Who would be able to make the step up

[dansch]

Who do we think could make the step up to the prem if we got promoted?

I think it's important to keep as much as the promoted playing squad together as possible when you go up as highlighted last year and by many other sides who dismantle their teams on reaching the promised land. Of course the gulf in class is huge but who can make it?

Trafford - definitely yes, a year in champ has done him world of good and will only get better. He has confidence regardless.
Roberts - I think he can do a job although an upgrade/decent competition is definitely needed. Not seen much from Sonne yet
CJ - Defo, hope he signs new contract, we need his passing
Steve - say no more, just amazing
Bash - not finished article but potential to make it in prem. defends well and has decent attacking output and is getting better.
Cullen - yes I'd like to see him play as he knows the team and knits things together so we'll
Laurent - good at this level but I don't think he'd cope in prem
Brownhill - great at this level but again I think he needs upgrading at prem level to compete. Defo keep if we can though
Hannibal - Lad has defo got something and great energy. Interested to see how he develops.
Anthony - this is the one that made me start this thread. Great tonight but does he deliver enough? Look at Benson and zarorury who had better seasons and have completely dropped off. I think we'd need better still
Foster - I think he still ha potential to do well in prem, has shown glimpses before although maybe someone more natural on left
Flemming - I think he's one of those who would actually do well in prem despite not being amazing. Well rounded player who will chip in enough here and there. We do need a better striker for prem though.

I realise that's 12 players but their the ones closest to making first 11 and not sure rest can cope in prem regardless. I've reserved judgement Edwards for now and still hold out hope for Luca!

Thoughts? No doubt have prob missed someone/something

[Commy]

I like Anthony, unlike some people I think he is a very good player, but his crossing leaves a lot to be desired. The cross for the goal was superb but he had tried a number before and they were awful. He does play some nice balls along the floor though. He is another that has looked better as the season has gone on.

[Devils_Advocate]

There's a few players who could hold their own and a few with potential but I reckon the only players Prem teams would want off us for decent money are Trafford, Esteve and Hannibal

Egan-Riley, Humphreys, Ramsey and Koleosho definitely have the potential but its a big step up

[Goliath]

We'd have a lot of good backup squad players but nowhere near enough first team quality. Realistically We'd have to spend 50 to 100 mill again to stand a chance.
The prudent thing to do would be to take anything over 30 mill for Trafford, and use that to help reinvest in the squad. We can't really justify having one of the most valuable young goalkeepers in the world if the rest of the squad desperately needs investment.

[alboclaret]

I like Anthony, unlike some people I think he is a very good player, but his crossing leaves a lot to be desired. The cross for the goal was superb but he had tried a number before and they were awful. He does play some nice balls along the floor though. He is another that has looked better as the season has gone on.

Exactly my view on him. I like him.
Mosty put poor balls in.
It goes to show when he/we put good balls in we can score. Tonight/Plymouth/Sheffield utd/Blackburn

[beddie]

Hasn’t Robert’s already told the club he wants to leave at the end of the season hence we brought Sonne in as his replacement.

[willsclarets]

Exactly my view on him. I like him.
Mosty put poor balls in.
It goes to show when he/we put good balls in we can score. Tonight/Plymouth/Sheffield utd/Blackburn

The mitigation for Anthony is that his crosses have to absolutely pinpoint. We rarely get many men in the box, he's basically aiming for zian flemming most of the time amongst 2 or 3 defenders and a keeper

[jdrobbo]

I too like Anthony and I think he’d actually flourish more at the next level up.

[KlyBfc]

Anthony has an absolutely unreal first touch, id taken it for granted i think until it was pointed out to me. That will help in the prem and he does work really hard, which would also help us and make him stand out more than many of the VK wingers.

[dansch]

At the end of the day I think a lot of the lads have to be given a chance. You can't substitute cohesion, would defo like to see the likes of Cullen be kept on as a starter but obviously if it's too much then resolve it. He did ok last year though when he was finally included.

[JR1882]

Traff
CJ
Steve
Bashir (maybe)
Hannibal (maybe)
Edwards
Laurent, purely from a physicality point of view.

Roberts Cullen Brownhill have already shown they aren’t prem standard.

Wouldn’t fancy any of our current attackers to be able to keep us up. Flemmings done well but possibly isn’t quick enough for a step up. Fosters been here 2 years and isn’t much of a goal threat still. Anthony & Luca don’t have a consistent enough end product.

I’d happily be proved wrong as it seems we have a really good & professional group at present.

