I've never seen a situation were a team has no reserve or U19 squad.
Sadly, I think its just your bad luck.
I will do my damnedest to turn Dynamos into a powerhouse, but be realistic, and get to the Prem division first, work on staying there and then worry about developing your talent.
Needless to say our facilities would take a lot of time and money to get to a stage where they are fully developed, so I wouldn't have expected anything much out of them, but something would have been nice!
#58685 sniper99 :
I've never seen a situation were a team has no reserve or U19 squad.
Sadly, I think its just your bad luck.
Squad as at 1 Sep '13
You will note that Sanudi is both unregistered and unhappy, but has three interested parties and no offers yet.
Mashego is receiving tutoring from his idol, Kweleta. But his stats are on the decline. And most of the players are unhappy about not having a fitness coach, and yet my Board don't yet allow one?
Approached the Board and asked for more coaches, so can now employ five!!! They are still not comfortable yet giving me more funds for transfers!
Thoughts on the squad
Anyone who is over the age of 30 is fair game for a transfer out, if they are not able to tutor someone that I have bought to the club;
We need to employ a fitness coach to stop the players complaining, and magic a physio from somewhere. I've left the physio advert running, and if I only get one applicant again, I may just have to bite the bullet.
Given the two tactics I am likely to employ will be the 4-4-2 and the 4-1-2-3 grid tactic, I need to have a more in depth look at the requirements of the team to implement these tactics successfully. It may mean that anyone in the squad who is a specialist winger, or a attacking midfielder is looked at carefully and more "generalist" type players who can cover multiple positions may be needed/preferred.
We have advertised for a fitness coach and are waiting for the applications to roll in, and have offered a contract to a regen with a physio score of 13, so fingers crossed!
Transfers in
As promised, a brief rundown of the player signings, and expectations.
Gavin Hammer, 22, RSA, ST, FREE ex AmaZulu.
Striker, who will be seeing a lot of game time from the bench. He has reasonable physical attributes and may even move to the first eleven on account of the 17 for penalty taking.
Lindani Ntamo, 22, RSA, MC, FREE ex Beerschot AC.
Left footed, pacey midfielder, who has fantastic technical attributes. I’m picking that Ntamo will be able to find a way around plenty of defenders.
Brandon Barkhuizen, 24, RSA, DR, FREE ex Bidvest Wids.
A fairly solid player to pick up on a free, he will be my starting right defender (and I am exceptionally pleased to have captured his signature after arriving at the club to find that there were no players to play in this position).
Buyani Bobbs, 18, RSA, DRC, FREE ex ASD Capetown
Originally bought in as the bench rider to cover the right and left defender roles, he was pressed into service when Zungu was shipped off to Platinum Stars on loan. Has reasonable stats, but is willing for work hard for the team and have the critical heading and tackling attributes.
Augustine Gcaba, 18, RSA, MC, FREE ex ASD Capetown
Dual footing midfielder with great physical attributes, he will compete with Ntamo for a starting role.
Yusuf Mashego, 19, RSA, ST, FREE ex ASD Capetown
Impressive dual footed young striker who has great physical attributes. Signed quickly and then mentioned that Kwelata was one of his idols and he hoped to learn a lot from him. That made it very easy to organize tutoring. Given the tutoring, it also seemed appropriate to allocate a starting role with his idol.
Sibusiso Ferreira, 18, RSA, DM, FREE ex ASD Capetown
A solid, if unspectacular defensive midfielder. Ferreira will spend most of his time riding the pine and will provide backup for the starting DM.
Junaid Sait, 19, SRA, DC, FREE ex Stars of Africa
Solid young defender signed to provide depth to a key position that was lacking prior to my arrival.
Dikgang Ngobeni, 19, RSA, DL, FREE ex FC Cape Town
U-21 representative who is the successor to the aging Thulani Ntshingila, and will immediately become the starting DL.
Achille Onana, 20, CMR, MC, 5K, ex KSA (foreign player)
U-20 rep for Cameroon with impressive physical stats and high flair attributes, Onana will be one of the starting MCs
Samuel Edgard, 20, CMR, DLC, 5K ex KSA (foreign player)
Another u-20 rep for Cameroon, Edgards stats are more well rounded, and will be the starting DC, with cover for DL. For a defender, his international caps (10) to goal (4) ratio is impressive. He may be a star from set piece play!
