can u sit down please 0 Posted July 3, 2007 Purpose of the post: To emphasise the balance,cover and quality of the squad we are now assembling.Lets assume we will be playing 442....I feel as though we are now assembling a fairly decent sized squad that will be able to cope with injuries , a promotion push and 2/3 games a week. Its now better balanced and gives us options....something we lacked with the previous regime.Yes in that squad are some young and inexperienced players but they are still squad players who could do a job if needs be.GK- Gallacher,Lewis,Gilks,Arnold and probably Marshall (fingers x!)LB- Drury,Lappin,Rossi Jarvis,Bexfield and even Andy Hughes covering.RB- Otsemobor,Hughes,Colin(hmmm should i inc him?) Cave Brown and SpillaneCB-Dublin,Doherty,Shackell,Halliday and SpillaneRM-Croft,Chadwick,Huckerby,Fotheringham,Martin,Smart,Otsemobor and Eagle.CM-Safri,Etuhu,Fotheringham,Rossi Jarvis,Spillane,Hughes,Breiler and Eagle.LM-Huckerby,Lappin,Fotheringham,Smart and Eagle. (im sure even Croft or Chadwick could cover too)CF-Cureton,Brown,Dublin,Martin,Huckerby,Renton,Doherty (?),Ryan JarvisGrant needed time to assemble his squad and now he (many have doubted) is talking big and backing it up.I cant believe that people thought we would draw a summer blank and that PG would not wanna make the team his own. Ok, we havent spent much (cue for moans) but we still have some in the bank.Well done PG, things are starting to take shape and people are now changing their opinions of you. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
InLambertWeTrust! 0 Posted July 3, 2007 I 100% agree. I have never doubted the man as he clearly wants the best for ncfc. Give him a year or two and he will be a legend. Peter Grants barmy army will soon be ringing around carrow road i have no doubts although not in the jarrold. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cheeky Monkey 0 Posted July 3, 2007 I agree, he is building a balanced team! Just like him and Pardew did at West Ham. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZLF 261 Posted July 3, 2007 Agreed - its coming together well; get the finishing pieces in place and we can be hopeful for next season, if not completely optimistic. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
can u sit down please 0 Posted July 30, 2007 I just wanted to re-iterate what i previously said, "that the squad is taking shape"....With the recent signings of Smith/Russell we do seem to have alot of balance and strength in depth.Well done to Grant for kicking out the pooh and bringing alot of players in. This will help us cope with injuries,suspensions and competion for places.Now.......where is that CB!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
megson 0 Posted July 31, 2007 Agree with this, lot more balance than we''ve had for a while, except at CB.Rumours are that someone is coming in to fill that gap this week, if so I''ll be fairly happy with that squad.We''ll considerably more competitive this time out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chicken 0 Posted July 31, 2007 Having argued this point in another thread I agree but I think you over emphasise things with no need.GK: Marshall, Gilks, Gallacher(surely going though?), Lewis and Arnold.LB: Drury - no direct competition so one of the weakest positions.CB: Shackell, Spillane, Halliday.CB: Doherty, Dublin (I see this as his priority position now we have enough strikers),RB: Otsemobor, Hughes, Cave-Brown.LW: Huckerby, Lappin, Eagle.CM: Brellier, Safri, Rossi J.CM: Russel, Fotheringham, Smith.RM: Chadwick, Croft, Smart.STR: Brown, Strihavka.STR: Cureton, Martin, Renton.I think there is a pattern emerging where we have three players for each position. Two pros and one youngster or "boot boy" as Grant says. I think this is perfect. It means that we can afford to loan players out, it also means that should injuries occur it gives the youngsters a chance. Obviously some youngsters are considered to be better than just boot boys now such as Martin. (I also know that I have probably missed someone off somewhere).If you look at it this way I do think that left and central defence will be the next positions to get players for.I can''t believe that we started last season with the only players able to play on the left wing as Huckerby and Eagle - a first year pro. I mean no disrispect to the lad but what was Worthington thinking? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tumbleweed 106 Posted July 31, 2007 Evidence of PG having a plan. While I might not have heard of some of the names he has brought in you can see the logic in what he is trying to and many of the decisions are hard to argue against (although the usual suspects will still try). It is certainly looking very well balanced now.The only slight niggle for me is the scale of the change though. It often takes teams a while to gel- Worthy ripped the guts out of the promotion side and did it again after relegation. Even though some of his deals were suspect he also never gave the team the chance to get any fluidity. PG needs to give his first choice line up some time together to hit the ground running as under Worthington they were almost introducing each other as they walked on the pitch so we never saw a team in those three seasons, just a collection of players.The final piece will be the team leader- for me it has to be DD. I have been away for a bit recently so I don''t know who the club/team captains are but we need that Malky type presence on the field somewhere. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cluck 0 Posted July 31, 2007 Yep.....PEAR SHAPE........ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Old Shuck 181 Posted July 31, 2007 You can always trust Cluck to drag the positive vibe of the thread down!And, as the new players and the new team will probably need time to "gel" this season, there will be criticism after 10-12 games if we''re mid-table, which I suspect we will be.Still, after Keane took over at Sunderland last season, they were fairly mediocre for a while, then, as his new players settled they went, over the season, from bottom to top. Think we''ll improve as the season goes on, certainly don''t think we''ll be top after 5-10 games, but, come Easter we should be there and ready for a good push for top 6, preferably already there and looking set to stay.Though people will say a play off place is "failure" I''m sure of it! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HappyhammerAndy 0 Posted July 31, 2007 Remember how you were all slagging him off after he arrived? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DONT REMEMBER YOUR TENURE AS ENGLAND MANAGER 0 Posted July 31, 2007 Hey Happyhammer Andy, not quite right there. I agree, there were a few idiots slating Grant before he has had a chance, but that happens at every team, doesn''t it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites