6 wide players ?!?!

[tickler28]

With Marcal and Mcateer scoring lately and playing well and also having Mavididi and Albrighton why did we feel the need to sign 2 more wide players? Surely 6 wide players is a bit excessive especially when as far as I can tell we only really have about 3 full backs left in the squad....just seems a bit strange and not well thought out....anyone else thought the same?

Edited 3 September 2023 by tickler28

[HybridFox]

"How many wide players do you want Enzo?"

 

[fuchsntf]

18 minutes ago, tickler28 said:

With Marcal and Mcateer scoring lately and playing well and also having Mavididi and Albrighton why did we feel the need to sign 2 more wide players? Surely 6 wide players is a bit excessive especially when as far as I can tell we only really have about 3 full backs left in the squad....just seems a bit strange and not well thought out....anyone else thought the same?

We got them to balance out  how top heavy we are with Goalkeepers..

[Lillehamring]

26 minutes ago, tickler28 said:

With Marcal and Mcateer scoring lately and playing well and also having Mavididi and Albrighton why did we feel the need to sign 2 more wide players? Surely 6 wide players is a bit excessive especially when as far as I can tell we only really have about 3 full backs left in the squad....just seems a bit strange and not well thought out....anyone else thought the same?

Assuming this is a serious question....

 

My understanding is that Maresca feels that this position is key to our attack, and compensates for not using FBs.

 

Also 3 of them are 21 or under, and apart from albrighton, none of the others have much experience of playing senior football at this level.

[dbtcity]

35 minutes ago, tickler28 said:

With Marcal and Mcateer scoring lately and playing well and also having Mavididi and Albrighton why did we feel the need to sign 2 more wide players? Surely 6 wide players is a bit excessive especially when as far as I can tell we only really have about 3 full backs left in the squad....just seems a bit strange and not well thought out....anyone else thought the same?

3 are kids and 1 was deemed not good enough for a pretty average WBA side whilst on loan there…. I’d say 3 attack minded winger… 2 youngsters as cover (McAteer can cover pretty much everywhere) and an experienced pro coming towards the end of his time here is a pretty good well though out balance especially when it looks like our wide players are going to be so crucial to the way we play…

 

Then the full back debate has been talked about to death in most transfer threads, we don’t run out and out full backs 1 is a cb the other has to be able to slot in at cdm

Edited 3 September 2023 by dbtcity

[Jethrolcfc]

Really not convinced with some of the decisions made during the transfer window. Understand that we didn’t get all the players out we wanted. Yet we signed a number of players on long contracts, in positions we already have good cover.

[The Doctor]

2 minutes ago, Jethrolcfc said:

Really not convinced with some of the decisions made during the transfer window. Understand that we didn’t get all the players out we wanted. Yet we signed a number of players on long contracts, in positions we already have good cover.

Such as? We signed Coady, having lost Evans, Soyuncu and Amartey. Winks having lost Tielemans and Mendy, Hermansen having had maybe 1 keeper who can save a shot but doesn't have the distribution for this system. Cannon, with Daka and Iheanacho off to Afcon and Vardy aging. Mavididi, Fatawu and Yunus having lost Barnes and Tete in a position we were light on last season 

[Gazza M]

Sharkey Albrighton is done in all reality. Can see him moving out in Jan before his contract expires. Marcal and Casey will get plenty of game time but need options in a 46 game season. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 4 September 2023 by Gazza M

[LCFCJohn]

6 hours ago, Lillehamring said:

Assuming this is a serious question....

 

My understanding is that Maresca feels that this position is key to our attack, and compensates for not using FBs.

 

Also 3 of them are 21 or under, and apart from albrighton, none of the others have much experience of playing senior football at this level.

Sorry but the first bit of this reply is just so condescending and really not necessary. It’s a football forum and people will raise discussion points and this one is a legitimate point in the sense of the balance of the squad.

 

You are of course correct re the full back situation (even if personally it is not for me) and yes also about the breakdown of the 6 wingers.

 

But for example, we have 5 GKs, 6 wingers and 4 strikers, so 15 players for basically 4 positions. On the other hand, we have 5 players (unless I’m missing anyone) for 3 positions in central midfield. That is a massive imbalance. 
 

So it’s not so much about 6 being too many, especially given the ages etc, but where other areas of the pitch have been neglected.

 

But you could say all that without sounding so high and mig is my point…

[Ric Flair]

8 hours ago, tickler28 said:

With Marcal and Mcateer scoring lately and playing well and also having Mavididi and Albrighton why did we feel the need to sign 2 more wide players? Surely 6 wide players is a bit excessive especially when as far as I can tell we only really have about 3 full backs left in the squad....just seems a bit strange and not well thought out....anyone else thought the same?

Wanya and McAteer are as much central midfielders as they are wingers IMO and Albrighton might as well be the back up full back.

[funkyrobot]

8 hours ago, tickler28 said:

With Marcal and Mcateer scoring lately and playing well and also having Mavididi and Albrighton why did we feel the need to sign 2 more wide players? Surely 6 wide players is a bit excessive especially when as far as I can tell we only really have about 3 full backs left in the squad....just seems a bit strange and not well thought out....anyone else thought the same?

Surely we’ve learned in the past few seasons that having one or two wingers isn’t enough. Also I’d say 6 out and out wingers isn’t quite right. Marcal and McAteer are u21 players that can play more inside as midfielders and aren’t necessarily pure wide players. Fatawu and Mavididi has also played an inside attacking role previously. The only one of the six on a definite long term contract is Mavididi. Akgun and Fatawu are loans with option to buy, Albrighton is in his last year. 

