If we got lucky.....

And got promoted...well, luckier than we already are, which is not easy as we are the luckiest team in the history of football....
What would be the positions you would strengthen as a priority coz we won't strengthen every position and who will be shown the door?

Keepers are both fine but Walton number one for me.

RB - needs reinforcements Clarke decent backup
CB - Burgess would be fine with Wolfy, Edmundson and Tuenzebe as backups, need a better quality right sided CB
LB - Leif starts but need decent backup
Midfield - Morsy starts Taylor pushing for a start, Luongo backup. Needs maybe 2 more in there
Attacking players - Keep Burns, Hirst, al hamadi and Chaplin, Broadhead as backup but I think we need more quality up top/wide left. 2 more to come in!!

So I think a RB, CB, 2CM, 2 attack.

Players I would get rid of.....
Harness
Jackson
Humphreys
Donación
Travis
Aluko
Sarmiento
Moore
Hutchinson they are saying about 20 million to buy him....not worth more than 4 million.

Please let's get our foreign scouting network going!!

 

If Brandon Williams could sort his life out, I would take him all day long, coz when he is on it, he is quality!! I don't mean the gas!!

 

If we got promoted to the Premier League this season, I think the squad would require significant investment to be competitive. McKenna and the team have done magnificently, but my gut feeling is that quite a few players aren’t anywhere near the Premier League level. We probably couldn’t afford to be this aggressive, but in an ideal world:

GK - Bring in a new number one who is both comfortable with the ball at his feet and has a strong presence. Hdlaky number two. Sell Walton.

RB - Sign a new first choice right back. Keep Clarke as number two. Sell/release Donacien.

CB - Ideally need to sign a centre back. We’d get torn apart in the Premier League with our current back line. Woolfenden, Burgess, and Tuanzebe can compete for the other slot. Sell Edmundson.

LB - Do all we can to keep Davis. Bring in a dependable back up. If we have to sell Davis, bring in two left backs.

CM - Invest in one central midfielder. Keep Morsy, Luongo, and Taylor. Sell/release Ball. Send Travis back. Loan out Humphreys.

RW - Keep Burns. Try and get Hutchinson on another loan. We could buy Hutchinson, but as long as he’s reasonably priced. Agree with Spanish he isn’t worth £20m, even in this market, but perhaps £7/8m with bonuses. More pressing areas to invest in before signing Hutchinson though. Sell Harness. Sell/release Jackson.

AM - Keep Chaplin, but he will need competition, so bring in a back up with potential first team quality. Release Aluko.

LW - Keep Broadhead but sign somebody who can come in and start. Return Sarmiento.

ST - Keep Hirst, see if we can sign Moore permanently for some Premier League experience, and then bring in a pacier striker for depth. Loan out Al-Hamadi, ideally to a Championship side.

 

We pretty much agree on most things there nuggets, apart from keeper and Moore!
What's your thoughts on Brandon Williams?

 

Woolfy captain. Other than that, not sure who could make the step up.

 

Seriously though, I think Morsy is the only player I would expect to start every week in the Premier League.

 

Brandon has no discipline, is ****ing about and he’s robbing us of part of his £65k. We’d have to be mad to sign him.

 

I just don’t think Walton is that great with his feet and that’s fundamental to how we play. I imagine McKenna won’t change in the Premier League and we’ll give a go playing how we have been (particularly if it’s got us consecutive promotions). I think Moore is one of the only ones in that squad right now with a pretty deep experience of the Premier League. I’d definitely keep him if we can get a good deal.

As for Williams, good player - great player on his day - but doesn’t seem to have the character and drive for top level football. I think we can do better.

Definitely agree we need to do a lot better with our foreign scouting - we’ve both been banging that drum for years. Great market for value, particularly if we get to the top flight.

 

I get a feeling if we do go up, we might have to change our tactics a bit, not necessarily because of our personnel but more because how we play is so open. Maybe it might mean playing 3 CBs with wing backs (to be fair sometimes we do this currently) or as Southampton did against us play a flat 3 in midfield. Because we have so many forwards sometimes we're just so easy to get through. I'm not sure if our CBs are PL standard but I do think it's an area where we are strong in comparison to the rest of the team and its also an area where they find themselves exposed alot due to the lack of decent defensive full backs and how we are set up as a team.

