Forum | The Squad 2022-2023 by Kerouac

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The Squad 2022-2023 02:05 - Jul 25 with 8717 views

Not looking too clever is it? A bit of a dog's breakfast...

- Crap keeper (without decent competition?)

- Rubbish Wing-backs

- Full-backs? Manning can play Left-back, Lati doesn't seem up to RB and Naughton is too old to deal with pacey wingers.
PLUS - Naughton, Lati and Manning have been playing their football at CB under Martin.
Sorinola up to it? He'd better be.

- CB? Wood looks decent, could partner Cabango and Darling? Darling had better be up to it given the outlay. Worrying signs in pre-season though, hope he comes good.
If we play 3 centre-backs we have lots of options and cover...but you can only play that way with decent wing-backs. We don't seem to have any.

- DM/CM
Should be fine with Joey and Fulton (who has never let us down but by the sounds of it is out of the door). I guess Harvey White is the specialist on Loan to replace Fulton as back up. With Grimes partnering Allen. Walsh seems to be a waste of space (nice little passer, but never fit). I prefer Ntcham at attacking midfield but hopefully he'll be able to do a job at CM if needed...don't like him in the tackle though

Wingers
- We don't have any except Garrick...although I'm convinced Joseph could do a good job there...unfortunately it seems that neither of them, nor Whittaker, will be given any game time there.

Attacking Midfield
- We have 3 players who can do a good job there...I guess Patterson is going to be used wider, he doesn't look comfortable there though. No pace.

Striker
- We have two top strikers for this division. I will be amazed if Piroe is not gone by September though. If Piroe goes presumably we'll have money to replace him but I don't think we'll be fortunate to pick up a similar player to Piroe's quality though...odds are against it. More likely to pick up somebody who used to play for MK Dons.
Joseph could step up and Whittaker has the raw talent.
Cullen, unfortunately, looks like he could use a move to Newport and build up from there...still not writing the boy off altogether though.

All in all, my assessment is that we are weaker this year than last year. The manager has not addressed the squad's weaknesses and there does not seem to be much of what you'd call a coherent plan...please prove me wrong, I've bought 2 season tickets, I would like to watch my club play competitive games throughout the season and not be near the relegation end...but honestly, this squad looks like they belong down the bottom (once Piroe goes)

SQUAD

Manager
Russell Martin

Goalkeeper
1) Andrew Fisher (ex-Mk Dons)
??) Who is the back up keeper?

Right-Back
22) Joel Latibeaudiere
26) Kyle Naughton
19) Tivonge Rushesha

Left-Back
3) Ryan Manning
29) Matthew Sorinola - £350k Union SG (ex-MK Dons)

Centre-Back
5) Ben Cabango
16) Brandon Cooper
23) Nathan Wood - £300k (Middlesboro)
6) Harry Darling - £2.3m (Mk Dons)

Defensive Midfield
4) Jay Fulton
7) Joe Allen - £Free (Stoke City)
Harvey White - LOAN?

Centre Midfield
8) Matt Grimes
28) Liam Walsh

Attacking Midfield
10) Olivier Ntcham
12) Jamie Patterson
45) Cameron Congreve
31) Oliver Cooper

Right-Wing
41) Jordan Garrick
14) Kyle Joseph

Left-Wing
11) Morgan Whittaker

Striker
17) Joel Piroe
9) Michael Obafemi
20) Liam Cullen

Most promising youngsters that haven't had a go yet...

48) Joel Cotterill
25) Lewis Webb
35) Lincoln McFadyen
36) Ben Lloyd
37) Daniel Williams
38) Cameron Evans ? (Did he go to Swindon?)

Offski
13) Steven Benda
2) Ryan Bennett
15) Nathaniel Ogbeta

Gone
Flynn Downes - £10m
Korey Smith - £Free
Ben Hamer - £Free
Yann Dhanda - £Free

[Post edited 26 Jul 2022 18:14]

	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss9VZ1FHxy0
Poll:	Which manager should replace Russell Martin (2) ?

The Squad 2022-2023 on 09:42 - Aug 21 with 652 views

dobjack2

The Squad 2022-2023 on 12:12 - Jul 26 by Kerouac

I am the OP and I am holding Martin responsible for not addressing weak areas of the squad, he has had a whole season, we are in his third window.

He is not developing youngsters, he puts players in positions they are unsuited to...I am all for adapting the squads by asking players to learn new positions (for example, Naughton could do a good job as a DM, Joseph could be a decent RWB, Wood might be able to help us at LWB)...but this is not what Martin is doing.
His 'plan' is incoherent, much like his defenders.

What Dr. P says is also true, on paper in key areas, he has quality that is not available to other managers in this division...the fact that he produces a team and a squad that is more likely to struggle than gain promotion is squarely on his shoulders.
He is meant to play to the squad's strengths and hide/work on the weaknesses, he is meant to shape the squad so we have options.

