Over the next three days, Andy will be looking ahead to next season and the possible shape of the squad. Part one (of three) looks at the goalkeeping and defensive options.
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As our season of discovery draws to a close it’s time to look forward and have a guess as to what the squad of 2018-19 will look like.
Goalkeeper
Despite being very good (and very patient) boys and girls this year, I’m afraid Santa won’t be delivering you that Gunn you’ve been hankering after. Pep will no doubt be looking to loan him out again, but the next stage for Angus will be to play in a top-level league, so expect him to be having a year at a Huddersfield or a Real Subbuteo-type outfit on the continent.
Michael McGovern will no doubt still be here, with a year of his expensive contract to go, nobody will be silly enough to take that on so at Colney he’ll remain. Remi Matthews, confidence bolstered by a year starring for Plymouth, is the heir apparent in many eyes, but what about Farke and Webber’s?
My guess is that whilst there’s probably a bloke currently patrolling the penalty area of a Bavarian backwater named Hans Likedustbinlids that DF would love to add to his gruppen, SW will put his Brexit boot down and stick with Matthews, McGovern and Oxborough to maintain the “home-grown” percentages.
Right Back / Wing Back
Ivo’s season started so positively with his elevation to captain but persistent minor injuries have seen him struggle to make an impact or produce any level of consistency. Farke clearly rates him and he’s obviously a good character on and off the pitch. Whether Webber is as enamoured when he examines the salary list is another matter.
Unless a really good, unexpected offer comes in I’d be surprised to see Ivo depart. He’s the only RB we have and to have to replace him and bring in a second player to compete would take money we can ill afford, even if it comes at the cost of maintaining his contract. Look for Ivo to start next season with a budget addition as back up.
Left Back / Wing Back
Jamal Lewis has been the find of the season for City, and ticks every box for both Farke and Webber being capable, young, cheap, British and homegrown. Husband will again be Plan B for when “the load” rears its ugly head. I would expect a refreshed Stiepermann to be an option in various different positions next year, including LB, so we’re more than covered in this area.
Centre Backs
From being our biggest weakness a year ago the centre of our defence now looks the best it has for many a year.
Zimmermann is the only one I’m 100 percent confident will be here next season, however.
Like Pinto, Klose is still sporting a Premier League pay packet, so offers may well be entertained. However, the popular Swiss eccentric clearly enjoys Norfolk life and you don’t get the sense that he’s in any hurry to leave. His wages may also prove unattractive to potential suitors too.
The future of Grant Hanley is likely to be decided by what SW and DF had in mind when they acquired him. If he was a long-term investment as the stalwart leader and potential future captain to take over from Russell Martin then his wages will have been factored into the ongoing budget. If however he was a last flourish of the parachute payment chequebook, and a desperate bid to take one last swing at being “all-in” for this season, he’ll be moved on as the loss of those payments strikes hard at the balance sheet.
Sean Raggett appears to be in limbo. DF brought him to Norfolk for the second half of the season to play fourth wheel to three very good centre-backs all in top form, which I didn’t quite understand at the time and I’m even less convinced of now that the former Lincoln stopper has done little more than pop up on the bench occasionally.
Does DF rate him? Or did SW just see a promising young player with a reasonably low release clause in his contract that with a bit of luck he may be able to “flip” like a semi-detached in Chepstow for a profit?
Whilst DF will clearly take a look at Marcel Franke in pre-season the speed of his repatriation to German football last year suggests that the British game came as a shock to the system for both parties. Vrancic is the perfect example of how time and commitment can overcome the cultural and technical divide. Will Franke be able to get the minutes on the pitch behind the established three CBs to develop though? My guess is he’ll go back to Germany with a pragmatic cutting of losses on both sides. But I’d be more than happy to be wrong.
Russell Martin is the X-factor in all of this. The skipper undoubtedly has one of the highest wages at the club, and while Webber will be dying to get it off the books, finding a taker may prove tricky given the high cost of the contract and Martin’s age.
My feeling is that Klose, Zimmermann and Hanley will remain to continue their good work for another year. Martin won’t find a permanent new home but we will once again find a club willing to cover at least part of his wages for the season. Whether it’s the notoriously financially-perilous Rangers is a different kettle of fish altogether. I think Raggett will be loaned out to a League One club on a season-long loan, to be replaced by the much-linked Toni Leistner whose contract is up in Germany.
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Tomorrow… the midfield.
2017/18 will always be the season of the goose,who have us the best entertainment, and some of the most unforgettable moments of the season.
Err…. Yes?
Hi Andy
A very good summary.
You forgot 1 CB in Franke – I have read some good reports on his form back in Germany and his loan was only till the end of this season.
He has indicated that he didn’t want the loan but fight to get back in the team after a horrendous start to his City career, and City never indicated that there was a possible permanent transfer in the loan deal.
As with Raggett, I agree it was strange to recall him and not give him any game time lets hope he will be seen in City’s colours before the season ends.
You appear to have forgotten the much maligned Franke who will return from his trip back home to the fatherland.
Interesting observations, most of which I suspect will prove true.
Stuart Webber has already highlighted right back as a position we need to strengthen. Expect a significant arrival, offering genuine competition to Ivo. Given Ivo’s defensive shortcomings, I wouldn’t be surprised to see long-lasting change.
I reckon Hanley is ear-marked as a key player (and possibly captain) in our plan for the next 2-3 years. Raggett is a bit of an enigma, but I’m not sure we should read too much into his absence from the first XI so far.
On the other hand, a year ago I was confident we’d keep Jonny Howson……
Marcel Franke?
What about Franke?
Perils of ageing, I have indeed forgotten Mr Franke.
Having been at Millwall I prefer to think of it as having done my best to wipe him from my memory!
I think it will be interesting to see what we do with him. I’m guessing Farke will see what he looks like in preseason before deciding whether he can cut it in English football.
Hi Andy
Frake was supposed to be the great hope as a CB and, yes, he didn’t hit the ground running. Neither did Zimmermann but he was given a second chance and took it with both hands. Franke, I hope, just might prove us all wrong in writing him off so soon – he was possibly the most expensive import last season and that might count against him as some were expecting the finished article
And there was me hoping for Culverhouse, either Gunn and Mark Bowen…
It’s interesting that you note Webber must want Martin off the books. Webber extended Martin’s contract after all.
It’s amazing we found the money for him but not Tettey.
One I hope doesn’t return next season is the dreadful, over-loud, dirge that’s played just before the teams come out. It kills conversation, and doesn’t do anything to generate excitemen, so they can save on the performing rights payment for that. Does anyone know what it’s called?
Nice speculative overview Andy.
Don’t overlook the young rightback Max Aarons already captaining the U23’s. If he gets Jamal Lewis style opportunities in pre-season he has the talent to put himself right into contention.