Next Season's Squad

[strap]

Good afternoon everyone. Thought I'd play Devil's Advocate and consider a likely 1st team squad for next season's on the assumption we do go down this year. Of course this is merely a bit of nonsense and a whole raft of issues will befall us, such as:

1. Some players won't want to be seen dead in the 3rd tier, and would be off like a shot. (Our Dutch Tw@t "manager" (sic) certainly wouldn't, but no loss there).
2. Our income will be substantially reduced so the possibility of significant signings would probably be close to zero.
3. There might be an adverse impact on our Academy status, with a consequential loss of either current academy players/staff and the prospect of attracting new talent to same. (More knowledgeable posters than myself will possibly be able to advise on FPPP status?).
4. Financial Fair Play restrictions will presumably we more onerous in the 3rd tier?

So putting those to one side for the purposes of this post, I reckon we could be looking at a squad for next season as below:



Given we're talking about the 3rd tier here, I would imagine that squad would be quite formidable - assuming we get hold of a proper manager. Then again, it is very inexperienced.

Just musing, so please feel free to ignore!

[Hound]

Yeah have said something similar before. Think we could get rid of a lot and have a useful squad still

Would add Meite to the squad to keep. Moore and Gunter will go, Swift and Barrow probably. Would keep Dadi

Prob not far off the mark otherwise

[Jackson Corner]

Who in there right mind would by that pile of shit? Most are on 20-30 grand a week. We will be stuck with them. and they will drag the club into liquidation.

[Hound]

Yeah there is that.

Still that ruins the game when you start being reality into it

[Old Man Andrews]

There would be a fire sale of epic proportions. Selling off all our assets like Swift, Gunter, Kelly and Moore on the cheap and the rest of the high earners like JVDB and McShane would be touted around to anyone that would listen on a free transfer just to clear their wages.

We would have a few players from the existing squad but no more than that. We'd have build on the youth we already have which for me wouldn't be a bad thing.

[Snowflake Royal]

It's all just too depressing and right now there's only about three of them I really care about.

[CountryRoyal]

The prospect of having a Gunterless Reading almost makes relegation appealing.

[Old Man Andrews]

It's all just too depressing and right now there's only about three of them I really care about.

Harriott, Joey and Aluko?

[SCIAG]

No direct reason to be concerned about our academy as long as we keep putting the money in. We don't need to be in the Championship to keep Category One - sensible given how recently Southampton were in League One.

I'm fairly sure Buchanan and Scheving are both long gone - the sort of player whose departure the club don't bother announcing.

Agree that Moore, Gunter, and Barrow will go and we'd be lucky to keep Swift. Bacuna and Gunter could probably also attract some form of move - Bacuna to a mid-ranked Dutch side or Greece or Turkey or somewhere, Gunter to a mid-table Championship side although not sure he'd be in a rush to leave.

I think we have to keep McCleary - it's worth the risk of him being injured all season. If we stay up then it's a different matter. While I'd like us to shift as much of the dead wood as possible, I'm not particularly concerned if they stay - Ilori and Blackett would be amazing League One players.

With that in mind, my squad would be something like this.

GK: Mannone, Southwood
Full back: Gunter, Watson, Richards, Blackett
Centre back: McShane, McIntyre, Osho, Holmes
Midfield: Evans, Kelly, Edwards, Holsgrove
Wingers: McCleary, Harriott, Meite, Obita
Forwards: Novakovich, Jon Dadi, Kermorgant, Smith, Loader
Josh Barrett: Josh Barrett

With that in mind, I'd say we'd need an experienced centre back, at least one midfielder, a winger, and probably a pacey forward. If we kept Ilori and Aluko (and let's face it, who would buy them?) then that could solve two problems.

I don't want to get relegated, and don't think we will, but if we could keep those young players fit and in or around the side then we'd have a very exciting season.

[NewCorkSeth]

I think the players who give us a real shot of developing as a club would be highly sought upon relegation. Chances of keeping Swift, Moore, Barrow, Kelly etc. are extremely slim.

[Hound]

Reckon we’d ended up loaning a few back to champ teams - Aluko, Mannone, Gunter maybe - and hope that the club they move to picks up their wages for a year

I’d hope Kelly would stay unless someone bid big for him. Swift may feel obliged to give us a half season to see how we get on.

I certainly wouldn’t be sorry to see the back of the majority of the first team squad sadly and reckon we could comfortably bin 10-12 and be very competitive in div 1

[strap]

I'm fairly sure Buchanan and Scheving are both long gone - the sort of player whose departure the club don't bother announcing.

Buchanan was an unused sub in the AMC match v Gillingham, and still appears on the OS in the U23 squad, so I'm guessing he's still with us. As for Scheving, not sure. He was at Cirencester last year on loan, but will need to trawl a bit deeper to find more info about him.

