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Post by thegasareback on Jul 17, 2017 18:50:24 GMT
As fans we always want more. However I'm pretty content with how we're shaping up this season. Was very interesting listening to Nichols interview and he seemed pretty confident that we would be going two up top more often than not. That could into 4-2-3-1 with Nichols / playing off a 9. Anyway...
GK: Smith / Slocombe - two young (in keeper terms) guys both desperate to make an impression with solid football league experience. Happy.
RB: Leads / Part / JC - happy with these options and looking forward to seeing JP get a good pre season in. Hopefully Leads has been to crossing school in pre season!
LB: Bola / Brown. The not so old and the new. Happy.
CB: Locks, Burn, JC (ish), Part (ish). Clearly we're short of this left sided centre half, can't comment on broadbent or Menayese yet but I would like to add at least another proven centre half or a higher class loanee. Burn - who knows at this stage. Needs an addition.
Wingers: Bodin, Moore, Broom. No need to discuss the talisman. Jury out on Moore and Broom. If anything happens to Bodin we are desperately short. Still need that left sided player who can cut in. Needs an addition.
CM: Lines, Sercs, OC, Sincs. A good mix here. What we haven't got is a horrible Ronnie Mauge, Michael Bostwick type, or a ball manipulating game bosser in the ilk of Nicky Law or Otzumer. From what I've seen of Sercs I don't think he'll win many technical or beauty prizes but he runs all day and gets himself in the box time and time again. If OC can progress again like last year then he could become the nasty one. Happy enough but would love to see a touch of class in there to help Lines shoulder that responsibility as IMO Lines does tend to force it a little because of the burden he carries.
CF: Nichols, Gaff, Ellis. If we go with a top 2 it looks like Nichols plus one. Really happy for Gaff to keep scoring as his confidence should be high with a new contract and goals in pre season. At 27 this is make or break for him. Would like one more to add competition.
Overall I'm happy. We need a centre half and winger as priorities, and then ideally another midfielder and forward. DC mentioned 9-10 signings then reduced it to 7-8. 5 done already so approx 3 to go, it's all shaping up well. We haven't lost anyone (other than the loanees), so as long as no-one comes in for BBB, in my opinion we're already looking as competitive as last year with 19 days to go.
Just playing around if the season started tomorrow I predict DC would go with a 4-2-3-1 and keep Nichols on the bench, with a view to unleashing him at his old club at home the week after going two up top.
Smith
Leads
Locks
Burn (right footed but no other options)
Brown
OC
Lines
Bodin
Sercs
Moore
Gaff
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Post by pucklegas on Jul 17, 2017 19:21:07 GMT
Good post agree still need a Sweeney type centre half, holding midfielder a winger and another striker, and think we can push on then, can't see us splashing out any more Jordanian dollars though!
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Post by oddsongas on Jul 17, 2017 19:38:12 GMT
Nice post. Still waiting for the people saying we are bargain shopping for frees and won't pay a transfer?
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Post by thegasareback on Jul 17, 2017 19:45:46 GMT
It's a great time to be a gashead and I'm glad DC has freshened things up in the transfer market. I don't get the negativity, I really don't. Just over 1000 days ago we lost to Mansfield and I couldn't see a way out of the mess. Now look at where we are. UTG.
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Post by Hugo the Elder on Jul 17, 2017 20:10:48 GMT
I'm pretty sure the jury is in on Moore....
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Post by markczgas on Jul 17, 2017 20:27:02 GMT
As fans we always want more. However I'm pretty content with how we're shaping up this season. Was very interesting listening to Nichols interview and he seemed pretty confident that we would be going two up top more often than not. That could into 4-2-3-1 with Nichols / playing off a 9. Anyway... GK: Smith / Slocombe - two young (in keeper terms) guys both desperate to make an impression with solid football league experience. Happy. RB: Leads / Part / JC - happy with these options and looking forward to seeing JP get a good pre season in. Hopefully Leads has been to crossing school in pre season! LB: Bola / Brown. The not so old and the new. Happy. CB: Locks, Burn, JC (ish), Part (ish). Clearly we're short of this left sided centre half, can't comment on broadbent or Menayese yet but I would like to add at least another proven centre half or a higher class loanee. Burn - who knows at this stage. Needs an addition. Wingers: Bodin, Moore, Broom. No need to discuss the talisman. Jury out on Moore and Broom. If anything happens to Bodin we are desperately short. Still need that left sided player who can cut in. Needs an addition. CM: Lines, Sercs, OC, Sincs. A good mix here. What we haven't got is a horrible Ronnie Mauge, Michael Bostwick type, or a ball manipulating game bosser in the ilk of Nicky Law or Otzumer. From what I've seen of Sercs I don't think he'll win many technical or beauty prizes but he runs all day and gets himself in the box time and time again. If OC can progress again like last year then he could become the nasty one. Happy enough but would love to see a touch of class in there to help Lines shoulder that responsibility as IMO Lines does tend to force it a little because of the burden he carries. CF: Nichols, Gaff, Ellis. If we go with a top 2 it looks like Nichols plus one. Really happy for Gaff to keep scoring as his confidence should be high with a new contract and goals in pre season. At 27 this is make or break for him. Would like one more to add competition. Overall I'm happy. We need a centre half and winger as priorities, and then ideally another midfielder and forward. DC mentioned 9-10 signings then reduced it to 7-8. 5 done already so approx 3 to go, it's all shaping up well. We haven't lost anyone (other than the loanees), so as long as no-one comes in for BBB, in my opinion we're already looking as competitive as last year with 19 days to go. Just playing around if the season started tomorrow I predict DC would go with a 4-2-3-1 and keep Nichols on the bench, with a view to unleashing him at his old club at home the week after going two up top. Smith Leads Locks Burn (right footed but no other options) Brown OC Lines Bodin Sercs Moore Gaff Yes we have made progress with Sercombe and Nichols - I would expect them both to start on Aug 5th. and as you say we need 2 in for definite to be starters rather than Burn and Moore. |
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Post by gasstrictband on Jul 17, 2017 20:32:09 GMT
Hugo, would that be juke box jury lol.
