My concern about the squad right now

[AlexW132]

I promise this isn't an overreaction to the 8-2 defeat but my biggest worry at the moment is this

Even if we do sign Kalas, and it is a big if, we still have effectively the same squad as last season, minus Malone, Parker, Martin, Cyriac, Petsos and Jozabed, and plus Cissé, Djalo, LVC and Cauley. Now that team last year played some of the best football in the league, etc. etc. but the short fact was we let in far too many goals and didn't score enough in games where they mattered. And this was with a defense that included Kalas.

My point is that we still have a lot of work to do if we're to be anywhere near the top 2. The trouble is that I don't think our budget will stretch to solve our problems. I imagine our budget for this window is somewhere around about the £15m mark, maybe a little more. Add the 8 or so million from selling Jozabed, Malone, and Stearman and minus the £2.13m for Cissé and the £680k for Djalo, and a million or so for Cairney and the Sessegnon bros' extra wages. That leaves us with about £18-19m to play with.

Rolán seems to be possibly happening so if that does, it's him and Poundje for 9m EUR which honestly would be amazing business but unlikely. Kalas, if he does sign won't be less than £6m. That leaves us, best case scenario, with about £4-5m to find another striker, and another good CB and probably a GK, if Betts leaves, which honestly I don't think is enough. And we need to sort this all out before the Norwich game which is in about 3 weeks time.

I'm not panicking just yet, but I'm getting nervous, because on tonight's evidence our squad is not fit to challenge for the title.

[aaronmcguigan]

Two things to sort the issues you've raised

-the loan market💰

-paragraphs 😂

[AlexW132]

Two things to sort the issues you've raised

-the loan market💰

-paragraphs 😂

I've slightly lost faith in loans I've got to be honest. They've left our squad paper thin

[aaronmcguigan]

Your calculation has us 4-5m to buy striker, CB and goalkeeper.

That won't buy what you want, and there is plenty of talent in the loan market. More or less all of Englands u19, u20 team are available off Chelsea and City, so many goalkeepers like Robles, Martinez, Krul or Elliot etc

In my opinion, The youth in England's bigger teams would be an asset to us, in the short term while we reassess it next year when we could be in the premier league and attract better rather than forking out on the championship standard we would only attract with the limited budget.

Not a fan of short term strategy but longer contracts should only be given to players we are sure will succeed in the premier league, i.e. Cash in on the average like Button and Betts.

[AlexW132]

Calm down and listen to Newry FFC. Next week we'll sign Kalas, Rolan and that left back from Bordeaux and everyone will be saying what a great window we've had. Few loan deals August/September to pad out the squad et voila

I appreciate what he's saying, but honestly even if the above does happen I'm not sure it'll be enough.

[aaronmcguigan]

Curveball : what if Kalas signs a new two year deal like Piazon then comes on loan.
I'm guessing there's plenty of curveballs yet in this window, even this month and week!

[Milo]

Agree with what's been said.

If we get both Bordeaux players and keep Kalas for at least one season then I think our permanent business will be done relatively early on actually for a change.

Can then afford to lose Button but keep Betts.

Then 1-2 loan signings to bolster the squad. Ideally a central defender and a backup keeper.

[aaronmcguigan]

Agree with what's been said.

If we get both Bordeaux players and keep Kalas for at least one season then I think our permanent business will be done relatively early on actually for a change.

Can then afford to lose Button but keep Betts.

Then 1-2 loan signings to bolster the squad. Ideally a central defender and a backup keeper.

If anybody even wants to entertain the option that we will keep Betts, the club are having a laugh. They're obviously not even considering him
4 senior games, 1 under 23 game, and not In a single squad or bench, Or training photo shows that both sides know what's going to happen

[Woolly Mammoth]

The Squad are well short at the moment. Only 17 outfield players, and one of them is Sean Kavanagh.
As for our two keepers, who knows where they will end up, let alone who will be in Goal v Norwich City.

[Asotosyios]

That leaves us with about £18-19m to play with.

Rolán seems to be possibly happening so if that does, it's him and Poundje for 9m EUR which honestly would be amazing business but unlikely. Kalas, if he does sign won't be less than £6m. That leaves us, best case scenario, with about £4-5m to find another striker, and another good CB and probably a GK, if Betts leaves, which honestly I don't think is enough. And we need to sort this all out before the Norwich game which is in about 3 weeks time.

I agree with Newry and Statto that we will/should make use of the loan market and think your maths are a bit off.

You argue that we will have £4-5m to buy another striker, CB and GK:
- Rolan will be our first choice, so the second striker will be a backup and won't cost a lot of money
- if we get another CB to play along Kalas, I doubt we will keep 4 CBs (so 6 in total) for the bench or to be out of the squad - Madl or Sigurdsson could be sold, so this will add to the £4-5m remaining
- again, if Bettinelli leaves and we need another GK, the amount that will be received from his sale will be added to the transfer budget.

[Mince n Tatties]

The Squad are well short at the moment. Only 17 outfield players, and one of them is Sean Kavanagh.
As for our two keepers, who knows where they will end up, let alone who will be in Goal v Norwich City.

Correct....When you sit down and look at our squad its threadbare, the ones that have left apart from Malone want be missed...God we need some decent signings in the next couple of weeks or we are going to be well short of a top 6 challenge or even top half...Coyw.

