2022/2023 Squad Planning

[joey_big_nose]

Time to start planning for next season. Obviously we will need a new manager (barring a very unexpected Mowbray turn around) but whoever come in will start with the same squad. And it is - without a shadow of doubt in my mind - the most significant squad turnover and rebuilding job I have ever seen at Rovers. Absolutely huge. 11 players leaving, over half of them critical to our team.

On the leaving list the only one we might be able to keep if we offered a contract is Davenport. I've been a bit generous with the ratings as well. I am sure a lot might not have Gallagher or Dolan as key players. But they've played a lot for us so put them in that category. 

So to tread water we need to sign 6 key players and 5 squad players equivalent to the quality we lose. Seems an impossibly huge ask to me no matter who the manager is.

What's everyones views? What are the areas to focus on?

Edited May 3, 2022 by joey_big_nose

[RoverKyle]

53 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

Time to start planning for next season. Obviously we will need a new manager (barring a very unexpected Mowbray turn around) but whoever come in will start with the same squad. And it is - without a shadow of doubt in my mind - the most significant squad turnover and rebuilding job I have ever seen at Rovers. Absolutely huge. 11 players leaving, over half of them critical to our team.

On the leaving list the only one we might be able to keep if we offered a contract is Davenport. I've been a bit generous with the ratings as well. I am sure a lot might not have Gallagher or Dolan as key players. But they've played a lot for us so put them in that category. 

So to tread water we need to sign 6 key players and 5 squad players equivalent to the quality we lose. Seems an impossibly huge ask to me no matter who the manager is.

What's everyones views? What are the areas to focus on?

Cracking post mate. I'd imagine we might need to look deeper in to our squad and youth teams to find some more players for the first team squad. Would be surprised if we had any sort of meaningful budget to work with.

Could see the following given plenty of time in pre season to stake a claim as part of the squad. Carter (Centre Back), Brown (Right Back), Garrett (Centre Midfield), Vale (Centre Forward). I'm sure I'll have missed some. 

[joey_big_nose]

Linked to the above - who can move up from the development squad to challenge for a squad place? 

From what I've seen probably just :

• James Brown - RB
• Jake Garrett - CDM
• Adam Wharton - CM
• Hayden Carter - CB

Anyone else? 

[RoverKyle]

Just now, joey_big_nose said:

Linked to the above - who can move up from the development squad to challenge for a squad place? 

From what I've seen probably just :

• James Brown - RB
• Jake Garrett - CDM
• Adam Wharton - CM
• Hayden Carter - CB

Anyone else? 

If he's as good as he's being made out to be, I'd like to see Ash Phillips given a look in during pre season. 

[DeeCee]

1 hour ago, RoverKyle said:

If he's as good as he's being made out to be, I'd like to see Ash Phillips given a look in during pre season. 

Was going to post that no one has mentioned Ash Phillips

[roversfan99]

Its very unlikely that a series of young players will all break through at once. Maybe Vale and Garrett for example are best off with loan spells in the 2 leagues below us, Brown the same. Carter we likely will need.

[MarkBRFC]

I imagine the likes of Brown, Carter, Garrett, Vale & Butterworth will be used to pad out the squad next season if there isn't much money knocking about. Carter could very well go straight into the side given his last loan spell.

I would say we need at least 1 right back, 2 centre halves with Ayala never being fit, 2 central midfielders and a striker.

 

 

[47er]

17 hours ago, joey_big_nose said:

without a shadow of doubt in my mind - the most significant squad turnover and rebuilding job I have ever seen at Rovers. Absolutely huge. 11 players leaving, over half of them critical to our team.

After the 5 year+ journey that's utterly disgraceful. I feel betrayed.

[LeftWinger]

You can probably put Brown in the squad instead of Pike (but the official site haven't bothered to list Brown as a player), but here is a visual representation of what we have before signings based on who we are expecting to go......

The new manager better hope he gets some money from a potential Brereton sale......

