Does Size Really Matter ?

[Kingsmills]

There seems to be an accepted wisdom which ICT have bought into along with everyone else that a club needs a first team squad of 22-24 players to compete in the SPL.

I wonder if that is in fact the case ? I know that there has to adaquate cover for injury, suspension and loss of form but surely a competent squad of 2 goalkeepers, 6 defenders, 6 midfielders and 4or 5 forwards would be enough to a side through most seasons.

The advantage would be that there would be a tighter, happier squad with ferwer potentially discontented first team aspirants cooling their heels in the reserves and if the odd youngster had to be blooded from time to time in an emergency would that necessarily be a bad thing ?

The other major advantage of operating with a squad 20% smaller would be that the remaining players could be paid 20% more without increasing the budget thereby increasng the quality of player who we could attract in the future.

[Harry Chibber]

The players that played in different positions last year:

Keeper - Brown, Fraser

Left Back - Hastings, Golly, Morgan, Munro

Right Back - Tokely, Caff, Proctor, Parratt

Centre Half - Dods, Munro, Caff, Hastings

Right Wing - Wilson, Proctor, Hart, Xander

Left Wing - McBain, Morgan, Wilson

Centre Mid - Duncan, Hart, Black, Fox, Keogh, McBain

Forwads - Wyness, Dargo, McCallister, Brew, Bayne

Brew has obviously fecked off so leaves a gap upfront so either we need someone else in or McCallister and Bayne will play more next season

If Fraser also goes to livi on loan I'm sure there will be a clause in his contract that if Broonie gets injured he can be recalled

Fox seems to be off to Livi but now Keogh is back I don't think he would have featured much in the new season anyway

I think we need more options on the wing for the new season..... hoolahan??

Apart from that I think we had a perfect squad size last season

[Alex MacLeod]

We also compete in the SPL reserve league. Looking at most proffessional teams around Britian 26 is generally the aim of the lower budget teams and I would say that is about right. We have been fairly consistent in our progress through cup tournies which means playing twice a week at times so additional comer is a must.

For some of last season we had four people out through injury at one time. If we went with the 18 min that Kingsmills suggests and the same injury level were to occur we wouldnt have a matchday squad.

[caleyboy]

You are absolutely spot on Kingsmills. A squad of 18 would do exactly as you say. Most other SPL teams have very young reserve teams and that is good for their development.

[CaleyD]

There are probably as many arguments for a smaller squad as there are against it.

However, my only thought comes down to Money, and although this may sound a bit backward, I think lack of money actually means you need a the 22-24 squad size.

If we had a stash of funds available to buy "the best" then yes, you could fill your team with superstars and reduce the squad size and rely on youngsters for the reserves. But as it is we have to take in players who may be unproven at this level and it becomes a bit of a numbers game. If we sign 3 such players and one of them makes it as a first team regular, then we are doing well IMO.

You need to be spending far more than we spend on 2 or 3 signings to get a "guaranteed" good player, and even then things can go wrong.

If it's not broken - don't try and fix it.

[nude_as_the_news]

Apart from the need for cover in an injury crisis, the biggest argument against reducing the squad is that players will become complacent. If a player's going through a bad patch of form, he can relax (to some degree) knowing that the manager would be unlikely to rush in an untried teenager as his replacement.

With the squad size that we have there will be fringe players who don't make it, but players who believe they're good enough will want to stay. And of course the manager will keep those that he judges the best for his system. Without wanting to sound too much like an evil Tory, 'competition' and 'choice' seem to be good things in a squad!