Next Season - starting 11

[maidstone_hoop]

As far as I'm concerned we aren't going down and the focus from our management presently is giving all the players a chance over the next few games to find the best 11 for next season.

Loads of positives over the last few weeks and I love the desire the team play with now but I want to know where does Ollie have to be ruthless in the summer when it comes to recruitment if we have desires to get into the top 6.

We've bled young furlong in but is he up to scratch?Ned has improved the second half of the season imo but is it time to move on? Could we get a better option at lb/we than bidwell?

Do we stick to 3 4 3 or go 4 4 2! I think with Smith there's an argument to go 4 4 2.

Anyway my team would be this -

Smithies

Hall lynch new cb

Wsolev manning Morrison Freeman new wb

Smith New striker


I would like to see us spend money on a quality cb and striker. Might seem harsh on Washington as I like him but this is when being ruthless comes into play for me. I would go all out for someone like abrahams from the scum or assambolnga at Forrest.

I'd like us to sign an old school leader type of cb and also potentially look at a new wb to compete with bidwell.

Not to much tweaking but I do think 3 new quality signings in the summer could be the difference needed to turn us from a top 10 team to top 6 team.

How would your first 11 appear next year and who would you cut from the first 11 or is the squad assembles under Illie good enough to challenge for the top 6?

Also is anyone worried we could lose the likes of smithies, Wsolev, hall or manning in the summer?

[Ginger Ninja]

Agree with most of that. Maybe a couple more in certain positions as extra cover. I'm not convinced Morrison has it in him to get his head down and put in the effort Ollie requires so I'd add a CM to that. I hope he proves me wrong as he's a very talented player.

[Brian Wilson]

Smithies
Ned
Hall
Bidwell
Freeman
Luongo
Wszolek
Washington
Smith

are all good enough to start in a playoff challenging team IMO

Goss - Not sure yet
Lynch - Squad Player
Yeni - Squad Player
Sylla - Like him but sell and get someone Ollie really wants with money
Manning - Squad Player
Furlong - Squad Player
Perch - Move on if any offers
Robinson - Depends on injuries
LuaLua - worth a permanent move on short term deal with injury record
Mackie - Squad Player
Cousins - Lets see what he can do under Ollie
Henry - Thanks & Good Luck
Doughty - Sell
Caulker - Sell
Morrison - Needs to show what he can do between now and end of season
JET - Build a statue of him outside ground

[Hove Ranger]

Wouldn't drop Luongo. Think players like assombalonga or abrahams will be way out of our price range and wage expectations

[Hove Ranger]

Penrice is coming in as Head of scouting (or whatever he will be called) and Olly rates him as a top scout. Said he gave Freeman to him

[maidstone_hoop]

Wouldn't drop Luongo. Think players like assombalonga or abrahams will be way out of our price range and wage expectations

Would Ben start over manning for you or would you have a middle 3 of Luongo, manning and Freeman?

[amusant]

The important bit for next season will be to minimise the turnover...not the rotating doors experienced every season since Tony took over. Strengthen at the back and try to find another good striker (easier said than done) and leave it at that

[corbray]

it's hard but personally i'd go for a 433 based on current squad

smithes
robinson hall ned furlong
manning luongo freeman
washington smith ngbakoto/wzsolek

robinson if fit otherwise bidwell obviously. i'm not fully sold on us playing 5 at the back/hall in an anchor man role as i think it limits us defensively too much at times and takes away that attacking edge we're lacking atm. lynch has been a rock this season but long balls it too much whereas ned has been on a decent run lately so i'd pick him over lynch barely. hall i'm a big fan of when he's played in the right position, last season proved how good he can be. i think furlong has a lot of potential even if he's been a bit lost in some games, i defo expect him to improve with more games, he just needs time.
midfield is self explanatory, luongo as luongo with freeman being that creative spark in further up the pitch. manning is class and is an all round midfielder who can cover luongo or freeman at any moment.
washington can find his goals again but he needs people to feed the balls more to him, 3 up front would massively increase his goals imo, smith as the hold up man with ngbakoto and washington to play off of. ngbakoto has a wicked foot on him and gives the oppositions defence more to worry about. it's a great combination with the 3 of them as an inside forward, target man and poacher style of play.

i do think we could do with another cb though and that should be our top priority in the summer.

