[Albion] 25 Man Squad - Summer 2022 Edition

[Machiavelli]

Thank you [emoji120] and what about Connolly? Shouldn’t he be on list?


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He is on the list

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Thank you [emoji120] and what about Connolly? Shouldn’t he be on list?


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Number 28.

 

[Rover In Exile]

Occasional visitor from Blackburn Rovers here.
Given the success of JPvH on loan at Ewood last season, I wondered about the possibility of getting Haydon Roberts on a similar deal.
Is he good enough to do well in the Championship?
Some Rovers supporters are talking wistfully of buying van Hecke, but I think it's a non-starter.
Is there any possibility, though, that he might come back to us for another season?
After all, I assume he is still only 4th-equal in the pecking order with Clarke, below Dunk, Webster and Duffy. (5th-equal, if you retain Ostigard?)

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Occasional visitor from Blackburn Rovers here.
Given the success of JPvH on loan at Ewood last season, I wondered about the possibility of getting Haydon Roberts on a similar deal.
Is he good enough to do well in the Championship?
Some Rovers supporters are talking wistfully of buying van Hecke, but I think it's a non-starter.
Is there any possibility, though, that he might come back to us for another season?
After all, I assume he is still only 4th-equal in the pecking order with Clarke, below Dunk, Webster and Duffy. (5th-equal, if you retain Ostigard?)

The first hoice back 3 is Webster, Dunk, Veltman.

I think the chances of getting Van Hecke again are probably quite slim. We need at least one more defender and he seems to be the most likely.

Ostigard wants first team football and both Napoli and Torino are interested so it's looking likely he will be sold.

As much as I love Duffy he doesn't really suit Potter's style of football so if he doesn't move on he'll probably be bottom of the centre half pecking order.

Clarke doesn't appear to have a future with us. He's been a Brighton player for three seasons and he's spent every one of them out on loan. I suspect you'll have more chance of getting him on loan than Van Hecke again.

Roberts is apparently being lined up for a loan to Derby.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Occasional visitor from Blackburn Rovers here.

Nice of you to pop in again!

Given the success of JPvH on loan at Ewood last season, I wondered about the possibility of getting Haydon Roberts on a similar deal. Is he good enough to do well in the Championship?

Roberts is very highly rated but it’s my suspicion that his career trajectory is being modelled on Ben White’s who made his EPL debut for us at 22 after 3 loans. Roberts should be good for a Championship loan (or USG loan) next season but this season, he needs to smash League One (with Derby almost confirmed as his destination) as others have said.

Some Rovers supporters are talking wistfully of buying van Hecke, but I think it's a non-starter. Is there any possibility, though, that he might come back to us for another season?

How much have you got? In all seriousness, if JPvH does go back on loan, the club will want him to have a different experience. However, it seems he is highly rated, at least by Blackburn and Brighton fans. He could go to somewhere like Forest if he does not stay here. https://youtu.be/_iWZWpXOwF4

After all, I assume he is still only 4th-equal in the pecking order with Clarke, below Dunk, Webster and Duffy. (5th-equal, if you retain Ostigard?)

JPvH would be fifth choice CB after Dunk, Webster, Veltman and Cucurella. I think he is now above Duffy, and Clarke with the latter surely to be sold to West Brom. Østigård has made it clear he wants 1st team football and despite him probably being better than JPvH, he is probably off to Italy.

However, I do think we’re in the market for a left footed centre back. Perhaps we could hand you Levi Colwill from Chelsea if we manage to land him as he’d be too young for our first team squad. If we get in an older left footed CB such as Senesi, perhaps JPvH might struggle for minutes and be loaned out at the end of the window or maybe next January. I think this is doubtful as I’m sure he is being lined up to take Duffy’s role in the squad. On that subject, buying Duffy back for about £4m might be your best chance of getting a centre back off us this window I think. He was astonishing for us at that level and would be for you too.

 

[macbeth]

However, I do think we’re in the market for a left footed centre back. Perhaps we could hand you Levi Colwill from Chelsea if we manage to land him as he’d be too young for our first team squad. If we get in an older left footed CB such as Senesi, perhaps JPvH might struggle for minutes and be loaned out at the end of the window or maybe next January. I think this is doubtful as I’m sure he is being lined up to take Duffy’s role in the squad. On that subject, buying Duffy back for about £4m might be your best chance of getting a centre back off us this window I think. He was astonishing for us at that level and would be for you too.

