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 

[Joelinton7]

GK’s - Vlachodimos will go. We all know why. Shouldn’t even be at the club in the first place through no doing of his own. Pope will remain no1. Trafford and Garcia linked but we will go for another keeper for sure. Dubravka will also prob go in this case. 
 

DF’s - Get a new cb. Preferably one with pace. All other cb’s will stay. No idea if Trippier stays or goes. Imo he should stay. 
 

MF - We would be a lot better off if we got a new cm. A Barella type for me. It’s how far the budget can stretch that determines this. Longstaff has to go, prob get about £10m for him. 
 

FWD’s - We cannot go into next season without signing a striker. Wilson has to go. Eddie clearly doesn’t believe Osula is ready yet. Need a new RW. Mbuemo is favourite but imo it won’t be him. 
 

Out - Wilson, Kelly, Longstaff, Vlachodimos, Targett. 

[r0cafella]

20 minutes ago, Joelinton7 said:

GK’s - Vlachodimos will go. We all know why. Shouldn’t even be at the club in the first place through no doing of his own. Pope will remain no1. Trafford and Garcia linked but we will go for another keeper for sure. Dubravka will also prob go in this case. 
 

DF’s - Get a new cb. Preferably one with pace. All other cb’s will stay. No idea if Trippier stays or goes. Imo he should stay. 
 

MF - We would be a lot better off if we got a new cm. A Barella type for me. It’s how far the budget can stretch that determines this. Longstaff has to go, prob get about £10m for him. 
 

FWD’s - We cannot go into next season without signing a striker. Wilson has to go. Eddie clearly doesn’t believe Osula is ready yet. Need a new RW. Mbuemo is favourite but imo it won’t be him. 
 

Out - Wilson, Kelly, Longstaff, Vlachodimos, Targett. 

We are stuck with Vlad. Peddling him on loan is the best case. 

[Nucasol]

27 minutes ago, Joelinton7 said:

GK’s - Vlachodimos will go. We all know why. Shouldn’t even be at the club in the first place through no doing of his own. Pope will remain no1. Trafford and Garcia linked but we will go for another keeper for sure. Dubravka will also prob go in this case. 
 

DF’s - Get a new cb. Preferably one with pace. All other cb’s will stay. No idea if Trippier stays or goes. Imo he should stay. 
 

MF - We would be a lot better off if we got a new cm. A Barella type for me. It’s how far the budget can stretch that determines this. Longstaff has to go, prob get about £10m for him. 
 

FWD’s - We cannot go into next season without signing a striker. Wilson has to go. Eddie clearly doesn’t believe Osula is ready yet. Need a new RW. Mbuemo is favourite but imo it won’t be him. 
 

Out - Wilson, Kelly, Longstaff, Vlachodimos, Targett. 

Hoy Willock and Longstaff in the outs and I’m with you.

[nufc123]

Its getting clear as day we cant continue with our midfield options going into a new season with Europe. Our bench is so poor. We need to add CB, RW, CM and ST. Its a minimum really.

 

 

Edited May 19 by nufc123

[HawK]

18 minutes ago, nufc123 said:

Its getting clear as day we cant continue with our midfield options going into a new season with Europe. Our bench is so poor. We need to add CB, RW, CM and ST. Its a minimum really.

 

 

 

 

Beginning to think Osula is the succession plan to Murphy atm. 

 

Depth in the spine of the team seems to be our biggest issue - Striker through Centre Mid through Central Defence (particularly if we continue with 3 centre backs). 

 

I've said before but the most transformative signing to make our all-fit first XI better is a good ball-playing keeper, but it's probably not the most urgent squad signing.

 

1. Understudy to Isak

2. Depth at CM (Willock/Longstaff aren't can't do it)

3. If Burn, Schar and either of Lascelles/Botman can stay fit we're OK but a couple of injuries here and it's not ideal at all.

[kingxlnc]

Think about a Liverpool when it comes to 'levels' of spine. 

I've bolded the areas that their first team is stronger than our equivalent, and so is their second / backup player. 

They are struggling LB and at CF most of all. 

GK
Allison - world class GK with great feet
Kelleher

CB

Van Dijk
Konate

RB 

Trent (Frimpong)

Bradley

CM

Gravenberch
Szobsolai

Mac Allister
Jones

Elliot
Endo

RW 
Salah
Chiesa

LW

Gakpo

Diaz


For us, our depth is in LW, RB (assuming Trippier can last another season) and that's it. 
You can see how much work is required just to get the squad up to the right level of depth that wins PL titles. 

 

[Rich]

Left centre-back is our strongest single position, I’d say.

[Joelinton7]

1 hour ago, r0cafella said:

We are stuck with Vlad. Peddling him on loan is the best case. 

How come we’re stuck with him?

[Joelinton7]

1 hour ago, Nucasol said:

Hoy Willock and Longstaff in the outs and I’m with you.

I did. Not sure about Willock. I’ll give him one more season. 

[r0cafella]

Just now, Joelinton7 said:

How come we’re stuck with him?

Because his book value is too high to shift him we would make a loss. 

[Joelinton7]

2 minutes ago, r0cafella said:

Because his book value is too high to shift him we would make a loss. 

Goddamn. So we’re stuck with him until he runs his contract down?

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I wonder if Pope or Trafford would accept being number 2? Doesn’t seem an easy sell for either of them. 

[Tiresias]

Just seen a chart in the Athletic of squads which make the most 'High Regains', i.e. winning the ball high up the pitch.

 

Bournemouth at the top, not surprising

Man U second? Not sure anyone noticed that

Then it's Chelsea, Brentford, Spurs Arsenal and Man City

 

We are all the way down near the bottom level with Ipswich and just behind Everton

 

This sort of checks that I don't think we've been able to play the full ultra aggressive press that much this season to keep the squad fit but I am still surprised we are below average in the league for it. I wonder if it also reflects requirement to play a bit deeper with Dan Burn in defence so much. While no substantial injury crisis is welcome there have also been games (obviously last one most obvious) where we have definitely lacked the expected intensity

[Rich]

Really good point. I do wonder if more and more teams just aren't giving us the chance to play the way we want, though, which plays into it as well?

[Tiresias]

3 minutes ago, Rich said:

Really good point. I do wonder if more and more teams just aren't giving us the chance to play the way we want, though, which plays into it as well?

 

Maybe, I do think more teams are quicker to launch it a bit from the defenders over any high press, but that would surely impact Bournemouth etc as well? 

[Checko]

We definitely do quite a lot of sit back in a low block to be fair. I think as well part of the way we press isn't the same either. It's often done to try and force teams into booting it long rather than to just win it up the pitch.

 

Take Arsenal the other week, I could only see the first half, but we were going man for man but we were largely leaving Raya to it, so we weren't losing a marker closing the keeper down and no easy out ball in defence for him to pass short to. Liverpool in the cup final: squeeze them man to man and force the keeper to boot it long.

 

Also, we're so reliant on transition that we don't really tend to have much dominance of territory IMO, which might make it hard to really put the squeeze on high up.

 

A lot of those teams that got a lot of high turnovers also massively underperformed this year as well interestingly. Man U, Spurs, Arsenal and Man City all did worse than expected.