The case for the defence: squad depth analysis part 1

Who will be City's starting goalkeeper, centre-backs and wing-backs?

Stuart Maynard’s squad for the 2026/27 season has mostly taken shape (with one notable exception), and with pre-season underway we can begin to assess City’s options in different areas of the pitch.

In part 1 of our squad depth analysis, we consider the uncertain goalkeeping situation, the three centre-back spots and the wing-back roles, looking at who might be first-choice in each position and who might provide cover.

Goalkeeper

This is the great unknown. With Harrison Male having left the club after two seasons as first-choice keeper, the space remains vacant with less than three weeks until our first competitive fixture.

George Sykes-Kenworthy looks set to continue as backup, having signed a contract extension in summer, but it seems unlikely that he would be entrusted with a starting berth in League Two. The expectation, therefore, is that a new #1 will be arriving imminently.

There have been persistent rumours linking Fulham youngster Alfie McNally with a loan move to the club, and this was given weight by Stuart Maynard’s comments about bringing in a Premier League goalkeeper after the recent Barnsley friendly. With nothing confirmed, though, speculation has inevitably mounted over whether this move (or others) may have fallen through. Wait and see, then, for this position.

Right centre-back

This is another position where a vacancy has arisen: Malachi Fagan-Walcott was last season’s first choice on the right of the back three, but has now departed. It seems likely that Morgan Williams will take over this position, as he did when Fagan-Walcott was missing through injury in January and February last season. Williams proved an able deputy, as City won 9 of the 11 games he started and kept 6 clean sheets. While it will inevitably be difficult for him to replicate the impact of Fagan-Walcott in an attacking sense, Williams offers defensive solidity, athleticism and aerial presence, and is comfortable getting involved further up the pitch even if lacking Fagan-Walcott’s attacking flair.

Backup for the right centre-back position looks likely to come from Ryan Fallowfield, who made a handful of starts there last season when injuries limited York’s defensive options. While not a natural centre-back and lacking the height of Williams, he has proved himself a dependable option and is seen as an important figure in the dressing room. What he does offer is energy and enthusiasm, a willingness to get forward in support of the attack, and plenty of bite in the tackle. His role will surely be, as it was last season, primarily as an option from the bench.

Central centre-back

After joining on loan from Sunderland last November, Zak Johnson soon made the position in the middle of the back three his own with a series of increasingly commanding performances. Having now signed for City permanently, he seems certain to be the first choice starter in this role again for 2026/27. His strength in the air and reading of the game make him perfect for this position which is often the last line of defence. While reasonably comfortable on the ball, he is less well-suited to the outside centre-back roles which carry greater attacking responsibility, as was demonstrated in the few games he started at right centre-back last season.

With Callum Howe no longer at the club, the obvious backup for the central position in the back three would come from Ash Palmer. His game time last season was limited due to injury and the form of others including Johnson, and some expected him to depart this season (perhaps dropping back to a National League side on loan). He offers experience of league football, though, so Maynard may consider him a solid enough backup. Alternatively, further reinforcements may arrive for this role, or the other centre-backs at the club who could step into the central role (in particular, Medley and McArthur) may be deemed sufficient cover.

Left centre-back

The left-sided centre-back position belonged to Mark Kitching last season, with his combination of defensive nous, confidence carrying the ball upfield and crossing ability proving ideal for the role. With two new left-footed centre-backs recruited over summer, however, I believe that Kitching’s role may switch to left wing-back this season.

In this case, it would be new signings Zech Medley and Charlie McArthur battling for the spot on the left of the back three. Medley offers the benefit of adding height to the back line, and has played this role before (as well as even more advanced roles such as left wing-back). His greater experience of league football probably gives him the edge as the most likely starter here. McArthur is also left-footed and is comfortable bringing the ball out of defence, so may be in contention to start if he impresses in pre-season but is perhaps more likely to be backup at first. Kitching also remains an option in this position, of course.

Right wing-back

Who starts at right wing-back is one of the most open questions, and one of the most interesting. Jeff King was first-choice here last season after returning from loan at Boreham Wood in January, and made an important contribution to the second half of City’s title winning campaign. His accurate crossing ability is valued by Maynard, and he offers an option for delivering set pieces. However, he did look somewhat defensively exposed at times last season (for instance when facing Abdul Abdulmalik in the 3-2 defeat at Boreham Wood), and the wide attackers he will come up against in League Two are likely to present even greater threat. His last experience in League Two at Swindon was not a success, although off-pitch concerns may have contributed to this. The key question is whether Maynard believes King can make the step up to the league this time.

The other main contender for the role is Joe Felix. After winning clubman of the year in 2024/25, and being a regular starter in Maynard’s first two months in charge, he was surprisingly dropped from the starting line-up and only made sporadic appearances after that point. The reasoning seems to have been that, for the wing-back roles, Maynard valued attacking abilities such as crossing and dribbling over the stamina, defensive strength and versatility offered by Felix. However, injuries may have been a factor in why Felix couldn’t break back into the team, so with a full pre-season it could be that he emerges again as a contender to start.

Another possibility is that Joe Grey is selected at right wing-back: his pace and dribbling ability would provide a different profile out wide to either King or Felix. However, this may rely on further development of the defensive side of Grey’s game, and he is probably more likely to be used further forward. Additional cover at right wing-back comes from Ryan Fallowfield, who is comfortable slotting in here even if only as a substitute when the starter runs out of steam.

Left wing-back

Much like the right wing-back spot, this selection isn’t easy to call, with a few options available. As mentioned in the left centre-back section, I think that Mark Kitching may well be moved to this role. This move would allow additional height in the side, and would not be alien to Kitching: he has played at left wing-back a fair amount in the past, including during Oldham’s promotion season. His confidence in carrying the ball forward, beating opposition players and sending in crosses would seem to make him ideal for the role. The only reason to doubt this move is how effective he was in the left-sided centre-back position last season, but seeing him fielded at wing-back against Barnsley adds weight to the view that this could be his new role.

The other main option at left wing-back is Ben Brookes, who started here in 14 of City’s final 20 games last season after being mostly restricted to substitute appearances before that. Brookes’ arrival in the starting line-up helped solidify the defence, and he offered an additional left-footed crossing threat. Having only made his National League debut last season, though, it may be a challenge for Brookes to immediately adapt to a further step up. I expect him to be involved in the matchday squads, but as with last season he may have to bide his time to gain regular starts.

Another option comes in the form of Alex Newby: a majority of his 33 starts last season came at left wing-back, and he was able to offer a strong attacking threat from there, notching 14 goals. However, he is less comfortable with the defensive side of the wing-back role than either Kitching or Brookes, and may therefore be seen more as an option in attacking midfield. Finally, Zech Medley is another left-footer and has played at wing-back as recently as last season with Bromley, so could offer a further option here, but is more likely to be used primarily in the back three.

Stay tuned for part 2 next week, when our attention will turn to midfield and attack.