absolutely no chance I could see us paying the £20+ million Chelsea would want for colwill and then loaning him out. plus he's easily good enough to play in the PL already imo

if we're playing a back three and we signed him then you have webster, dunk, colwill and jpvh who are natural, thoroughbred centre backs and veltman and cucurella, one of whom will likely be playing elsewhere on the pitch, probably cucurella at lwb. so assuming no injuries, which won't happen, that leaves two on the bench, not too crowded at all imo

re duffy: I believe his relationship with the blackburn fans has somewhat soured, as good a signing as it would be

 

[Machiavelli]

Occasional visitor from Blackburn Rovers here.
Given the success of JPvH on loan at Ewood last season, I wondered about the possibility of getting Haydon Roberts on a similar deal.
Is he good enough to do well in the Championship?
Some Rovers supporters are talking wistfully of buying van Hecke, but I think it's a non-starter.
Is there any possibility, though, that he might come back to us for another season?
After all, I assume he is still only 4th-equal in the pecking order with Clarke, below Dunk, Webster and Duffy. (5th-equal, if you retain Ostigard?)

There are a few small differences in my response to others but, on the whole, they're pretty consistent. One of the reasons why posters have a slightly different take on things is down to Potter, and the numerous formations he plays (which explains why [MENTION=23795]Hugo Rune[/MENTION] considers Cucurella a CB -- whereas I think he's a LB or LWB who could very occasionally fit in as an unconventional CB if the formation requires; there's also the issue of whether City want him, and want him enough to meet our valuation which, as yet, is unresolved).
I suspect we'll go with 5 CBs in our squad next season (with u23s as back-up). Dunk, Webster and Veltman will be three of those, and in all probability, the first picks of them. Who the other two are is open to question, but I'd say that JPvH is at the head of that particular queue at present. That leaves Duffy (who has said he wants to play regularly, so will be off provided a club has the good sense to buy him -- could that be Blackburn?), Ostigard (also wants to play, I suspect he'll be sold but, again, our valuation will need to be met) and Clarke (I think there's more of a likelihood of him staying than others do but that will depend on whether we sign a CB for the squad next season, eg Colwill).
Roberts is extremely promising, but is smaller and perhaps less of a bricks-through-walls style CB that Duffy certainly is and you might be able to confirm whether JPvH is too. He's left-footed, good on the ball, quick, and reads the game well for a youngster. We'll see how far he goes.
We've also got a few other CBs in our u23s that look promising too, but I doubt any of them will be playing at Championship level next season, although the following season might see it happen.
While we've got you, there haven't been any rumours at this end on BBD this window, what about at yours? I suspect we might be comfortable with our three strikers (Maupay, Welbeck and Undav) with Trossard able to play the false nine role too.

 

[chaileyjem]

Edit: Adingra on season long loan to RUSG.

Window closes: Sept 1st 11pm.
u21s: Players born on or after 1 January 2001.
HGP - Home Grown Player - see definition

1. Sanchez ( HGP ) (2025)
2. Steele ( HGP ) (2023)
3. Scherpen (2025)
U21. Rushworth (2025)
4. Lamptey (HGP) (2025)
U21. Karbownik (2024)
5. March ( HGP ) (2024 + option)
6. Cucurella (2026)
7. Veltman (2023 + option)
8. Webster ( HGP ) ( 2026)
9. Dunk ( HGP ) (2025)
10. Duffy ( HGP ) (2023)
11. Clarke ( HGP ) (2023)
12. van Hecke (2023)
13. Østigård (2023)
U21. Offiah (2024)
U21. Roberts (2023)
U21. Turns (2024)
U21. Leonard (2023)
14. Mwepu (2025)
U21. Caicedo ( 2025)
U21. Jenks
U21. Kozlowski ( 2026)
15. Moder (2025)
16. Alzate ( HGP ) (2024)
17. Lallana ( HGP ) (2023)
18. Groß (2024)
19. Mac Allister (2023)
U21. Enciso (2026)
U21. Sarmiento (2026)
U21. Khadra (2023)
20. Richards ( HGP ) (2024)
21. Trossard (2023 + option)
22. Mitoma (2025)
23. Maupay (2023)
24. Welbeck ( HGP ) (2023 + maybe longer)
25. Undav (2026)
26. Andone (2023)
27. Zeqiri (2024)
28. Connolly ( HGP ) (2024)
U21. Sima (2025)
U21. Ferguson

Loans out ( maximum 8 to overseas clubs ): Adingra (RUSG),
Sales in this window: Enciso (2026), Adingra (2026)
Sales out this Window: Bissouma ( Spurs ), Cochrane ( Hearts )

 

[maresfield seagull]

Edit: Adingra on season long loan to RUSG.

