Squad/ starting 11 as it stands

[Roger]

Byrne

James
Beckles
Happe
Hunt

Brown
Pratley
Moncur

Archibald
Drinan
Sortirou

Subs
Thompson
Sanders
Sweeney (out of contract)
Obiero
Ogie
Sodje
Light/Harvest/Tanga

Based on this, and assuming Sweeney signs, I’d assume we are looking for at least 7 additions:

GK
DCM
AM
Left sided attack
Right sided attack
Striker
Striker

[Chelmsford Swimmer]

As it stands Sanders would be in our starting 11 and probably our No 1 DCM. Need a backup for Moncur who I can't see playing 90 minutes every game.

[gshaw]

Based on this, and assuming Sweeney signs, I’d assume we are looking for at least 7 additions:

GK
DCM
AM
Left sided attack
Right sided attack
Striker
Striker

Yup that's spot on plus perhaps Turns back on loan for CB given Wellens doesn't appear to be particularly keen on Ogie nor Thompson there.

Any less than those 7 and it'll be a wafer-thin squad with reserve players from the L2 squad becoming key ones in L1.

[EastDerehamO]

Struck me last night we’ve arguably lost our best three players from last season (Vigs/ El Miz/ Smyth), which leaves a massive hole, plus Kelman from the starting line-up too, so are currently looking way down on where we need to be.

But no panic, sure it’s in hand, hoping to see some good names coming in imminently to follow Max Sanders, and it's good to see Beckles & Happe signed up alongside James & Hunt in the defence.

[The Reverend]

Struck me last night we’ve arguably lost our best three players from last season (Vigs/ El Miz/ Smyth), which leaves a massive hole, plus Kelman from the starting line-up too, so are currently looking way down on where we need to be.

But no panic, sure it’s in hand, hoping to see some good names coming in imminently to follow Max Sanders, and it's good to see Beckles & Happe signed up alongside James & Hunt in the defence.

El Miz is the biggest loss by far. He was the heart of the team last season and will be very difficult to replace. I would be delighted to see him return for another loan or sign permanently. The club should be breaking the bank to get him back.

We needed better strikers last season, and relied heavily on goals from Smyth who has now gone.

If we don’t get in a bloke who can score at least 15 goals a season then we might be relegated by February.

Big few weeks ahead for the club. It’s taken a Herculean effort to get back into L1 from the depths. I like to think our owners want to stay there and will fork out to sign the players to do that.

A mixture of free transfers, loans and one (or possibly two) transfer fee moves should do it.

[Proposition Joe]

If we don’t get in a bloke who can score at least 15 goals a season then we might be relegated by February.

This place is getting more dramatic by the hour.

[The Reverend]

If we don’t get in a bloke who can score at least 15 goals a season then we might be relegated by February.

This place is getting more dramatic by the hour.

It’s just an observation. I don’t think it’s wildly dramatic to suggest that a football team who can’t score goals is quite likely to be relegated. I’m sure we will get someone (or two/three) who can score. Just making a point about if it doesn’t happen.

[LittleMate]

Two days of pre-season and people are debating team line ups.

Never seen a more pointless exercise in all my days on this board......

[Neptune's Spear]

I cant see us signing up SEVEN players

[Max Fowler]

Struck me last night we’ve arguably lost our best three players from last season (Vigs/ El Miz/ Smyth), which leaves a massive hole, plus Kelman from the starting line-up too, so are currently looking way down on where we need to be.

But no panic, sure it’s in hand, hoping to see some good names coming in imminently to follow Max Sanders, and it's good to see Beckles & Happe signed up alongside James & Hunt in the defence.

El Miz is the biggest loss by far. He was the heart of the team last season and will be very difficult to replace. I would be delighted to see him return for another loan or sign permanently. The club should be breaking the bank to get him back.

We needed better strikers last season, and relied heavily on goals from Smyth who has now gone.

If we don’t get in a bloke who can score at least 15 goals a season then we might be relegated by February.

Big few weeks ahead for the club. It’s taken a Herculean effort to get back into L1 from the depths. I like to think our owners want to stay there and will fork out to sign the players to do that.

A mixture of free transfers, loans and one (or possibly two) transfer fee moves should do it.

