Team for next season...?

[RockheadRumple]

Everyone is somehow forgetting McCleary, despite the fact he is crazy good.

McCarthy

Gunter --- Pearce -- Marriappa --- Bridge

----------- Guthrie ---- Williams ---------

Kebe/HRK ----- McCleary ------ Drenthe

--------------- Pogrebnyak/LeFondre/Whoever comes in


The right wing depends on whichever one leaves, if either of them even do , which I personally doubt.

[Ginger Ninjas]

Already posted this elsewhere, but given the ambition we're currently showing, I'd be very disappointed if we started the season with Jobi playing the number ten role - his passing and goalscoring are not upto scratch. Dribbling, crossing and work-rate are all fine, lets keep him on the wing.

Although i agree - Adkins used him in this role as well as McD so there must be something there that they see for him to play there.

Makes me laugh with people saying Drenthe should play there........he's a left back/left mid

Can't help but think that Adkins only played him there because there's nobody else in the squad capapble of doing so (plus dropping the captain would have been too bold a move) - has a PL squad ever previoously not contained a single attacking midfielder?!

I'd hope we'd get someone in to play that role, even if it's a loan deal, just to give us a bit more flexibility. Nick Powell would be one possible option, not sure how feasible that would be, guess it depends on who moyes brings in over the summer.

[RockheadRumple]

Nick Powell would be awesome.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pjKooEfVkI

[royal_ross]

Why the sudden urge to drop McAnuff? I thought he was great towards the end of last season, as was Karacan & Guthrie. Can't understand the hate (if it is) he got and still gets now. I still think he can do a great job in the championship.

[Snowball]

In my own case I don't feel an urge to drop McAnuff, but he can't have that long a future, surely
and maybe people are thinking about developing already-decent players like Guthrie/Williams
Karacan (and maybe Akpan Carrico) with a view to the medium and longer term?

[akranes]

In my own case I don't feel an urge to drop McAnuff, but he can't have that long a future, surely
and maybe people are thinking about developing already-decent players like Guthrie/Williams
Karacan (and maybe Akpan Carrico) with a view to the medium and longer term?

I agree. It's really hard with these players though, they are all so likeable and committed, Jobi especially. I'm sure they'll leave like Hunt did, which he did with respect, dignity and much love from the fans.

[Ian Royal]

My money's on McAnuff playing a full role this season, then if we get promoted staying as club captain but doing the job mostly from the bench. Then retiring and focusing on his agent business.

Bit odd to talk about McAnuff having a limited future in the same paragraph mentioning developing players like Guthrie, Williams, Karacan, Carrico and Akpan, none of whom play even remotely similar positions.

[_royal]

Nick Powell would be awesome.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pjKooEfVkI

I think we should put a loan offer in, he wont be playing much next season at united

[Ginger Ninjas]

Why the sudden urge to drop McAnuff? I thought he was great towards the end of last season, as was Karacan & Guthrie. Can't understand the hate (if it is) he got and still gets now. I still think he can do a great job in the championship.

I'm saying shove him on the wing. If we're going to play 4-2-3-1, then need the AMC to be someone capable of bringing goals to the side; Jobi is one of the worst finishers for an attacking player that I can think of.

[Snowball]

My money's on McAnuff playing a full role this season, then if we get promoted staying as club captain but doing the job mostly from the bench. Then retiring and focusing on his agent business.

Bit odd to talk about McAnuff having a limited future in the same paragraph mentioning developing players like Guthrie, Williams, Karacan, Carrico and Akpan, none of whom play even remotely similar positions.

Not if you expect readers to be moderately intelligent. It was a general statement that
we seem to be getting younger players who can develop into solid Premiership players
while gaining promotion from the Championship

HRK is young and has plenty of improvement in him. McCleary and Drenthe are only 26

Jimmy at his best blows McAnuff away and he's 2 years -2 months younger that Jobi

[Snowball]

In my own case I don't feel an urge to drop McAnuff, but he can't have that long a future, surely
and maybe people are thinking about developing already-decent players like Guthrie/Williams
Karacan (and maybe Akpan Carrico) with a view to the medium and longer term?

I agree. It's really hard with these players though, they are all so likeable and committed, Jobi especially. I'm sure they'll leave like Hunt did, which he did with respect, dignity and much love from the fans.

I like him, been a great servant and a good captain and he's worth it for the almost-goal at Anfield and the goal at Cardiff in the POs

But he won't be playing for us in the Premiership, and though it would hurt a bit now, it's probably better if he leaves

[FridaysGhost]

McAnuff has done enough to be part of our squad next season and I doubt that Adkins will let him go. Whether he is Captain and whether he plays every game is a different matter. Should we get promoted, I think that we might move him on.

[Royal91]

Nick Powell would be awesome.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pjKooEfVkI

I think we should put a loan offer in, he wont be playing much next season at united

He's realistic, he's hungry, he wants games, he plays in the position we lack and he's awesome for his age.

[Esteban]

I think it would be a mistake to move on McAnuff and Karacan. They should both be in the first team squad. We'll need committed players we know will put in a shift next season.

[Snowball]

I think McAnuff is a first-class professional, and while rarely brilliant
is "Mr Reliable". I do, however, think he's over-rated by some based
on his assists, which he OUGHT TO get as he plays so many minutes,
and it is, after, all, his job to score or make chances.

What concerns me more is he is "just solid" and he's also getting older
and highly unlikely to feature in 2014-15 if we are in the Premiership

If he's not likely to be an automatic starter this season, and UNLIlKELY to feature
next season, the question that then needs to be asked is, should he be here as a
squad player (but slowing down the development of A N Other) or should we bite
the bullet and let him get himself a good contract elsewhere?

I DO think, he good do a very decent job this season, but it's not about ONE season,
it's about developing youngsters, getting ready for the Premiership etc.

[maffff]

We've almost got a full team out of our new signings:

----------Gogic
RB, CB, Fridjonsson Bridge
-----Collins - Williams
----RW Urbancic Drenthe
----------Berry

P.S Snowball - I prefer those sort of posts. I agree. ^^

[kwik-silva]

I think McAnuff is a first-class professional, and while rarely brilliant
is "Mr Reliable". I do, however, think he's over-rated by some based
on his assists, which he OUGHT TO get as he plays so many minutes,
and it is, after, all, his job to score or make chances.

He was joint 5th in the Championship assists last time, which isn't a bad effort at all. McAnuff is good at what he does and that's been recognised by successive managers.

[Ian Royal]

I think McAnuff is a first-class professional, and while rarely brilliant
is "Mr Reliable". I do, however, think he's over-rated by some based
on his assists, which he OUGHT TO get as he plays so many minutes,
and it is, after, all, his job to score or make chances.

He was joint 5th in the Championship assists last time, which isn't a bad effort at all. McAnuff is good at what he does and that's been recognised by successive managers.

Yeah, this. Try looking at the table for assists in the Championship. It's rare that many players get more than 10 assists in a season through the whole division. McAnuff consistently produces a goodly number of assists, and he chips in with the odd goal most seasons. So he absolutely does his job in an attacking sense. He is also extremely reliable defensively for a winger. And he tends to be heavily involved in most of our best passages of possessional play.

[Ascotexgunner]

I think we've got loads of good options. This is a really good squad thats been assembled, in fact I think we are gonna cruise this season to promotion.

[kwik-silva]

I think we've got loads of good options. This is a really good squad thats been assembled, in fact I think we are gonna cruise this season to promotion.

Famous last words