Window closes: Sept 1st 11pm.
u21s: Players born on or after 1 January 2001.
HGP - Home Grown Player - see definition

1. Sanchez ( HGP ) (2025)
2. Steele ( HGP ) (2023)
3. Scherpen (2025)
U21. Rushworth (2025)
4. Lamptey (HGP) (2025)
U21. Karbownik (2024)
5. March ( HGP ) (2024 + option)
6. Cucurella (2026)
7. Veltman (2023 + option)
8. Webster ( HGP ) ( 2026)
9. Dunk ( HGP ) (2025)
10. Duffy ( HGP ) (2023)
11. Clarke ( HGP ) (2023)
12. van Hecke (2023)
13. Østigård (2023)
U21. Offiah (2024)
U21. Roberts (2023)
U21. Turns (2024)
U21. Leonard (2023)
14. Mwepu (2025)
U21. Caicedo ( 2025)
U21. Jenks
U21. Kozlowski ( 2026)
15. Moder (2025)
16. Alzate ( HGP ) (2024)
17. Lallana ( HGP ) (2023)
18. Groß (2024)
19. Mac Allister (2023)
U21. Enciso (2026)
U21. Sarmiento (2026)
U21. Khadra (2023)
20. Richards ( HGP ) (2024)
21. Trossard (2023 + option)
22. Mitoma (2025)
23. Maupay (2023)
24. Welbeck ( HGP ) (2023 + maybe longer)
25. Undav (2026)
26. Andone (2023)
27. Zeqiri (2024)
28. Connolly ( HGP ) (2024)
U21. Sima (2025)
U21. Ferguson

Loans out ( maximum 8 to overseas clubs ): Adingra (RUSG),
Sales in this window: Enciso (2026), Adingra (2026)
Sales out this Window: Bissouma ( Spurs ), Cochrane ( Hearts )

Karbownwik would be disappointed not to be considered with the players in the mid teens
Rather than the defenders if reports are to be believed

 

[GT49er]

Occasional visitor from Blackburn Rovers here.
Given the success of JPvH on loan at Ewood last season, I wondered about the possibility of getting Haydon Roberts on a similar deal.
Is he good enough to do well in the Championship?
Some Rovers supporters are talking wistfully of buying van Hecke, but I think it's a non-starter.
Is there any possibility, though, that he might come back to us for another season?
After all, I assume he is still only 4th-equal in the pecking order with Clarke, below Dunk, Webster and Duffy. (5th-equal, if you retain Ostigard?)

Shame you didn't get promotion - if you had, I think another season loan would have been a no-brainer. You wanted the player, and we would have been happy for him to get a year's PL experience - sadly that ship has sailed.
For my money, I'd have him in our squad this season - but I've given up trying to second guess what the club will do!

 

[LamieRobertson]

Slightly off topic….season kicks off a month today ..I wonder how many answers to questions posed here….and then new questions…just one more month.

 

[Rover In Exile]

Thanks, Machiavelli, and all the others who replied.
Duffy first.
I'd like him back, but as one poster above mentioned, he did leave Rovers under a bit of a cloud last time.
JPvH certainly IS the type who would run through a wall, but he's very comfortable on the ball too.

This discussion highlights the massive gap between the PL and the rest.
JP would walk into any Championship team, but if you don't get any injuries, he might not get a game for you this season!
This is bizarre from a player's point-of-view, I think, but I suppose they look at their bank-balances for comfort!

As for BBD, it's all quiet at the moment. A couple of weeks ago, there was a rumour that he was close to signing for Salernitana(!?).
I can't believe that was any more than agent-stirring.

We have Jon Dahl Tomasson as our new manager/coach, and I think he is still assessing the squad.
Certainly, without selling Ben, it's hard to see that we will be laying out much cash.
Of course, we're nowhere near the end of the "eternity" also known as the transfer-window yet, so anything can happen.
The club is apparently holding out for 20 million.
That is ridiculous in my eyes, but as we get closer to August 1st, panic will no doubt set in at some PL clubs, so who knows?
I'll do you a deal.
You get BBD for ten million, plus JPvH and Khadra.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Thanks, Machiavelli, and all the others who replied.
Duffy first.
I'd like him back, but as one poster above mentioned, he did leave Rovers under a bit of a cloud last time.
JPvH certainly IS the type who would run through a wall, but he's very comfortable on the ball too.

This discussion highlights the massive gap between the PL and the rest.
JP would walk into any Championship team, but if you don't get any injuries, he might not get a game for you this season!
This is bizarre from a player's point-of-view, I think, but I suppose they look at their bank-balances for comfort!

As for BBD, it's all quiet at the moment. A couple of weeks ago, there was a rumour that he was close to signing for Salernitana(!?).
I can't believe that was any more than agent-stirring.

