No More Yo-Yoing For The Canaries

[smplfc123]

Hello everyone and welcome to my attempt at a career with Norwich City!

Over the last 10 years, Norwich have spent most of their seasons yo-yoing between the Championship and Premier League, spending 5 years in each of the named divisions since the 2011/2012 season. I intend to put an end to that uncertainty. 

The Aims:

The aim of this save is simple. Make Norwich an established Premier League club. So many times people will see that objective from the board, yet end up surpassing it in 2 seasons with a 110 point title-winning team. Well that's not the aim here. For those of you that have had the misfortune to be bored by any of previous updates/threads, you'll know I value success in other forms. If you've come here to see Haaland and Mbappe take the Canaries to Champions League glory within 2/3 seasons, I'm afraid to say you're in the wrong thread! That's meant as no offence to those who play the game that way, it's just not my style.

All I'm looking to do is keep Norwich in the Premiership and then slowly build them in to a team who can comfortably sit in mid-table, with the odd potential chance of scraping in to that final European spot. People may think I lack ambition, but looking at Norwich's last 20 years, this really is ambitious!

The Challenge:

To make it slightly harder for myself, this is the set up I've used:

 

I find setting up as the top footballing level is unrealistic and makes the game too easy as everyone will sign for you and it's easier to motivate your team. At the same time, I appreciate that walking straight in to a Premier League job with a Sunday League background is equally as unrealistic. As I do actually hold some coaching badges (although not as high), I opted to give myself the full works. Again this mixture was to keep it realistic, whilst keeping it challenging.

Transfers:

As always to create more realism, I started with transfers off, forcing me to utilise the squad that has been built by a previous regime until at least the January transfer window. As referred to above, I've no interest in selling most of my squad and then bringing in wonderkids and the usual suspects on deals spread out over 6 years or £100m each. I want to keep the signings as realistic as possibly and only bring in players that are required, not just for the sake of it. I plan to use Norwich's current model of trying to either develop from within (Cantwell, Aarons etc.),or find bargains across Europe (Rashica, Sergeant, Pukki etc.). There'll be no 'Marquee' signings as the board don't splash the wages to ensure the club isn't crippled should they be relegated. 

The Squad:
 

At The Back:

At the back we're fairly inexperienced in terms of age and good Premiership experience. Yes the likes of Aarons, Hanley, Zimmermann have all played Premiership football before, but they were all relegated in a previous Norwich team. Same or Gibson with Middlesbrough, whilst Kabak had a mixed 6 month loan spell with Liverpool. Krul is our leader back there, having gained multiple years experience in the Premiership for Newcastle.

With just 9 tackling. 10 positioning and 7 heading, Giannoulis is our weak link at LB and with Sam McCullum out on loan, we have no other natural left footer to play there. Loanee Brandon Williams is covering both FB positions whilst we await Byram's return from injury, with Mumba called up from the reserves as well. 

For me there's definitely some work needed here. Krul and Gunn I'm happy with as GK's for now, with Krul to start and Gunn to eventually take over. At RB i'm happy with Aarons and Byram, but LB is going to be my priority going in to January. CB's i'm happy with for now, but depending on whether I make Kabak's loan permanent, I could well be in the market for one next season.

Midfield and Attack:

Again quite a youthful selection, with just 4 of the crop being 28 or over. In the middle we have Normann who has an £11m optional fee, which will likely be too high for my liking, but we'll see how important he becomes this season. As expected, Gilmour has no optional fee, so we'll definitely be planning to get in a long-term replacement for him. Lees-Melou looks like a really good addition, with some really solid attributes. McLean and Rupp look like decent squad players, but apart from that, there really isn't much quality in our depth at CM.

Out wide we have two very good starting options in Cantwell and Rashica and I'll be pinning a lot of my hopes on them. They have the ability create and score goals, something they'll need to do in order to lighten the burden on our attack. In Dowell, Tzolis and Placheta, we have potential, but not really the quality needed to step up just yet. Unless they prove me wrong, they'll be used as rotation options throughout the season.

Up front I'm actually quite happy with. I'm confident that Pukki will still notch a few goals this season, with the fresh legs of youngsters Sargent and Idah being rotated to keep him on his toes. Unless Pukki shows signs of a rapid regression this season, probably not an area I'll look to strengthen in season 1.