[splinterdream]

1 hour ago, LCFCJohn said:

Sorry but the first bit of this reply is just so condescending and really not necessary. It’s a football forum and people will raise discussion points and this one is a legitimate point in the sense of the balance of the squad.

 

You are of course correct re the full back situation (even if personally it is not for me) and yes also about the breakdown of the 6 wingers.

 

But for example, we have 5 GKs, 6 wingers and 4 strikers, so 15 players for basically 4 positions. On the other hand, we have 5 players (unless I’m missing anyone) for 3 positions in central midfield. That is a massive imbalance. 
 

So it’s not so much about 6 being too many, especially given the ages etc, but where other areas of the pitch have been neglected.

 

But you could say all that without sounding so high and mig is my point…

We are as I'm sure Enzo knows, not the finished squad, but at the start of the window  think most of us knew it was unlikely we were going to get everyone in one window. Think the loans give us a try before you buy option and we needed to shift more out, ndidi, praet, Albrighton, daka, ward, iversen. Hopefully more incoming in January 

[LCFCJohn]

6 minutes ago, splinterdream said:

We are as I'm sure Enzo knows, not the finished squad, but at the start of the window  think most of us knew it was unlikely we were going to get everyone in one window. Think the loans give us a try before you buy option and we needed to shift more out, ndidi, praet, Albrighton, daka, ward, iversen. Hopefully more incoming in January 

Exactly, I’m not being critical of it, just pointing out why the OP is a fair point and not necessary to be replied to in a condescending way.

 

I think it’s clear we’d have liked to shift 2 keepers and Daka which would have left 3 strikers and 3 keepers which is spot on. Obviously Daka departing fell through late but we had to get Cannon in as imagine the fuss if we’d waited and it’d gone the other way aka Drinkwater and Silva!

 

6 wingers does seem too much imo. Generally the rule is 2 for each position but being reliant on wingers, there’s definitely place for 5. If you’d offered me the 6th winger or another ‘8’ though, I’d have gone for the latter as we do seem very light there.

[Scotch]

14 minutes ago, LCFCJohn said:

Exactly, I’m not being critical of it, just pointing out why the OP is a fair point and not necessary to be replied to in a condescending way.

 

I think it’s clear we’d have liked to shift 2 keepers and Daka which would have left 3 strikers and 3 keepers which is spot on. Obviously Daka departing fell through late but we had to get Cannon in as imagine the fuss if we’d waited and it’d gone the other way aka Drinkwater and Silva!

 

6 wingers does seem too much imo. Generally the rule is 2 for each position but being reliant on wingers, there’s definitely place for 5. If you’d offered me the 6th winger or another ‘8’ though, I’d have gone for the latter as we do seem very light there.

We don't have 6 wingers though. That's were the OP's point falls. Mcateer and Wanya aren't exactly wingers. They both prefer to play centrally. 

[Ricey]

As others have suggested, I suspect we’ll see some of these wide players in other positions. Mavididi could play up top, whilst McAteer, Marcal and Akgun look like they could be useful as an 8.

[AKCJ]

2 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

Wanya and McAteer are as much central midfielders as they are wingers IMO and Albrighton might as well be the back up full back.

I think Akgun could play as a 10 as well to be honest.

[Babylon]

Ask yourself what we needed at the start of the season, don't let Marcal and Mcateer confuse matters. We couldn't' pin our homes just on them. 

[Lillehamring]

4 hours ago, LCFCJohn said:

Sorry but the first bit of this reply is just so condescending and really not necessary. It’s a football forum and people will raise discussion points and this one is a legitimate point in the sense of the balance of the squad.

 

You are of course correct re the full back situation (even if personally it is not for me) and yes also about the breakdown of the 6 wingers.

 

But for example, we have 5 GKs, 6 wingers and 4 strikers, so 15 players for basically 4 positions. On the other hand, we have 5 players (unless I’m missing anyone) for 3 positions in central midfield. That is a massive imbalance. 
 

So it’s not so much about 6 being too many, especially given the ages etc, but where other areas of the pitch have been neglected.

 

But you could say all that without sounding so high and mig is my point…

Not at all, certainly that wasn't my intention - The subject of wingers has been widely debated in individual player threads, tactics threads and post games threads - a lot of other players, the same with balance in the squad; and, let's be honest, this forum is full of people making sarcastic posts just to make a point. I gave the poster the benefit of the doubt that it WAS a serious question, which is why i took time to answer him. 

 

 

[FoxinNotts]

Am I right in thinking that both Marçal-Madivadua and McAteer played most of their games for the u23s and youth set ups as attaching midfielders, not wide men?

 

Maybe someone who follows the youths on here could confirm?

[Kuredufox]

4 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

Wanya and McAteer are as much central midfielders as they are wingers IMO and Albrighton might as well be the back up full back.

Could they play the 8's?

[lee7]

To be fair Maresca had to recruit heavily in these positions.

Wanya and McAteer are young lads who have never really played week in week out infront of thousands of fans so he can't be sure as to how they'll cope with the pressure or even if their performances will be to the required standard.

Albrighton is coming to the end of his career and then we've got the 3 new lads. 

[LeePhilpottsBaldSpot]

It's a long season, and you get 5 subs. Bringing on strong wingers desperate to make an impact could win us a lot of points late on.

 

Saying that, I wouldn't be surprised if Marcal went out on loan for the season once the new boys have settled in.

[Pliskin]

I actually think the players look really trim this season, fittest I’ve seen them for a while! 

[Trav Le Bleu]

Gary Taylor-Fletcher was a wide player.