Right. Looking at the squad without the current loan players and ignoring a few youngsters who haven't played yet (Ben Wells, Kyle Lapham and Leigh Henry) this is how the squad looks:
Rhys Evans
Sean O'Hanlon
Jack Smith
Nicky Nicolau
Jerel Ifil
Steve Jenkins
Gareth Whalley
Rory Fallon
Stefani Miglioranzi
Jamie Cureton
Ricky Shakes
Matthew Bulman
Alan Reeves
Andrew Nicholas
Charlie Comyn-Platt
Christian Roberts
Michael Pook
David Stroud
Ashan Holgate
It does look a little on the small side, however, if you take into consideration the positions we need to fill in a basic 4-4-2 system using the barebones squad we've got, it's fairly comfortable.
Assuming Gurney does sign and opinion is fairly unanimous that he will and also presuming we sign Brown, which I'd like us to, this is how the squad looks in a more detailed format.
Goal: Rhys Evans | Matthew Bulman
Right-back: Steve Jenkins | Jack Smith | Andy Gurney
Left-back: Andy Nicholas | Jack Smith | Nicky Nicolau
Centre-back: Sean O'Hanlon | Jerel Ifil | Charlie Comyn-Platt | Alan Reeves | Andy Gurney
Right-wing: Ricky Shakes | Christian Roberts
Left-wing: Nicky Nicolau | David Stroud | Aaron Brown
Centre-midfield: Stefani Miglioranzi | Michael Pook | Gareth Whalley | Charlie Comyn-Platt | Andy Gurney | Aaron Brown
Striker: Rory Fallon | Jamie Cureton | Christian Roberts | Ashan Holgate
Okay, so the players in bold are the ones who started the game today and those in italics are players on loan who I think are likely to sign. As it looks, there isn't a huge amount of depth in the squad but there's cover in all positions even without Gurney and Brown.
As DV has highlighted, much and a little more depends on certain players performing - Cureton and Nicolau in particular - as there isn't much depth or experience on the bench. For this reason, I'd look at bringing in an experienced goalscorer, a right-winger who can cross the ball well and has pace and a backup goalkeeper to push Evans for the first team spot.
All in all, things aren't too shoddy. Of the loan players who are leaving, we've not seen much of Collins, Heath or Mikolanda and Gurney and Brown seem poised to remain at the club. This only means we'd lose Bouazza and Heaton, Bouazza's 'versatility' would need to be replaced by the aforementioned experienced goalscorer and a pacey right-winger who can cross the ball and Heaton needs to be replaced by a half-decent goalkeeper.
However a lot of this all depends on players staying fit and injury free, the first choice players remaining in good form and hopefully a flesh-eating virus won't manifest itself in the changing rooms and decimate our squad, management and backroom staff.
That makes sense, but as you've said its very bare, it will be a struggle when injuries and suspensions kick in.
Whalley and Roberts have hardly played this season. Smith went off injured today
Jamie Cureton could well hand in a transfer request and we havent seen much of Nicolau
