The 2015/2016 Summer Improvement Thread

[exton101]

McEachran anyone?

 

[Alan]

McEachran anyone?

Didn't the hype for him die ages ago?

 

[exton101]

Didn't the hype for him die ages ago?

Yeah but there must be a good player in there. Not sure how he's been getting on with his loan spell at Vitesse Arnhem. Still only 22, can play defensive or attacking midfield.

 

[Lord Knows]

What evidence is there that Jackett has reached his limit? He has taken charge of a club on a downward spiral, improved it both on and off the field and to the verge of promotion. I don't think he is anywhere near the peak if his career at Wolves.

Tactically naive? No, sometimes he will make the wrong decision but that doesn't make him naive. Given the number of wins he has amassed it looks like he gets his decisions right more often than wrong.

I didn't say he had reached his limit, I said its possible he had reached close to his limits, and I don't think he is tactically naive but what I do question is his team selection (judgment of players) but more so his ideology.

I think he has a fixation of wanting to play two strikers which then affects the balance of the team especially through the midfield.
Some of us had hoped for a defined pattern of play which involved more control and method on the ball during the build up.

 

[sycophantia]

Does he have a fixation for playing 2 strikers? seems to me we have played most games with 1 up top and even since Afobe has arrived he sometimes leaves Dicko on the bench.

 

[Wolfman09]

This is the kind of squad I want for next season:

Keepers: Ikeme + McCarey

RB: Iorfa + Doherty

LB: Goldborne + Hause

CB: Stearman, Baath, Hause + 1


RM: Henry & RVLP

CM: McDonald, Price, Saville, Edwards + 1

LM: Rowe + 1

ST: Afobe & Dicko + 1 TARGET MAN TYPE


SIGN THE FOLLOWING:

CB: Wilson (Hearts - Free) Maguire - Hull or Bennett - Norwich Hanley - Blackburn

CM: Chalobah, Luongo

LM: Antonio, Knockaert, Wallace Zyro

ST: gARNER or another Iwelumo type

1st team squad of 21 plus developing kids





Loan for season: Evans, EEL, Zeli


Get rid: Margreiter, Boukari, Macalinden, Cassidy Jacobs, Clarke

 

[Aikiwolf]

Does he have a fixation for playing 2 strikers? seems to me we have played most games with 1 up top and even since Afobe has arrived he sometimes leaves Dicko on the bench.

It has always been KJS preferred formation and tbh with two strikers like Afobe and Dicko having two upfront is very appealing!

Means a top class central midfielder is essential over the summer, alongside a replacement for sako

 

[YoungWolf]

I don't think he has a fixation on two forwards, he just recognised that the trade off over having less control in midfield was worth it having the quality we had up front. And I would suggest it has been the right call.

In the summer, we definitely need to refocus on what our long term way of playing should be (whatever division we are in), though that doesn't mean we have to be wedded to one formation. If we bring in the right players we should be flexible enough to pay different formations.

 

[Lord Knows]

Lets throw another one in, Kenny Jackett rejects the requirement of a play-maker within the number ten role.

 

[From Distant Shores]

What information do you have to say that "Kenny Jackett rejects the requirement of a play-maker within the number ten role." ?

This is getting as bad as "Mick McCarthy is stubborn because he doesn't do what I want him to do."

 

[machin05]

McCarthy was stubborn. It's ok, he's gone now, you can agree

 

[Lord Knows]

What information do you have to say that "Kenny Jackett rejects the requirement of a play-maker within the number ten role." ?

This is getting as bad as "Mick McCarthy is stubborn because he doesn't do what I want him to do."

Its just an opinion based on the way KJ sets up his sides and the kind of player selection he goes for.

 

[Johnny75]

Its just an opinion based on the way KJ sets up his sides and the kind of player selection he goes for.

I'd agree that he has this season but he didn't in Lg1. He actively had a play maker in there almost every game.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

He made the decision very, very late in the day (given that both had started virtually every pre-season game where you'd consider us to be sending out our best XI) that neither Ricketts nor Jacobs were capable of performing the same roles at this level as they had in League One. This left us with the imperfect solution of Batth captaining the side - which arguably, he isn't ready for just yet - and Edwards filling the number 10 role, which Ken will take a second prize because of his goal threat and what he at least theoretically offers defensively (although I'd question just how useful chasing defensive midfielders around really is in most games). Oh, and a seriously sub standard option at right back, although we have fixed that now obviously.

I would hope both outstanding issues would be settled in the summer, you wouldn't necessarily take the captaincy off Batth now but we could do with more of a vocal presence at the back and someone to organise which Ricketts did brilliantly last season, he never shut up.

 

[YoungWolf]

I think Stearman has stepped into that role fairly well, he's very vocal from what I've seen of him this season.

 

[Johnny75]

I'd like to see him return to getting somebody in who can do the #10 role even if they don't start every game as I think the burden on Afobe and Dicko will be too much for the whole season.

I'm not sure about the back 4, I'm probably in the minority as I think they're all just fine and I wouldn't tinker with them at all.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Full backs are fine, the ones we currently have in the team anyway. We might need to get some back up in depending how far O'Hanlon and Matinyadze are away.

Individually I don't have a problem with Batth and Stears, as a pair I'm less sure at this level. Batth needs to spend some time watching John Terry and Jamie Carragher DVDs and how they didn't ever get sucked into areas where they'd quite obviously get done. Stears is an airhead, always has been. For him to excel he needs someone constantly on at him to focus, Batth doesn't do that at the moment. It might come of course.

Of course we have Hause who I would like to see in the middle soon.

 

[Lord Knows]

I'd like to see him return to getting somebody in who can do the #10 role even if they don't start every game as I think the burden on Afobe and Dicko will be too much for the whole season.

I'm not sure about the back 4, I'm probably in the minority as I think they're all just fine and I wouldn't tinker with them at all.

KJ inherited Sako so presumably he thought he ought to use him in his best position, then balance his attack with another wide player.
Now with his quality wide player gone he could set up his midfield completely different and have a far more compact system which could then protect the back four especially down the centre.

 

[slink]

I know they are joining us in the Championship but if we were to look at anyone who has been playing in league 1 this year i would be going to Bristol City and asking about Luke Freeman. He's by far the best player i've seen live in league 1 this season. Others in that league would obviously be Alli even though he will be at Spurs then and someone from left field Bradley Dack at Gillingham.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I don't see Spurs loaning out Alli or Pritchard. They will get rid of tat like Capoue and Paulinho this summer and it'll then be those two getting game time in the League Cup and Europa League.