Nottingham Forest and replace everyone or we follow the Norwich model. I think, maybe, somewhere in between. I actually think our recruitment last time wasn't that bad in principle except we bought too many back-ups. Negredo, de Roon, and Valdes ought to be have been a fantastic spine but de Roon struggled and Valdes wasn't interested.

Square brackets for current loanees if we get them back either on a permanent or loan. £££ means buy or loan. ??? means someone internally

Keeper: [Steffen / £££] , Roberts, Hemming
RB: Smith, ???
CB: £££, Fry, Lenihan, McNair/Clarke/???
LB: [Giles / £££], Bola/???
CM: £££, Hackney, Barlaser, Howson/???
AMR/L: Forss, McGree, £££, Jones, ???
AMC: Chuba, Crooks,
CF: [Archer / £££], £££/???

That is a lot of gaps. Really good case for keeping Steffen, Giles & Archer if we can to minimise the churn.

I think we desperately need a midfield enforcer to play alongside one of Hackney or Barlaser.
Not sure our centre-backs are really up to Premier league standard; I think Lenihan or Fry can play alongside someone.
If we can't keep Archer we'll need to replace him with someone to the same standard.
Smith has played in the Prem before so can probably see us through the first season.

Brynn and Coburn should probably go out on loan to a Championship side. Conteh and many of the current U21s need to get League One/Two loans.

Would be reluctant to sell McNair or Crooks because I think they have a lot to offer as utility replacements.
Probably Dijksteel and Bola will be moved on as much due to their injury record as anything else.
Don't expect Payero back but if he's around he should get a pre-season to see what he can offer. (Probably not a lot)

The aim has to be, if we go back down that Brynn and Coburn are championship ready.

Might well be a really good case for another 12 month loan with no break clause for Steffen and Archer but I assume Man City will want to sell Steffen and I'm not sure we really want to buy him.

Regardless, we are going to have to play out of our skins to stay up.

Possible permanents.
Jean Paul van Hecke
Gavin Bazunu (Southampton) as a permanent keeper might be an option if Southampton are relegated
I'm assuming Ramsey won't be an option but if Leeds are relegated, Jack Harrison might be a good shout, especially if Forss moves back to CF.

Possible loans
If we can't get Archer back then maybe look at Balogun again
Maybe Ethan Ampadu as someone who could be a midfield enforcer or centre back
 
Never go back........... 👀

——————------Steffen---———————

Smith-----—Lenihan----—Salisu—---Giles

-----------—Hackney—Adams—------------

——Traore--——Akpom—-----McGree—

---------------------Bamford-----------------


——————------Heaton---———————

Drameh--------—Fry----—Clarke—-----Creswell

-----------—Barlaser—---Tavernier—------------

——Forss--—----—Crooks—------McGree—

----------------------Archer-----------------
 
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