We have Jon Dahl Tomasson as our new manager/coach, and I think he is still assessing the squad.
Certainly, without selling Ben, it's hard to see that we will be laying out much cash.
Of course, we're nowhere near the end of the "eternity" also known as the transfer-window yet, so anything can happen.
The club is apparently holding out for 20 million.
That is ridiculous in my eyes, but as we get closer to August 1st, panic will no doubt set in at some PL clubs, so who knows?
I'll do you a deal.
You get BBD for ten million, plus JPvH and Khadra.

It’s quite interesting comparing the tone, humility and reasonableness of your post, having just had a PoTS defender on loan from us in the Championship compared with the vast majority of Leeds fans who came on here after we loaned them White and demanded we allow him to escape to the bigger club. And you’ve won the top tier more recently than them!

That said, we can’t do your BBD deal!

 

[Machiavelli]

It’s quite interesting comparing the tone, humility and reasonableness of your post, having just had a PoTS defender on loan from us in the Championship compared with the vast majority of Leeds fans who came on here after we loaned them White and demanded we allow him to escape to the bigger club. And you’ve won the top tier more recently than them!

That said, we can’t do your BBD deal!

Yes, agree with all of this, especially about tone, humility and the BBD deal

 

[Machiavelli]

Thanks, Machiavelli, and all the others who replied.
Duffy first.
I'd like him back, but as one poster above mentioned, he did leave Rovers under a bit of a cloud last time.
JPvH certainly IS the type who would run through a wall, but he's very comfortable on the ball too.

This discussion highlights the massive gap between the PL and the rest.
JP would walk into any Championship team, but if you don't get any injuries, he might not get a game for you this season!
This is bizarre from a player's point-of-view, I think, but I suppose they look at their bank-balances for comfort!

As for BBD, it's all quiet at the moment. A couple of weeks ago, there was a rumour that he was close to signing for Salernitana(!?).
I can't believe that was any more than agent-stirring.

We have Jon Dahl Tomasson as our new manager/coach, and I think he is still assessing the squad.
Certainly, without selling Ben, it's hard to see that we will be laying out much cash.
Of course, we're nowhere near the end of the "eternity" also known as the transfer-window yet, so anything can happen.
The club is apparently holding out for 20 million.
That is ridiculous in my eyes, but as we get closer to August 1st, panic will no doubt set in at some PL clubs, so who knows?
I'll do you a deal.
You get BBD for ten million, plus JPvH and Khadra.

In terms of your point about the gulf between the PL and Championship, it's something we're coming round to. We managed to stay up in our first two seasons in the PL more by the weakness of a few teams around us than us improving. It's only really since Ashworth and Potter have come in that we've solidified ourselves in the PL -- and there is the open question of how long this lasts.
Back to you point about the gulf, I think this is one of the reasons why it's unclear whether Clarke has a future with us. He's won, I think, three consecutive PotS awards at Championship level, but his limitations (lack of pace, reading of game) will get ruthlessly exposed at the PL level. That said, I'd be comfortable with him as a fifth choice CB, as already indicated.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

In terms of your point about the gulf between the PL and Championship, it's something we're coming round to. We managed to stay up in our first two seasons in the PL more by the weakness of a few teams around us than us improving. It's only really since Ashworth and Potter have come in that we've solidified ourselves in the PL -- and there is the open question of how long this lasts.
Back to you point about the gulf, I think this is one of the reasons why it's unclear whether Clarke has a future with us. He's won, I think, three consecutive PotS awards at Championship level, but his limitations (lack of pace, reading of game) will get ruthlessly exposed at the PL level. That said, I'd be comfortable with him as a fifth choice CB, as already indicated.

The gulf between Championship and the Premier League will only widen season by season, as the Premier League income continues to rise. This is what makes it so hard for promoted teams to stay up beyond a season or 2.

We are 'lucky' that we (as you rightly say) managed to just stay up in the early days, and now our recruitment strategy is bearing fruit we might be out of the relegation mire for now at least.

It's a shame for many of our academy players that the level to play in the PL is ever increasing, at least for those clubs looking at mid table upwards. Clarke in particular can consider himself very unlucky not to get a chance.

 

[Rover In Exile]

On the subject of the "gulf", I have come round to thinking that the idea of a European Super League is not such a bad idea.
Of course, the PL would lose a lot of glamour (and money!) with MU/MC/Liv./Spurs/Ar/Chel gone, but you'd get a much more even and exciting playing-field, with more chance of promoted clubs establishing themselves, and a better spread of competition.
To exaggerate slightly, what we have now - season after season - is about seven clubs playing for the top-six, and 13 fighting to avoid relegation!

