Concentrating on the football side of things almost seems pointless right now but I feel for my own and others people’s sanity that someone must. There is no doubting that there are more important things going on at the club right now but we as fans follow a club because of the football so lets have a look at the football side of things
Our squad has obviously been adversely affected by all the goings on at the club in the past months and with the players currently in the side it really shows.
Early pre-season games usually tell you very little but the squad selection is looking more and more likely that it will remain the same come the start of the new season. Our squad has been missing key elements for a long time now but last year with the addition of a couple of good loans we had a good side with a bit of depth.
Obviously these loan players are now nowhere to be seen and couple that with the players told they are free to leave and do not feature in Pressley’s plans and we are in trouble.
Going through the squad and Goalkeeping wise we look to be ok in terms of our number one with Joe Murphy likely to stay. Number two however is a different story and one must be signed as soon as it is possible to do so.
Defensive wise is where we look most vulnerable. We have a left back who is a really good left back but injuries at the end of last season have seen him fall out of the picture, it is definitely good to see him back playing in this pre-season.
On the other side we currently have two of the best right backs in the division. One Jordan Clarke was originally told he was surplus to requirements and free to leave but Pressley has had a change of mind. This seems a strange one not only to freeze him out in the first place but to then go back on that decision and bring him back into the fold.
To me it is a decision which only confounds the rumours of interest in our other right back Cyrus Christie. He has undoubtedly progressed quicker than Clarke who has in the past had a crisis of confidence and Cyrus will be huge loss if he is sold. But in Clarke we do have a ready made replacement, if we can make him believe in himself he will be just as good if not better than Cyrus in the future.
As for the central defence the only player we currently have is young Jordan Willis who whilst has shown a lot of promise has very little experience of first team football. It is crazy to think there is every chance we are going to start the season with one centre half and an inexperienced one at that.
The heart of any defence is the key to a solid back four, we are a million miles away from having that and on that basis we are really going to struggle to keep teams at bay come the new season.
The midfield is the part of the team where we probably have the most depth. We have Baker, Fleck, Thomas, Moussa, Barton and a couple of emerging youngsters in Daniels, garner and lobjoit. It is far from the strongest midfield but it is a midfield with a good potential.
Captain Carl Baker we all know can be a class act at this level and will be the key to most good things we do this year. Fleck, Thomas and Barton are all players who arrived with great potential but none have delivered as of yet. The younger lads clearly still have a lot to learn and for some it may be the right time to bring them into the first team fold but for others it may well be too soon.
Moussa on the other hand is a player who football fans have a love/hate relationship with. There is no doubt he is a talent and he is often an exciting player to watch but his inability to perform on a consistent basis is what annoys us football fans. Saying that though if he was able to perform at his best consistently there is no way he would be a Coventry City player. He is a player who on his day can single handedly unlock the opposition defence and is a good weapon to have in the team.
We do need some new faces in the midfield though and pacey wingers for me are a must. Pace at any level can be a great weapon to have in the side. Sometime the player doesn’t have to be the best technically just for the fact it gives the opposition defence something different to think about which allows players with other traits to make use of them more often. Look at any successful sides and almost all of them have at least one player who can out pace defenders with relative ease.
Looking at our forward players and only two come to mind. Leon Clarke is a player who scores goals at this level. He is far from a great player but his goal record in this division is up there with the best and if his goal scoring continues then goals shouldn’t be hard to come by for us.
Callum Wilson is the only other recognised striker and whilst he is still very young and inexperienced he has shown sparks in his time in the side. He came to the forefront due to injuries and he did himself proud scoring one goal and impressing with his confidence to make things happen. He will need to step up another level though if he is to be a major player in this year’s league one campaign.
Reinforcements are much needed but once again it is unlikely we will see any before the new season gets underway. We have the basis of a good squad but without the ability to add strength in depth to it we are going to struggle. Pressley remains committed to his recruitment with trialist currently training with the squad but with both his hands tied behind his back we look like we are going to be in for a long hard season on and off the pitch.
PUSB!!
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