6 days to go - are we ready?

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Well not long left and I think we're the closest to a stable side that we've been in a long time.  Personally I'd start with this team on Saturday.

Sullivan
O Connor Martis Lockwood Friend
Stock
Gillett Woods
Coppinger Shiels
Sharp

But looking at it we have good depth in many areas.  

Goalkeeping wise we're good.  Sullivan had a good pre season and I've seen Woods play a few times.  He looks very solid and also had a good pre season, think he has potential to push for a first team place and looked very good.

Chambers/Dumbaya can play right back, Chambers also on the left.  We could move Jimmy inside and Sam Hird's looked good at centre half also.  I do still think we're weakest at centre back, but it's not so bad is it?

Now midfield, well we're complete here really.  Stock/Woods/Gillett have looked fantastic in pre season and as fit as ever.  We have Wilson/Oster injured who'll do us a good job.  Payne is a good signing also.  Attacking wise we have Copps, Oster, Shiels who can play that role and Hayter who drops off also.

Up front I still feel we might be one short.  Brooker is not ready and that's no surprise but he'll get there.  Hayter/Sharp look good (Sharp looks better than last season but I worry if he picks up an injury).  I think we need someone up there, Fairhurst hasn't really done it in pre season and this is the other area I'd strengthen.

Looking at it we have plenty of options and we're not far off.  Probably need that quality centre back and a second striker if we're really going to push on for the top 6.  But let's be honest, it's looking very good so far isn't it and if we keep the key players fit we're there, we just lack a bit of depth in those two areas and that's my only worry.  The loan market could be key there.

[Wellred]

Swap Thomas for Lockwood and I would agree

[VikingJames]

I'd go with most of that, apart from I'd start Hayter. Probably instead of Deano, which is a shame because he's had a very good pre-season. I just think Hayter puts more of a shift in which is important away from home.

I'm not too sure about Martin Woods. I'd start him, but he hasn't really impressed me in pre-season, and I don't think he's had a great game since he came back from injury. He is a talented player, but for me he needs to step it up a bit.

We definitely need to add a top quality defender of Shackell's standard, and we could probably do with another striker - possibly a big man or a whippet with some pace to give us a bit of variation. Or Emmanuel-Thomas, as some of his best games here last season were when he played through the middle. A cover LB would also be nice to compete with Friend and mean we don't have to resort to playing Chambers or Jimmy over there, where they are less effective - but that is less of a priority. If we get another 2 or 3 in: a centre-back, striker and maybe another, I think we're okay.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Still concerned a bit about our defence. I think I'll feel a little more comfortable if we sign Thomas.

I think SOD will go for safety first and also be wary of Preston's frontline with Hayes and Brown, and that's why I think he''l plump for JOC in the middle.

Sulli

Hird   JOC    Martis   Friend

         Stock

Copps    Gillett    Shiels

       Hayter
              Sharp

[Alan Southstand]

We're not quite ready yet. I still think/hope for a few more additions in the form of season-long loanees (of Premiership standard). Centre of defence is weakest and I don't know whether this season will be a season too far for Sulli. A good solid CB is required (like Shackell was) and the acquisition of Thomas only strenghtens the depth of choice. We have 3 good quality FB's (when Chambers gets himself back) and one who has significantly improved from last season.

Midfield is looking good but neither Brian Stock or Woods have looked 'on the pace' but with another week of training to take away any last remaining lethargies, I'm sure they'll both be fine. Gillet holds it all together defensive-wise in there and gives us that link up between defence and attack. If Mutch comes back, or McIndoe does in fact sign on, then we have strength in depth (especially if Oster gets back firing on all cylinders).

Up top, we've got one option and that's Billy, which isn't enough for this division. Like someone has already said, if he gets a knock, we're relying on Hayter giving us an option. Brooker is some ways off yet and young Waide needs more time to progress. I'd love either JET or Keogh up there, which would present untold problems for any CCC team.

[ScillyRover]

Alan Southstand wrote:

We're not quite ready yet. I still think/hope for a few more additions in the form of season-long loanees (of Premiership standard). Centre of defence is weakest and I don't know whether this season will be a season too far for Sulli. A good solid CB is required (like Shackell was) and the acquisition of Thomas only strenghtens the depth of choice. We have 3 good quality FB's (when Chambers gets himself back) and one who has significantly improved from last season.

Midfield is looking good but neither Brian Stock or Woods have looked 'on the pace' but with another week of training to take away any last remaining lethargies, I'm sure they'll both be fine. Gillet holds it all together defensive-wise in there and gives us that link up between defence and attack. If Mutch comes back, or McIndoe does in fact sign on, then we have strength in depth (especially if Oster gets back firing on all cylinders).

Up top, we've got one option and that's Billy, which isn't enough for this division. Like someone has already said, if he gets a knock, we're relying on Hayter giving us an option. Brooker is some ways off yet and young Waide needs more time to progress. I'd love either JET or Keogh up there, which would present untold problems for any CCC team.

Agree with most of that Alan. Without Billy, injured/suspended whatever, we'll struggle for goals and a solid centre back is essential.
I'm sure SOD will have things sorted by the end of August but in answer to the thread question... No .... well, not quite yet

[Jonathan]

We're not quite ready, but we're not far off.

We started the summer looking for a quality centre half of Shackell/Ward calibre. I'm not sure if Thomas is that player but if we can agree a deal then it buys us a bit of time and adds depth and experience to a position that needs strengthening. Somebody like Caulker on loan would be ideal to add real quality to our defence.

I think it's widely accepted that we needed to bring in more than one striker during the close season (in the last year we have released Gareth Taylor, Jason Price, Lewis Guy and Paul Heffernan and brought in Billy Sharp). It's not an emergency situation in that we must get a striker in for Saturday, but before the end of the window I think it's crucial that we bring in some support and cover. Keogh raises the bar of expectation and would obviously be the number one choice for most of us, but either way we need to get somebody in within the next month.

If we can sort out the above, and complete a deal for McIndoe, I think we have every reason to be optimistic about the strength and variety of options available to us for the coming season. Already I feel we're going into the season in a considerably stronger position than we started the last one in, and that's great.

As regards Saturday, I think it's vital we get a defender in to play alongside Martis. Jimmy should start at right back and Friend at left back. Currently I think I'd go with Stock, Woods, Gillet, Coppinger, Hayter and Sharp to complete the line up, but any additions this week could alter that slightly.

I feel positive about the new campaign, especially once we've brought in just a few more players.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

I May be the only one here, but I think JOC has played that much at CB, that he's lost a bit of his prowess as a full back. I noticed the other night v WBA he started on the right and moved inside, with Hird taking the FB role.

SOD will know in his own mind what he wants and I guess like most of us on here, he's thinking about getting the back 4 or 5 right.

With Parkin being out, I'd be tempted to go for a back 5 and give Dumbuya a run out. We could either win 3-0 or lose 3-0.

Mark my words though, Josh Payne could have an influence on our season. He's a gifted footballer and when he gets his confidence, he could be a very strong performer and could score a few goals from midfield.

I'm going for a 2-2, which means, we'll be ahead at least once and conceed from at set piece or long throw.

1-0 Sharp
2-0 Shiels
2-1 penalty
2-2 Brown.

[Shawndrfc]

Sullivan
O Connor Martis Thomas Friend
             Stock
          Payne  Woods
  Coppinger           Shiels
             Sharp


I would go for payne instead of Gillett, but that is just a prefence because he is a bigger presence. I also agree that we are still 2-3 players off our squad, we need atleast 1 player in each position but the keeper position probably sorted nxt season.