It's easy to forget how many players Slot has to get a look at before we dip into the market - which we should of course, before anyone gets it twisted - as we have 3 positions most Reds are calling out for improvement in.
This will probably not format/display as cleanly as I'd like by the time I embolden/italic it due to how the forum spaces things out, but I'll attempt a (rough picture). I am laying it out in a loose 4-3-3 as that's what we are familiar with - naturally it's possible that Slot goes 4-2-3-1 as our default, but this will do for now, with a view to clean-up at a later point. Also certain sides of the pitch (attack especially) are lop-sided for depth, so you may see one or two players in incorrect areas just for making easier reading of the numbers aspect of how many players are around - Carvalho I will definitely be placing in a "wrong" spot right off the bat. Lastly, a lad like Bajcetic can play multiple positions - I do understand a few will think "hold on, X lad should really be over here" - I know!!!! 
................Jaros - Davies - Pitaluga - Mrozek
..............................Kelleher................
..............................Alisson................
.............................Williams - Phillips
...........Beck - Scanlon - Chambers - Van den Berg
Bradley...........Gomez.......Quansah.........................Tsimikas
Trent............Konate.......Van Dijk.......................Robertson
.................Clark - Bajcetic - Morton - McConnell
..................Elliott...............Endo.............Gravenberch
...........Szoboszlai...............Mac Allister..............Jones
..............Koumas - Danns - Gordon - Doak
...........Carvalho..........Gakpo......................Jota
........Salah...............Núñez.....................Diaz
I think it's fair to say that Slot has a lot to take in, as does Hughes. Needless to say, there are players there who aren't good enough (sorry Nat Phillips, truth hurts) or ones that are GOOD but could use an eventual starting XI upgrade if the right player is available (I really like Endo, but want better) but there are also players who are still developing, or might break through. I do think we'll make an acquisition or two, but am not currently seeing a squad that needs major upheaval either - I think most agree that a right-sided forward, a centre-back and a DM would all be dreamy if they're of the desired quality. I don't think we'll be signing all three in one window, but those are the positions we most likely need to invest in. I hope we don't buy any "he'll do for a year or two" players - I'd honestly "make do" for a year to get a £60m player for that position next season, than buy a £20m stop-gap and eat into a future budget - but that's just me.
Also worth remembering that the Copa America and the Euro are on simultaneously, so I think the fact it's reasonably quiet for us is normal anyway - but especially given that Slot needs to see these lads at the AXA and make some assessments, which he currently can't do for many players.
Still, all-in-all I think that's a pretty healthy looking squad and with a few smart decisions can only get better. There are forty (!!!) players there I think and if we manage to upgrade on 3-5 of them pretty quickly (some via the market, some via further development, some via simply being available again like Bajcetic) we'll be in a really good place. Arne Slot has inherited a really healthy group of players.
Last edited by Insidious; Yesterday at 09:14 AM.
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Originally Posted by jozza800
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