It does surprise me that a that a team that always has 5-6 injuries and is aiming for the title/top 3 has such a small squad (25 including 4 youngsters). 

As Tom says we look light up front, but also in defence. The website states we have 4 defenders, 4 strikers (including Wood) and FIFTHTEEN midfielders, including wingers. Teams do tend to overload the midfield nowadays and forget about defence and strikers.

However, I would say McShane could play up front and Gallagher, Francomb and Vincent can play in defence. Even so if one of the main CBs get injured we have little cover. It was this lack of cover up front and in defence which cost us the title last season.

Thought it was a great exercises yesterday - and we seem to be improving rapidly, despite the new faces - there's clearly a lot of talent out there now when you think what the likes of Barratt, Nikaj, Dennon, Alfie, Wood and now Forester can do - exciting times.

Special shout out to McShane though - he really is a gem, and imo is playing some of the best football of his career - so intelligent the way he reads the game and other players runs, one of the first names on the teamsheet perhaps this season...

@adeb Agreed, McShane was excellent again and has definitely been the standout of pre-season along with Camp.

Will be interesting to see what the line-up will be for Dagenham as I don't think you can leave McShane out now. I reckon it will be a similar line-up to yesterday with both of Barrett and McShane behind one of Rutherford or Nikaj. Going to assume it will look something like this:

                              Morris

             Camp       Annesley      Sayers

  Wood        Francomb          Pybus          Lewis 

                    Barrett         McShane

                            Rutherford

Subs: Foulkes, Philpot (if fit), Vincent, Grass, Tauta-Caballero, Forster, Nikaj

Wouldn't surprise me if Vincent started over Sayers though, and it feels an odd decision to let Lawrence go on loan looking at that bench...

I think Forster starts ahead of Lewis tbh

Posted by: @dorking-eagle

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I think Forster starts ahead of Lewis tbh

Sorry David, but Forster starts over Wood for me.  Not been overly impressed by him so far. Reminds me too much of Seb Bowerman. Rarely takes his man on, prefers to pass backwards to Brennan.

Long run, for sure Forster will be starting, but at the moment he is well behind Wood and even Lewis for minutes, as his first pre-season game was last weekend at Lewes.

@calvertskans could this work...might be a case of outscoring the opposition... 😬 

                              Morris

             Camp       Annesley      Sayers

         Wood              Pybus            Lewis 

                    Barrett         McShane

                        Nikaj Rutherford

That looks a pretty attacking team @AdeB!  I like the idea of having two mobile strikers up top and given time, hopefully they will gel together and be a handful for anyone, given good service. 

I agree Macca has been excellent in pre-season but not sure there is room in the same team for him and Barrett, who will obviously start. Impact sub perhaps?  From what I have seen, it looks like Wood might be better defensively and Forster going forward,  so maybe it is a case of horses for courses.  Who does Pinchard come in for when he is fit? Is he battling Pybus for a place, or is he alongside with a Barrett as a No. 10? Will be interesting to see how this plays out. 

It will obviously depend on who and where we are playing but I think when everyone is fit, it will look something like this:

                         Morris

          Camp     Annesley    Sayers

 Forster       Pybus       Pinchard        Lewis

                        Barrett

            Rutherford          Nikaj

The good thing is that all 4 wingers are fairly interchangeable without any real drop in quality. I think Pybus and Gallagher will rotate a lot and Josh Taylor can also rotate with Pinchard when he's back. Philpot can either rotate with Annesley or can slot in alongside to form a back 4.

I do think we will see a lot more one striker formations this season (like against Charlton) compared to recent seasons, in order to get that extra midfielder in there (McShane, Gallagher, Taylor, etc).

Mostly agree with that but from om what we have seen in pre-season I would that Francomb should definitely start ahead of Sayers, he is a far more solid option, and Muitt is well ahead of Wood.