[Martinmalta]

We do need a solid center back. Ned is good, however he loose possession on too much occasions and can cost us crucial goals. Although Lynch is always hoofing the ball up, however I prefer him to Ned as he do not take dangerous chances on board! He should be taught when he will have to hoof the ball, not always that is. Fullbacks are not our most precious assets we have, so we need to strengthen there. And a prolific striker is a must. I hope CW comes good as he had so much potential. But if not, we will have problems scoring goals.

[James1979]

If we seriously want to progress to playoff material we need a player with a bit if X factor and s goal scorer. We also can't have Hall playing midfield!!

Smithies
Perch, Ned, lynch, Robinson
Freeman, Big physical chap who can run, Goss/luongo
Pawel, smith, Adel

[Hove Ranger]

Would Ben start over manning for you or would you have a middle 3 of Luongo, manning and Freeman?

Ben? I think you meant Luongo and yes Luongo starts over Manning for me if it is a 2 in the middle

[topperharley]

Ned and Bidwell aren't starters i a promotion push for me, good squad cover though and rotation in tough fixture stretches.

Robinson could be though, he just needs to stay fit enough to prove it. We need an excellent CB.

Our midfield is good, sign Lua Lua. I'd like a strong squad player to get in CM role and close down games, help out if we are grinding (not the app).

We need Ravel to come good, or we need to use Freeman in that role, something he looks capable of doing.

I agree with earlier post that Sylla, though good, is not who Ollie wants. We should sell or keep as a squad player, and spend most available funds on a striker.

-------------Smithies OBE-----------
Furlong-----CB------Hall------Robinson
Pavel----Goss/Manning---Loungo---Lua
----------Smith------Wash/Striker------

Think we should play other formations than 442 but it's a good default.

[lymehoop]

I think we need 3 quality acquisitions to put our hat in the ring for next seasons promotion chase. A cb in the Clint Hill mould, a holding midfielder in the Shaun Derry mould and a 20+ striker in the Charlie Austin range. I don't think a club our size can keep 2 quality keepers, so we could finance the transfers with the sale of Smithies. Ingram is more than capable to replace him

[topperharley]

I think we need 3 quality acquisitions to put our hat in the ring for next seasons promotion chase. A cb in the Clint Hill mould, a holding midfielder in the Shaun Derry mould and a 20+ striker in the Charlie Austin range. I don't think a club our size can keep 2 quality keepers, so we could finance the transfers with the sale of Smithies. Ingram is more than capable to replace him

No, in the games he's played, he parried to opposition and cost us. His spacial awareness was poor. He might need time in the line up to prove himself maybe?

Smithies is the type of goalie that can win us promotion, he's our Adel 2010.

Sure he's had a couple of average games since the international break, but i credit him as the only one of the starting 11 to have saved us from relegation this year, during the Jimmy time and Ollie's lost weeks when he started.

Smithies stays. If he's sold figure has to be north of 10 million, which it wouldn't be.

[Hubble]

A few players not mentioned in this thread yet:

Shodipo - I thought he looked fantastic earlier this season, but Olly has farmed him out. I saw a real player there, a menace on the left wing who could beat players and put in a good cross. Perhaps after his loan experience he will come back stronger.

Niko Hamalainen - Again, I thought he looked the real deal with pace and a cross on him. Don't know what's happened to him but he could slot in at left back.

Eberechi Eze - Also again, I thought he looked fantastic when I saw him play, pace, skill, amazing potential. Olly himself said "he has unbelievable ability" and that he can play a prominent role in the first team squad in the future.

With those three coming through, these are exciting times for Rangers. Add them to our other talented youngsters like Manning and Furlong, and then the slightly older (but still young!) players like Luongo and Freeman, Pawel, Washington, Cousins, Yeni and Sylla - and you can see a fantastic squad coming together that can challenge and grow and only get better for years to come.

I agree a class striker would be the icing on the cake, along with a new CB and possibly as has been said an experienced midfield 'enforcer'.

With Smithies, Ingram and Lumley as keepers and experienced players like Lynch, Bidwell and Onuoha and Smith to add into the mix things are looking good IMO.