...and I should also add, that after the defence of Martin put up here last season, the one where we were told results weren't important, "he is building for next season"...then yes, he has to deliver.

[Post edited 26 Jul 2022 12:15]

Joe aside the emphasis on recruitment has been youngsters, with potential resale value.

6 of our starting 11 against Luton were 23 or younger. The 3 centre backs were 20, 22 and 23. Fisher is 24, the average age of the starting 11. Ntcham and Manning are 26, with Grimes and Joe the real experience at 27 and 32. Martin is 36.

Lati is 22, Congreve 18. Pato 30 and Naughton 33.

We are playing in the championship, a tough and unforgiving league with a lot of equally matched teams and a relentless playing schedule, with a squad of mainly youngsters. I expect us to be inconsistent, which usually means no better than mid table.

Martin is quoted in Wales Online as saying:

"Improve on last season and create assets that help the club become sustainable, I presume. That’s where we are at. That’s why I tried to be realistic with the expectation in the summer."

Whether we as fans like it or not that quote suggests that the main aim is to recruit and sell on not to challenge for promotion.

We turned a tidy profit on Downes and it seems we are expecting Piroe to go as well. Seen it all before. The job of recruitment is to find players that can be resold and the job of the manager is to keep us in the division.

As long as Martin and the recruitment arm do that I don't see any changes being instigated by the owners or any changes in the recruitment philosophy.

Martin has to deliver for the owners not the fans. The owners take the fans for granted.

The Squad 2022-2023 on 00:34 - Sep 2 with 558 views

Kerouac

FINAL SQUAD

Manager
Russell Martin (Boooo!)

Goalkeeper
1) Andrew Fisher
13) Stephen Benda

Right-Back
22) Joel Latibeaudiere
??) Fin Stevens - LOAN - Brentford (18yr old)

Left-Back
3) Ryan Manning
29) Matthew Sorinola - £350k Union SG (ex-MK Dons)

Centre-Back
5) Ben Cabango
26) Kyle Naughton
23) Nathan Wood - £300k (Middlesboro)
6) Harry Darling - £2.3m (Mk Dons)
16) Brandon Cooper

Defensive Midfield
4) Jay Fulton
7) Joe Allen - £Free (Stoke City)
18) Luke Cundle - LOAN - Wolves (20yrs old)

Centre Midfield
8) Matt Grimes
28) Liam Walsh

Attacking Midfield
10) Olivier Ntcham
12) Jamie Patterson
45) Cameron Congreve
31) Oliver Cooper

Right-Wing
??????

Left-Wing
??) Armstrong Oko-Flex - LOAN - West Ham (20 yrs old)

Striker
17) Joel Piroe
9) Michael Obafemi
20) Liam Cullen

Most promising youngsters that haven't had a go yet...

48) Joel Cotterill
25) Lewis Webb
35) Lincoln McFadyen
36) Ben Lloyd
37) Daniel Williams
38) Cameron Evans ? (Did he go to Swindon?)

Offski
13) Steven Benda
2) Ryan Bennett
15) Nathaniel Ogbeta

Gone
Flynn Downes - £10m
Korey Smith - £Free
Ben Hamer - £Free
Yann Dhanda - £Free

Loaned Out
41) Jordan Garrick
14) Kyle Joseph
11) Morgan Whittaker

[Post edited 2 Sep 2022 0:34]

	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss9VZ1FHxy0
Poll:	Which manager should replace Russell Martin (2) ?

The Squad 2022-2023 on 00:45 - Sep 2 with 550 views

Kerouac

Best team we can put out this Saturday (IMO)...

--------------------------------- Benda -----------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stevens --------- Naughton ------ Darling -------- Manning
------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------- Allen -------------------------------
----------------- Ntcham ------------------- Grimes -------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------- Obafemi ------------------------ Oko-Flex -----------
-------------------------------- Piroe -------------------------------

Subs: Fisher (GK), Cabango (CB), Wood (CB/RB), Sorinola (LB), Fulton (DM), Cundle (CM), Ollie Cooper (CAM), Cameron Congreve (CAM), Patterson (CAM), Cullen (ST).

	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss9VZ1FHxy0
Poll:	Which manager should replace Russell Martin (2) ?

The Squad 2022-2023 on 00:49 - Sep 2 with 540 views

Treforys_Jack

The Squad 2022-2023 on 00:45 - Sep 2 by Kerouac

Cooper and Congreve for Ntcham and Oba for me, but formation is spot on.

The Squad 2022-2023 on 05:50 - Sep 2 with 495 views

jojaca

The Squad 2022-2023 on 00:45 - Sep 2 by Kerouac

Naughton will never be part of a 2 man central defence and I personally think we won't see Ntcham starting for a long time, luxury player. We will start with team that started against Stoke, possibly Cabango comes in for one change.

Even when you know, you never know?

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