 

[Javeaseagull]

Not sure why Clarke is being written off as he has performed very well in the Championship. That is the same as Dunk, Duffy, Webster and BBD did before before we got promoted obviously.
Some seem keen to dump him before he has played for us which I find odd. He hasn’t played for us yet because of the players in front of him. That’s not the case now.

 

[chaileyjem]

Edit: Rushworth to L1 Lincoln on season long loan.

Window closes: Sept 1st 11pm.
u21s: Players born on or after 1 January 2001.
HGP - Home Grown Player -see below. Each squad contains no more than 17 players who do not fulfil the "HGP Player" (HGP) criteria. The rest of the squad, up to a total of 25 players, must be "HGP".

1. Sanchez ( HGP ) (2025)
2. Steele ( HGP ) (2023)
3. Scherpen (2025)
4. Lamptey (HGP) (2025)
U21. Karbownik (2024)
5. March ( HGP ) (2024 + option)
6. Cucurella (2026)
7. Veltman (2023 + option)
8. Webster ( HGP ) ( 2026)
9. Dunk ( HGP ) (2025)
10. Duffy ( HGP ) (2023)
11. Clarke ( HGP ) (2023)
12. van Hecke (2023)
13. Østigård (2023)
U21. Offiah (2024)
U21. Roberts (2023)
U21. Turns (2024)
U21. Leonard (2023)
14. Mwepu (2025)
U21. Caicedo ( 2025)
U21. Jenks
U21. Kozlowski ( 2026)
15. Moder (2025)
16. Alzate ( HGP ) (2024)
17. Lallana ( HGP ) (2023)
18. Groß (2024)
19. Mac Allister (2023)
U21. Enciso (2026)
U21. Sarmiento (2026)
U21. Khadra (2023)
20. Richards ( HGP ) (2024)
21. Trossard (2023 + option)
22. Mitoma (2025)
23. Maupay (2023)
24. Welbeck ( HGP ) (2023 + maybe longer)
25. Undav (2026)
26. Andone (2023)
27. Zeqiri (2024)
28. Connolly ( HGP ) (2024)
U21. Sima (2025)
U21. Ferguson

Loans out ( maximum 8 to overseas clubs ): Adingra (RUSG), Rushworth (2025/Lincoln),
Sales in this window: Enciso (2026), Adingra (2026)
Sales out this Window: Bissouma ( Spurs ), Cochrane ( Hearts )

HGP - A "Home-Grown Player" means a player who, irrespective of nationality or age, has been registered with any club affiliated to The Football Association or the Football Association of Wales for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons, or 36 months, before his 21st birthday (or the end of the season during which he turns 21).

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Edit: Rushworth to L1 Lincoln on season long loan.

Window closes: Sept 1st 11pm.
u21s: Players born on or after 1 January 2001.
HGP - Home Grown Player - see definition

1. Sanchez ( HGP ) (2025)
2. Steele ( HGP ) (2023)
3. Scherpen (2025)
4. Lamptey (HGP) (2025)
U21. Karbownik (2024)
5. March ( HGP ) (2024 + option)
6. Cucurella (2026)
7. Veltman (2023 + option)
8. Webster ( HGP ) ( 2026)
9. Dunk ( HGP ) (2025)
10. Duffy ( HGP ) (2023)
11. Clarke ( HGP ) (2023)
12. van Hecke (2023)
13. Østigård (2023)
U21. Offiah (2024)
U21. Roberts (2023)
U21. Turns (2024)
U21. Leonard (2023)
14. Mwepu (2025)
U21. Caicedo ( 2025)
U21. Jenks
U21. Kozlowski ( 2026)
15. Moder (2025)
16. Alzate ( HGP ) (2024)
17. Lallana ( HGP ) (2023)
18. Groß (2024)
19. Mac Allister (2023)
U21. Enciso (2026)
U21. Sarmiento (2026)
U21. Khadra (2023)
20. Richards ( HGP ) (2024)
21. Trossard (2023 + option)
22. Mitoma (2025)
23. Maupay (2023)
24. Welbeck ( HGP ) (2023 + maybe longer)
25. Undav (2026)
26. Andone (2023)
27. Zeqiri (2024)
28. Connolly ( HGP ) (2024)
U21. Sima (2025)
U21. Ferguson

Loans out ( maximum 8 to overseas clubs ): Adingra (RUSG), Rushworth (2025/Lincoln),
Sales in this window: Enciso (2026), Adingra (2026)
Sales out this Window: Bissouma ( Spurs ), Cochrane ( Hearts )

So, at a minimum we need to reduce our 'squad' i.e. non-U21 players by 3 based upon our current squad.