Current state of the squad

[Red1865]

So as confirmed by Percy we are targetting

2 x wingers
Forward
Left back
GK

GK - will be 1 in 1 out with either Sels or Tuner going you would think
Left back - 1 of Toff / Richards will be off

That would leave the squad as:

3 x GK

Defenders - Neco, Moreira, Boly, Omabamidele, Murillo, Milenkovic, Aina, Toff/Richards + 1 other

Midfielders - Yates, Danilo, Sangare, Anderson, Domingues, MGW, CHO, Elanga + 2 new wingers

Forwards - Wood, Taiwo + 1 new signing

That would give 25 players

 

[Collymore!]

For what it’s worth I think to have a significantly more comfortable season we still need to add:

1x starting GK
1x squad LWF
1x squad RWF
1x squad ACM
1x starting ST / 1x squad ST

Being hugely critical of last season:

1x starting LB
1x starting RB

From Percy’s latest article, which might as well be from Forest:

“The priority is two wingers, a forward, a left-back and another goalkeeper (Crystal Palace’s Sam Johnstone is a long-term target).”

Pretty much what we all think. Williams/Aina to fight it out at RB then.

Somewhere in the article he also mentioned that Nuno effectively said we’re stacked in CM, So wouldn’t expect any more there.

 

[Gyros Peter]

If we get what Percy says we are after and do it well we'll have a proper Prem squad imho.

Getting a proper left back in would be massive - has that Bradley Locko gone anywhere yet?

 

[eesti_red]

So as confirmed by Percy we are targetting

2 x wingers
Forward
Left back
GK

GK - will be 1 in 1 out with either Sels or Tuner going you would think
Left back - 1 of Toff / Richards will be off

That would leave the squad as:

3 x GK

Defenders - Neco, Moreira, Boly, Omabamidele, Murillo, Milenkovic, Aina, Toff/Richards + 1 other

Midfielders - Yates, Danilo, Sangare, Anderson, Domingues, MGW, CHO, Elanga + 2 new wingers

Forwards - Wood, Taiwo + 1 new signing

That would give 25 players

Don't forget Moreira wouldn't need to be registered as he's U21, so would potentially be space for one more player in the 25-man squad. Still think we would want one more central defender if we at least want to have option of playing a back three, so either we keep Worrall and include him in the squad or if he goes look for another. The fact Percy doesn't mention us looking for a central defender would suggest it might be the former.

 

[eesti_red]

If we get what Percy says we are after and do it well we'll have a proper Prem squad imho.

Getting a proper left back in would be massive - has that Bradley Locko gone anywhere yet?

No but he's in the French Olympic squad so doubt he'd be on the move until after that finishes

 

[Project Zeus]

Goalkeepers:
Carlos Miguel (25) - 4 years
Sels (32) - 3 years
Turner (30) - 3 years

Centre Backs:
Milenkovic (26) - 5 years
Murillo (22) - 4 years
Omobamidele (22) - 4 years
Worrall (27) - 2 years
Boly (33) - 1 year

Left Backs:
Richards (26) - 2 years
Toffolo (28) - 1 year

Right Backs:
Williams (23) - 2 years
Aina (28) - 1 year

Central Midfielders:
Danilo (23) - 5 years
Anderson (21) - 5 years
Sangare (26) - 4 years
Dominguez (26) - 4 years
Yates (26) - 4 years

Attacking Midfielders:
Gibbs-White (24) - 3 years

Left Wingers:
Hudson-Odoi (23) - 2 years
Mighten (22) - 1 year

Right Wingers:
Elanga (22) - 4 years
Jota (25) - 4 years
Da Silva Moreira (18) - 4 years
Bowler (25) - 1 year

Strikers:
Awoniyi (26) - 3 years
Dennis (26) - 2 years
Wood (32) - 1 year
Hwang (31) - 1 year

Shift out a few more of the deadwoods, sign Wesley, Sosa and a LWB, and we're laughing.

 

[Listen 'ere young man]

Leaving just the deadwood, over the hill, 100k per week, loan signing on the last day of the window.

Maybe renew Miltiadis's phone contract an hour before the window shuts, leaving not quite enough time to close any deals. Seems cruel to the lad not to get in on the fun.

 

[EmmersonForest4]

So with the 2 wingers signed in our desired formation we actually have 2 players for every position Good squad planning for once. Loving the organisation the club is showing. Numbers 24 and 25 in the squad now in free.

