I love your optimism. My issue is for us to do well we will need break out seasons from at least 3 or 4 players (Fenton, Krishna, Gorrin, Cunningham, Boxall possibly) - they will all need to perform above the level we've seen from them so far, I'm not that confident that all of them will do that at once. Looking at who we have signed right now our squad is definitely weaker than last year although obviously we're not done on signings and I would expect McGlinchey + 1 other starting level player.
Moss
Fenton-Durante-Sigmund-Muscat
Gorrin - Riera
McGlinchey
Burns - Cunningham - Krishna
That looks ok to me going forward but the defence is still really weak. I don't think we'll be a top half team with that side myself
Yeh, maybe some reason to be concerned, but there are plenty of reasons not to paint it as black as all that.
We had a very good spell mid season with Riera on the park. We often played our best with only ONE of Carlos and Stein on the pitch. With Riera in behind, Lia in midfield providing some linkage (and not needing so much to play a defensive role), and with faster players around that central midfield grouping we looked definitely top four and had the best results in the league over around six games, including results against the top sides.
If we get a more mobile McGlinchey in for Carlos, with Gorrin alongside and Riera behind we are definitely better than we were for all but the purple part of last season, with only one caveat. While you are worried about the defense, for me it comes down to Kenny, Burns, Boyd/Krishna/Brockie plus McGlinchey and Gorrin getting enough goals. And I am thinking they are likely to be more than the sum of the parts. With three quick players in front of that midfield trio this might be a pretty dynamic handful for any opposition. Maybe a bit vulnerable to McGlinchey going down and Gorrin having to step up (where last year we had the Carlos/Stein options at CM), but otherwise I can't see this as anything but a stronger side better suited to Ernie's game. So long as they do finish.
And I'm not so sure the defense is "really" weak. If nothing else we have Riera and Gorrin both able to screen better in front of Dura and Sig. We leaked goals like a sieve with Lia having to drop back to DM with Riera's injury and we were weak there before Riera. And with some-one like Hicks playing higher with Carlos in front of Lia we were an accident waiting to happen defensively. We know for a fact we are much stronger with Riera doing that DM job. And I cannot for the life of me imagine Gorrin being anything but a significant upgrade when required to defend from high or if he needed to sit back with Riera, or as a back-up at DM if Riera was injured. Gorrin seems to me to be back-up at playmaker and DM, which is maybe a bit of a concern.
In the back four; sure we could do with more pace, but we'll be better for the improved midfield in front of us. Plus Boxall now has a lot of playing time behind him and has the potential to come in as a faster CB. And we have Fenton back in the mix. There is enough there to say to me we will perform defensively significantly better and possibly a heck of a lot better. And Ernie still has options to strengthen the squad.
There is the risk some of these guys don't improve, or don't prove to be as good as we would like. But I think there is no doubt we'll be better - apart from some uncertainty on proven goal production and vulnerability to who-ever is our McGlinchey/Carlos next season. But we've got more depth than last year. And we are more balanced to play the game Ernie wants to play. Not saying we are going to win the League, but I think there is more reason to be positive than not - assuming McGlinchey or similar, and with a few more to sign still and guys like Caira and Hicks and co given the opportunity to develop with less pressure behind better starters.
I'd see us line up like this, based on what Ernie has had to say, and Gorrin dropping to 4-2-3-1 or the team pressing 4-1-4-1 as required. And whichever mix of Brockie, Boyd, Krishna you like. If you loose Riera, Gorrin is cover. If you loose Gorrin, Lia can do a job, or Hicks. The one that bothers me is if Gorrin is not yet good enough to step in at playmaker if the McGlinchey role went down. And goal production. But it looks potentially pretty potent.
Moss
Fenton-Durante-Sigmund-Muscat
Riera
McGlinchey - Gorrin
Krishna/Boyd - Burns - Cunningham
Bench: Lia, Brockie/Boyd, Boxall, Spoon/Italy