[Cirrus_Minor]

Watching Estéve run past the breakaway Hull players, in second half, as if they were trying to get through treacle was incredible. I think there will be many Premier league clubs looking at him in the close season. Just hope we can get there to try and keep him at Turf Moor.

[NewClaret]

I like Anthony, unlike some people I think he is a very good player, but his crossing leaves a lot to be desired. The cross for the goal was superb but he had tried a number before and they were awful. He does play some nice balls along the floor though. He is another that has looked better as the season has gone on.

Have to say he drives me mad.

His cross for the goal was good, but it takes him about 8 crosses to find a good one and he just runs in to players. Didn’t feet he was anywhere near MotM to be honest, so others must see things I don’t.

I will credit him on his effort though, which is incredible, so I can bare with him a lot longer than I would be able to otherwise.

[Darnhill Claret]

We have a few young(ish) players who still have improvement in them, so it's difficult to rate them yet, as they aren't the finished article. Our back 5 should all have some improvement in them yet and I expect them to continue to improve as a unit. Pires should also have some more improvement to come, as he'll be more settled next season. I expect that Hannibal and maybe Cullen will have improvement in them. A fully fit and firing Edwards and a back to his best Shelvey, could both add something.
Add two or three class additions and we might manage 17th or better, fingers crossed.
Following season, we'll be looking for further, gradual improvements, ad infinitum.

[burnley007]

Would we switch to a back 5 if we went up? I think that's why we have Sonne and Pires, more attacking style fullbacks.
Worrall, CJ, Steeve and Hump can all play across the back line.

Just a thought.

[superdimitri]

Either everyone posting here is massively overrating our players or they are underrating the Premier League.
We may have 1 or 2. Most players we have are fringe Premier/top championship talents which says a lot about the gap in quality.

If Anthony was premier league quality would he have been loaned the past two seasons to the Championship?

Sorry to be the party pooper but

[morninbob]

Trafford, CJ, Steve, Bash, Edwards, Foster.

[rexe78202]

I actually think Koleosho would weirdly do better in the Premier League than the Championship. His injury obviously prevented him having a run last season.

[Darnhill Claret]

I think that Koleosho may need some rest and recuperation. Think we can now give him some time out, to get his body 100%. The strength of our squad makes this a realistic option. Health farm type, time out.

[NottsClaret]

Obviously if we make it up, a lot of them will get their chance. If we don't, I'd imagine there'll only be offers for Steve and Trafford from the top flight. CJ may too possibly, if someone could get him on a cheap tribunal fee.

So despite what we think, I reckon those outside our club would probably say two. Maybe three at a push. That's not bad for a 2nd division side though.

[Hipper]

Either everyone posting here is massively overrating our players or they are underrating the Premier League.
We may have 1 or 2. Most players we have are fringe Premier/top championship talents which says a lot about the gap in quality.

If Anthony was premier league quality would he have been loaned the past two seasons to the Championship?

Sorry to be the party pooper but

Agree. Only Trafford and Esteve (for his defending only) have a chance.

The possibles are:

Egan-Riley has had one good season at Championship level. He does not have obvious pace. I'm not convinced he can be Premier League level but he's young.

Humphreys is developing before our eyes and I'm sure we are all enjoying that. He's versatile but has lapses. Definite potential of course.

Hannibal has had two good games but that's all. He needs to develop further and that dodgy temperament must not reappear again. Not convinced he can be Premier League level.

The rest. Foster looked like he had potential in The Premier League and he still looks like he has potential in The Championship. He needs to deliver soon! Anthony does not have the pace. Cullen, Roberts and Brownhill have all been there and were border line at best and as the Premier League has moved on they've got little chance. Koleosho has shown nothing beyond pace and determination.

Shelvey, Edwards? Let's see what they do for us this season first.

As for all the crocks - Beyer, Ramsey, Tresor - who knows!

[JohnMac]

Too much obsession with who can step up on here. Let's get there first!

[warksclaret]

Criticism here about the quality of Anthony's crosses-at least he is getting a number of them into the danger area. How many crosses has Koleosho put in this entire season-I am struggling to remember more than a handful. Anthony is one of our consistent players and suspect his goals and assists record this season is pretty good and likely to get better

[Commy]

We are very reliant on Anthony. A number of times in recent matches the player on the left has been on their own with their arms in the air and we have chosen to go to Anthony who has two players near him. If you have the ball as much as he does you are going to make more mistakes, especially as a winger. I have noticed that he is now taking on the defender more and trying to get to the line which he wasn't doing in earlier games.