So as I said I have that as defensive utility player and attacking utility player. So id want a player for the defensive utility to primarily be a centre half so we can rotate to a back 3 where it makes sense but also play defensive mid and full back.

Attacking utility I would I want them to be primarily a striker but can play wing as well.

Anyway looking really rosy at the moment. I’m not sure we need a left back but now if we want to improve on quality in positions we need to make sure we sell.

 

[Rzar]

Goalkeepers:
Carlos Miguel (25) - 4 years
Sels (32) - 3 years
Turner (30) - 3 years

Centre Backs:
Milenkovic (26) - 5 years
Murillo (22) - 4 years
Omobamidele (22) - 4 years
Worrall (27) - 2 years
Boly (33) - 1 year

Left Backs:
Richards (26) - 2 years
Toffolo (28) - 1 year

Right Backs:
Williams (23) - 2 years
Aina (28) - 1 year

Central Midfielders:
Danilo (23) - 5 years
Anderson (21) - 5 years
Sangare (26) - 4 years
Dominguez (26) - 4 years
Yates (26) - 4 years

Attacking Midfielders:
Gibbs-White (24) - 3 years

Left Wingers:
Hudson-Odoi (23) - 2 years
Mighten (22) - 1 year

Right Wingers:
Elanga (22) - 4 years
Jota (25) - 4 years
Da Silva Moreira (18) - 4 years
Bowler (25) - 1 year

Strikers:
Awoniyi (26) - 3 years
Dennis (26) - 2 years
Wood (32) - 1 year
Hwang (31) - 1 year

Shift out a few more of the deadwoods, sign Wesley, Sosa and a LWB, and we're laughing.

Only 2 outfield players over 30 and those 2 players still contribute really well.

We have built a squad with a great age range, pretty much everyone in the squad has sale value.

Very happy. Let's sort CHO, Aina & Williams out with new deals by the turn of the year. Maybe MGW as well.

 

[Gyros Peter]

Only 2 outfield players over 30 and those 2 players still contribute really well.

We have built a squad with a great age range, pretty much everyone in the squad has sale value.

Very happy. Let's sort CHO, Aina & Williams out with new deals by the turn of the year. Maybe MGW as well.

It's incredible how far we've come since promotion really - I know we've sailed close to the wind but we've got to the point where we have a squad beyond all of our imaginations three years ago in terms of talent and depth. He's rightly had some stick but you can't fault the owners AMBITION.

Left back, goalkeeper and striker (of some form - I'm not sure we'll go big here) still to sort and a handful to move out.

 

[Rzar]

It's incredible how far we've come since promotion really - I know we've sailed close to the wind but we've got to the point where we have a squad beyond all of our imaginations three years ago in terms of talent and depth. He's rightly had some stick but you can't fault the owners AMBITION.

Left back, goalkeeper and striker (of some form - I'm not sure we'll go big here) still to sort and a handful to move out.

You can dislike our recruitment strategy all you want but the end result it's created has been great IMO.

We all know we need to be more picky from this point onwards (which we seem to be doing!) but I can't remember going into a season where we have no real gaps to plug in a starting 11 in pre-season.

 

[Monkman]

You can dislike our recruitment strategy all you want but the end result it's created has been great IMO.

We all know we need to be more picky from this point onwards (which we seem to be doing!) but I can't remember going into a season where we have no real gaps to plug in a starting 11 in pre-season.

We could even put out a pretty strong second eleven IMO. Something like this:

Miguel
Moreira Boly Omobamidele Toffolo
Yates Dominguez
Jota Anderson Sosa(?)
Wood

It's not amazing and if that were our first 11 then I think we'd be quite worried, but I've left out everyone I think I'd have in my starting 11. Imagine doing this exercise even just one year ago.

 

[bearwood red]

I just hope we keep this discipline and don’t get tempted by the players we will undoubtedly be offered in the final days/hours of the window.

 

[EmmersonForest4]

You can dislike our recruitment strategy all you want but the end result it's created has been great IMO.

We all know we need to be more picky from this point onwards (which we seem to be doing!) but I can't remember going into a season where we have no real gaps to plug in a starting 11 in pre-season.

The only thing I am wary about is that both our strikers who are ace are made of glass So we will need a 3rd striker unfortunatley. So I think we shoulkd get a striker who can also play wing.

 

[YouReds43]

Yes we are building a good squad but have we signed anyone that is an outright improvement on any player last season?
Nikola Milenkovic likely the only one
Jota/Sosa good competition
Anderson can play a part for sure
Miguel and Moreira are unkown until they play in games like tonight.