For me whatever division we're in next season the same areas need strengthening. In terms of first team players I think we're okay, I think we need to invest in an established RB and maybe an established CM (like Downes), these would be the big ticket ones. Then in terms of back up (they might not be back up in the end), I think we need a more defensively sound LB almost as an impact sub (like Leigh was), then we need to look at our loan players, as it leaves us very light in forward positions without them. I'd be happy to see Sarmiento and Hutchingson back again ontop of getting a more like for like backup for Burns (although I do think Clarke could play that role). And I'd like us to sign Moore as think we will need 3 strikers competing for 1 spot.

I think we've seen Al Hamidi, Sarmiento and Hutchingson have been superb in terms of impact but there are still definitely questions of whether they are good enough to start games.

For me whatever division we're in it's about evolution not revolution and if we get there boy do these players at least deserve a chance at PL level.

 

I think if we changed the way we play in the top flight, we will be in for a pasting - and we can't improve all areas at once. First of all, I'd like us to sign a commanding centre back, a right back and a formidable goal scoring striker from abroad to go straight into the XI, backed by one or two good squad players. And then add another three or four in January.

This is all making a massive assumption that we will go up. We need exactly the same players even if we don't.

 

Agree in regards to the same areas need strengthening would probably just mean we'd be in for a slightly higher calibre player or focus more on certain positions. Probably if we stay in the Championship the need to strengthen the second string isn't as great
...although I'm not sure how many of those senior pros would be happy not getting much playing time in the Champ for another season (like Edwards and Leigh last). Generally McKenna has done a great job at evolving the team with players gradually dropping out of the team for better ones coming in over time.

In terms of the changing the way we play, I didn't mean completely change more tweak as McKenna has done since he's been here. When he first came in we were superb defensively, then the first part of last season we just dominated the ball, then with the new additions in January 2023 we went a bit more gung-ho and that has certainly felt the case again this season....how many home games have finished 3-2?

We've kept similar formations in that time but have tweaked it as the team has evolved. When the opposition turn over the ball now we look pretty open with often the centre backs very exposed. And in some games like the Southampton one we look outnumbered in midfield, with Morsy and Luongo who are on the older and less mobile scale of the spectrum. Maybe if we get promoted we might need the full backs to be a little more like a flat back 4 or for example the no.10 to be more like an 8 role, so we aren't counter attacked on as easily.

 

Judge & Harness ???

 

Lots of valid points here, if we do go up. Having watched the Brighton v Arsenal and the epic Man U v Lpool games over the weekend, tbh our defense would be ripped apart.
We are a similar club to Brighton and they have done very well.

4 to 5 players would handle the Prem, another 2 or 3 like Hutch & Sarmiento can mature and grow into it. When fit and fresh Burns, Chappers & Broady could thrive & I would certainly keep Ali Hamadi, Morsy, Leif but not convinced by Moore. It will take 2-3 seasons to continue our development, and as others say, it would be nice to give several the chance of playing at that level.

The minimum requirements are a strong, powerful striker, another midfielder, and RB.
I cant see the likes of Harness, Jackson, Tuanzebe being retained.

But hey, we have a gripping exciting few weeks ahead. Lets re- discover our zest and spirit, starting at home tomorrow night.

 

Gaffer I don’t want to hear a peep from you tonight until 10pm please! This is crucial.

 

If you go up, just enjoy it and don’t over analyse who you should get.

The PL is a three tier system, the divide between the top and the bottom is far vaster than I realised.

No matter what you want to believe, there is no loyalty in it. You really need a decent striker and every season they are like hens teeth.

No matter which three teams go up this season, we’ll all be fighting it out in that third tier.

You can blow £100m on 4 players and they can look like dog dirt. The scouting network for the top teams throw so much money at it that it’s sickening

 

I can see what you are doing here !!!

 

That’s just Leeds United though. The only reason anyone would want to play there is for a pay cheque.

 

Honestly, no hidden agenda. I was so happy when we went up, season one was like a miracle, season 2 and 3 reality sets in. I want Leeds to go up again, if we do I’ll view it differently and very grounded

 

Lucky !!!
Hull away has been moved to 8pm Saturday night followed by Cov away 8pm the following Tuesday !