Overall:

The squad is exactly what you expect it to be. I'd say it's a top-end Championship squad, littered with a few players capable of coping in the Premier League. Again the aim is to turn Norwich in to a safe, mid-table team, whilst investing sensibly and realistically in the playing-squad.

Thanks for reading (and not falling asleep by the this point) and wish me luck.

[smplfc123]

The Tactical Approach:

Again whilst this is in no means aimed as a dig for those who do, I don't do plug'n'play tactics and I don't copy other players tactics from the forums etc. I'm very much a big-believer in having a set style/philosophy with certain principles of play engrained in to them and I love the challenge of trying to replicate and impart them on to my FM save. In fact, to me, the principles of our play are more important than the initial positions of the players on the tactical screen. My principles will always remain the same, but player's positions and roles will vary during games, in order to best counter the opposition. 

My philosophy will include:

. Playing out of defence - This isn't a fad or because Pep does it, this is because I believe in the benefit of retaining possession, of which I believe you'll achieve a higher percentage of doing so by playing from the back.  It also draws the opposition on to you, creating space in behind their defensive line. Where it can go wrong is not having the players with the right attributes to achieve this, especially under pressure, but that's where training and the transfer market will be used to reinforce this philosophy. 

. A Three-Man Midfield - Whether it's 2CDM's and a CM, 2 CM's and CAM or 1 CDM and 2 CM's etc., my team will always operate with some form of a 3 man midfield axis. I believe that if they're set up well, a 3 man midfield will give you more chance of controlling a game, both offensively and defensively. It help's reinforce our first philosophy of playing from the back and It'll give us more options to be more fluid with or roles in the central areas. 

. Fluidity In Attack - At the back, the roles will likely stay the same, but in attack, they'll be subject to change and I need players who are comfortable in making those changes in game. I like my FB's to create, both from either out wide or by playing more centrally, whilst the midfield balances creativity and attacking runs from deeper positions. 

. Hard-Working - Whilst it should be a given, it isn't always in the modern game. At times we will aim to press tightly as a unit, or sit deep as a tight-knit low block, but either way, you need to work hard in doing so.

With all this in mind, here's a look at the base tactic I've set up for now, but will be subject to tweaks as the season goes on:

The aim of this career with Norwich is to make them a solid mid-table side and I intend on doing that with a positive-possession based style. As per our philosophy we aim to play out from the back, whilst using a three-man midfield, with various attacking threats. The level of aggression in our pressing and counter-pressing will be altered during games. The IW and CM(A) will be tasked to help the DLF(A) fill the box when the RM or LB get in to good crossing positions. The HB and IWB will help create different passing lanes in possession and protect and recycle when out of possession.

However, as stated above, player roles and positions will vary depending on opposition and in-game situations. I'll also deploy a 4-3-3 (DM Wide) and 4-4-1-1 at points to counter opposition threats or exploit weaknesses. I'll also change midfield roles depending on the situation. 

Transfers:

As with any save, transfers will play a big part in my tactical approach. However, as it can quite often be a case of buying the best players and adopting a new tactic to fit around them, I will only be buying players who fit my style of play. That will mean studying their all aspects of their attributes, ensuring they have the right mental and physical stats to back up their technical ones and vice versa. 

Edited December 29, 2021 by smplfc123

[smplfc123]

Early-Season Update

So with 2 months of competitive fixtures done, I thought I'd share our progress (or lack of!)….. 

The Premier League can really be a cruel place on times. We were given a ridiculously tough start, with Liverpool at home. Despite that, we caught my favoured club by surprise, racing in to a 2 goal lead thanks to efforts from Rashica and Zimmermann. I had decided to start with a 4-4-1-1 formation in order to try and nullify their attacking full backs by using my wide players to man-mark them out of the game and for 90 minutes, it worked. Then, in true Liverpool-fashion.....

Heart-breaking. As the classic footballing-cliché goes, I would have taken a point if you had offered me one before-hand. We followed it up with a trip to the Emirates. Unfortunately we couldn't lay a glove on them as they ran out comfortable 2-0 winners.

Sargent and Rashica scored in a 2-1 away win against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup, in what was a much-changed side. Then the big one. The kind of game we need to win if we want to stay up this season. We started well, with Pukki opening the scoring early on, but we were quickly pegged back by an equaliser from Ivan Toney and that's how the game ended.

