DINO Maamria is happy with the balance of his squad after bringing in four more new faces on transfer deadline day.
The Brewers play away to Fleetwood Town tomorrow, with both sides having strengthened their squads to suit their needs.
Manager Dino Maamria previously spoke about his ideal squad size of 22, including two goalkeepers, and the Brewers manager now believes his ambitions have been met.
“I’ve always said that I want to work with 20 outfield players and two keepers, and that’s roughly what we’ve got.
“We are satisfied with the work we’ve done (in the window). I think that is a massive credit due to the team, and beyond that as well. Everybody pulled together in one direction, and we’re very pleased.
“It was great to see the mood around the squad yesterday as it’s the best it’s been in a long time, so we are very satisfied with the work we’ve done.”
That work included a lot of chopping and changing, with a large squad shuffled appropriately to suit Dino’s planned squad structure and balance.
“I had to take the bold decision to shuffle it up. We brought in fresh faces that suit our system. They add a mixture of energy and experience that will give us the lift we needed as a football club.
“The risk is that we brought in and said goodbye to a lot of players, but it was a risk we had to take and we have been brave and bold. We have done everything possible to make sure that we climb up the league table.”
After the transfer window players have to compete for positions, but Maamria believes it is a good problem to have.
“Obviously Victor moved on, but now we have Josh Walker, Gassan, Dale Taylor, and Sam Winnall; that’s probably the first time in a long time that the club has had so much quality in the striker positions and that gives me a selection headache, but what a nice headache to have.”
The Brewers’ opposition this weekend also have plenty of attacking options, most noticeably the deadline day arrivals of Jack Marriott and Jayden Stockley.
Maamria said: “Fleetwood have changed massively. They’ve brought in huge players. This weekend will be different for them; they’ll likely change shape and try to accommodate the new forwards, but we’re prepared for any outcome.”
Preparation has however been slightly affected by illness and minor knocks. Terry Taylor, Ciaran Gilligan, Jonny Smith and Bobby Kamwa are doubts for this weekend’s fixture, whilst Sam Hughes and Connor Shaughnessy are getting fitter each day and should both be available.