 

[Monkman]

Yes we are building a good squad but have we signed anyone that is an outright improvement on any player last season?
Nikola Milenkovic likely the only one
Jota/Sosa good competition
Anderson can play a part for sure
Miguel and Moreira are unkown until they play in games like tonight.

I see this argument a lot and it's not wrong - but when you list our best 11-13 players, there aren't many positions where you think 'this player would look out of place in a mid-table team', if you see what I mean. I think our first team players are better than our results and league position last season suggested, so I don't feel like we actually need many upgrades. Maybe I'm just a blinkered over-optimistic fan.

 

[YouReds43]

I see this argument a lot and it's not wrong - but when you list our best 11-13 players, there aren't many positions where you think 'this player would look out of place in a mid-table team', if you see what I mean. I think our first team players are better than our results and league position last season suggested, so I don't feel like we actually need many upgrades. Maybe I'm just a blinkered over-optimistic fan.

We are definitely in a better position than last season for sure. We have more game changing options as games are usually 100 minutes now.
There will be twists and turns to come in this window for sure.

 

[Davie]

It's interesting to read about Jota doing reasonably well up front for Vitoria.

I imagine that's an added bonus for Nuno, never fancy us with MGW/Elanga in that role when Wood/Taiwo are inevitably crocked. Good options to have, particularly if we're unable to land a striker this window.

 

[Notcher]

For me, it's not so much about strengthening the starting 11 necessarily although that's obviously ideal where possible. This is about what we have got at our disposal as "finishers". It's an area where we were lacking massively last season and whenever you looked at the bench in the vast majority of games you just couldn't see who we had that could change things.

I seem to remember a stat that said we were the only team not to have scored a winner in beyond 90 mins which perhaps goes some way to statistically proving my point. I know we did break that duck eventually although it was one of the last few games of the season and for some reason I can't remember who it was against.

 

[Deleted member 4346]

we now have some youth and depth options, whilst breaking pretty much even on transfer spends so far.

That should leave a big budget to go out and get 2 or 3 established quality players who improve our starting XI.

 

[Rzar]

For me, it's not so much about strengthening the starting 11 necessarily although that's obviously ideal where possible. This is about what we have got at our disposal as "finishers". It's an area where we were lacking massively last season and whenever you looked at the bench in the vast majority of games you just couldn't see who we had that could change things.

I seem to remember a stat that said we were the only team not to have scored a winner in beyond 90 mins which perhaps goes some way to statistically proving my point. I know we did break that duck eventually although it was one of the last few games of the season and for some reason I can't remember who it was against.

At the stage we are out now players that strengthen our 11 are gonna be expensive or very smartly scouted.

We really struggled with players making an impact from the bench last year.

 

[atrophy]

For me, it's not so much about strengthening the starting 11 necessarily although that's obviously ideal where possible. This is about what we have got at our disposal as "finishers". It's an area where we were lacking massively last season and whenever you looked at the bench in the vast majority of games you just couldn't see who we had that could change things.

I seem to remember a stat that said we were the only team not to have scored a winner in beyond 90 mins which perhaps goes some way to statistically proving my point. I know we did break that duck eventually although it was one of the last few games of the season and for some reason I can't remember who it was against.

Wood scored in extra time against Blackpool in the cup I recall. Can't think of many other injury time or beyond winners.

 

[Berkshire Red]

Wood scored in extra time against Blackpool in the cup I recall. Can't think of many other injury time or beyond winners.

The only League goals we scored in injury time was CHO's against West Ham, that merely secured the points.

 

[Berkshire Red]

I see this argument a lot and it's not wrong - but when you list our best 11-13 players, there aren't many positions where you think 'this player would look out of place in a mid-table team', if you see what I mean. I think our first team players are better than our results and league position last season suggested, so I don't feel like we actually need many upgrades. Maybe I'm just a blinkered over-optimistic fan.

I think you're spot on, Monkman. We lost games late on suggesting that that opposition were better able to change the game than we were. Our inability to make a late charge in games cost us and that was down to our lack of options on the bench.

 

[Steve B]

We could even put out a pretty strong second eleven IMO. Something like this:

Miguel
Moreira Boly Omobamidele Toffolo
Yates Dominguez
Jota Anderson Sosa(?)
Wood

It's not amazing and if that were our first 11 then I think we'd be quite worried, but I've left out everyone I think I'd have in my starting 11. Imagine doing this exercise even just one year ago.

I wouldn’t put me mortgage on the first XI beating it.