How good is our team really?

[WestYorksRoyal]

After yesterday's disappointment, I thought I'd try to contextualise what an overachievement our season has been. I'd say only GK, CB and CM are at the quality you'd want for a promotion push, and some positions are relegation battling / L2 standard:

GK - Pereira genuinely a top 6 keeper. But if he gets injured, it's L2/ NL quality.

FBs - Mixed due to fitness. Yiadom is solid though at the end of his career and coming back from a major injury. Craig has filled in well. Abrefa and Dorsett decent but fitness holds them back from really developing. Garcia a big talent but not ready to play every week. I'd say it's a solid L1 group, but not a promotion winning bunch.

CBs - 1st choice pairing exceptional at this level. Dean and Stickland decent backup. Can't argue really (let's not worry about next season now).

CM - Wing, Knibbs, Savage, Elliott, Craig. Good enough to compete at the top of the league.

Wings - Now we get to the serious weaknesses. Would our wingers even play for the likes of Burton and Shrewsbury? Ehibhatiomhan has moments but is not consistent enough, Campbell the same and hasn't looked good enough since November.

Strikers - See above. Wareham is performing admirably but does not bring goals and is realistically a lower L1 player at most. Ehibhatiomhan is not suited to play in the middle.

Given the weaknesses in attacking positions in particular, is it any surprise we sometimes look toothless? It goes back to the fact there is nothing more we could get out of this group than we currently are.

[stealthpapes]

CM - Wing, Knibbs, Savage, Elliott, Craig. Good enough to compete at the top of the league.

Agree, but we've had to play the first three for a huge chunk of the season with only Carroll to replace. So, this is not a criticism, but it has meant two things - teams can play to nullify our strengths, and our players are playing huge numbers of minutes.

Strikers - See above. Wareham is performing admirably but does not bring goals and is realistically a lower L1 player at most. Ehibhatiomhan is not suited to play in the middle.

Yup, we have nothing here. Thought Bodin was going to slot in for Smith, like for like, but that hasn't happened. Wareham is two different players, never quite as effective coming on. If plan A doesn't work, then we have literally zero options.

Wings - Now we get to the serious weaknesses. Would our wingers even play for the likes of Burton and Shrewsbury? Ehibhatiomhan has moments but is not consistent enough, Campbell the same and hasn't looked good enough since November.

While I wouldn't say Elliott or Knibbs are wingers per se, having to play them in midfield means that we're in the same place here. We have Camara, Kelv, Campbell, maybe Akande and just no cover or squad depth (again, not a criticism, just trying to put it all into context).

When we had that one extra squad spot open up in January, I would have gone for a winger or a wing back, mostly because we're properly putting square pegs in round holes due to weaknesses there.

[From Despair To Where?]

We're as weak out wide as we are strong through the middle and, although Knibbs has stepped up, we've got nothing up front. Our attacking fortunes are far too reliant on Knibbs, Savage and Wing. Stop them and we offer nothing.

Can't really fault the individuals, we just don't have balance in the squad.

[WestYorksRoyal]

If a takeover happens, we need to keep the likes of Mbengue and Pereira and have a good window to compare with summer 2023 to have a squad that *should* be top 6.

We could overachieve again, but let's not get carried away in terms of just expecting it.

[Sutekh]

Not really good enough due to the circumstances but utterly useless by July when there’s only a handful of players left. Desperately need a striker from somewhere and some wingers with experience. Central midfield and the keeper are good enough but once Bindon goes back there’ll be heaps of questions to be asked of the defender that are left.

If there is still a Reading left by June the priorities are to sign a striker or two plus some actual full backs who don’t look like rabbits in headlights every time someone runs at them. Very busy summer for Brian Carey to deliver, hoping he’s got a wish list already worked out with RC just in case the club still exists.

[Mr Angry]

The squad and the team have been working miracles all season, as has the management under both Selles and now under Noel; whatever happens between now and the end of the season, they have been magnificent and done us proud.

Due to the circumstances we have found ourselves in, we have had to play Academy lads who in normal circumstances, would have got a few cup games and the odd subs appearance; we have no depth in our squad which was further weakened (all due respect to Bodin) when Smith got sold in January. We have had to play players far too much because without the depth, we have no-one who can come in and perform as well.

The reality is that we have a number of decent League 1/Championship players, 1 genuine superstar in Bindon, (whose partnerhsip with Mbengue in central defence is the best since Sonko and Ingimarsson in the 106 team) and a lot of good hard working lads who have shown their mettle during this toughest of seasons. Realistically, we should be nowhere near the Play Offs and the fact that we are is as much about their character and spirit, and the team ethic they have as much as it is about "how good" they are.

[Royal Ginger]

I think Smith could have been the difference. If we'd not sold him the extra 2-3 goals we probably would have had could be the difference between sneaking in and not. Of course, we may well have lost points without the cash from his return so it's swings and roundabouts.

[blythspartan]

The football has often been dire this season and was better to watch under Selles, but Hunty has made us more solid. For me, it’s about the connection with Hunty and this team and our precarious situation, which makes me look past the football.

I think we had a decent spine when we had Smith and we definitely have a good base, but we need to extend some contracts and add 6 to 7 players in the summer. We lack pace so Jones and Poku from Posh would be handy.

It’s a miracle we are 7th, given we have no senior striker and one senior fullback. Anyway, I love this team and supporting them is the most fun it’s been for years.