 

I felt we were good value for more than just the one point, but at least it was another one on the board. We followed it up with 2 hard away fixtures, in which we got the exact amount of points I was expecting, but I was surprised about how narrow we managed to keep the score lines against both Leicester and Chelsea.

I threw the reserves/kids at the cup, putting all my eggs in to Newcastle basket just a few days later. It back-fired. Our dominance against Bradford didn't save us when it came down to the lottery of penalties and we could only draw yet again at home in the league. It was a real classic against the Magpies, with 44 shots on goal between us, but an early Pukki strike was cancelled out by a header from Fernandez and that's how it finished. 

The results mean we sit in 19th spot, 1 point away from safety. To be honest, I'm quite happy with how we've played and if we can keep picking up the odd point here and there, we should still be in the fight by the time I can bring in some reinforcements in January.

As expected, LB has been a weakness and we really could do with some more quality in the centre of the park. 

[smplfc123]

October Update

Well, well, well. I must admit, even though I was happy enough to be sat on 3 points going in to October, I was a bit nervous as to where our first win was going to come from, with the likes of Wolves, West Ham, Man City and Brighton awaiting us. Here's how the month went:

If you'd told me I'd be finishing the month with 7 points, I'd have laughed my head off.

To be fair, we tried our best to throw away the win against Wolves, going 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 up during the game, with them equalising at 1-1 and 2-2 just a minute after we had taken the lead. Thankfully, Teemu Pukki stepped up and secured the win for us.

A high-flying West Ham put us to the sword, but we put in an excellent performance against Man City. Here's how the game played out...

Just as against Liverpool, we threw away the lead in the last moments, with Angus Gunn instructing the team to push upfield from a goal kick, only to then try and play it short to an unaware Zimmermann, leading to an interception and calm finish from Phil Foden.

However, we took our tactical approach of exploiting the wings down to the south coast and it worked a treat, absolutely pummelling Brighton. 

With 10 games gone, we sit in 15th position on 10 points and I really couldn't be happier!

[smplfc123]

November Update

So after a really good October, we entered November brimming with confidence with what I felt were games coming up in which we could definitely get a few points from. Here's how things went:

Yep. After such a brilliant month in October, we cam crashing back down to reality by taking just 1 point in November. The reason why we only took 1 point......

That's the third time this season we've thrown away a winning position in injury time. Yes, the stats will show that Liverpool, Man City and Everton all deserved at least a point, but that's 6 points we've given up by not being able to hold on to a lead for just a minute or so longer. That last minute equaliser really seemed to knock us. 

We threw everything at Spurs, registering more shots, more corners, more possession and a higher XG, but it was Son with the only goal of the game in the 65th minute. Next up came Leeds and to be fair, they are by far the best team we've faced this season. The score-line will make it look like it was a close contest, but it was anything but. We just couldn't lay a finger on them for so long, with Zimmermann scoring a consolation from a set-piece late on. Those 3 games really took it out of us and a much-changed side couldn't handle Burnley's physicality on a cold midweek-night under the lights at Turf Moor.

Here's how the table looks going in to December:

Yes we could end up being in the relegation zone when the games-in-hand have been played, but i'm happy with where we are at. The aim was to still be in the fight come January, where I'll have the chance to try and make some adjustments to the squad. If we can pick up a few more points this month, we'll definitely still be in the fight.

Left Back is still the priority. I quickly worked out that Giannoulis isn't a LB, with the role now being rotated between Williams and Gibson as a FB(D). I've settled for Kabak and Zimmermann as my CB pairing so far, with Gunn taking Krul's spot as our #1 GK. Pukki has 6 goals in 12 games, which i'm more than happy with, but it's in midfield and out wide where we've lacked consistent quality. Rashica has show flashes, but Cantwell has been dreadful. I won't go mad in January, as I don't like to make many changes mid-season, but i'll certainly be keeping my eye out for a bargain. But first of all, let's try and pick up some more points in December! 

[karanhsingh]

Nice, I quite like the realistic approach to the save.

[rich ruzzian]

It is going to be a hard fight to keep them in de PL. Let's hope you wide players can perform much better, it is needed. 

[smplfc123]

6 hours ago, karanhsingh said:

Nice, I quite like the realistic approach to the save.

Thanks! Like I said it won't be everyone's cup of tea and I fully appreciate that, but I'm enjoying the hardships of trying to keep it realistic.

