Squad for 2025-2026

[Hound]

What’s first choice now I wonder - maybe

JP
Abrefa Burns O Connor Jacob
Wing Savage
Doyle
Lane O Mahony Kelvin

Stevens, Elliott, Stickland, Kyerewaa, Fraser, new CF?, Ritchie?

In reserve: Ryan, Camara, Dorsett, Rushesha, Osho, Ahmed, Yiadom, Borgnis, Sackey, Tuma…

It’s pretty strong. Just don’t play too high a line

Pretty good, but in your head, how much did you get for Garcia?

Knew I’d forgot at least one

[Snowflake Royal]

What’s first choice now I wonder - maybe

JP
Abrefa Burns O Connor Jacob
Wing Savage
Doyle
Lane O Mahony Kelvin

Stevens, Elliott, Stickland, Kyerewaa, Fraser, new CF?, Ritchie?

In reserve: Ryan, Camara, Dorsett, Rushesha, Osho, Ahmed, Yiadom, Borgnis, Sackey, Tuma…

It’s pretty strong. Just don’t play too high a line

Pretty good, but in your head, how much did you get for Garcia?

Knew I’d forgot at least one

But it's your favourite one!

[Hound]

Pretty good, but in your head, how much did you get for Garcia?

Knew I’d forgot at least one

But it's your favourite one!

I know. He’ll never forgive me

[Snowflake Royal]

Knew I’d forgot at least one

But it's your favourite one!

I know. He’ll never forgive me

It's a bit hard to see how he even makes the matchday squad at this point.

[Hound]

But it's your favourite one!

I know. He’ll never forgive me

It's a bit hard to see how he even makes the matchday squad at this point.

Yep. I know the Twitter crew love the dopamine hit of a new signing but realistically even now it’s going to be difficult to keep everyone happy. I don’t want the likes of Ahmed, Osho, Dorsett, Abrefa and Stickland frozen out tbh but I guess they’ll just have to work hard and impress in the cup games

[Vision]

I know. He’ll never forgive me

It's a bit hard to see how he even makes the matchday squad at this point.

Yep. I know the Twitter crew love the dopamine hit of a new signing but realistically even now it’s going to be difficult to keep everyone happy. I don’t want the likes of Ahmed, Osho, Dorsett, Abrefa and Stickland frozen out tbh but I guess they’ll just have to work hard and impress in the cup games

Yeah, I’m always concerned when managers/DOF’s etc talk about getting bodies in. JJ talking about 4 or 5 bodies coming in for example.

We have bodies, we just needed a couple of targeted positions with 1st team ready players. Doyle certainly fits that bill (would have preferred it to not be a loanee youngster but that’s a separate discussion).

I’m interested to see the make up of the remaining 3 or 4 “bodies” and how it affects the pathway for our Academy players.

[Brogue]

It's a bit hard to see how he even makes the matchday squad at this point.

Yep. I know the Twitter crew love the dopamine hit of a new signing but realistically even now it’s going to be difficult to keep everyone happy. I don’t want the likes of Ahmed, Osho, Dorsett, Abrefa and Stickland frozen out tbh but I guess they’ll just have to work hard and impress in the cup games

Yeah, I’m always concerned when managers/DOF’s etc talk about getting bodies in. JJ talking about 4 or 5 bodies coming in for example.

We have bodies, we just needed a couple of targeted positions with 1st team ready players. Doyle certainly fits that bill (would have preferred it to not be a loanee youngster but that’s a separate discussion).

I’m interested to see the make up of the remaining 3 or 4 “bodies” and how it affects the pathway for our Academy players.

Perhaps we go back to being a normal
Club and send our youngsters out on loan. Learn their mistakes for another team. A season in league two for all of them (maybe not Dorsett) would do them the world of good.

[Snowflake Royal]

It's a bit hard to see how he even makes the matchday squad at this point.

Yep. I know the Twitter crew love the dopamine hit of a new signing but realistically even now it’s going to be difficult to keep everyone happy. I don’t want the likes of Ahmed, Osho, Dorsett, Abrefa and Stickland frozen out tbh but I guess they’ll just have to work hard and impress in the cup games

Yeah, I’m always concerned when managers/DOF’s etc talk about getting bodies in. JJ talking about 4 or 5 bodies coming in for example.

We have bodies, we just needed a couple of targeted positions with 1st team ready players. Doyle certainly fits that bill (would have preferred it to not be a loanee youngster but that’s a separate discussion).

I’m interested to see the make up of the remaining 3 or 4 “bodies” and how it affects the pathway for our Academy players.

