Is the squad stronger than last season?

[ackworth miller]

Today's departure of Ben Purrington on loan to AFC Wimbledon got me thinking: how does the strength of our squad compare to last season? To me, we have added in defensive areas meaning we have better options than Ihekwe at Centre Back. However, I believe Vyner will have a lot off work to do to prove he is up to the standard of Josh Emmanuel who in my opinion is a great modern full back who will go far. Left back you could say we are weaker having lost Purrington and with no other out and out left backs on the books. At present no Towell and only 2 central mods whereas we had Potter and Towell at the start of last season in addition to what we have now.

The wingers are the same as last season. Strikers: We had Keiffer up until January and then Lavery on loan as well as JCH and our current strikers. Now we have Vassell- league 1 player last season

Therefore, my overall assessment is the squad is no stronger than it was last season, if I am kind I'll say its about the same strength. Should our recruitment so far have been better? We have spent nothing so far have we. Hopefully we will get a permanent CM in and another striker in a permanent deal. Then I would be fairly satisfied but so far I would say we have not really strengthened enough.

[Silly-miller]

Thing is mate when it was the start of the season last year people said Moore was an untried inexperienced player, proctor was a injury prone cast off that we shouldn’t have paid a quid for, rodak was inexperienced clumsy goalie and Palmer was ridiculed for being too young and not good enough as well as other talk.

And here’s the think and I apologise to frog and cam for my language.

It was all a lot of **** talk from people who didn’t want to wait until they saw them play a league game to slag the club off. I won’t name names

Not saying your doing that but how do we know we haven’t improved when we haven’t seen them play 90 mins?
Sorry but I don’t see how anyone can judge a squad before seeing them play a game it makes no sense.

Also like you say ackworth we could still be signing some more players.

[Lolmorgan]

I don’t think it’s strong enough for the Championship just yet,we have got to start on the front foot are I can see us playing catch up

[rolymiller]

The thing is we have a lot of young players who are likely to get better anyway with time so it could be their youthfulness will allow them to step up to a higher league if they are good enough. Hopefully our young players will. Suppose its a bit of a gamble but being RUFC this is the best hand we have. If all the young uns were to step up comfortably we could have a very good season. If they don't...

[mikemiller]

The thing is we have a lot of young players who are likely to get better anyway with time so it could be their youthfulness will allow them to step up to a higher league if they are good enough. Hopefully our young players will. Suppose its a bit of a gamble but being RUFC this is the best hand we have. If all the young uns were to step up comfortably we could have a very good season. If they don't...

Starting the season with an away game against a decent team, and we've still go a depleted squad. I hope that we get away with it, but it's not ideal. Going to the match anyway though

[millertop]

I think it is but maybe not at LB yet so that’s one up front at Brentford then

[ThryberghMILLER23]

Starting the season with an away game against a decent team, and we've still go a depleted squad. I hope that we get away with it, but it's not ideal. Going to the match anyway though

Why are we a depleted squad ?, we have bids in for cm and would like 1 more striker as far as im aware. Thats not a depleted squad its a nearly complete squad. People need to calm down about the lb situation, Mattock is first choice and Hinds second choice so Purrington has gone out on loan. Its no big deal!!!. We get a couple in this week and all is good, if we dont we can do buisness up to the end of August

[kentmillerman]

Like Thrybergh says. We are OK. UTM.

[Ronners]

Today's departure of Ben Purrington on loan to AFC Wimbledon got me thinking: how does the strength of our squad compare to last season? To me, we have added in defensive areas meaning we have better options than Ihekwe at Centre Back. However, I believe Vyner will have a lot off work to do to prove he is up to the standard of Josh Emmanuel who in my opinion is a great modern full back who will go far. Left back you could say we are weaker having lost Purrington and with no other out and out left backs on the books. At present no Towell and only 2 central mods whereas we had Potter and Towell at the start of last season in addition to what we have now.

The wingers are the same as last season. Strikers: We had Keiffer up until January and then Lavery on loan as well as JCH and our current strikers. Now we have Vassell- league 1 player last season

Therefore, my overall assessment is the squad is no stronger than it was last season, if I am kind I'll say its about the same strength. Should our recruitment so far have been better? We have spent nothing so far have we. Hopefully we will get a permanent CM in and another striker in a permanent deal. Then I would be fairly satisfied but so far I would say we have not really strengthened enough.

It's an interesting question, although in some areas you are quoting knowing how things turned out for us, for instance how good Emmanuel is, but when we got him at begining of last season he was a raw full back, but blossomed with game time, and didn't really start to show that promise until after 2 or 3 months.
Towell wasn't with us from the beginning ,if I remember correctly? but came late in the first transfer window as I recall, and that was a risk as he hadn't really pulled up any trees, although did well in Ireland, and you missed out frecks who was there at the start.
Kieffer Moor was also a gamble but ,again, a gamble that went for us, in the first few games, Kieffer and Jamie Proctor looked a great combination, at home anyway, but when proctor got injured, Kieffer absolutely blossomed.
You mentioned the wingers being the same, but I think they will all contribute to our season, and I love the fact that they are all a bit different in what they do. I went to the Cardiff friendly, and we did look a little vulnerable at times early on , but to say we turned the game round would be an understatement, because how we didn't win by more than 2-1, I really don't know.
All the new boys played really well and looked sharp, are we a better team than last season? I have absolutely no idea, but I certainly don't expect this team to throw the towell in like the team of 2 years ago did, and the team of 12 months ago would have made a good fist of staying in the championship too.
OK only my opinion, and I think we do need at least a couple of more players in midfield and at the back, but I say bring it on.

[mellowmiller]

It's not possible to compare at this stage because we haven't finished our recruitment yet. I'll reserve judgement until the transfer window closes next week and the loan window closes at the end of August.