Its interesting.
I think up front we have AK9, Krishna and Dario but there is no 'off the bench option' and don't tell me 'we have Hamish Watson'. I don't see the point in signing an import to sit on the bench. You may as well not sign anyone so I don't see a striker coming in unless he starts which means someone further back the field has to sit.
Durante is aging but he is still on our books and is still a good footballer. If you move him to the bench then when does he play? Yes we have had a lot of changes at the back but we have Tom Doyle not getting a run so we do have depth at the back. As to how good that depth is, well...... If you sign a CB, why would you sub off an import CB (Rossi or someone else) for Durante? That puts you back in the situation you have now. Maybe that is the move that is made - get a new CB and relegate Durante to the bench. We also have Mullen, Abbas, Lowry, Fox etc. I see CB as a need but not this year. Let Durante play the year and I would not offer him a new contract next year unless he understands that its as a squad player and not as captain. I would like to see more from Rossi and I can understand Durante slowing at 35 vs the performances of a young, better pedigree footballer. Rossi should embarrass Durante but he has not been. He is more concern than Durante considering his performances should be head and shoulders above Durante given the relevant variables (age, pedigree etc)
I look at the DMs and I see Paracki and a black hole. Thats the player I would sign. Ridenton is 21 and may develop more into a better footballer. He lacks speed and takes too much time on the ball. He needs to seriously up those aspects if he is to hold his own and be a resourceful DM. For that reason, I would sign another player to play alongside Paracki. That to me is the weakness.
I agree with some points and have additional comments:
- once you remove Watson from the equation, we only have younger guys like Singh as backup; but we probably have enough upfront (I agree that Parkhouse is better as a winger than any other placement);
- I don't disagree that Dura is still able to play as a defender, but I wonder if his decision-making may be not 100% anymore; possibly Rossi may play better if Dura is not next to him telling him what to do (I would also expect more from Rossi but can settle on what he does now). I do not think our back-line has been very settled this season and it may be showing in our second half losses (is Dura tanking in second half??)
- I agree that it is the DM that we have persistently found wanting - is Paracki playing the role that Roly was supposed to play but did not? If so, Ridenton is a good future prospect but not a game winner, and Paracki with all his excellent skills and vision is also accident-prone and needs someone as good as him playing next to him; a younger / fitter Riera or a younger / fitter Lia would do the job nicely;
- I would also add that while we have Italiano and Keegan-Smith as able and willing goalies, they are only "OK" rather than an "excellent choice".