Squad & tactics (2025/26)

[STM]

Squad options, including duplicates:

 

(GK) Pope, New GK, New reserve GK, Gillespie.

Out: Dubravka, Ruddy.

 

(RB) Tino, Trippier, Krafth.

Out: Harrison Ashby.

 

(LB) Hall, Tino, Trippier, Burn .

Out: Targett, Lewis.

 

(CB) New CB, Botman, Schar, Burn, Krafth.

Out: Lascelles.

 

(CM) Tonali, Bruno, Joelinton, Miley, Willock, New CM.

Out: Longstaff.

 

(RW) Murphy, New RW, Osula.

 

(LW) Gordon, Barnes, Osula, Joelinton, Willock.

 

(ST) Isak, New CF, Osula

 

 

So for me, it's 5 signings, CF, RW, CB, GK, CM.

 

My guess is that the club will be looking at versatility. Can we find a RW that can play CF? (Mbuemo), or an attacking player that can fill various roles (Cunha) or even a CB who can play fullback (Thiaw).

 

 

 

Edited May 6 by STM

[jcat]

I’d say that’s pretty much spot on. Only tweak would be to add someone like walker-peters to cover right and left FB as we do look a bit a thin there. 

 

After that there so many possibilities that could be done to strengthen the overall squad. 

Could sell willock as well and gamble with 5 CM till January if it helped us afford better quality players now. (Could always go to 2 man midfield with either 3 at back or a no.10 if we hit an injury crisis). 

Selling Murphy while his value is high might be the sensible thing to do. 

Selling barnes and bringing in Wissa as cover LW/CF is an alternative to the standard RW/CF combo people keep talking about. (Better CF than Mbuemo and a lot cheaper). 

 

A big window ahead with loads of options. Whatever they end up doing, I’m pretty comfortable that we’ll likely start next season with our strongest team/squad in my lifetime. 🤞

[andycap]

Goalkeepers:

I'd keep pope and sell Dubravka. 

Bring in Trafford as backup for a season while he learns off his holy Ness. 

Defenders:

Flog Targett and bring in Guehi. 

Maybes kwp in on a free for fullback cover. 

Midfielders:

Flog Longstaff, Willock. 

Forwards:

Flog Wilson, bring in delap as backup. 

 

[nufcjmc]

10 minutes ago, andycap said:

Goalkeepers:

I'd keep pope and sell Dubravka. 

Bring in Trafford as backup for a season while he learns off his holy Ness. 

Defenders:

Flog Targett and bring in Guehi. 

Maybes kwp in on a free for fullback cover. 

Midfielders:

Flog Longstaff, Willock. 

Forwards:

Flog Wilson, bring in delap as backup. 

 

Please don't say we burden ourselves with offering Wilson a year extension in the hope we get a fee too risky let him walk on a free. 

[Lotus]

Would like to see us play the ball more into the central zone between the centre circle and the opposition penalty area. Think it's zone 11 and 14 when they divvy up the pitch. Ideally it would not be Isak receiving the ball here but one of our wide forwards or one of the CMs. Bruno has the passing skills to make that work but not the pace to escape a recovering defender. JL has the power and pace to drive forward but lacks the ability to play a killer ball (his stats bear this out). I don't honestly think Gordon or Murphy can do it either. Barnes, maybe....

It's very much a position Bournemouth use to great effect. It really opens a team up. We've seen it done to us. We love going down the wings. We're very cross heavy. We're 3rd so it's clearly got lots of merit. When we occasionally go through the middle though I think Isak really comes alive. 

[kenlau88210]

If we get Mbeumo, Fernandes (Southampton), Guehi and Trafford and sell/release Wilson, Willock, Longstaff, Lascelles, Dubravka and Targett, that would be a good window i reckon