Yep good shout - Sindi has gone - https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/sindri-scheving/profil/spieler/243648

[fred sharpes nose]

On the original post - 9 home grown and 12 bought in - though I count Evans as almost home grown. Nice balance. Swap Kermogant for Dadi (hunger over age) and lose Gunter - he has too long been associated with failure at Reading, though a decent player and he cares - its too comfortable for him here. Suggest Anssi is better suited to the lower leagues than Vito (and probably cheaper). Basically we need workers with a few talents, not over paid big name fancy dans. Imperative to get wages down so as many of the high paid and past it (or nearing the end - e.g McCleary) types is bye bye. 26 yong pros seems a lot to be honest - it all adds up in wages

[Theroyalbox]

I reckon it is about prioritising where we need players and what we already have, so Southwood would be ready to play in goal, get rid of Mannone and Ansii have two young keepers

Richards ready
Gunter would stay imo
McShane wouldn't get a move so we get him
Blackett a good league 1 CB

Kelly - I would hope would stay
Edwards - good league 1 player
Rinhomata - decent
Harriott - Stay
Mccleary - Stay

Loader/JDBV/Kermy

Its a good league 1 team and the promise of first team football for some youngsters may just convince them to stay on

[muirinho]

I reckon it is about prioritising where we need players and what we already have, so Southwood would be ready to play in goal, get rid of Mannone and Ansii have two young keepers

Richards ready
Gunter would stay imo
McShane wouldn't get a move so we get him
Blackett a good league 1 CB

Kelly - I would hope would stay
Edwards - good league 1 player
Rinhomata - decent
Harriott - Stay
Mccleary - Stay

Loader/JDBV/Kermy

Its a good league 1 team and the promise of first team football for some youngsters may just convince them to stay on

Novakovich as well - I reckon he'd slot in well into a League 1 side, Watson hopefully back from injury. Evans might stay, and a prolonged run in the team in L1 would be very good for him IMO.

I also think Gunts would stay unless the club wanted him to leave to save money - unlike others I don't think he'd be as worried about what being in L1 would do to his international chances, as he'd probably get picked anyway. could be wrong of course.

the main thing for me isn't getting rid of specific players, it's getting rid of enough players. The squad is too large as it is, let alone on an L1 budget.

[Old Man Andrews]

I would like to bet something reasonably quite substantial that Gunter will not be here come the start of next season. Supporters have turned on him, he has turned on the supporters on a few ocassions now too and the relationship is coming to an end. He's expensive on the wages too. Why do we need him with Watson back fit next season? Might as well sell him and make a saving.

[Hound]

I would like to bet something reasonably quite substantial that Gunter will not be here come the start of next season. Supporters have turned on him, he has turned on the supporters on a few ocassions now too and the relationship is coming to an end. He's expensive on the wages too. Why do we need him with Watson back fit next season? Might as well sell him and make a saving.

Will Watson actually be and stay fit? He isn't fit currently, and hasn't been for over a year

I'd happily keep Bacuna to play there though

[Old Man Andrews]

I would like to bet something reasonably quite substantial that Gunter will not be here come the start of next season. Supporters have turned on him, he has turned on the supporters on a few ocassions now too and the relationship is coming to an end. He's expensive on the wages too. Why do we need him with Watson back fit next season? Might as well sell him and make a saving.

Will Watson actually be and stay fit? He isn't fit currently, and hasn't been for over a year

I'd happily keep Bacuna to play there though

Can't see him staying either tbh. Doesn't come across as someone who could do it on a cold Tuesday up in Bradford.

You're right on Watson, fitness is key and we just don't know yet on that front. Either way Gunter will go imo. There are far cheaper option on loan or perm.

[Hound]

agree on that. Likewise at CB, you could pick up someone half decent to play alongside McShane or Blackett cheaply. Shame Bond has been ostracised by Stam as well, as he sounds like he has done well at Peterborough and would be a good Div 1 keeper. However he is OOC and won't stay

So could comfortably shift 80% of the high earners and still be looking at something like

Southwood/New Keeper
New RB McShane Blackett Richards
McCleary (who I reckon will stay) any two of (Kelly, Swift, Evans, Edwards) Obita
Any two of (Smith, Yann, Bodvarsson, Loader, Novakovich)

Plus the likes of Harriott, Meite, Rinomhota, Holmes, Andresson, Barrett on the bench

Which would be pretty good I reckon.

[Old Man Andrews]

agree on that. Likewise at CB, you could pick up someone half decent to play alongside McShane or Blackett cheaply. Shame Bond has been ostracised by Stam as well, as he sounds like he has done well at Peterborough and would be a good Div 1 keeper. However he is OOC and won't stay

So could comfortably shift 80% of the high earners and still be looking at something like

Southwood/New Keeper
New RB McShane Blackett Richards
McCleary (who I reckon will stay) any two of (Kelly, Swift, Evans, Edwards) Obita
Any two of (Smith, Yann, Bodvarsson, Loader, Novakovich)

Plus the likes of Harriott, Meite, Rinomhota, Holmes, Andresson, Barrett on the bench

Which would be pretty good I reckon.

It wouldn't be beyond the realms of possibility to raid a couple of other League 1 teams for their best talent too, similar to what Blackburn did with Bradley Dack. 800k was a snip for a player of his ability and he is firing them back into the Championship by the looks of things.