2 hours ago, rich ruzzian said:

It is going to be a hard fight to keep them in de PL. Let's hope you wide players can perform much better, it is needed. 

Oh it's definitely needed. Dowell has demanded more playing time, so he's currently getting some game time out wide, but we really do seem to lack quality all over the pitch.

[smplfc123]

Mid Season / End of 2021 Update

So having hit the 31st of December 2021, I felt it a good time to provide an update on how we are doing going in to 2022. Here's how the month of December went:

4 points from a possible 18 was disappointing, especially as we threw another 2 points away by conceding yet another late equaliser, this time away to Watford 

We held Villa to 0-0 until the 80th minute, but a John McGinn goal forced us to go for broke in search of an equaliser, with El Ghazi killing us off on the break. After those disappointing results came potentially the 2 biggest games of our season. Southampton and Palace were both in the relegation scrap and I knew that wins here could be absolutely vital. 

We raced in to a 2-0 lead against Palace, with Placheta and Zimmermann finding the net. I feared the worst when Zaha got one back just a few minutes later, but thankfully we responded to that set-back by bagging another, this time Normann with the effort that sent us in to the break 3-1 up. A quick start to the second half resulted in Teemu Pukki making it 4-1, with Benteke scoring a late consolation for the Eagles. A massive win.

The same can't be said for the horror show that followed against the Saints. I failed to tactically react to the hammering their direct 4-4-2 was giving us until it was too late, with us 3-1 down at half time. A few tactical tweaks and an early second-half Placheta goal brought it back to 3-2 and I started to believe we might get something. Billy Gilmour decided otherwise. A straight red before the hour mark re-opened the floodgates, with the Saints romping to a 5-2 scoreline, before Kabak and Armstrong netted for their respective sides late on.

Similar to Villa, we managed to hold Utd to 0-0 until the 79th minute, before Van De Beek and Greenwood denied us taking anything back to Carrow Road. Liverpool made light work of us as expected and it meant that despite a lot of huffing and puffing, we ended the month with just 4 points to show. As a result, here's how the table looks:

 

So we enter 2022 inside the relegation zone, 3 points from safety. Our GD is ok, but it's our inability to hold on the leads late on that is really costing us. Four times now we've held leads going in to the 87th minute or later and ended up not winning. Those extra 8 points would see us sitting quite comfortably in 15th place, but that's on me to work out how to stop it from happening. I'd still probably take this if you'd offered me it at the start. The board were only expecting to fight bravely and I feel that is what we're doing.

Squad

With the January transfer window now about to open, the question will undoubtedly be who's likely to leave? Lukas Rupp is on his way to Celtic for £1.6m. The 30 year-old German never really got a look in, so it was good to get him off the wage bill. Grant Hanley is wanting out due to lack of game time, so I'll look to move him on with young Irish CB Andrew Omobamidele making the step up to the first team squad for the second half of the season. I may look to try and loan out youngsters such as Tzolis and Idah so that they can get some game time under their belts.

As for incomings, it's going to be tough. In fairness the board have given me £11m, but as per my opening post I'm trying to be realistic with signings. Norwich's current transfer record is still the £8m they forked out on Ricky Van Wolfswinkel some years back, so looking for bargains is within their nature. A LB is a priority for me, along with maybe a strong, defensive CDM. 

Wish me luck! 

[smplfc123]

TRANSFER UPDATE - DONE DEAL

One week in to the January Transfer Window and Norwich are pleased to announced their first signing:

The experienced Czech international joins the Canaries for £1.7m, with a further potential £100k in add-ons to be paid further down the line. I believe Pavlenka has the perfect attributes to slot straight in to that holding midfield role and help us both offensively and defensively. 

I'm very pleased with this deal. We scouted out the exact type of player that we wanted and managed to land him. There are irons in the fire for a LB, so hopefully I'll have a positive update on that position shortly.

[smplfc123]

TRANSFER UPDATE - DONE DEAL

And another one through the door. The aims for the window were to bring in a holding midfielder (check) and a left back. Who else has walked through the door at Carrow Road?

Abdu Conte has joined us from Moreirense in a deal worth £3.4m, potentially rising to £4.7m. A little bit pricier than I had planned, but we got our man in the end. Possessing excellent physical attributes and some solid mental and technical ones, I feel this lad could help us shore up the defence a little.