Agree. Definitely need a striker. Two wouldn't hurt, as we don’t have any in the pipeline nearing readiness.

Beyond that, maybe a reserve CB...

On the cusp are:
GK: Norcott
RB: Ahmed
LB: Ryan
CB: Stickland
DM: Spencer
CM: Sackey, Borgnis
AM: Osho, Okine-Peters, Garcia, Camara, Tuma

Pretty much any new signing at this point bar striker blocks a pathway not just to the first XI, but to cup games and the bench for at least one of them. Except maybe Stickers.

I would say Yiadom, Stevens and Kyerewaa could already be questionable value for money signings blocking othersdepending on how the season plays out.

[linkenholtroyal]

Yep. I know the Twitter crew love the dopamine hit of a new signing but realistically even now it’s going to be difficult to keep everyone happy. I don’t want the likes of Ahmed, Osho, Dorsett, Abrefa and Stickland frozen out tbh but I guess they’ll just have to work hard and impress in the cup games

Yeah, I’m always concerned when managers/DOF’s etc talk about getting bodies in. JJ talking about 4 or 5 bodies coming in for example.

We have bodies, we just needed a couple of targeted positions with 1st team ready players. Doyle certainly fits that bill (would have preferred it to not be a loanee youngster but that’s a separate discussion).

I’m interested to see the make up of the remaining 3 or 4 “bodies” and how it affects the pathway for our Academy players.

Agree. Definitely need a striker. Two wouldn't hurt, as we don’t have any in the pipeline nearing readiness.

Beyond that, maybe a reserve CB...

On the cusp are:
GK: Norcott
RB: Ahmed
LB: Ryan
CB: Stickland
DM: Spencer
CM: Sackey, Borgnis
AM: Osho, Okine-Peters, Garcia, Camara, Tuma

Pretty much any new signing at this point bar striker blocks a pathway not just to the first XI, but to cup games and the bench for at least one of them. Except maybe Stickers.

I would say Yiadom, Stevens and Kyerewaa could already be questionable value for money signings blocking othersdepending on how the season plays out.

Agree with this youth are what we have built the club on in the past and been successful. A centre forward is essential but anyone likely to score 15 in a season in our price range has been snapped up. I would love us to go for Sam Nombe but would likely blow our budget.
An experienced centre back is the other one needed aswell. A steady hand like Morrison, Gorks, Keown. Not necessarily first choice but can put competition in and close a game out. I am still not convinced by Burn. So a plan b would be good. Ben Mee maybe?

[Esteban]

Yep. I know the Twitter crew love the dopamine hit of a new signing but realistically even now it’s going to be difficult to keep everyone happy. I don’t want the likes of Ahmed, Osho, Dorsett, Abrefa and Stickland frozen out tbh but I guess they’ll just have to work hard and impress in the cup games

Yeah, I’m always concerned when managers/DOF’s etc talk about getting bodies in. JJ talking about 4 or 5 bodies coming in for example.

We have bodies, we just needed a couple of targeted positions with 1st team ready players. Doyle certainly fits that bill (would have preferred it to not be a loanee youngster but that’s a separate discussion).

I’m interested to see the make up of the remaining 3 or 4 “bodies” and how it affects the pathway for our Academy players.

Agree. Definitely need a striker. Two wouldn't hurt, as we don’t have any in the pipeline nearing readiness.

Beyond that, maybe a reserve CB...

On the cusp are:
GK: Norcott
RB: Ahmed
LB: Ryan
CB: Stickland
DM: Spencer
CM: Sackey, Borgnis
AM: Osho, Okine-Peters, Garcia, Camara, Tuma

Pretty much any new signing at this point bar striker blocks a pathway not just to the first XI, but to cup games and the bench for at least one of them. Except maybe Stickers.

I would say Yiadom, Stevens and Kyerewaa could already be questionable value for money signings blocking othersdepending on how the season plays out.

Agreed. As it stands, I'd say at least 3 of the CMs and AMs in your list should go out on loan this season.

[Hound]

Maybe it’s in their plans to do just that and loan a few out. Still plenty of time to do so

Ahmed’s probably best hanging round here at his age but could benefit Osho, Okine Peters, Tuma (when fit), Sackey etc

[Snowflake Royal]

Maybe it’s in their plans to do just that and loan a few out. Still plenty of time to do so

Ahmed’s probably best hanging round here at his age but could benefit Osho, Okine Peters, Tuma (when fit), Sackey etc

Sackey seems the obvious one. Seems a fairly solid midfielder, and big enough to compete lower down.

