Who is good enough [to retain]?

[SwalePie]

Give over....

Surely you're not serious?

[M0ufMk3]

Them 2 would be absolutely perfect in a 433 and if they?re both on the books August I?d suggest changing to that system solely because of that. I?d stick Beadau and Platt CB, Macari would be fine at RB, Tarsollou could possibly do a job at LB, Bass fine, Jatta at the top and maybe you have a starting point.

Tend to agree.

The problems start with a back 3 where gaps between the three in possession are too wide. With Baldwin it was brain farts, mostly to do with losing his footing. With Platt (who I rate) his passing is at best laboured and mostly obvious and sometimes poor where he needs to be bailed out by the Bedeau. A back four would allow more protection and hopefully the ability to inject more pace of our own choosing rather than forced upon us by a spot of panic. It would also require only one midfielder to be on counterattack alert.

[Seasonedpie]

Agree with a lot of comments but overall it seems ,like me, most people feel a change of system would benefit the players we have, Jones and Jarvis etc, and we bring in players to suit the system, whatever it may be. Bearing this in mind SM has to go as he is inflexible and has no plan B. However how much are his hands tied by the brothers who seem to prefer a back 3?

[MagpieNate]

Agree with a lot of comments but overall it seems ,like me, most people feel a change of system would benefit the players we have, Jones and Jarvis etc, and we bring in players to suit the system, whatever it may be. Bearing this in mind SM has to go as he is inflexible and has no plan B. However how much are his hands tied by the brothers who seem to prefer a back 3?

I?m not convinced the bro?s/recruitment team do prefer a back 3. I think they have a preference for controlling possession and trying to find bargain (injury/rough diamond etc) players. They also 100% like their stats and the stats this year should, I?d imagine, show our wingbacks have been very ineffective. The good news is the players being asked to play there are probably better suited elsewhere. Tsaroulla and Gordon for me are full backs. Jones and Jarvis are attackers. Austin, I imagine will be a victim of us not having many out of contract players and leave the club to free up space/wages for incomings.

[durhampie]

Surely you're not serious?

I wouldnt want him anywhere near us....

[the_anticlough]

Good list in the OP.
Mainly agree, apart from Jatta. He'll have learned a lot about EFL L2 and will be back with the right mindset IMO.

The bad news - we have so many 'misses' on our books. There's so many that are clearly not L2 promotion level standard

The good news - we still have a good core of players that are - Bass, Platt, Bedeau, Jones, Jarvis, Jatta, McGoldrick

IMO the biggest questions for the club are...

Tsaroulla - Will he always be a player that threatens so much but has so little end product? Can he be better?
Macari - Can he unlock a more aggressive approach? He should be a young player attacking his career but plays as if he's defending the family name and doesn't want to let down his grandad. Can he say f*** it and make a shirt his own?
Palmer - Can he use this recovery season as the springboard to play with more confidence and rediscover his all-round game?

If a couple of those are yes, we have about 9 promotion level players and the nucleus of a strong squad.
The biggest recruitment challenge will be replacing Abbott - we have to get that right or we'll have no chance
Also, bringing in other key contributors despite the glut of poor contracts still on the books.
And a new coaching team of course.

[Canuckpie]

Good list in the OP.
Mainly agree, apart from Jatta. He'll have learned a lot about EFL L2 and will be back with the right mindset IMO.

The bad news - we have so many 'misses' on our books. There's so many that are clearly not L2 promotion level standard

The good news - we still have a good core of players that are - Bass, Platt, Bedeau, Jones, Jarvis, Jatta, McGoldrick

IMO the biggest questions for the club are...

Tsaroulla - Will he always be a player that threatens so much but has so little end product? Can he be better?
Macari - Can he unlock a more aggressive approach? He should be a young player attacking his career but plays as if he's defending the family name and doesn't want to let down his grandad. Can he say f*** it and make a shirt his own?
Palmer - Can he use this recovery season as the springboard to play with more confidence and rediscover his all-round game?

If a couple of those are yes, we have about 9 promotion level players and the nucleus of a strong squad.
The biggest recruitment challenge will be replacing Abbott - we have to get that right or we'll have no chance
Also, bringing in other key contributors despite the glut of poor contracts still on the books.
And a new coaching team of course.

My main concern is have any players improved during this season ? In previous years players have improved and looked capable of playing in higher leagues but this season most players have stagnated or deteriorated and even the new January window signings don't appear to have improved. This of course could be due to the standard and availability of coaches which needs fast improvement in my eyes.

[the_anticlough]

I?m not convinced the bro?s/recruitment team do prefer a back 3. I think they have a preference for controlling possession and trying to find bargain (injury/rough diamond etc) players.

Yeah, I think as long as the coaches fit in with that they can play whatever shape they like.

My impression is that SM was (hopeful use of the past tense) too fixated on the tactical side of the game (maybe what he saw as his strength) and neglected all the intangibles that make for winning football

Small point that hasn't been mentioned, I think Joao Alves hurt his standing by association. All those choking defeats while he was sitting next to SM. He might have to back to the Analysts Bar

[jacobncfc]

I think the move to 4-2-3-1 should be obvious. It suits far more players than it doesn?t. It would be good for Jones, our best player when fully fit, and Jarvis who is the one who looks like has the potential to be something very good. I think it suits Macari, who is a right back in a team that doesn?t play with them. It should suit Jatta, with two wide forwards allowed to get closer to him than anyone currently does. Platt and Bedeau have a functioning partnership already.

Those losing out would probably be Ness who I think would be established as the third centre back by now if he was fit. Tsaroulla and Gordon who were signed as wing backs and might not be defensively aware enough as full backs, but they haven?t done enough to justify sticking with the system.

Feels like a no brainer.

[BigFatPie]

Not sure Platt is good enough. Started the season well enough but has gone massively downhill latterly and got done twice yesterday. Feel similarly about Macari.

Would happily accept that they might pick up under a different coach or a different system.