Agreed that the 3 that have left were in our top 4 most important players last season (luckily Beckles has re-signed).

The objective this transfer window has to be to build a better starting XI than we finished with last season. I can't see how the replacements for Vigs, El Miz and Smyth will be improvements on what we had, therefore the only way to make the team better is to bring in better players in other positions - namely the 8 and 9 spots.

[Max Fowler]

Sanders may be the 8 to replace Pratley, I don't know.

[Chelmsford Swimmer]

I cant see us signing up SEVEN players

Well we released eight, a further three have gone not signing a new contract, and we lost five loanees, that's SIXTEEN players down. One new player in and a youngster signed up, we need at least seven new players if not more.

[Proposition Joe]

Sanders may be the 8 to replace Pratley, I don't know.

Please, please don't do this all season. Please.

[Max Fowler]

Get with the times, Grandad.

[Adz]

If we don’t get in a bloke who can score at least 15 goals a season then we might be relegated by February.

We didn't have anyone come close to that last season and we won the f*cking league

[Max Fowler]

If we don’t get in a bloke who can score at least 15 goals a season then we might be relegated by February.

We didn't have anyone come close to that last season and we won the f*cking league

Partly because we had Smyth chipping in with so many from the wing.

We do need to massively improve our front man.

[The Reverend]

If we don’t get in a bloke who can score at least 15 goals a season then we might be relegated by February.

We didn't have anyone come close to that last season and we won the f*cking league

We scored 61 league goals last season. A third (20) of those were scored by 3 players who have since left.

[Adz]

If we don’t get in a bloke who can score at least 15 goals a season then we might be relegated by February.

We didn't have anyone come close to that last season and we won the f*cking league

We scored 61 league goals last season. A third (20) of those were scored by 3 players who have since left.

Yeah we have plenty more still to sign, but an out and out goalscorer is not the way Ritchie plays

[Chelmsford Swimmer]

We didn't have anyone come close to that last season and we won the f*cking league

We scored 61 league goals last season. A third (20) of those were scored by 3 players who have since left.

Yeah we have plenty more still to sign, but an out and out goalscorer is not the way Ritchie plays

Eoin Doyle didn't do Richie a lot of harm at Swindon

[EliotNes]

I cant see us signing up SEVEN players

With loanees, I can but by end August not end July.

[Max Fowler]

Byrne
1 x GK needed

James
Beckles
Happe
Hunt
Ogie and Sweeney adequate support, Thompson not rated so 1 x CB needed (not Turns or McCarthorse please)

Brown
Pratley
Moncur
Sanders in, at least 1 x CM needed

Archibald
Drinan
Sortirou
Our weakest area, 1 x CF needed and 1 x Winger needed

Could be we only bring in 5 more players looking at that.

[The Reverend]

Byrne
1 x GK needed

James
Beckles
Happe
Hunt
Ogie and Sweeney adequate support, Thompson not rated so 1 x CB needed (not Turns or McCarthorse please)

Brown
Pratley
Moncur
Sanders in, at least 1 x CM needed

Archibald
Drinan
Sortirou
Our weakest area, 1 x CF needed and 1 x Winger needed

Could be we only bring in 5 more players looking at that.

A squad of just 20 players would be utterly mental.

[Rich Tea Wellin]

Byrne

James
Happe
Beckles
Hunt

Galbraith
Brown

Moncur

Archibald
Drinan
Agyei

Looking a lot stronger than a week ago. Keeper and striker the big improvements needed

[Max Fowler]

Not sure brown gets in ahead of Sanders or Pratley.

But yeah, starting to take shape - that's most likely 9 of the starting XI sorted, just need a keeper and a striker/winger.

[Proposition Joe]

If we don’t get in a bloke who can score at least 15 goals a season then we might be relegated by February.

This place is getting more dramatic by the hour.

It’s just an observation. I don’t think it’s wildly dramatic to suggest that a football team who can’t score goals is quite likely to be relegated. I’m sure we will get someone (or two/three) who can score. Just making a point about if it doesn’t happen.

Just revisiting this to point out that last season Plymouth's top scorer bagged 13 goals. Turns out they won the division with over 100 points rather than being relegated by February.