fbm
Blue tinted optimist⭐
For the first time in many seasons, fbm is worried. It definitely now feels as though we have been relegated rather than just not going up, and our total inability to stride past these non league teams in cruise control has me worrying what may happen if we lose heavily at Wycombe on Saturday.
I am trying very hard to keep the faith, and I am happy with the decisions made by Tilly in releasing the players he let go, and we have done some good business in getting money for Hooper, Liptak and MacDonald.
And then this afternoon I have been thinking... is it really as bad as all that?
Lets look at the squad in some depth
Goalkeepers -
Mildenhall, Joyce and Masters. As good as we would hope to get in fairness. Not a lot of improvement could be made in this area.
Defence - Barrett, Clarke, Sankofa, Francis, Grant (if he signs), Herd. Ok, this is the really serious area where we need to strengthen. Herd and Grant will be cover at best, and we need a commanding presence.
Required - 1 tall centre half and 1 left back
Midfield - Bailey, McCormack, Moussa, Scannell, Lokando, Grant (if he signs), Revell, Foran. Quite happy with this really although with Lokando out on loan and Foran surely going at some point, another wide man would be good.
Required - 1 wide midfielder
Strikers - Furlong, Barnard, Walker, Revell, Foran, Harrold, Ademeno. Ademeno will be purely emergency cover, Foran and Harrold on their way... but that still leaves 4. Furlong won't play whole games I'm sure, and with Barney on the treatment table every time he loses an eyelash, we possibly need one more. But I suspect we will have to use Foran and Harrold. And if Foran wants to go, if he has any sense he'll be playing out of his skin to say to someone "Come and get me".
Required - 1 striker... but only if Foran and Harrold go
So actually, bearing in mind the fact that the transfer window is open until the end of August, we don't have a bad nucleus of players fopr a first team squad.
The strongest line up could be -
Mildenhall
Francis
Clarke
Barrett
Sankofa
Scannell
McCormack
Bailey
Revell
Furlong
Barnard
Subs
Joyce
Walker
Grant
Moussa
Foran
Actually, apart from the left back position, that is not a bad side at all.
So although we need to strengthen, it is just that; strengthen. We are perhaps not in as desperate a position as we think, even if we are a touch short of numbers.
And it will be easier to loan players rather than sign permanently, if necessary.
I think the main fear is that as we have such a radically different side now, with the mainstays and regulars of the last few seasons - Maher, Gower, Flahavan and Hunt - all having departed, we really don't know what to expect. It is a fear of the unknown. Perhaps when they take the field against Peterborough on August 9th everything will be ok and the players will suddenly start hitting the cows arse with their respective banjos.
But if we lose to Posh, lets not panic... in the last few seasons when we have lost our opening day match we have gone on to have tremendous seasons.
Blue Army!
I am trying very hard to keep the faith, and I am happy with the decisions made by Tilly in releasing the players he let go, and we have done some good business in getting money for Hooper, Liptak and MacDonald.
And then this afternoon I have been thinking... is it really as bad as all that?
Lets look at the squad in some depth
Goalkeepers -
Mildenhall, Joyce and Masters. As good as we would hope to get in fairness. Not a lot of improvement could be made in this area.
Defence - Barrett, Clarke, Sankofa, Francis, Grant (if he signs), Herd. Ok, this is the really serious area where we need to strengthen. Herd and Grant will be cover at best, and we need a commanding presence.
Required - 1 tall centre half and 1 left back
Midfield - Bailey, McCormack, Moussa, Scannell, Lokando, Grant (if he signs), Revell, Foran. Quite happy with this really although with Lokando out on loan and Foran surely going at some point, another wide man would be good.
Required - 1 wide midfielder
Strikers - Furlong, Barnard, Walker, Revell, Foran, Harrold, Ademeno. Ademeno will be purely emergency cover, Foran and Harrold on their way... but that still leaves 4. Furlong won't play whole games I'm sure, and with Barney on the treatment table every time he loses an eyelash, we possibly need one more. But I suspect we will have to use Foran and Harrold. And if Foran wants to go, if he has any sense he'll be playing out of his skin to say to someone "Come and get me".
Required - 1 striker... but only if Foran and Harrold go
So actually, bearing in mind the fact that the transfer window is open until the end of August, we don't have a bad nucleus of players fopr a first team squad.
The strongest line up could be -
Mildenhall
Francis
Clarke
Barrett
Sankofa
Scannell
McCormack
Bailey
Revell
Furlong
Barnard
Subs
Joyce
Walker
Grant
Moussa
Foran
Actually, apart from the left back position, that is not a bad side at all.
So although we need to strengthen, it is just that; strengthen. We are perhaps not in as desperate a position as we think, even if we are a touch short of numbers.
And it will be easier to loan players rather than sign permanently, if necessary.
I think the main fear is that as we have such a radically different side now, with the mainstays and regulars of the last few seasons - Maher, Gower, Flahavan and Hunt - all having departed, we really don't know what to expect. It is a fear of the unknown. Perhaps when they take the field against Peterborough on August 9th everything will be ok and the players will suddenly start hitting the cows arse with their respective banjos.
But if we lose to Posh, lets not panic... in the last few seasons when we have lost our opening day match we have gone on to have tremendous seasons.
Blue Army!