Grant Hanley and Adam Idah have left the club on loan to Luton and Middlesbrough respectively. Unless anything drastic happens, there'll be no more business in January.

[smplfc123]

January Update 2022

With the signings confirmed and us entering 2022 sitting just inside the relegation zone, here's how January played out:

Another narrow loss to Brentford kicked off the year, but things started to look up when we produced a brilliant half of football to go 1-0 up away to Wolves in the FA Cup. However, in fitting with our season, we let our lead slip away, crashing out 2-1. We were then blown away by Arsenal at home, with the Gunners 3-0 up inside 30 minutes.

And then, as James Maddison stepped up and smashed in a free-kick from 30 yards within the opening 10 minutes for Leicester, I feared the worst. Thankfully, new signing Pavelka and Greek winger Giannoulis stepped up with goals in the second half, securing a massive three points. 

We used the bounce from that to completely stifle Chelsea, using our wingers to nullify their main attacking threats in the form of their wing backs. We very nearly pinched it with a few attempts late on, but I was glad that we managed to not throw it away.

4 points from 12 isn't the greatest return, but it keeps us within 3 points of Watford and Palace who sit 17th and 16th respectively. A big February awaits.

[smplfc123]

February + March Update 2022

As there were only 3 competitive games in each of February and March, I decided to group the updates together. He's how we got in those 6 games:

The first game in February couldn't have been much tougher to be honest. We travelled to a Newcastle side who had already been performing well this season, but had enhanced the possibility of a European finish with a near £200m spending spree in the January Transfer Window. Big money was splashed on players such as Isak, Bissouma and Yuri and it was the former 2 that scored against us on their way to a comfortable 4-0 win.

Adama Traore gave our new left back a torrid time at Molineux and it started to dawn on me that I had been tinkering too much. I had performed what I would class as tactical miracles at points during the season, making tweaks in games to grab points off Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea, but that led me in to trying to make the same tweaks against every opposition and we were starting to lose our way. Because of that, I pulled out the old book of football clichés and decided to go back to basics.

I cleared almost every TI and PI, leaving us with a 433 (DM Wide), with a focus on playing out from the back. And, well, it worked. A very solid 0-0 draw against a good West Ham team meant we didn't go point-less in February and that set up a massive encounter with fellow relegation-zoners Brighton.

Our back-to-basics approach really was working. A nice early goal after a brilliant run from our CM(A) Normann set us on our way, but we couldn't quite find that second ball. Then, in the 63rd minute, Joelinton, who had been part of the deal with Newcastle for Bissouma, headed in and left me fearing the worst. After a season of bemoaning our luck with late goals and poor quality from out wide, I was served up a treat. In the last minute of injury time, replacement wide players Tzolis and Placheta combined to send Carrow Road crazy, securing us massive three points. 

That massive boost of confidence followed us in to the next game, at home to Everton:

We absolutely battered them, with Cantwell and Rashica finally performing out-wide, with Pukki and Normann grabbing a brace each. 6 points from 2 games, especially with the inevitable hammering at the Etihad coming up, was absolutely vital. We gave it our best shot at City, but it was never going to be enough. 

Here's how the table looks going in to the last 8 games of the season:

So going in to April, we sit in 16th, 1 point above the relegation zone. Our ability to not get smashed too many times this season is helping us in the GD department compared to the likes of Palace and Watford, which as they say, could almost act as an extra point come the final day.

We actually have Burnley, Watford, Palace, Saints and Villa to come, with Spurs, Man Utd and high-flying Leeds making up our final 8 fixtures. Our fate really is in our hands. First up we have a trip to Spurs. who are massively underperforming. I reckon if we can get to the 34 point mark, we should scrape it.

Wish me luck!

[smplfc123]

April Update 2022

Well, umm, I don't really know what to say.......

15 POINTS FROM 15!!!!!!!!!!!!

I mean, just wow! Going back to basics couldn't have worked any better. Not only did we win 5 out of 5, we scored 12 goals along the way, whilst only conceding the 1! Now yes, Burnley, Watford and Palace are in and around the relegation zone and Spurs may be struggling, but our biggest win was actually against high-flying Leeds in their own back yard!

