This season's injury patterns feed thought and I wonder to what degree they should.
Goalkeepers doesn't seem a priority with Onana being good enough, and possibly improving with a more stable backline in front of him.
Central defense saw us lose Varane (define 'lose' but yeah) and a direct replacement to have a strong partnership with Licha would be ideal.
-> BUT, Licha was hella injured also. Shaw was a decent back up... a season before. One of them in LCB offered a pretty decent coverage to anti press and general build-up options from the back... especially with Malacia a cover to Shaw on the left... a season before.
-> But then to their right at least they had... exactly. A mix of bad luck and and the classic something-needs-to-change.
-> Varane gone covers one change: replace him. Maguire did a job this season, Lindelof is ready, but you want at least five options for the worst case scenarios.
-> Honestly could keep both Maguire and Lindelof, and even Evans (and Kambwala) as options, but if you want more secured cover for Licha besided a more talented and rapid RCB, it might be best to accept the best offer for either Maguire or Lindelof, and only keep one as 3rd/4th choice CB. Maguire is better, but Lindelof can cover more areas in the craziest of scenarios, so if a starter RCB can be found and a Licha-cover too, I'd honestly prefer to keep Lindelof.
- OUT:
Varane, Maguire
- STAY:
Licha, Lindelof, Evans, Kambwala
- IN:
RCB1, LCB2
Rolling down along that snowball gets is to the
fullbacks. Where in the heavens were they? AWB was injured for so long after his resurgence last year, and didn't get into full shift until possibly the very final game. Dalot did more than anyone expected of him, I assume, and is here to stay in either position.
In theory with Dalot, AWB, Shaw, Malacia you have excellent cover for a team still rebuilding, but not if three of them missed out of most of this season. It's best to get a new fullback to either cover one side excellently, or that can cover both sides. Especially if Malacia will be loaned out a new left back could be good, too.
-> I shyly assume this season won't copy the last so if any of Frimpong or... I forgot other options... comes in I'd be happy, with Dalot showing he can play both sides if necessary.
-> How to best deal with the Shaw and Malacia both being out situation again? Honestly I'd say loan out Malacia for a season and get a decent LB in, but only if Malacia actually leaves. Who's in the market and ready to be second choice to an injury prone Shaw?
- OUT:
Malacia (loan)
- STAY:
Dalot, Shaw, AWB
- IN:
Frimpong, LB2
Defensive and central midfield saw us grow an option that negated a lot of people's wishes for a Frenkie type in Mainoo. It also saw it become clear Casemiro is done for and Amrabat is not a first choice option. McTominay can do a job in a more aggressive and more forward midfield role, but is not reliable cover for other midfielders as he just doesn't seem to have the composure and skills needed by this team to actually start controlling play and show patterns of play, too. But as a third midfielder, like in the final few games, why not? Just make sure he won't ever have to hold the Casemiro position ever again. So, new DM needed.
-> Eriksen and Mount don't seem capable of a DM role either, at least not to start the season with... not even considering Mount's injuries. Eriksen as a fifth CM... okay, but don't think he wants that. Maybe fourth since tonight I am not creative enough to think of an affordable replacement.
-> I chose to keep Amrabat as cover, but ideally just as cover to someone more reliable on a consistent basis.
-> Might be good to have a fifth midfielder, but I don't know who's ready to step up behind them. A creative DM could help to cover Mainoo better and have us rely less on Eriksen as a direct replacement.
- OUT:
Casemiro
- STAY:
Mainoo, Amrabat, Eriksen
- IN:
DM1, (DM3)
In
offensive midfield Bruno seems to have won back more faith at the end of the season. Mount could still deserve a chance and Eriksen and McTominay are pretty much extra cover. Perhaps someone like Eze could come in to cover more area, but in theory that would need a departure I think. In case Antony leaves, and/or Rashford, it could be good to have a player like Amad who can cover either a wing position or the 10 position, perhaps even an 8 position in extraordinary circumstances. For now I pick Eze. Olise gets more calls, but for some reason I think Eze's left side cover could help us more. Maybe because I like Amad. Time to count our losses on Sancho?
To distinguish a bit more between creating wingers and finishing wingers I'll put some of the creating ones in here. Whatever it means in reality is whatever.
- OUT:
Sancho
- STAY:
Bruno, Mount, McTominay, Amad
- IN:
Eze
And then the
forwards is a bit more clearly picked. I saw mention of Zirkzee earlier as an affordable option, and while I think there's other options and Zirkzee is allegedly staying in Italy (Milan or Motta's Juve), I think it is a good 'type' to consider. Zirkzee FC could be a thing, but at the least him and Hojlund can both fight it out and even play together (on paper). It might leave more room for experience... but for now I focus on this option. For now I let Rashford stay and Antony go. What the actual options are for the technical board... idk.
-> With Sancho and Antony gone, and even though I'd have Eze come in, I think an extra RW could be good, too. Maybe luxury, maybe there's already a good talent, but an either proven or experienced winger to cover could be good to look at. Perhaps that means Olise either way? I don't know how FFP works clearly.
-> An extra experienced striker could be useful, too, but with Rashford an option there, and the late season option of Bruno/McTominay might diminish that as anything more than a luxury.
- OUT:
Antony
- STAY:
Hojlund, Garnacho, Rashford
- IN:
Zirkzee, RW3
I probably forgot some players, and some Donnys and such hopefully see certain departures, as I don't think it would help any of us to have them stay.
Although I counted Sancho in the OUTs, that would make 2 'extra' players, and would leave us with something like this, with new players in italics:
- GK:
Onana
Bayindir
Heaton (?)
- RB:
Wan-Bissaka
Dalot (+LB)
Frimpong (+RW)
- RCB:
RCB1
Lindelof
Evans
- LCB:
Lisandro Martinez
LCB2
Kambwala
- LB:
Shaw
LB2/Malacia
- DM:
DM1
Amrabat
DM3 (+CM)
- CM:
Mainoo
Eriksen (+AM)
- AM:
Bruno
Mount
McTominay
- RW:
Garnacho (+LW)
Amad (+AM)
RW3
- CF:
Hojlund
Zirkzee
- LW:
Rashford
Eze
That would make for a squad consisting of 28 players. One more than a Euro Cup squad. Perhaps a trim to 24-25 would be best, but it would depend on possible departures. I don't see Mount or McTominay leaving per se, and I'd prefer not to cut in the forwards. But if McTominay'd leave, I wouldn't get an extra replacement. DM3 and one of the CBs or FBs could be left out, though, but because of last seasons I'd check if Evans would be willing to be so behind in the picking order. Same for Lindelof. RW3 could be left out if someone like Frimpong is the new FB, as he can also cover RW clearly.
Squad building actually might be a challenge. But I am surprised that there's already some talent in the team, pretty much just waiting for a final few additions and injury cover that makes the team at least more reliable, and at most much more of a force to be reckoned with.
Or I play too much on my PS5