[riverholmes]

37 minutes ago, 47er said:

After the 5 year+ journey that's utterly disgraceful. I feel betrayed.

In March, this year, Mowbray spoke of his/the club's achievements in developing young players (I can't find the original link but the quotes can be found here) “I’ve managed six clubs and this one is the best at the growth of their footballers. This club has to, because of the financial situation. Damien’s only job is to develop, to work with individuals.

He went on to add: “The biggest area of growth in this football club in the five years is the individual development of our footballers, to try and make the young players first-team players and better and try and hit the targets they get set. The drills are created for each individual on the grass and they work on technique, whether that’s finishing, crossing. That’s what this club does, tries to develop its young players and I hope the evidence is there, that the young players are in and around the team. And underneath them, bubbling, there are lots more young players that will hopefully become Blackburn Rovers first team players.” (My italics)

If you recall, last season, we had Downing, Holtby, Bennett and Evans on the bench together, often, even though there was nothing to play for and they were all known to be leaving. (Holtby was later given, apparently, paid leave, so that he wouldn't get injured and scupper his next contract). I believe that this short-termism/favoritism, which has been followed through this season with reliance on the outgoing and, often, ineffective, Bradley Johnson, and, arguably, too much reliance on loanees to plug gaps, that has helped contribute to this situation of an end of a squad contract cycle without many contingencies in place for continuity. That's not to mention the allowing of key players to run down their deals.

It's all very well Garrett or Vale being on the bench on the last game of the season, as may happen on Saturday, but really, that sort of integration was needed much earlier, if these players are rated. If they're not rated and Bradley Johnson is preferred - even as a forward, as we infamously saw for one half of a match - and they're not sent on loan to a decent level where they might develop, then the club shouldn't be talking up its youth system and should focus on signing new players and retaining it's current ones. The club has seemingly done neither - not integrated the next set of youth players (though, admittedly a number got injured), not secured/traded some key senior players, leaving this situation. 

The biggest positive, for me, is the emergence of Scott Wharton (aside from the emergence of Brereton-Diaz). If he stays fit and gets a decent set of defenders around him, he could be a Rovers first team player for the next decade and probably a captain. Also Hayden Carter has been managed well and is doing well on loan and may could come back and be a key player - though, lack of pace at the back will continue to be a problem.

 

Edited May 4, 2022 by riverholmes

[Miller11]

I still think there could be some twists and turns in all this yet.

The Brereton situation could easily drag out into a saga. His stock isn’t as high as it was at the turn of the year, and he’s looking like more a 10-15 million player than a 25-30. Will the big bids come? The fact remains that he’d be bonkers to sign a new deal with us, so I can see him being sold at the last minute ala Armstrong… and we all saw what happened (or didn’t) with the Armstrong fee. But we also know how stubborn they can be at holding out for the fee they want.

I can just as easily see Venky’s decide to loosen the purse strings and have a bit of a spend. The cutbacks last summer and the Brockhall business should give a fair bit of FFP wiggle room, and we could be at the start of another 3 year cycle. If this does happen it will no doubt be after Lenihan, Nyambe and Rothwell have got fixed up elsewhere. I wouldn’t be surprised to see us paying a hefty fee and wages 4/5 times that of Nyambe for an inferior player in Zeefuik.

There are whispers about interest in Dolan and Phillips. Travis, Buckley and Wharton may be on other teams radars too. On the flip side there is apparently some hope of Lenihan signing a new deal… maybe a new boss with sufficient backing may be able to persuade him and Nyambe.

If we can get a good manager in quickly, there’s reason to be excited. If not it’s a terrifying prospect.

[LeftWinger]

I reckon we can get by with the keeper situation and just hope Kaminski stays fit.

Defensively we need the lot - right back, two centre halves and a left back to compete with Pickering.

Midfield - we need at least one central midfielder, possibly two.

Forwards - we need one wide forward and a centre forward.