Teemu Pukki notched 6 goals in April, whilst Cantwell finally started to show up with goal contributions. Our back line has benefitted from a settled selection and quite frankly, the fact that we are now safe on 41 points with 3 games still to play is amazing. Here's how the table looks:

We actually have the best form in the league right now! Our last 3 games see us go up against a Southampton side fighting for their lives, a Villa side who are probably just about safe and a Man Utd side that are potentially missing out on Champions League to Newcastle!

My aim is to try and carry our form in to the final 3 games, but I understand it may now fall a little flat with nothing to play for. Now that I know I'm safe, I can start planning for the summer window.

[karanhsingh]

Wow that's quite a turnaround

[smplfc123]

5 hours ago, karanhsingh said:

Wow that's quite a turnaround

Thanks mate!

We've carried the form in to May too, even setting defensive records 

[rich ruzzian]

Really nice job done, already being save from dropping down. Lets hope in the summer you can build your team to compete maybe fot a top-8 place? 

[smplfc123]

End of Season Update 2022

So after that magnificent April, let's see how we finished off the season in May:

We carried our form straight in to the game away to Frank Lampard's Southampton, with Todd Cantwell and Josh Sargent netting on our way to a comfortable win. With Pukki picking up an injury, in that game, we looked a little flat in our next game against Villa, with both sides having nothing to play for, it really did have the feel of both teams already being on the beach.

Then a Man Utd team needing a win to secure CL football came in to town for the final game. Unfortunately their class and desire was more than what we could offer. We had to ply Rashica up top due to injuries to both Pukki and Sargent, but I'm not sure the result would have been much different even if we had a fully fit squad. But either way, an amazing end to our season was not dampened by a final day defeat.

Here's how the final table looks:

To finish in 13th, a massive 17 points above the relegation zone was way beyond any hopes and expectations I had for the season. January signings Abdu Conte and David Pavelka proved to be absolutely vital in the upturn of our form and I'm absolutely thrilled my realistic approach has worked. 

Elsewhere there were some shocks. Barca scraped in to 7th on the final day of the season to secure a Europa Conference spot, pushing Atletico Madrid down to 8th and out of Europe. Atalanta, Leipzig, Marseille and Spurs were the other big clubs who failed to make it in to the European spots in their respective leagues.

I'll be back with the end of season review of the squad and the targets/plans for next season. @rich ruzzian A top 8 finish may be pushing it, my aims will more likely be looking to top our points total from this season and maybe fight to finish above 13th, but we'll see.

[smplfc123]

End of Season 2022 - Squad Review

So with the 2022 season over, it's time to review the squad and plan ahead for next season:

GK:

. Angus Gunn -  Initially unsure on who to start as first choice, I decided by winter that I was going to stick with Gunn. He had a rocky start, but as we settled as a team in the latter half of the season, he did too, recording 8 clean sheets in 29 starts, with an average rating of 7.03. My first choice goalkeeper for next season.

. Tim Krul - I did start the experienced Krul, but Gunn became unhappy with his playing time early on and with both GK's given the first choice status, I rotated to try and keep them happy. With Gunn nailing down the position, Krul has had to settle for being back-up. I changed his status to a cup keeper and I do think he is the perfect back-up, but I'm not happy that he's on £40k p/w. He's contracted to 2024, so it's unlikely he'll take a pay cut for an extension. There may be some movement here.

RB:

.Max Aarons - Aarons has been pretty much ever-present at RB, notching up 33 starts in the prem. He's requested a move to a bigger club, but with no one interested in him and an agreed asking price at over £100m, I think I'm safe to say he'll be our first choice again next season.

.Sam Byram - Byram started the season injured, but came back to make 10 appearances in all competitions. His ability to play RB, LB + RM makes him a valuable squad option, but his injury record and £30k p/w wage don't. Will probably keep for now.

.Brandon Williams - The loanee from Man Utd didn't really get much game time and I won't be renewing his deal.

LB:

.Abdu Conte - What a signing this lad has turned out to be. In fact, he was voted as the signing of the season by our fans at the end of season award ceremony. Our first choice for next season.

.Sam McCallum - The youngster spent last season on loan at QPR and racked up 34 appearances in a valuable spell. He'll be utilised as back up next season.

CB:

.Christopher Zimmermann - Promoted to captain upon Hanley's loan departure, the big German has been ever-present, scoring 4 goals and winning the fans' player of the season award. Our captain and first choice RCB for next season.