Issa Gomis, 20, SEN, DM/C, FREE ex Jeanne D’Arc (foreign player)
Gomis was the reason I chose to deregister Sanudi! He has a solitary international cap for Senegal, but has the ability to cover the defensive midfield role and the central defender role. He’ll be my starting DM, but provides flexibility. A good many of his stats are double digits already, including all of his physical ones.
Tebogo Mabaso, 19, RSA, GK, FREE ex Home Defenders
From all the new players, Mabaso represented the most stressful negotiation and waiting for confirmation. I’d shot myself in the foot if he hadn’t accepted because I had to de-register Sanudi in order to bring another foreigner to the squad, I’d sold of one my other keepers, Modiadie, so if this deal had fallen over, I would have been left with a fairly ordinary stopper until the next window. Mabaso has fantastic stats for someone so young, and I was worried that another club would sweep in and sign him. To say I was relieved when the confirmation came through was an understatement.
Hammer will be moving to a starting role sooner than I had planned with news that Kweleta is out injured for possibly two months with strained knee ligaments. I do need to sign a physio!
Squad status
Apart from one friendly (where I happened to win 5-2 in a goal fest) I have been experimenting with the grid tactic which employs a 4-1-2-3 formation. I have been surprised with the results thus far, and it would be fair to say that I will be deploying a similar formation for the rest of the season.
What does that mean?
The formation does not make use of “wide” midfielders, wingers or your attacking midfielders sitting behind your strikers. From the Dynamo squad, it means that if you can only fill a role which isn’t utilized, you are highly likely to be sold in the next window.
This will be touting Rito Hlabana, Joseph Mahlangu, Doctor Matsimbi and Prince Zimba to other clubs, and organizing a transfer for Sanudi.
In terms of replacement players, I will need a younger bench riding keeper, as my journeyman is now 33, and although he is contracted for another two years, he has interest from a club, so I may need to sell him.
I also lack a spark at striker, the five players I have are working well together, but with three strikers deemed starting, I need more cover in this area. I am now carrying a serious injury to one of the five, and the only bench strength I had has interest from another club, so I’ll be keen to pick up more cover, and I may need to look at the loan market as I am nervous.
I’m also keen to look for another defensive midfielder, Ferreira will develop in time I am sure, but he really was the best of a bad bunch at the time, so armed with a bit of depth, I can scout for players who have a bit more presence.
It is also apparent that the media and commentators have written us off this season. We are expected to finished 12th in the National First Division, which is at the lower end of the safety zone, with a 16 team competition.
We do have however, brilliant crowd support. Playing out of a rented 15,000 capacity stadium in Giyani, and pulling 10K for home matches.
There was even 6,750 turn out to watch the friendly against rivals Black Leopards.
Results for August 2013
17.8.13 First Division Cup First Round, away to United FC
We were give little chance by the media and commentators and pulled a 0-3 win from out of the bag with superb control in the midfield, and second half goals to veteran Ramudzuli and a brace to Kweleta. United did have a possession advantage, we were just better placed to use it.
24.8.13 National First Division, home to Bloem Celtic
Again, we were seen as the whipping boys pre match, and we did walk away with a slight possession advantage and our head held high as we demolished our opposition 4-0. The goals were scored by our strikers as Kweleta and Ramudzuli scored once each and youngster Mashego did the double.
Centre back Sait is out for a month with a groin strain though.
31.8.13 First Division Cup Quarter Final, home to Bloem Celtic
We must be giving staff and players at Bloem Celtic nightmares, as we once again toppled them 3-0, with strikers Ramudzuli and Mashego scoring. A nasty injury to Kweleta early in the first half bought Hammer to the paddock, and gave him to the opportunity to showcase his skills. Hammer picked up the Man of the Match award, and a late goal.
Bloem Celtic carried a significant possession advantage through this game, and yet, still could not find the back of our net.
Dymanos will play FCAK at home in the First National Cup Semi Final.
Neither teams have won the Cup at this stage.
Yay - Innocent Jacobs has agreed terms to be our new physio! I am glad I held out for a while. Jacobs has a 13 score for physiotherapy opposed to Sharan Vassan whom had only a seven.
I've just been robbed!!
We've suffered a 2 all draw away against Witbank Spurs. Centre back Edgard was on international duty, which meant a reshuffle of the defensive line, and a debut to Ferreira in the DM role. He gets injured which causes major problems as I don't have cover for DC or DM on the bench, and we were absolutely pinged at every available opportunity by the ref.
Far from happy, but also know it has shown massive holes in my recruitment!
