Really disappointing. We've basically not really added any quality into the first 11 at all.
Our best 11 this season is now basically the best 11 of last season just Hamer replacing Walsh.
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When you have a very young team, the team improves every year. Our first team squad has 16 young players that you would expect to be better than they were last year. We didn't have six of them last year, so can't use these as comparisons.
But in addition to the "added quality" of those six (Ostigard, Dacosta, Sheaf, Hamer, Hillsner and Walker) there are 10 more young players in our first team squad who played for us last year who we can expect to be better players this year, even if they may at times look outclassed by the talent and experience of more established Championship players from the much better financed teams that we'll be up against.
Hyam, Pask, Rose, Giles, Dabo, MacCallum, Jobello, O'Hare, Shipley and Bakayoko will all probably improve in quality. I'd be surprised if we don't see a marked improvement in some over what they were last year. I think we have already seen an improvement in Hyam, O'Hare and Bakayoko.
And there are others that were nowhere near the first team squad last year that could still be playing important games for us later in this Championship season if needed like Eccles, Bapaga and Drysdale. We will need this larger squad of eligible players to survive the threat of immediate relegation.
Just look at the quality of the players on the bench this year. I think the club's recruiting policy is adding quality and depth of cover year on year,whatever you might say about the best starting elevens, this year compared with last.