Building a squad for the Premiership

[TerryTheTerror]

I don't agree that only 1 or 2 of the players would be able to step up. More of them already have good Premiership experience.

[shedka]

He must think it's La Liga we are stepping into

[bannon_ftd_83]

We finished 4 in the top league with a team not much better than this one. The league is not that good. Had we sorted a keeper more recently we wouldn't have been near the bottom of the league IMO.

[Chick A Saw]

Totally agree as harsh as that sounds .

The reality is there ought to be quite a few more following this lot out the door or we will struggle big time .

If anyone truly believes we can go in to next season with pretty much any of that side its delusional .

At best most , except for perhaps Literally only 1 or 2 exceptions, would be no more than squad players unless we are planing on battling relegation from the get-go .

As I say that may come across as harsh on the back of the high of winning the title but it is IMO an accurate assessment .

Don't shoot the messenger

Trying no to shoot the messenger here, but to add to the conversation.

Someone made a very good point here somewhere that it would be rather foolhardy to just offload this seasons squad and head north with a brand new team. I believe that theory has been proved on more than one occasion. At this minute, we are not that far off doing just that.

To blunt shedkas comment a tad, are we expecting season 1 consolidation, then season 2 back in Europe like last time? I said at the last promotion that survival season 1, consolidation season 2, then maybe push for top 6 season 3 is what we should be aiming for, and because of what happened next, i stand by that 3 or 4 season requirement.

I will keep saying that i hope Mark Ogren has learned from the mistakes made if he stays around, but if change of ownership is to come, then i hope we head into the future with our eyes open!

[cybershed]

It's clear to all though, that this season's squad are nowhere good enough to be anything other than relegation fodder in the Premier League.

It's a tough old league the SPL. I think the Dees have only managed 10 league wins all season and yet they managed top six! Next year, the sheep and the Hibs will surely put up a challenge for the top six.

IMO we need 7 to 8 players incoming in terms of squad. That will still be a very lean squad in terms of the SPL.

Out of the 8 incoming, I expect 4 or 5 'starting 11' standard.

BTW, that maybe not even be enough. Obviously we need a new GK and understudy. There's 2 salaries knocked off the outfield budget already.

Better make that 7-8 incoming excluding the 2 GKs!

[Stoke_Arab]

It's clear to all though, that this season's squad are nowhere good enough to be anything other than relegation fodder in the Premier League.

It's a tough old league the SPL. I think the Dees have only managed 10 league wins all season and yet they managed top six! Next year, the sheep and the Hibs will surely put up a challenge for the top six.

IMO we need 7 to 8 players incoming in terms of squad. That will still be a very lean squad in terms of the SPL.

Out of the 8 incoming, I expect 4 or 5 'starting 11' standard.

BTW, that maybe not even be enough. Obviously we need a new GK and understudy. There's 2 salaries knocked off the outfield budget already.

Better make that 7-8 incoming excluding the 2 GKs!

I pretty much agree with this.
Kai and Miller Thomson would not start in my first 11, nor would Mathew Cudjoe. Liam Grimshaw at RB, doubt it.
Glen Middleton is one footed and was sussed out by opposition coaches early on.
Central Defence, a debate there maybe, Gallagher Holt Graham, is that good enough for the Prem?
Watt, how often will he show up with what we know he can do?
Moult, can he play every game, doubtful, and will he score the goals we need? Maybe

Docherty and Sibbald I think will be fine but we need to add one more there.

A hell of a lot of questions that needs answers

GK 2
RB 1
LB 1 and 1 cover?
CB 1 ?
Midfield 1
Striker 1

[weegiearab]

I'm going to put my tin hat firmly on here and state that I don't think Moult is a very good striker. I think if we are to have any chance of staying up, then we must strengthen our attacking options. How many times did JG state that we were poor in the final third? We need pace, trickery and a clinical striker. I also, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, think we need a coach in to work with our forwards. Scoring goals is going to be made a lot harder in the SPL...we can all remember the games where we registered 1 shot in a full 90 minutes. If we are only getting one shot...we are going to have to make sure it goes in!

[Arabdownsouth]

Totally agree as harsh as that sounds .

The reality is there ought to be quite a few more following this lot out the door or we will struggle big time .

If anyone truly believes we can go in to next season with pretty much any of that side its delusional .

At best most , except for perhaps Literally only 1 or 2 exceptions, would be no more than squad players unless we are planing on battling relegation from the get-go .

As I say that may come across as harsh on the back of the high of winning the title but it is IMO an accurate assessment .

Don't shoot the messenger

Nonsense post if you ask me. Whilst I've moaned as much as anyone at times,you simply can't just empty a title winning squad entirely. There are players there that will form the spine of this team next season whether you like it or not.

[Stoke_Arab]

I'm going to put my tin hat firmly on here and state that I don't think Moult is a very good striker. I think if we are to have any chance of staying up, then we must strengthen our attacking options. How many times did JG state that we were poor in the final third? We need pace, trickery and a clinical striker. I also, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, think we need a coach in to work with our forwards. Scoring goals is going to be made a lot harder in the SPL...we can all remember the games where we registered 1 shot in a full 90 minutes. If we are only getting one shot...we are going to have to make sure it goes in!

One of the reasons strikers have struggled at times for us is that we don't play in a style that makes enough good chances for them.
We mostly don't play around the outside of the box and look for a player to play a through ball that gives the striker a one on one.
We didn't do it at all for Fletcher and we haven't done it very often this season for Moult. Long punts and second balls won't win you enough games in the Prem.

If we can find a creative player that plays in front of Docherty and Sibbald it will lead to Moult goals.
And a winger who can go inside and out....
But finding those players is the tricky bit.

[Stoke_Arab]

Nonsense post if you ask me. Whilst I've moaned as much as anyone at times,you simply can't just empty a title winning squad entirely. There are players there that will form the spine of this team next season whether you like it or not.

I think it's probably somewhere in between. I've asked a couple of fans of other clubs what they think, these guys are no mugs and they also think we need at least 7 additions to survive.

Gallagher if he gets his sharpness back, Holt I think can step up.
Docherty yes, Sibbald yes, Moult yes. For me the jury is out on the others. I've no doubt we'll see Middleton and Watt again although if I was the recruitment guy I'd be looking to offload those two for better.
Many observers think we need 7 or even 8, I have a feeling we'll get 4 or 5 max.

Who from this season's squad would you be happy to start in our first Premiership fixture?