[AlexW132]

Calm down and listen to Newry FFC. Next week we'll sign Kalas, Rolan and that left back from Bordeaux and everyone will be saying what a great window we've had. Few loan deals August/September to pad out the squad et voila

I appreciate what he's saying, but honestly even if the above does happen I'm not sure it'll be enough.

Well I reckon it's all you're going to get. There's no room for more than 3 summer signings in our first XI and even that involves changing the GK, which is controversial. So our other signings are going to be bench warmers. And you can't expect very talented players to want to come and sit on our bench. Nor can you expect us to spunk our budget on them either.

Fair enough, but if that is the case then we'll need to adjust our expectations accordingly. With that squad I wouldn't expect auto promotion

[Lighthouse]

Even if we brought in Kalas that is hardly strengthening the defence from last season. We need a couple of good defenders I would have thought to improve. Along with a keeper. I guess we seem to be relying on one forward coming. It doesn't really look as if we are really trying to make the squad championship leading material. Just trying to be as good as last season. A shame. I really hoped we would try and push on. Too early to moan? Yes we were saying that last January and didn't we do well since then. I guess that is the problem. The owners believe we can repeat last season with a poorer squad.

[filham]

Calm down and listen to Newry FFC. Next week we'll sign Kalas, Rolan and that left back from Bordeaux and everyone will be saying what a great window we've had. Few loan deals August/September to pad out the squad et voila

I appreciate what he's saying, but honestly even if the above does happen I'm not sure it'll be enough.

Statto is about right, if that does happen next week then I for one will feel comfortable.
However any later than next week is too late, remember these players from overseas have to acclimatise.

[J.Perkins]

You can probably say that Betts, Button and Sigurdsson will leave.

We need a GK, CB, LB and ST. These are for starting players.

We maybe need a backup GK, CB, CM and ST.

As for our starting XI next season, this is what it will be like:

_________

Fredericks ________ Ream _________

Cairney McDonald Johansen

Aluko ________ Kebano

Fill in those gaps with decent players, we'll be in a good way.

The back up XI will be:

Rodak

Odoi Madl Djalo Sessegnon

LVC Cisse Piazon

de la Torre Woodrow Ayite

[nose]

I promise this isn't an overreaction to the 8-2 defeat but my biggest worry at the moment is this

Even if we do sign Kalas, and it is a big if, we still have effectively the same squad as last season, minus Malone, Parker, Martin, Cyriac, Petsos and Jozabed, and plus Cissé, Djalo, LVC and Cauley. Now that team last year played some of the best football in the league, etc. etc. but the short fact was we let in far too many goals and didn't score enough in games where they mattered. And this was with a defense that included Kalas.

My point is that we still have a lot of work to do if we're to be anywhere near the top 2. The trouble is that I don't think our budget will stretch to solve our problems. I imagine our budget for this window is somewhere around about the £15m mark, maybe a little more. Add the 8 or so million from selling Jozabed, Malone, and Stearman and minus the £2.13m for Cissé and the £680k for Djalo, and a million or so for Cairney and the Sessegnon bros' extra wages. That leaves us with about £18-19m to play with.

Rolán seems to be possibly happening so if that does, it's him and Poundje for 9m EUR which honestly would be amazing business but unlikely. Kalas, if he does sign won't be less than £6m. That leaves us, best case scenario, with about £4-5m to find another striker, and another good CB and probably a GK, if Betts leaves, which honestly I don't think is enough. And we need to sort this all out before the Norwich game which is in about 3 weeks time.

I'm not panicking just yet, but I'm getting nervous, because on tonight's evidence our squad is not fit to challenge for the title.

Not only are you right, you are very right.
In reality the complete lack of activity is a dreadful indicator. It looks like business as usual and i suspect not will be different by the end of another 7 days

[General]

I think you've brought the forum back to a realistic grounding point. The additions or potential transfers are interesting and show the club are trying and being somewhat ambitious, but if we look at the squad in itself it's currently weaker than last season.

Malone and Kalas were two starting players of our back four - two of the better half of our back for in my opinion so we're even weaker in our weakest part of the team as things stand.

We have been screaming out for a striker for an entire season to be honest... and seem nowhere near having the strength in depth in that position I feel to really make a statement in the league.

Midfield we're ok on, but we were lucky last season to have no injuries and I'd really like to see strength in depth.

GK worries me - all this uncertainty around both Button and Betts leaving with no talk of who'd really replace one of them let alone both is very frustrating...  We need quite a few signings this season and I think we can with a few additions be competing at the top end of the league.. but we clearly need to make more signings to be at the top end competing for the title at the right end of the season.

[Woolly Mammoth]

So we are all agreed then, so far this is no way to run a football club.

[Fulhamerica23]

Why are we writing off Sess at LB?

Is he ready for 46 games, probably not, but I'd think we be fine if he was starting LB and this french lad that's coming over can be his cover?

[AlexW132]

Why are we writing off Sess at LB?

Is he ready for 46 games, probably not, but I'd think we be fine if he was starting LB and this french lad that's coming over can be his cover?

Sess cannot defend well enough to be starting LB. And if Poundje does sign, he'll be a starter.