Strength in Depth

BFC76

Well-known member
The positive thing for me last night was that I saw some real strength in depth. Lubala finally looks like he's turning in to a player who could challenge for a first team place, Virtue, Kemp and Williams all played well and no complaints about Garbutt or Mitchell.

What it did show is we have excess we can lose in January - Thorniley and Howe wouldn't get anywhere near this side and am still not sure about Sarkic.

Always hated this competition and our schedule is busy enough without any more games.
 
The positive thing for me last night was that I saw some real strength in depth. Lubala finally looks like he's turning in to a player who could challenge for a first team place, Virtue, Kemp and Williams all played well and no complaints about Garbutt or Mitchell.

What it did show is we have excess we can lose in January - Thorniley and Howe wouldn't get anywhere near this side and am still not sure about Sarkic.

Always hated this competition and our schedule is busy enough without any more games.
Agree about the depth. The game last night was useful for the players involved and more games would have been useful too. It didn't over stretch us, it gave players like Williams and Virtue to get 45 minutes, and others like Mitchell, Thorniley, Lubala, Gabriel and Kemp an opportunity to make a case for being in the team. Garbutt got a useful 90 minutes in too, looked good last night.
 
I do have some doubts about our strength in depth. For me, it's pretty obvious that we don't have strength in depth in the two very key areas of goalkeeper and striker. Take Maxwell, Madine and maybe Yates out of the squad and there's some serious problems.
Someone who kept a clean sheet isn’t strength in depth?
 
It's all about wages. If you sign a more experienced GK they will demand more wages so that will have to come from another position.
 
It's all about wages. If you sign a more experienced GK they will demand more wages so that will have to come from another position.
Indeed that's a possible factor, but I'd suggest there is a fair bit of surplus in the squad. I think it's an area that needs addressing. I'd suggest that if Maxwell got injured or maybe even a three game suspension for a sending off Critchley would be keen to get an emergency loan keeper in.
 
One thing we should see from the players that currently aren't considered part of the starting XI or even on the subs bench is that they should all benefit from the coaching of Critchley and Garrity so that when they do come in to the team they are somewhat up to speed with what is required of them.
Lubala appears to be improving every time we see him, hopefully we'll see similar progress from players like Virtue, Mitchell etc too.
 
Sims and Fojticek are outside the salary cap IIRC. Which freed up money for other positions. We would sign an emergency keeper if Maxwell got injured.

It's mainly a striker we need IMO. But I expect a bit of juggling in each transfer window. We made a lot of headway in the last one, but it's not perfect yet, if there is such a thing.
 
I can understand the worry of not having a somewhat experienced back up keeper, but we are a League One side having to now work to both a squad and salary cap.
Teams in the Premier League struggle to have a good enough back up keeper capable of stepping in and not lowering the quality of the side, i'm not sure where we are likely to get one from given the new restrictions.
 
I liked Anderson, Robson and Virtue. They played some crisp one touch football and bossed the game 1st half. Not sure about Lubala
 
Indeed that's a possible factor, but I'd suggest there is a fair bit of surplus in the squad. I think it's an area that needs addressing. I'd suggest that if Maxwell got injured or maybe even a three game suspension for a sending off Critchley would be keen to get an emergency loan keeper in.
He's said as much.
 
I thought Thorniley was excellent last night ,didn't put a foot wrong from what I saw. He will be needed.
 
Bez played some excellent football last night, and seems to have an eye for a pass too !
Yeh he was better than when I last saw him but a couple of times he dribbled in to blind alleys and while he may have an eye for a pass it didn't seem to come off. Over hit it twice though the idea was right, a bit off the first team yet but may get there.
 
I'd be very worried if Maxwell got an injury or suspension,can see Simms turning out to be another Halstead,without sounding harsh he'll never be a number 1 here and will probably move on to a bottom league 2 side or worse non league.
 
I'd be very worried if Maxwell got an injury or suspension,can see Simms turning out to be another Halstead,without sounding harsh he'll never be a number 1 here and will probably move on to a bottom league 2 side or worse non league.
Allowed emergency loan cover for goalies
 
I thought Thorniley was excellent last night ,didn't put a foot wrong from what I saw. He will be needed.
Thorniley just seems a weak link to me. Maybe it’s because when he joined there was lots of talk of him being championship quality etc and he’s barely got a look in under 3 managers including Dunn.
 
Thorniley is at best 4th or more probably 5th choice centre half. I have not seen any evidence of him being League 1 never mind Championship quality but given there is no young centre half pushing for a place then he's going to be here until he is either loaned out or moved on. Sarkic and Lubala need more time I would like to see either of them given a chance in the "first" team alongside Madine in a 4-4-2.
 
I think having a young keeper barely out of the youth team and no senior football experience of any note can consider him as being strength in depth.
I don't disagree about "Clean Sheet" Jack but he did play 30+ games for Lancaster in 2018/19 and did Ok. I think more than any other position a goalkeeper needs to play regularly.
Just as a bit of background as a youth team keeper Jack was always good with his feet and I can also remember a few penalty saves neither of which he demonstrated last night.
So a few questions about the clamour for a back-up keeper.
1. Would Joe Lumley, for example, want to come to us in January on a max salary of £2,500 pw to sit on the bench?
2. In the absence of a reserve team or a development squad how would we keep a second choice keeper match fit?
3. The emergency loan option would address point 1 and could address point 2 if, using Lumley as the example again, we brought someone in who had played a few games on loan around the League.
 
What impacted on me on how the backbone of the team is now: Maxwell / Madine / Dougal / Ekpiteta (?) / CJ Hamilton
 
Sarkic hasn’t played enough football this season to be judged,
I think you get a feeling for a player and, for me, he has come in to a very good team and is struggling to find his place. As with most players can be down to systems, their situation and once off the boil, it's hard to get going again - doesn't mean they're a bad player.
 
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