I'd worry the littler, more creative types wouldn't do well down the divisions. Maybe Osho.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Let's wait and see what TDD brings. I'm sure a few of them will be out to the NL or L2 by the end of it.

[Clyde1998]

There's a few you'd want to get out on loan to play regular first team football IMO - Ahmed; Sackey; Spencer and Tuma all spring to mind as those you'd want playing first team football this season.

For the record, the outfield qualifying players for the EFL Trophy (notwithstanding anyone who started in the previous or next first team match, nor those in the top ten starts for us this season) are currently:

1. Started 40+ senior matches (11): Yiadom (489); O'Connor (328); Wing (266); Lane (113); Fraser (108); Dorsett (103); Savage (87); Ehibhatiomhan (62); Burns (46)
2. On loan from a Premier League or EFL Cat 1 academy (2): Doyle; O'Mahony
3. Top ten most starts (all comps) this season (0): N/A
4. Started the previous match (0): N/A

Overall (13): Burns; Dorsett; Doyle; Ehibhatiomhan; Fraser; Lane; O’Connor; O’Mahony; Savage; Wing; Yiadom

As a reminder, we need to play four of the qualifying players.

Elliott and Jacob are two matches away from the forty match starts; Kyerewaa four; Camara five and Garcia six. We play five matches before Swindon.

If we played tomorrow, you'd add Abrefa; Stickland; Elliott and Camara to the above list as they started against Lincoln.

I imagine players like Yiadom and Fraser would be starting against Swindon at this stage. Can see at least one of Camara and Doyle starting too - depending on the signings made.

[URZZZZ]

Well I hope you’re wrong and kelvin is not in the first team as he’s done absolutely nothing to warrant having a first team place imo. But as you say we shall see. And football is about differing opinions. it’s nice that Noel has options to choose from.

Same is true of Elliott though surely? Lots of potential but can’t remember him winning is a game etc

Absolutely.

Kelvin has 12 goals and 3 assists in 52(25).
Elliott has 2 goals and 5 assists in 29 (29)

Kelvin's record is fine, though he needs to step it up a bit.

Think the key difference is Elliott started slowly here and gradually improved as time went on (before his injury) whereas Kelvin started with promise and if anything has regressed

He shows glimpses and has excellent footwork for someone of his size but he flatters to deceive too often and his G/A record beyond the first couple of games last season has been lacking

[Snowflake Royal]

Same is true of Elliott though surely? Lots of potential but can’t remember him winning is a game etc

Absolutely.

Kelvin has 12 goals and 3 assists in 52(25).
Elliott has 2 goals and 5 assists in 29 (29)

Kelvin's record is fine, though he needs to step it up a bit.

Think the key difference is Elliott started slowly here and gradually improved as time went on (before his injury) whereas Kelvin started with promise and if anything has regressed

He shows glimpses and has excellent footwork for someone of his size but he flatters to deceive too often and his G/A record beyond the first couple of games last season has been lacking

That's incredibly one eyed given Lincoln was Elliott's first game since December 24. It was only Elliott's third competitive game under Hunt ffs.

Elliott is certainly one who could be described as flattering to deceive as well. He last scored in September 24.

[MartinRdg]

Absolutely.

Kelvin has 12 goals and 3 assists in 52(25).
Elliott has 2 goals and 5 assists in 29 (29)

Kelvin's record is fine, though he needs to step it up a bit.

Think the key difference is Elliott started slowly here and gradually improved as time went on (before his injury) whereas Kelvin started with promise and if anything has regressed

He shows glimpses and has excellent footwork for someone of his size but he flatters to deceive too often and his G/A record beyond the first couple of games last season has been lacking

That's incredibly one eyed given Lincoln was Elliott's first game since December 24. It was only Elliott's third competitive game under Hunt ffs.

Elliott is certainly one who could be described as flattering to deceive as well. He last scored in September 24.

I think it's fair to say that both of them have got a lot to prove this season - could be a turning point for their careers.

[Snowflake Royal]

Think the key difference is Elliott started slowly here and gradually improved as time went on (before his injury) whereas Kelvin started with promise and if anything has regressed

He shows glimpses and has excellent footwork for someone of his size but he flatters to deceive too often and his G/A record beyond the first couple of games last season has been lacking

That's incredibly one eyed given Lincoln was Elliott's first game since December 24. It was only Elliott's third competitive game under Hunt ffs.

Elliott is certainly one who could be described as flattering to deceive as well. He last scored in September 24.

I think it's fair to say that both of them have got a lot to prove this season - could be a turning point for their careers.

Absolutely