Fraser forester

[robinrover]

What a coup if we pull this off
We have competition from derby though.

[champs95]

He's on £60k a week. I can't see us paying that. We are close to getting Rangers keeper. We are after 2 keepers. A young understudy...A number 2. And an experienced keeper, for number one.

And it's thought we will sign Glenn Whelan tomorrow, or early next week.

[AucklandRover]

Glenn Whelan? Another defensive midfielder? Why? If we are getting a veteran, I'd prefer the more creative Charlie Adam.
And as for two new keepers, I really can't see the need.
Leutwiler, by all accounts, had a good game today, and we already have two promising youngsters.
I've never believed in buying players just for the sake of it.

[champs95]

Smallwood would go, maybe Evans. I can't see him getting much action. Same with Bennett. Johnson is the only one really. So another coming in makes sense. Don't forget, nobody other than Raya & Downing have left. Rodwell just wasn't renewed. Davenport will never get going he has another injury again. He will end up as another Gladwin.

[AucklandRover]

But we're talking the ability to play the holding role, like...Travis, Johnson, Davenport, Evans, Smallwood, Bennett - even Mulgrew!
Is Whelan, at 35, a huge step up? How much game-time would he get?

[champs95]

Probably as much as at Villa last season. About 85% of the games. You need experience at this level. Quality experience. And youth. We have youth. We found last season we had no quality experience. Travis doesn't play the holding role. Davenport played once.

[champs95]

Would he be a step up? From Smallwood absolutely yes. Evans, yes. Travis doesn't play that position. Davenport will always be injured. Id rather have a 35 year old than an injury prone lad. We've never once seen Mulgrew in that role, so none of us can comment. Bennett went terribly off the boil last season. I'd be a step up from him. I can run around puff my cheeks and not manage to pass a ball to my team mates. We know exactly who wasn't good enough after everyone got game time and a chance last season. Build around the decent quality we have, and improve the rest of the squad. We simply want to push on and improve. We won't do that with Smallwood, Bennett & Evans in midfield. So we've upgraded.

[AucklandRover]

Champs - I think you'll find Travis WILL be playing the holding role. We are packed with attacking players now, and if Evans, Smallwood and Bennett are to be dumped, as you'd prefer, with Davenport injured, who else is there? Johnson has spent most of his career in that slightly more advanced role Travis has occupied too.
Perhaps that is why TM is actually considering Whelan (if it's true!)
If so, it's a very short-term measure, surely.
A midfield of Johnson, Whelan and Downing would not be in the first flush of youth, and I'm not sure how they'd go for pace!
Our midfield options, including "wingers", are: Bennett, Chapman, Johnson, Travis, Davenport, Evans, Smallwood, Buckley, Rankin-Costello, Armstrong, Rothwell, Downing, Gladwin.
OK - some more likely than others, but it's getting bloody crowded in there already.
If we assume Dack and Graham are certainties (till Gallagher has settled in), and we add in the back five, we have to pick four in midfield (or as the so-called "wide attackers"). Travis, Armstrong and Rothwell probably top the pecking-order, and I'm taking it that Johnson has been signed to play. You don't like Bennett, but I bet he is one of the first on the team-sheet. And where does Downing fit in? Not much room for anyone else!
TM has talked about REDUCING the squad to 25/26. Well, if we get two keepers, a centre-back and Whelan, I estimate we're up to about 35 (and I'm discounting Rodwell) - if we include Rankin-Costello, Wharton, Magloire, Buckley and Butterworth.
I doubt very much that both Evans AND Smallwood will go, and although I think we can discount Samuel and Gladwin for now, we still have a big surplus. Does that mean all those youngsters, together with Nuttall and Brereton, will be excluded from the first-team squad?
If that is the case, Mowbray will get a lot of stick from a section of the support.
I know you think there has to be lots of cover, but how far does that go before some players are starved of playing-time?

[champs95]

Champs - I think you'll find Travis WILL be playing the holding role. We are packed with attacking players now, and if Evans, Smallwood and Bennett are to be dumped, as you'd prefer, with Davenport injured, who else is there? Johnson has spent most of his career in that slightly more advanced role Travis has occupied too.
Perhaps that is why TM is actually considering Whelan (if it's true!)
If so, it's a very short-term measure, surely.
A midfield of Johnson, Whelan and Downing would not be in the first flush of youth, and I'm not sure how they'd go for pace!
Our midfield options, including "wingers", are: Bennett, Chapman, Johnson, Travis, Davenport, Evans, Smallwood, Buckley, Rankin-Costello, Armstrong, Rothwell, Downing, Gladwin.
OK - some more likely than others, but it's getting bloody crowded in there already.
If we assume Dack and Graham are certainties (till Gallagher has settled in), and we add in the back five, we have to pick four in midfield (or as the so-called "wide attackers"). Travis, Armstrong and Rothwell probably top the pecking-order, and I'm taking it that Johnson has been signed to play. You don't like Bennett, but I bet he is one of the first on the team-sheet. And where does Downing fit in? Not much room for anyone else!
TM has talked about REDUCING the squad to 25/26. Well, if we get two keepers, a centre-back and Whelan, I estimate we're up to about 35 (and I'm discounting Rodwell) - if we include Rankin-Costello, Wharton, Magloire, Buckley and Butterworth.
I doubt very much that both Evans AND Smallwood will go, and although I think we can discount Samuel and Gladwin for now, we still have a big surplus. Does that mean all those youngsters, together with Nuttall and Brereton, will be excluded from the first-team squad?
If that is the case, Mowbray will get a lot of stick from a section of the support.
I know you think there has to be lots of cover, but how far does that go before some players are starved of playing-time?

Smallwood will leave for sure, so will Evans.
Travis has virtually never played in the holding role, he has always played in an advanced role. Smallwood played that role. And was not good enough.
Johnson and Downing will play most weeks. As will Travis.

We are naming players in the squad above that will simply never ever play. Gladwin, Davenport, Wharton, Nuttall ....Samuel is going out on loan (the club are trying to get him fit to send him out) Nuttall is off, so is Smallwood. Clubs are already lined up for both. Evans will be allowed to go once we sign another player.

Brereton has a decision. If he wants to play, he will have to leave his poor form behind him, and start performing. This is the mistake signing that may or may not work out. We signed Gallagher, because we cant wait around for him to perform. Brereton will need to find better form that Sam in order to get a game. Or he will be left out. Which is fair enough. We need competition for places.
Personally, while Dack is here, and we play this way we do, I don't see Brereton playing much in the current system. I do think there is a player in there, but he seems a weak lad, with no attitude. He will need to man up. Or he will be moved on. Armstrong will need to improve. Other than one month last season, I felt he was a big disappointment.
Chapman?? He is a last 10 or 15 min player at best. You would never start with him. A bit part player at best.

The one I expect to play a lot next season is Rothwell. He will be given a much bigger chance. Personally, I am still very unsure about him. His head is down too often. He doesn't create enough.

[AucklandRover]

Still begs a few questions, though. If Johnson, Downing and Travis all start, add in the back five, plus Dack and Graham, and we only have one place left. Who is it going to be?

On a lighter note, I have just posted the stuff below on the Telegraph site.
Who's your money on?

"It would actually be quite interesting to see the following training-game!

Leutwiler
Bennett Williams Mulgrew Bell
Rothwell Johnson Evans Armstrong
Graham Dack
(SUBS: Smallwood, Downing, Gallagher)

VERSUS

Fisher
Nyambe Lenihan Magloire Hart
Chapman Travis Davenport Rankin-Costello
Nuttall Butterworth
(SUBS: Brereton, Wharton, Buckley, Grayson)"