Rank the Squad

Here's one for the detail oriented. As a season of change is underway, here's my wholly personal and unsubstantiated opinion on our current squad. Their importance based on past/current performance, ability/potential and value.

I've also given a breakdown on who stays regardless. Who goes regardless. Who's in the last chance saloon. And who might just come onto a game/become a great under BR.


Current squad ranked in order of importance:

1. Griffiths
2. Sviatchenko
3. Tierney
4. Roberts
5. Gordon
6. Rogic
7. McGregor***
8. Brown
9. Lustig
10. Bitton
11. Mulgrew
12. Johansen**/***
13. Christie***
14. Simunovic
15. Armstrong**
16. Commons**
17. Stokes**
18. GMS**
19. CKZ
20. Allan**/***
21. Boyata*
22. Janko
23. Bailley
24. Ambrose*
25. Ciftci*


*Players that should be moved on
**Players that should be given a chance, then moved on as we should be looking to do better
***Players with potential to come good under BR


Assumed Leaving:
Izzy
Forrest
Scepovic


Areas for improvement:
LB
CB
DM/MC - one playmaker and one defensive dominator
LW/FW
Stricker


So for me that's at least six out and 4-6 in.

What would you do? How do you see the squad?

 

In no specific order:

1. Griffiths
2. Sviatchenko
3. Tierney
4. Roberts
5. Gordon
6. Rogic
7. McGregor**
8. Brown**
9. Lustig**
10. Bitton
11. Mulgrew
12. Johansen***
13. Christie***
14. Simunovic**
15. Armstrong***
16. Commons*
17. Stokes*
18. GMS**
19. CKZ**
20. Allan**
21. Boyata*
22. Janko**
23. Bailley
24. Ambrose*
25. Ciftci*
26. Henderson***


*Players that should be moved on
**Players that should be given a chance, then moved on as we should be looking to do better
***Players with potential to come good under Brendan Rodgers


Areas for improvement:
LB backup
CB
CMx2- one playmaker and one defensive dominator
STx2

 

Thought it said "the squad are rank"was going to agree :icon_mrgreen:

 

1. Tierney
2. Sviatchenko
3. Bitton
4.Brown
5. Roberts
6. Griffiths
7. Johansen
8. Mcgregor
9. Rogic
10. Christie
11. Henderson
12. Jozo
13. Armstrong
14. Janko
15. Lustig
16. Gordon
17. Boyata
18. Mulgrew

Rest can leave.

We need to sign a GK, RB, CM, LW and two strikers.

 

1. Tierney
2. Roberts
3. Sviatchenko
4. Bitton
5. Griffiths
6. Rogic
7. McGregor
8. Brown
9. Johansen
10. Lustig
11. Mulgrew
12. Henderson
13. Boyata
14. Stokes
15. Armstrong
16. Commons
17. Forrest
18. Scepovic
19. Richards
20. Ambrose
21. Mackay-Steven
22. Ciftci

Janko, Simunovic, Allan and Christie I left out since they've not played very much.

 

Ability wise Roberts is the best we have

 

In the forthcoming friendlies BR will try players in different positions, if they don't hack it they will be off

 

1. Griffiths
2. Roberts
3. Sviantchenko
4. Tierney
5. Rogic
6. Brown
7. Boyata

Struggling after that

 

Such a bloated squad. The hardest things is, almost every player, bar one or two, have shown promise in their time. But so many have dropped off:

Players who have been good in the past but dropped off - Commons, Stokes, GMS, Johansen

Players with potential but have to show it - Allan, Armstrong, Christie (albeit not been given a chance)

Players with great potential - Roberts, Rogic, McGregor, Henderson

Thing is, we need to be pragmatic and with qualifiers in mind, we need a team that's playing at their best, not trying to find form. BR is going to have some tough decisions to make, potentially letting go some players that may well come good, purely because we don't have the time to incubate them. We need guys in the team now. Like someone mentioned, when you go past 6/7 players, the other 4/5 spaces in the first 11 aren't exactly nailed on. We need a strong first 11, with potential on the bench, not a potentially strong first 11 with more potential on the bench!

At the back we seem ok. Could be improved by an experienced CB, and we'll need cover at LB is Izzy moves on, but with Mulgrew fit and playing again we have a bit of cover and he, Jozo and Eck form a decent CB group - boyata just seems to error prone and not switched on enough - could be improved.

Up top Griff has been a revelation and we'd be daft to upset that. He needs support in the form of wide men and backup to tack the strain if he's tired. A young up and comer would be fine in this instance. Someone with pace to shake up the options.

In the middle is where it gets tough. 5 places to be filled but no clear idea of who is best to fill them.

Rodgers spoke at length about liking the 1 sitting DM playmaker, with 2 dynamic CM's to carry the ball, then two inside forward/wingers up in support of the striker a sort of flexible 433/41221 formation.

Problem here is one of our best players, Rogic, doesn't have his preferred position centrally behind the striker. Rather its a deeper CM role, with expectations to track back and cover lots of ground closing down the opposition. As good as he is, this style of play doesn't really suit his game.

Similarly, Bitton, perhaps the best suited to the DM playmaker role, as good as his passing is, his tactical awareness and defensive discipline leaves a lot to be desired at times. And again, his languid style isn't best suited to the aggressive closing down favoured by rogers.

Players that might well suit it are McGregor, who for me deserves one of the CM roles. He's buzzy, got a good engine, a nice turn of pace to quickly turn a man, has good technique and most importantly has an eye for goal. Scott Brown too will no doubt form a big part of the team. His ability to play CM depends on his recovery though. His value will come more from closing down the opposition then laying it off to a ball carrier like McGregor or Roberts, rather than being a creative outlet himself. An odd one is Johansen. His combative, energetic style could really suit the Rodgers tactic, but all depends on him rediscovering his early form. Henderson too - he's shown progress of sorts with Hibs and should come back into the rotation.

Inside Left is the position we've never filled and have a number of candidates for: Stokes, GMS, Armstrong, Christie, even Commons - can see 1 or 2 of these guys being moved on as a result.

Thing I struggle with is fitting Brown, Bitton (players who seem too established to drop) Rogic and McGregor all into the same team. This gets even worse if we bring in another midfielder like Carroll or Britton etc.

Really can't wait to see the season's friendlies start.

 

You were struggling before that when you included Boyata :bbpd:

 

I know that we are overrun with midfielders but does anyone feel that we should be going after Mc Ginn from Hibs as a poss long term replacement for Scott Brown?