A squad better than last season?

[lutleyyeltz]

https://www.ht-fc.co.uk/player-news
Over to you Andy (we should p**s this league)!

[drummyb]

Well. Who'd have thought we'd have kept most of the squad two years ago!!

[piearce9]

Great news. Apart from Piggo and Montel, anyone else missing from last season?

Also, don’t know if people have seen but Paul Smith did an interview with Switch Sports (available on Spotify) which gives a lot of fascinating insight from behind-the-scenes. Worth a listen. Reason I mention it here is because he does talk a bit about Montel and some of the transfer shenanigans that were going on back in January.

[HalesowenHarry]

You'll struggle to find a squad kept together in the conference let alone our level. That's how fortunate we are to have such a great club and the foundations last season has given us such strength in these strange times.

[piearce9]

It’s going to be great to see the same players back wearing the shirt next season. After such a successful season, your main worry would be that sides at higher levels would swoop and we’d be left with big holes to replace.

It’s also good to put this list out - not just to keep geeky idiots like me happy- but it should offer a bit of a hands-off to local clubs who are still rebuilding squads and a clear-off to some of the mercenaries who are club hunting.

[andy]

https://www.ht-fc.co.uk/player-news
Over to you Andy (we should p**s this league)!

Who couldn't be happy with that! We must have a great set up now to be retaining players of that quality and enticing players to drop a level to come here. We so deserve to be back at the higher level denied us and I feel sure that Paul, Snapper and this squad of players will take us there.
Lutley, we will p*ss this league, no doubts!!!

[AwayDayYeltz]

Great news. Apart from Piggo and Montel, anyone else missing from last season?

Also, don’t know if people have seen but Paul Smith did an interview with Switch Sports (available on Spotify) which gives a lot of fascinating insight from behind-the-scenes. Worth a listen. Reason I mention it here is because he does talk a bit about Montel and some of the transfer shenanigans that were going on back in January.

Lee Hughes (if you're counting him?), Ethan Jones (did he play?) Jamie Lucas and Jack Holmes (all be it on loan).

I think that's it?

What a difference having a settled squad, that'll have a full (almost... ) season playing together, as well as a settled coaching staff, will make. We were brilliant to watch last season, this season should (hopefully) be better.

After the initial anger and disappointment over how promotion was stolen from us (maybe an arrogant view, but that's how I feel), I am now excited for the new season, whenever that may be. Hopefully September.

If we did get promoted last season, and this was our squad for the level above, I'd have every confidence in us challenging towards the top end of that league. Without any doubt.

[AwayDayYeltz]

Come on then folks, no sitting on the fence. If you were Paul Smith, what would be your strongest XI?

We're lucky enough to have quality players all over, so there'll be no right or wrong answer. This should get some fun responses!

I'd look at going 5-3-2 / 3-5-2

Bunn

Ashmore Evans Parso McCone Bowen

Hewitt Bunn Hawker

Sim Molly

If for whatever reason that formation isn't working, you could easily push Evans into midfield and go 4-4-2.

I can see Gregory starting, given where he has singed from, but I don't know too much about him, so can't really pick him. Same with the other signings we've made in Westwood and Carter.

[wednesburystokie]

Last season we used 29 players in 49 games as opposed to 61 players in 51 games in the 2018-19 season

in those 49 games we amassed 120 goals, we scored 91 goals in 101 games in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons combined.

The players we started with last season who are no longer playing for us are Montel Gibson, Lee Hughes, Jamie Lucas, Isai Marselia, Kartel O'Neill-Martin, Jordan Piggot and Jack Holmes. Ethan Jones never made a competitive start,

[piearce9]

Those stats are unreal. 120 goals in a season that got cut short. Incredible.