.Ozan Kabak - Zimmermann's partner in crime did well and his attributes have improved. The pair formed a strong partnership towards the end of the season, but the optional fee of £11m is putting me off slightly. Schalke failed to get promoted back to the Bundesliga, so I may look to see if I can get him cheaper. My personal preference is to bring in a starting LCB who is left-footed instead, but a deal for Kabak isn't completely dead.

.Ben Gibson - Promised a starting role, he became unsettled when he couldn't get in the team. I utilised him at LB until we brought in Conte and he's made a few starts at CB, but he always seems to be nothing more than average. I've managed to lower his status to a squad player without any repercussions and as he's HG, I think he's a solid squad option for next season.

. Andrew Omobamidele - The young Irishman has been involved in the squad this season, picking up 3 starts. I plan to use him as 4th choice CB next season, with the hope of building him in to Zimmermann's successor. 

.Grant Hanley - Loaned out to Luton in Jan, I'll look to move him on permanently in the summer.

CM:

. David Pavelka - Brilliant signing in January and a bargain at £1.7m, the experienced Czech international will be our first choice CDM next season.

. Jacob Sorensen - The 24 year old Dane will provide back up to Pavelka in the CDM role.

. Kenny McClean - Still not sure what to do with Kenny. Will probably keep as he can operate in both CM roles. Will try to retrain him to being more of a natural CM(A).

. Billy Gilmour - Wee Gilmour has been superb, but i'm not sure I'll bring him back. I don't like to rely on loan players, so I will look for a new CM in the summer. I can always revisit the idea of bringing him back if I fail to sign anyone permanently.  

. Pierre Lees-Melou - The French man has disappointed me. Will look to keep as he has some cracking attributes and can cover both CM roles, but will need to see an improvement from him.

.Mathias Normann - Absolute number 1 priority this summer is to make Normann's loan move permanent. The Norwegian embraced his change of role to a CM(A), notching up 5 goals and 12 assists. We have an optional fee of £11m agreed, but I may see if I can get him cheaper.

WGR:

.Milot Rashica - The lad from Bremen took his time to get going, but did show glimpses of promise, racking up 6 goals and 6 assists in 27 starts. Will be staying.

. Todd Cantwell - The home-grown talent took a long time to make an impact this season and at one point, I even considered selling him. Thankfully he decided to pull his finger out, finishing with 3 goals and 3 assists. He can cover a number of positions, so will definitely keep, but he needs to start next season how he finished this one if he wants to keep his place in the team.

.Christian Tzolis - The young Greek didn't get too much game time. He clearly has potential, but I think it may be best served starting every game, therefore, I'll likely look to loan him out.

.Przemyslaw Placheta - The Polish international actually notched up 4 goals and an assist despite limited starts. May keep him as a rotational option, but won't be surprised if I end up selling him.

.Dimitris Giannoulis - Was horrendous at LB to start the season, before being moved in to LM. He improved, but not really enough to keep his place and found himself on the bench for most of the second-half of the season. He's on £40k p/w and is worth £8m-£10m. I may try to cash in.

.Kieran Dowell - The 24 year old ex Everton failed to really make an impact. May keep as he covers a few positions and is HG whilst retraining him to be a CM(A).

ST:

. Teemu Pukki - There was a point in the season where I considered we may have to move on from Teemu to freshen up our attack. Then, in the final few months he came alive, ending the season on 16 goals in 32 starts. Will be first choice for at least another year.

. Josh Sargent - The young American didn't really offer much. Will keep as back up for now.

. Adam Idah - The hot prospect failed to deliver in his early appearances and was subsequently loaned out to Middlesbrough, where he was equally disappointing. Will look to source another loan move for him next season.

OVERALL:

With the squad review in mind, I have 4 targets. 

. Left-footed CB - Strong, quick and confident in playing out.
. Central Midfielder - A technical operator to ensure we retain and use possession well.
. Cover out wide - Give competition to the likes of Cantwell and Rashica.
.Cover up front - Somewhere in between the experience of Pukki and in the inexperience of Sargent and Idah.

Obviously these targets may change depending on who leaves and players returning from loan spells etc. We've been given an initial budget of £35m, with £500k p/w available in the wage budget (that will alter once loans finish). Really looking forward to trying to keep this realistic whilst building a stronger squad.