My thoughts based on those players I have seen either live or on match videos. And also from the radio commentaries that I rely on every week. Feel free to shoot me down if you think I donât see enough matches to make such bold statements. Gerken â Unspectacular but certainly no worse than many others at Championship or Lge One. I also think we should try to get Henderson back although I know heâs lined up for West Ham. Ribeiro â Missed very few games with injury while at Carlisle and Scunthorpe so perhaps the body is now ready for a good season with City Wilson â If heâs fit he must be in the team every match, otherwise heâll want-away. Fontaine â Although not absolutely certain as he seems to be out injured at least 50% of the time. Foster â Very useful because of his versatility but at left back with the other two back four already mentioned gives us some good pace at the back. Edwards â Either give him a go or let him go. Deserves half a dozen games at least. Skuse â Would be my holding midfielder but like Wilson allows a manager other defensive options. Bryan â Will stagnate unless he gets more regular games. An exciting prospect. Is he ready/good enough to be our regular left-back next season Elliott â Another like Fontaine. Iâm not totally convinced that his style of football as a midfielder creates enough goal chances for others and doesnât take enough of the chances he gets for goals. Donât doubt his commitment. Reid â If heâs as good as reports suggest, then get him in the team/squad. He will not improve in the stiffs! Pearson â Has worked hard for us and good all round midfielder but needs to score more. Pitman â The best natural goal poacher on the books. But doubt about his total commitment in matches and wonder if thatâs why heâs featured more as a sub. Stead â We need to support him better so he can work where he is most productive â taking on central defenders and creating chances for second striker and attacking midfielders. Not out on the wing or back in midfield. Adomah â If we got a good offer of say £3million plus, I would take it. Yes he is exciting on the ball but consistently fails to produce end results in terms of goals scored and created. Bolasie â Same comments as Adomah except £3m would be highly unlikely. I donât have any knowledge of young players like Lewis Carey, Ball, Amadi-Holloway, Muggeridge. Even this list has too many if Derek McInnes really is the new broom to sweep out the Ashton Gate cupboard. So he may want some of these gone and if any of the above are out of contract, I assume they will certainly be moving on. If we go down Cisse will want to go. Goodbye to; Any barrack room lawyers and ****e stirrers. McAllister, six years of hard graft even if occasionally prone to errors, I donât doubt his effort for us. Clarkson, perhaps not used in his best position but mostly disappointing. Nyatanga, workmanlike but not enough pace. Ryan Taylor. Marlon Jackson. Louis Carey very lucky to get this yearâs contract. Woolford, never got started here but really not up to Championship level. Kilkenny, should shut his mouth and start creating but he is definitely not the âTin Openerâ we need in midfield. As for the future, I am reminded of Jack Charltonâs comments when he became a club manager. The first year to sort out the playing staff, continue building a team in second year with promotion in third. Fourth year to consolidate before you get out while the going is good. This sounds very good philosophy for players when joining a club. 1st year get to know how your team operates best. 2nd / 3rd years play offs and then promotion. One more year consolidating and then move on to start again. With this in mind there are several in my âstayingâ list who should be gone.
Either way I would keep Fontaine, Nyatanga, Wilson, Foster, Skuse, Elliott, Pearson, Adomah, Stead and Pitman. Possibly keep Bolasie, Carey, Edwards, Bryan and Riberio Would not look to renew loans of Spence, Wood or McGivern That means moving on James, Gerkhin, McAllister (good servant to the club to be fair to him), Ciisse, Kilkenny (no better than LJ), Woolford, Taylor, Clarkson and Jackson So a big clear out whichever league we are in - who comes in depends on what division it is - but we need a keeper, a commanding centre half (McManus?), a left back, creative midfield player and a pacy forward. I suspect if we go down Albert will be sold.
