Area of weakness that remains....

[Woodcote Royal]

We were never going to see 4-4-2 in the Championship but depending on results I think it's a real possibility for some of our tougher matches this season . If one up front gets a point at Old Trafford who would complain?

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

One up front can still be a good attacking formation, with the right players.

[Mr Angry]

Its all about styles of play. Chelsea and Spurs need a goal scoring midfielder...I'm not sure we do. That said Brians not afraid to change style/formation, so I'm sure he will adapt over the season.

To my mind, Brian inherited a team with Sigurdsson, Howard, Matejovsky and Davies (28 apps, 3 goals 8 assists for Crawley to answer the above) but identified two box to box midfielders as the way to succeed in the second tier, based on Harper/Sidwell.

Leigertwoods arrival allowed us to revert to this differt style of play, where we would be solid in games for 90 mins, and expect 1 of the "front four" of Kebe, McAnuff, Long, Hunt to get us a goal.

We took this a step further this season, with Kebe and McAnuff (and Robson Kanu )working their socks of at the back when necessary, but still able to be the source of our creativity. (12 goals and 26 assists from the 3 of them) . Leigertwood and Karacan managed only 3 assists between all season out of a combined 76 games, with Tabb only adding 1 assist, so it shows how we play down the flanks, in tried and trusted Coppell style.

Yet what accelerated us to the top of the table was being able to score goals from those assists and Jason Roberts and Adam Le Fondre were world class at this 6 goals from 17 shots Roberts and 12 goals from 33 shots Alf... more than 33% of the time they got a shot of was a goal. By contrast Lionel Messi scored 77 out of 304 chances, about 25%, Demba Ba 17 from 109, and Stuart Downing a comical 0 from 72 shots in the PL. Pavel Pogrebnyak however scored his 6 goals from only 19 shots, including his first 3 shots in the UK. This would suggest we will play a similar style next season, using the central midfield to control the game but only attacking down the flanks.

One might suggest this is not going to work in the PL, but of course we finished 8th with Harper and Sidwell in a similar set up. However they did of course chip in with goals, so its a valid argument to suggest our midfield is too goal shy at present.

But is it? Another characteristic of the 2nd half of last season was Leigertwoods scoring. This gave us yet even more additional firepower to win the title. Both Leigertwood and Karacan need to improve on this side of their game to emulate the 106 teams PL debut, but in my mind working with them and Guthrie to add goals, is a better option than going for a Koren style player, who is better at creating and making goals than breaking up play and getting the ball wide.

So we need box to box players who are going to be able to convert chances from arriving late in the box, these are the sort of chances we will make. At the moment we could be better at it, so if we sign a player it will be someone in that ilk.

No apologies for stat binge, I know they're incredibly popular on here.

Excellent post.

The obvious fear is that, if we can see how Reading rely on the wings for the creation of goalscoring chances, you can be sure the other PL teams will as well, and that, therefore, may neccesitate a tweaking of emphasis/style to compensate.

For all the assumptions that no more players are going to come in, I'd not be in the least bit surprised to see a more attacking midfielder added to the squad before 1st September.

[oldebiscuit]

I don't think so much that the area of weakness is so much of a problem, but more the fact that we have acquired some great signings but seem to be short of experienced Premier League players to help them along.

[CJC]

im quite happy with the squad as it is, guthrie will hopefully chip in with a few from midfield. my worry is will brian be strong enough to drop Jobi at some point even though he is captain. he was inconsistent last season, lacks end product and could struggle in the prem, we cant afford to be 'carrying' players.

[Ian Royal]

I don't think so much that the area of weakness is so much of a problem, but more the fact that we have acquired some great signings but seem to be short of experienced Premier League players to help them along.

Roberts, Harte and Shorey have all played quite a lot of PL football. Guthrie, Marriapa, Gunnarsson & Pog have some experience too. Federici may not have played, but he was in and around the first team squad for two seasons there. It's a hell of a lot more than we had last time around.

[Esteban]

Hasn't McAnuff been used almost exclusively in central midfield so far in pre-season?

[.:BigDaveInTheDungeon:.]

I wonder if Darren Caskey would consider coming back to fill the midfield void.

[melonhead]

im quite happy with the squad as it is, guthrie will hopefully chip in with a few from midfield. my worry is will brian be strong enough to drop Jobi at some point even though he is captain. he was inconsistent last season, lacks end product and could struggle in the prem, we cant afford to be 'carrying' players.

wingers are always inconsistent
dont think we carried him last season at all. always puts in a massive shift, even when hes not creating.

[Extended-Phenotype]

im quite happy with the squad as it is, guthrie will hopefully chip in with a few from midfield. my worry is will brian be strong enough to drop Jobi at some point even though he is captain. he was inconsistent last season, lacks end product and could struggle in the prem, we cant afford to be 'carrying' players.

wingers are always inconsistent
dont think we carried him last season at all. always puts in a massive shift, even when hes not creating.

Agree with Melons. Jobi was f/cking ace once he got over the initial pressure of being made captain. Let's not start ditching the workhorses that got us here.

[floyd__streete]

Area of weakness for me remains the strikeforce.

Pogrebnyak - good cameo in the Prem but a patchy record overall.
ALF - Johnny-on-the-Spot, but does he have the all round game to make it at that level?
Roberts - Old. Not going to play 38 games.
Hunt - all brawn no brain.
Church - .

If that worthy of being called a top flight strikeforce I am Esther Rantzen.

