So, with League One football looking an increasing certainty next season it's got me thinking about the current squad and what's likely to happen between now and the start of next season: 1. Burge - out of contract, can't see us retaining him 2. Huggins - hopefully can get fit and stay fit 4. Evans - sadly still in contract 5. Batth - jury is out 6. Doyle - will go back to City and probably go back out on loan to a Championship side. Mixed feelings on that 7. Dajaku - think agreement to sign him only kicks in if we get promoted. FWIW I'd keep him if possible 8. Embleton - frustrating but has potential. This time last year there were Championship clubs interested in him. Doubt that is still the case 9. Broadhead - out of contract at Everton but think our chances of signing him would have depended on Championship football 10. Defoe - will retire 11. Gooch - out of contract and as much as I love the little radgie I think he needs a move 13. O'Nien - will be retained I'm sure, unless Wycombe go up and try to tempt him back 14. Stewart - we'll have a battle on our hands to keep him. I'd be offering him a new contract now 15. Winchester - will be retained 16. Willis - is surely finished. Can't see us offering him a playing contract. Massive shame 17. Cirkin - had an up and down year but I think there is huge potential there 19. Xhemajli - clearly not trusted to play. Will be released. Another massive shame 20. Patterson - expect him to be no.1 next season. Had huge potential but needs to bulk up a bit IMHO 21. Pritchard - another one we will struggle to keep hold of. You can see he is easily a cut above this level and much will depend on whether he's up for another season at this level 23. Diamond - I'd sell. I don't think he is good enough for League 1. 24. Neil - there will be plenty of clubs sniffing around this lad. His resolve will be tested as will that of KLD and the other money-grabbers in charge. 25. Clarke - will go back to Spurs. I'd try and get him back for another season, I think the lad has potential 26. Wright - I'd keep him but I reckon they'll let him go. Will probably be on big money for this level 27. Matete - rough diamond and hopefully will form a good partnership with Neil next season 28. McGeady - assume he'll retire 32. Hume - another rough diamond but another one with potential. be interested to see hiw he gets on with a few monre games and a full preseason under his belt 39. Hoffmann - assume he'll be back to Bayern. Am undecided on this one as he looked awful before his recent illness 77. Roberts - unless he gets some game time this season I can't see us retaining him Grigg - off you **** and never come back (except to score the winner against us for whoever he signs for. Obvs) Harris - meh. Is he good enough? Not convinced Kimpioka - out of contract I think. Should be binned. Will never make it here Wearne- would like to see more of him
hows about they buy players we need and not the cheapest in wrong positions, which i find the real reason we are not clicking, the loan players and freebies are many but i think that because Donald isnt chucking in his share but wants the profit if its KLD investing only, next season should see the shares resolved hopefully A decent thread top cat thanks for the input
added my thoughts on there, really cannot see a squad there for next season if we dont go up, i think we need a new 1st team keeper and get patterson a loan, we all know what a difference a solid keeper can make and the confidence spreads forward from there. every team makes mistakes in this league, we need a defensive line that can keep them to a minimum as i feel the current central and forward lads have enough in them to score enough but they will never manage that if we constantly end up on the back foot, confidence in the defence means we can play further up the pitch...hopefully we avoid the now 'normal' clear out and refit and are able to get those players added who will make the difference.
Frightening how short we are going to be next season. Massive rebuild on the way yet again just through the loan/out of contract players going. That's without offers coming in for Neil and Stewart (which they will). Speakmans ' this is a 4 transfer window project' ****e is pissing me off more and more when the bare facts about the squad are laid out.
Great thread TC. I would: Retain: Huggins, Batth, O'Nien, Winchester, Cirkin, Patterson, Matete, Hume, Wearne, Harris. Try like Hell to keep hold of, sign permanently or extend loan; Broadhead, Stewart, Pritchard, Neil, Clarke, Roberts, Doyle, Dajaku, Hoffman. Get rid or don't renew contract: Evans, Kimpioka, Grigg - Not good enough Defoe, McGeady - Too old Embleton, Gooch, Diamond, Wright - Consistently inconsistent Willis, Xhemajli - Crocked
You’ve done a lot of work there marra…. credit to you for that. However, I’m reminded of the old Johnny Nash song…..”There are more questions than answers”
Spot on with that for me. Only 1 I perhaps disagree with is Mcgeady but that depends on what he looks like when he comes back. I may be wrong but i think he's 35. Still a couple of years left at this level anyway. If we do somehow go up he may need replacing tho
Embleton is a proper footballer. But we always need a scapegoat don't we. Same people probably think Honeyman wouldn't have improved us in the time he's been gone.
Been a massive let down for me this season. Thought he would be the guy in the middle to get us playing after he was apparently inspirational in getting Blackpool promoted but I've seen nothing from him to suggest this. Been overshadowed by Dan Neil even tho he's gone off the boil recently.
I would keep Diamond same way I would have kept Younger, both if played and coached properly are more than capable at this level. Ideally I would like to see us re- unite Sanderson and O/9 again, but I think that is beyond our means and we will never know if Younger and O/9 could have matched that partnership , thanks to the previous creepy-crawly, and his fabled acumen.
Looks like I agree with most of that but will have a better look later. I agree about Wearne, I think there's a good player there.
Different to both Neil and Pritch but all play a similar role and none fit the wide positions where Embo has often been asked to play. I think he has real class every bit as good as the other two mentioned, but he needs the right set up to blossom, Blackpool had it, sadly we dont .