Positively Go Wing Forward

(Guest blogger time: I'm delighted to welcome the erudite Cruncher to these pages for the first of what I hope will be many contributions. I much admired yer man's blogs for the Pride of Somerset site last season and any post by him on the green room and then the achieve by unity forums are always required reading. Here's his first blog for this site, hopefully the first of many.
Taff)

Positively Go Wing Forward

Well we're nearly ready for the real stuff and sure as ever the first August kick off approaches with the traditional mix of excitement and vulnerability. Not that we would have it any other way, of course. Bliss is the ignorance of those that seek the boring comforts provided by large doorstep-populations and Russian billionaires - they know not what they are missing.

What certainly is not missing at Huish Park is a positive management team, determined to cut a way through all the restrictive financial barbed wire to assemble a promising youthful blend of signed and loaned players. Terry Skiverton leads from the front with the McCawberish perspective that good times will come, though importantly with the added self-belief that he will engineer that good future and not depend on fate. To continue the Dickensian theme, he needs to be as shrewd as Scrooge with the hunger of Oliver Twist.

Which brings us to assess the manager's pre-season work. My instinct is that he's has gone some way towards rounding the circle (though have a concern or two) but still suspect he might have a trick or two up his sleeve. Increasing striker and flank options has been done cleverly, to my view. Working the forward budget presumably to its limit, we happily continue with Sam Williams and Dean Bowditch, superbly bolstered by Luke Freeman and Andy Williams also contending the front places, and an exciting prospect with a golden chance to come through in Craig Calver. Such a full and varied striking provision (especially all fit) has been unheard of since the cull of Kirk, Owusu & co.

I'm also excited by our new strength on the wings. Last year a lack of strength in depth and variety in the wing department caused problems. Andy Welsh had a very good season, but Scott Murray disappointed, hindered initially through a lingering injury problem. Gavin Tomlin did well on the right, but a return for Arron Davies backfired (another lingering injury, it later transpired). And Downes was injured most of the time. With no back-up or alternative to Welsh and Tomlin, I felt that as a squad we had our thrust and attacking intent diluted, and that it impacted on other areas.

With a quartet of Welsh, new signing Andy Williams, and hot Premiership prospects Luke Freeman and Cameron Stewart on loan, I am hopeful that we will get more goals and points. The interchanging in the forward and wide positions that has been glimpsed in the pre-season matches also provides for optimism that we will have a more potent attacking force. The flexibility of Williams and Freeman is such a boost, especially with budget in mind, and Stewart seems able on either wing, regarded as a good crosser who can also cut in and score. His arrival now makes Williams available as another striker option. And all have pace aplenty.

There has been the odd murmur that we have become top-heavy on wingers, I did see a hint (was a bit tongue-in-cheek, I think) on the Achieve by Unity forum from *Mine Host that we might already have had enough wingers before Stewart's arrival, and in the context that we may well still need some other departments reinforced I can see the sense in that. With some need to defend by attacking, my two-penneth is that Skiverton has a good and necessary balance between his four exciting wing options, especially with the value to the budget that Freeman's and Williams's versatility provides.

*Opportune time to say a big thank you to Taff and to let you know who to blame. I have long-admired his blogs and forum posts and before that his Ciderspace work, so I feel he has afforded me a great privilege. Whether he was drunk at the time, I don't know, but it's a bit like risking someone's muddy boots trail through your pristine Homes and Garden living room. The biggest joy has to be at the chance to do such a terrible, terrible pun as is the title - it really is a strong addiction, for which I apologise (but have no remorse).

Right, as we were: a bit of tweaking does appear to be needed, or I fear that we might see a lot of entertaining positive football but not enough points to show for it - some deja vu about that. As it happens, I have a feeling that manager Skiverton is on the case, based on ..er .. nothing concrete. I am glad to see that we have now three good contracted centre-backs, and am enthused about the young and versatile Watford loanee Rob Kiernan, but share concerns that we may be now exposed to fast counter-attacking after having the luxury pairing (as I saw it) of Forbes and Caulker. Sullivan has shown some good ability, by reports, though I wonder if a revisit or similar to McCarthy's loan of last season might be the longer plan.

With Alcock and Smith still staying, and the new additions of Ayling and Upson, I think the potential of this squad is put into perspective by stating that a couple of the golden additions of last season, (such as McCarthy, Mason, MacDonald, SuperGav) could realistically raise League Table hopes to a comparatively giddy height.

Has the shrewd (nay, resourceful) and hungry Terry Skiverton got anything left in his kitty to juggle with? I am not sure, and that is where the nerves are a bit egdy, but on the whole, I continue to admire how he goes about his rebuild and can't wait for the excitement proper to begin.

Cruncher