Squad 2023 - 2024

Hurtado is left footed and more of an inside forward than a winger, so will probably be in contention for RW and ST, not LW.

You could argue that if we get a left footed CB we have two players for each position, but in reality we need:
- CBL (cover for Hoedt, currently none)
- DM (cover for Livermore, making Sierralta cover for CBR)
- RB (because Ngakia is injury prone, Andrews is young and TDB is _not_ proper cover)
- CM (unless we want to end up with Ince or Sema there during an injury crisis)
- ST (because Rajovic is useless and Bayo isn't exactly a world beater either)

After that, a left back to replace Morris would be welcome. Pollock and Morris could do with a loan to League One.

 

Playing wouldn’t change anything, if a deal is in the works going in to the 31st then a match wouldn’t effect anything

 

So at the moment we have four centre backs. Hoedt is decent but always looks like he's trying to get a red card, Porteous has a brainfart at least 3 times a game, Sierralta has forgotten how to be a centre back and is backup for our 34 year old defensive midfielder and Pollock wants to leave.

If the aim is getting to the playoffs then a left footed centre back and cover for Livermore is the minimum required. But I suspect the playoff talk is just words and Pozzo is looking to do as little as possible this month.

 

The thing I don't really get is, where have all the Udinese loans gone? They surely have 2-3 players that could have been useful to our squad. Are they reluctant to send any players our way now because Gino is trying to sell?

 

They are trying to avoid relegation, can't spare anyone.

 

Apart from that defensive midfielder they sent/sold/gave to Charleroi. Rather than us. Who desperately needed one.

 

I really appreciate this table. Clear, concise and readily understandable.

 

Coyne joined us when he was 18, so will he be homegrown in time?

 

Thank you I'm glad - I know most prefer a pitch-graphic but this makes it easier to demonstrate squad rules imo

 

Wasn't he born in England

 

It depends when they join. Joao Pedro managed to become HG because he joined us in the January window aged 18 and started the next season still 18. He effectively got a bonus 6-months towards his HG qualification. He was here from Jan 2020, and turned 21 in the 2022/23 season. So Jan 2020 to May 2023 was greater than 3 years.

However Asprilla joined as an 18 year old in a summer window, meaning the span of those 3 seasons (up to the end of the one in which he turns 21) is Jul/Aug 2022 to May 2025. I.e. not quite 3 years, so he can't become HG.

According to Wiki, but I don't think that's relevant for EFL rules. It's just about club registration.

 

If he was born in the UK he can hold dual Australian/UK citizenship if he already hasn't. Can the EFL say you are not home grown if you are a UK citizen

 

Let's just ignore where he was born, shall we!

 

Yes. It's nothing to do with nationality or citizenship. It's about where a player trains and is developed before the cut off age.

 

Porteous is a British citizen of course, but he's obviously not homegrown

 

Looking towards the summer and once all the loan players have gone, and we have sold all those necessary to make sure we don’t go under, here is our best 11;

Hamer
Andrews Pollock* Sierralta Morris
Kayembe
TDB Chakvetadze
Ince Bayo** Sema

*could be Porteous
** could be Rajovic

With our woeful planning, the summer rebuild is going to be massive, but we have a huge problem, we have no money. When I look at that squad, I genuinely see a minimum of 7 starters that we need to upgrade on. GK, LCB, LB, DM, CM, RW and ST. That’s just for the starting line up, let alone the back up RB, LCB, CM, RW, LW and ST.

Obviously this isn’t going to happen, we’re not signing 13 players, but it goes to show you how much next season is going to be worse than this one. So enjoy the next few months everyone, because next season is going to be absolutely abysmal.

 

Agree with this and some fans are going to have a rude awakening when they realise they been duped and we're not at all in a rebuild phase. We're just cost-cutting at every opportunity and I see no hope of that reversing next season. I think the squad is bottom 8 (all bar a couple of players). Next season it will be bottom three unless there is a change in policy. Making shrewd recruitment decisions and investing a modicum of money.....neither of which I see happening.

Asprilla and probably Kone will be sold. More Morris and Pollock types will be signed. We'll be using players like Forde, Grieves, Baah, Hurtado, Fletcher. It'll very much have a League One look about it, but Val will still be bigging up the quality we have. This is the future if Pozzo remains in charge.

If he sells then it's anyone's guess as to what will happen, but that's the only way I can see the downward trend having any hope of being arrested.

 

For god's sake don't mention being arrested and Pozzo in the same post! The lawyers will be all over you.