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pirate
Forum Legend
Posts: 18,974 
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Post by pirate on Jul 17, 2017 20:34:06 GMT
Pleased with the GK's, Sercs, the Bola competition at LB, the prospect of Menayese in the development squad and seeing how Nichols will get on, but like the OP am now looking forward to further strengthening. I really feel we could do with a goalscorer, a left winger, defensive midfielder and left sided centre back too, but DC has already identified these as areas where he wants additions and I look forward to who he has lined up. I think the versatile lad Whitely at Dagenham would be a smart move at the right price as he can cover both wings or any attacking position and play the left sided role cutting inside DC spoke of. I can see him having another excellent season this year and feel his value is only going to rise.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2017 20:38:17 GMT
Good o.p.3 starters now through the door,another 2 or 3 and will be looking a lot stronger than last season.On the downside,Billy Bob will be very difficult to hold onto I fear.
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Post by WeAreTheGas on Jul 17, 2017 20:39:07 GMT
Nice OP, and largely agree.
I'd like to see 4 more added:
- CB (left sided)
- CDM (this may end up being Hall?)
- LW
- ST (either a target man or another Nichols type)
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Post by rovers5charlton5 on Jul 17, 2017 20:41:58 GMT
I saw Burn play in the Melksham game, and was looking forward to finally see what he had to offer. I know it was the first pre-season friendly, so shouldn't read too much until the performance, but I was disappointed.
Has anyone seen him play in any of the other friendlies, and how did he do?
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Post by Colyton Gas on Jul 17, 2017 20:47:13 GMT
Poor at Coventry last season.Jury still out so hope he comes good.Sweeney still not gone anywhere so would love to see him back.Really looking forward to the new season.
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Post by WeAreTheGas on Jul 17, 2017 20:52:48 GMT
Think we need to give Burn a bit of time to play himself into some form.
He barely played after joining last season and his only start was in an all-round woeful team performance at Coventry (I believe?).
The lad's not played a lot of football in the last 6 months or so, so let's be a bit patient with him.
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Post by bisto180 on Jul 17, 2017 20:54:48 GMT
Would love to see Sweeney and Wheeler added to that list and perhaps a young loan striker!!
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Post by rovers5charlton5 on Jul 17, 2017 20:55:06 GMT
Poor at Coventry last season.Jury still out so hope he comes good.Sweeney still not gone anywhere so would love to see him back. I want him to do well, partly because I don't feel that he's been given a fair run in the team yet, and partly because we need a reliable player to support Lockyer. |
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Post by Topper Gas on Jul 17, 2017 21:08:51 GMT
Poor at Coventry last season.Jury still out so hope he comes good.Sweeney still not gone anywhere so would love to see him back. That's harsh when it was 0-0 when he went off injured, not sure what else he was expected to do on his debut, although it looks like Tom Boardbent maybe being lined up as our left footed CB given he's gone on the tour? If he, along with Lewis Hall, impresses DC on the tour then it could be he just needs to sign the LW & another striker. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2017 21:12:45 GMT
Poor at Coventry last season.Jury still out so hope he comes good.Sweeney still not gone anywhere so would love to see him back. Exactly right Sweeney could still come back, would love it too if it happened, but I fear his performances for us may have alerted some championship clubs. |
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Post by mjhgas on Jul 17, 2017 21:22:32 GMT
For those that are negative - compare the 24 man squad with the start of last seasons squad.
We are in a stronger position than this time last season.
Blokes like Byron Moore will be more settled this season and probably feel a bit more at home. Time to give them support and hope they produce on the pitch!
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Post by Wembley_Gas on Jul 17, 2017 21:32:26 GMT
Good post. I think Harts might be a bit hurt that you've forgotten we lost him already but we didn't see him for the last few months of the season so that's fairly understandable. I think the development squad may prove valuable in plugging some of the gaps during the season- I hope they recruit well and CH can get them to kick on.
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Post by Topper Gas on Jul 17, 2017 21:43:59 GMT
For those that are negative - compare the 24 man squad with the start of last seasons squad. We are in a stronger position than this time last season. Blokes like Byron Moore will be more settled this season and probably feel a bit more at home. Time to give them support and hope they produce on the pitch! Think a fairer comparison would be January as DC's summer recruits were mainly poor, so strong CH, good LW, back up striker still to go. |
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