[floyd__streete]

im quite happy with the squad as it is, guthrie will hopefully chip in with a few from midfield. my worry is will brian be strong enough to drop Jobi at some point even though he is captain. he was inconsistent last season, lacks end product and could struggle in the prem, we cant afford to be 'carrying' players.

wingers are always inconsistent
dont think we carried him last season at all. always puts in a massive shift, even when hes not creating.

I agree with.....Brendy

JM's defensive work was awesome last season, giving the defensively weak full backs plenty of help. He plays the simple ball, is one of our best players in terms of retaining possession and his role when switching to the middle of the park late in games is not to be overlooked. Quality player who has earned his chance to play in the top flight.

[PistolPete]

Area of weakness for me remains the strikeforce.

Pogrebnyak - good cameo in the Prem but a patchy record overall.
Roberts - Old. Not going to play 38 games.
Hunt - all brawn no brain.
Church - .

If that worthy of being called a top flight strikeforce I am Esther Rantzen.

Agree, although you left out Le Fondre who I believe will be a good player from the bench again.

[Royal Biscuitman]

We were never going to see 4-4-2 in the Championship but depending on results I think it's a real possibility for some of our tougher matches this season . If one up front gets a point at Old Trafford who would complain?

Sir Alex Fergusson?

[andrew1957]

I am Esther Rantzen.

At last a post from Floyd that I can believe.

[melonhead]

im quite happy with the squad as it is, guthrie will hopefully chip in with a few from midfield. my worry is will brian be strong enough to drop Jobi at some point even though he is captain. he was inconsistent last season, lacks end product and could struggle in the prem, we cant afford to be 'carrying' players.

wingers are always inconsistent
dont think we carried him last season at all. always puts in a massive shift, even when hes not creating.

I agree with.....Brendy

.

getthefukkoutofhere!

[Ian Royal]

I actually think that Church is pretty good as a fifth choice striker for a lower Prem club. I think our weakness upront lies in three players who are all just about adequate to be back up in third of fourth place and a relatively unproven top dog.

Roberts obviously has quality, but is pretty senior as strikers go and his top flight scoring record isn't actually that impressive, even if he is undoubtedly still good enough to tear up the Chump.
ALF has quite a ot of quality, but it's a big ask for him to step up another division with only about 20 starts having stepped up two divisions already.
Hunt has limited ability, but is a trier and I think his game won't be affected a great deal by playing at a higher level.

It could easily prove to be a very good strike force for the Prem. Unfortunately, it could also prove to be very limp as well. Always hard to predict how a player will step up.

[andrew1957]

I actually think that Church is pretty good as a fifth choice striker for a lower Prem club. I think our weakness upront lies in three players who are all just about adequate to be back up in third of fourth place and a relatively unproven top dog.

Roberts obviously has quality, but is pretty senior as strikers go and his top flight scoring record isn't actually that impressive, even if he is undoubtedly still good enough to tear up the Chump.
ALF has quite a ot of quality, but it's a big ask for him to step up another division with only about 20 starts having stepped up two divisions already.
Hunt has limited ability, but is a trier and I think his game won't be affected a great deal by playing at a higher level.

It could easily prove to be a very good strike force for the Prem. Unfortunately, it could also prove to be very limp as well. Always hard to predict how a player will step up.

Spot on Ian - I think we have to wait and see. If it were me I would be tempted to stick with what we have until the end of December and then buy if we obviously need more - in the January window.

I know it is irrational but I just have this feeling that Church might surprise us (in a good way) if he gets a chance.

I suspect that our midfield will define how well we do and I still worry we don't have enough in that department. Our strikers will score goals but will need good service.

[Alexander Litvinenko]

I actually think that Church is pretty good as a fifth choice striker for a lower Prem club. I think our weakness upront lies in three players who are all just about adequate to be back up in third of fourth place and a relatively unproven top dog.

Roberts obviously has quality, but is pretty senior as strikers go and his top flight scoring record isn't actually that impressive, even if he is undoubtedly still good enough to tear up the Chump.
ALF has quite a ot of quality, but it's a big ask for him to step up another division with only about 20 starts having stepped up two divisions already.
Hunt has limited ability, but is a trier and I think his game won't be affected a great deal by playing at a higher level.

It could easily prove to be a very good strike force for the Prem. Unfortunately, it could also prove to be very limp as well. Always hard to predict how a player will step up.

Spot on Ian - I think we have to wait and see. If it were me I would be tempted to stick with what we have until the end of December and then buy if we obviously need more - in the January window.

I know it is irrational but I just have this feeling that Church might surprise us (in a good way) if he gets a chance.

I suspect that our midfield will define how well we do and I still worry we don't have enough in that department. Our strikers will score goals but will need good service.

Except that teams which struggle early in the season - and especially teams which are tipped to go down and are struggling - historically have tended to find it really difficult to persuade players to join them in the January window. It's not just a question of throwing money at them - players don't want to be in a struggling team and don't want to be associated with a relegation.

[Royal Bahamas]

Area of weakness for me remains the strikeforce.

Pogrebnyak - good cameo in the Prem but a patchy record overall.
ALF - Johnny-on-the-Spot, but does he have the all round game to make it at that level?
Roberts - Old. Not going to play 38 games.
Hunt - all brawn no brain.
Church - .

If that worthy of being called a top flight strikeforce I am Esther Rantzen.

Hello Esther.