The other day Wanderers released their squad numbers for the forthcoming campaign.
This seems quite early, but it’s possibly an indication of how quick we’ve acted in wanting to get the squad planned as soon as possible. You can probably read into some of Ian Evatt’s thinking in terms of who is wearing what – here’s one a few observations…
1 – Matt Gilks
Gilks has taken the number one jersey after Billy Crellin returned to Fleetwood. Gilks obviously took over the starting place after young Billy wasn’t up to scratch, but it remained to be seen whether Gilks would be the number one this season or another keeper would be brought in. Joel Dixon has come in, and while he is expected to compete for the place, this seems to confirm Gilks will get the nod to start the season.
3 – Declan John and 8 – Josh Sheehan
Two players who have taken shirt numbers despite them already being assigned to a player. There’s nothing particularly insightful to come from this, but these belonged to Liam Gordon and Brandon Comley, who will now wear 29 and 28 respectively, which is indication of how they haven’t lived up to expectations from when they arrived.
6 – George Johnston
The young Scot who has come to the UniBol via Wigan and Rotterdam looks as if he may be starting alongside Ricardo Santos a lot of the time. As I’ve said on this site a few times, there might be some rotation between him and Alex Baptiste (who will wear his preferred 27) – but as the season goes on I can foresee Santos and Johnston being the preferred duo at the back.
22 – Dennis Politic
Despite a year out due to injury Politic will still wear his usual 22, while he’s not guaranteed a starting space you’d imagine he will very much in the mix with the likes of Dapo Afolayan, Lloyd Isgrove and Xavier Amaechi.
30 – Ronan Darcy and 31 – Ali Crawford
These two wore 17 and 11 last season, in Crawford’s case at least before he went out on loan, but their numbers being in the thirties this season show how their stock has fallen over the last 12 months. Evatt has said good things about Darcy but it hasn’t translated into much first team action, while many wouldn’t be surprised if Crawford is no longer here come the end of the transfer window.
41 – Reiss Greenidge
Like Darcy and Crawford, but times a million. He’s down there with some of the kids now.
1-11
Interestingly, all numbers from one to eleven are now filled, which would suggest there aren’t too many, of any, big signings to be made for the rest of the summer.