As the topic says, I know that we stumbled onto the new formation by accident due to injuries but we quickly grew into it. Question now is as we look forward to the 20/21 season do we consciously build our recruitment plans around getting the most out of this formation?
Goalkeeper
I would love to get Woodman back next season but if we don't then with all the rave reviews that Benda got at Swindon last season then I wouldn't be overly upset about it. Mulder has proven to me that he isn't up to standard as a first choice by any stretch.
Defence
We are left right now with Rodon (injured, unlikely to find buyers for what we would demand who will take a punt with how much he spent last season on the treatment table), Cabango and Guehi. Wilmot has gone back to Watford and Van der Hoorn's contract is up.
In my eyes if we want to play this formation full time we need at least one more first team ready specialist centre half, I know that Noughton's contract is also up and he can play there, but a centre back he is not. Further cover can can from the under 21s but we would need a minimum of four first team ready centre halves.
Roberts and Bidwell are well suited to the wing back roles, I think Roberts could do with a bit more coaching in taking a man on and combining with the forward players/midfielders to get behind the opposition but both him and Bidwell can put in excellent crosses. Noughton can provide solid back up in the right back slot but we do need another left back I feel to provide cover and competition to Bidwell.
Midfield
This I feel is our biggest source of problems at the moment, we have plenty of midfield players who are full of graft (Fulton, Grimes, Byers) but very few options that are full of guile and creativity. Celina must have banged Cooper's missus or something because he cannot get a look in no matter what and Gallagher has now gone back to Chelsea.
None of Fulton, Grimes or Byers are specialist defensive midfielders and the lack of a proper player in this position was painfully obvious in the second leg against Brentford where they cut right through our midfield with through balls and long throws time and time again.
This formation also throws up problems for possibly our best winger in Garrick, his ability to take on a man and create combined with his pace is excellent, but the 5-3-2 doesn't lend itself well to traditional wingers. He either needs to work significantly on the defensive side of his game or adapt to play alongside the striker up top to offer pace, I feel that he could learn a ton from Routledge in this respect.
Strikers
With Ayew almost certainly being sold this summer (we just cannot afford him) and I would say no more than 30 or 40% chance of getting Brewster back on loan from Liverpool we are painfully threadbare in attack as well this season. I have hopes for Cullen but he will need time to grow into first team football like McBurnie did before his main breakthrough season in the championship during the 18/19 season.
In my opinion we desperately need to recruit either a target man similar to what Bony used to give us in his heyday that the rest of the forward thinking players can play around or we need a "complete" striker in the Mitrovich/Watkins mould. I have to admit to being thoroughly impressed with Ollie Watkins in both legs, if Brentford don't go up they will almost certainly lose him.
Thoughts
New contracts for Naughton and Van der Hoorn would settle our defence quite nicely. For midfield we desperately need one if not two creative midfield players to help give service up top as well as contribute 5-10 goals a season. For attack we obviously need to replace Brewster and Ayew, if we can recontract Routledge as well then I think we would have the makings of a decent squad.
Goalkeeper
I would love to get Woodman back next season but if we don't then with all the rave reviews that Benda got at Swindon last season then I wouldn't be overly upset about it. Mulder has proven to me that he isn't up to standard as a first choice by any stretch.
Defence
We are left right now with Rodon (injured, unlikely to find buyers for what we would demand who will take a punt with how much he spent last season on the treatment table), Cabango and Guehi. Wilmot has gone back to Watford and Van der Hoorn's contract is up.
In my eyes if we want to play this formation full time we need at least one more first team ready specialist centre half, I know that Noughton's contract is also up and he can play there, but a centre back he is not. Further cover can can from the under 21s but we would need a minimum of four first team ready centre halves.
Roberts and Bidwell are well suited to the wing back roles, I think Roberts could do with a bit more coaching in taking a man on and combining with the forward players/midfielders to get behind the opposition but both him and Bidwell can put in excellent crosses. Noughton can provide solid back up in the right back slot but we do need another left back I feel to provide cover and competition to Bidwell.
Midfield
This I feel is our biggest source of problems at the moment, we have plenty of midfield players who are full of graft (Fulton, Grimes, Byers) but very few options that are full of guile and creativity. Celina must have banged Cooper's missus or something because he cannot get a look in no matter what and Gallagher has now gone back to Chelsea.
None of Fulton, Grimes or Byers are specialist defensive midfielders and the lack of a proper player in this position was painfully obvious in the second leg against Brentford where they cut right through our midfield with through balls and long throws time and time again.
This formation also throws up problems for possibly our best winger in Garrick, his ability to take on a man and create combined with his pace is excellent, but the 5-3-2 doesn't lend itself well to traditional wingers. He either needs to work significantly on the defensive side of his game or adapt to play alongside the striker up top to offer pace, I feel that he could learn a ton from Routledge in this respect.
Strikers
With Ayew almost certainly being sold this summer (we just cannot afford him) and I would say no more than 30 or 40% chance of getting Brewster back on loan from Liverpool we are painfully threadbare in attack as well this season. I have hopes for Cullen but he will need time to grow into first team football like McBurnie did before his main breakthrough season in the championship during the 18/19 season.
In my opinion we desperately need to recruit either a target man similar to what Bony used to give us in his heyday that the rest of the forward thinking players can play around or we need a "complete" striker in the Mitrovich/Watkins mould. I have to admit to being thoroughly impressed with Ollie Watkins in both legs, if Brentford don't go up they will almost certainly lose him.
Thoughts
New contracts for Naughton and Van der Hoorn would settle our defence quite nicely. For midfield we desperately need one if not two creative midfield players to help give service up top as well as contribute 5-10 goals a season. For attack we obviously need to replace Brewster and Ayew, if we can recontract Routledge as well then I think we would have the makings of a decent squad.