So we need 7 or 8 coming in. Not sure what the rules on loans are - but we seemingly have five on loan at the moment, so you'd guess we'd go down that route. If we do have any money, I'd like to see it go on a striker and a centre half on permanent deals.

 

[LeftWinger]

2 minutes ago, Miller11 said:

On the flip side there is apparently some hope of Lenihan signing a new deal… maybe a new boss with sufficient backing may be able to persuade him and Nyambe.

That'd almost be like two new signings as I think the majority of people have resigned themselves to them both going.

[Miller11]

Just now, LeftWinger said:

That'd almost be like two new signings as I think the majority of people have resigned themselves to them both going.

Yeah, I’m clutching at straws. I can see us suddenly throwing about bigger contracts and paying fees after they have gone. It would be typical.

[AspRover]

Great post, well presented, I'd glass half full a couple of things though.

Markandy was extremely well rated at Spurs, to the point that some of their fans were saying that he should have been in and around the first team rather than being sold. Obviously he didn't actually play this season so from the point of view of the squad going into next season he is effectively a 'new signing' who on reputation should be a key player at this level - he'd more or less like for like Khadra in Joey's list, so possibly that is one fewer replacement needed.

He may turn out to be rubbish, but that's a risk with all new signings.

If we can keep even one of Lenihan or Nyambe it would be massive and if two or three of the u23s step up to fill the outgoing 'squad players' then I guess based on the original post we'd need to sign four key players and a couple of squad players? Still a pretty tall order, but not quite as bad as eleven all told. If relying on the u23s to fill the squad player positions then it becomes pretty important that the incoming key players are of a high standard. I mean it already is, but more so.

I'm assuming a lot and of course that's also assuming no-one else gets sold in the mean time (which would be pretty devastating in such a thin squad unless for serious serious money)

Edited May 4, 2022 by AspRover

[joey_big_nose]

4 hours ago, LeftWinger said:

That'd almost be like two new signings as I think the majority of people have resigned themselves to them both going.

I just can't see Lenihan staying. His had whole career at Rovers, others will rate him, will get more money elsewhere even if he stays in Championship. Someone will take a punt on him.

[chaddyrovers]

Rovers will need around 8 to 10 signings. If Nyambe and Lenihan sign new contract here, then we would have fill those positions. 

I would like more 1 centre back depending a couple of other factors, 3 centre midfielders, 1 or 2 strikers and 1 left winger

[yankfan]

On 04/05/2022 at 03:07, AspRover said:

Great post, well presented, I'd glass half full a couple of things though.

Markandy was extremely well rated at Spurs, to the point that some of their fans were saying that he should have been in and around the first team rather than being sold. Obviously he didn't actually play this season so from the point of view of the squad going into next season he is effectively a 'new signing' who on reputation should be a key player at this level - he'd more or less like for like Khadra in Joey's list, so possibly that is one fewer replacement needed.

He may turn out to be rubbish, but that's a risk with all new signings.

If we can keep even one of Lenihan or Nyambe it would be massive and if two or three of the u23s step up to fill the outgoing 'squad players' then I guess based on the original post we'd need to sign four key players and a couple of squad players? Still a pretty tall order, but not quite as bad as eleven all told. If relying on the u23s to fill the squad player positions then it becomes pretty important that the incoming key players are of a high standard. I mean it already is, but more so.

I'm assuming a lot and of course that's also assuming no-one else gets sold in the mean time (which would be pretty devastating in such a thin squad unless for serious serious money)

I have to imagine that part of the purse closing was due to the poor return in investments up until the last days of the summer window. TM had dishes out million of pounds on 2 center forwards, who appeared to be poor investments. Dack and Ayala were on massive wages in the treatment room. Downing, Elliot and others were also paid well, with little team success. With one year left on his deal, it seems the decision was made TM had enough support for the end product. I hope the new manager gets the same or bigger budget that TM had the last 3 years. 

Edited May 11, 2022 by yankfan