bit harsh on Taylor i think he could be a good player if he stays fit like a younger version of stead
Who would i keep, just going to browse the teams profile and jot down who is worth keeping and who isnt Keep Fontaine Nyatanga Elliott Stead Skuse Reid Bolasie Wilson Cisse Gerkin Foster Adomah Pitman Pearson 14 Out James Spence McAllister Carey Kilkenny Woolford Taylor Clarkson Riberio Edwards Jackson Ball Holloway Muggeridge Bryan Carey (GK) Stewart McGivern Wood 19 then let Del bring in 10 of his own players
Good comments from all. There seems to be a consensus of opinion about the majority to stay. Dirtydoyler; I haven't seen enough of Taylor so that's why I did not include him. Loanees; I assumed all loanees would leave at the end of the season with perhaps only McManus of interest to DMc as a permanent signing. Youngsters; Good to see Bobby Reid on the lists of others. But I think the managements star youngster is Joe Bryan and I agree wholeheartedly. Don't see any reason to let keeper Lewis Carey go. Nyatanga; I pruned my original list which included him but only as cover rather than a first choice. There may be some surprises from all of our "Retain 'em lists" because if they are out of contract, it is quite likely they will be allowed to go and replaced with others in order to reduce the average wage of the squad.
I'll make this point time and time again but why would we want to get rid of Ribs!? He's easily one of the best defenders at this club and has proven his fitness this season. I'm somewhat surprised Del hasn't included him in any squads yet because he is streets ahead of the likes of McGivern, Spence, Nyatanga, Bikey (or whatever his name his), McCallister etc. I've never seen him put in a below par performance for City.
we recalled him back becasue hes injured, and he always will be, i like the lad but he wont get no more than 15 games due to injuries thats why i got him down to go
I agree with this list with Bryant added also much as I like Pearson this year just think we need a more creative midfielder, so would poss keep him as a back up but we need someone so much better in that position.
Shiny, reference Ribeiro. He went to S****horpe on a two month loan on 12th January. He started 10 games and completed all these games except two. In fact between 14th Feb and 10th March, just 24 days, he played 8 matches for S****horpe. In his second game was subbed after 4 minutes with a head injury and in 7th was subbed in 89th minute for tactical reasons. He played his last game on 10th March when he injured a hamstring, obviously not too serious because he finished the game, did not play for Scunny again and returned to Ashton Gate on 22 March at the end of his two month loan spell. He has since played in two reserve games and no mention anywhere on City's website of a hamstring problem. In fact two weeks ago McInnes hinted he could be in the squad for Boro' but this did not happen. Both Carlisle before Christmas and S****horpe appear delighted with his performances while on loan. So like Ashton Matt, I wonder why he is not getting a game when we need his quality of player. PS. the automatic editor has deleted the four letters from the League One team that play at Glandford Park. Lucky I did not mention Arsenal or F***ing Bristol Rovers!
I would even go as far to say he is the best defender at this club. So Del please select him today! I questioned you not playing Stead when he's the best player at the club and now I want our best defender back for this run-in. You know it makes sense
Last Saturday when going home (Dorchester) (apart from my Chateau in Bordeaux!) I had to stop at Tesco to do my lotto. As I went in the store there was a lot of young chaps with green tracksuits and stood waiting for them was a smart dressed little chap not the coach driver but Gary Johnson. (Returning from Bournemouth) I broke the ice by saying it was an honour to have such a big celebrity in Dorchester! In return he laughed in his little Joe Pasquale voice. I then introduced myself as a City fan of which we then chatted for a good 10 minutes about 'what's going on', he said he could only comment as an outsider but said about the lack of team spirit and enthusiasm in the team and they lack someone that brings that to a team (I thought of Scottie in the old days) I did say how well and hard working Jon Stead has been, Gary replied, 'he won't keep that up, that's why he's been at so many clubs!' he also said even though we had drawn the last few matches we had only won once in the last 15 and that's why we're in this position and I said we had been lucky when the other teams were dropping points until Coventry's sudden change of fortune. I made the comment of sometimes having too many loan players and not being a settled team, of which he agreed then I told him that he had also done that at the City (too many loan players) and he answered sometimes that's all you can do but doesn't help when a decent one has to go back (McManus). He hopes we don't go down and can turn things around, but adding it won't be easy! Another ex-City connection, a couple of weeks ago I watched Dorchester midweek against Chelmsford City, who's manager is Glenn Pennyfather. I spoke to him after the match and when I said about being a City fan he replied 'all right me babber!' He said he loved his time with the City and tell them that! Nice Guy.
I think Dean has shown that he is loyal to the club, never heard him come out and complain that he should be playing regurly. I think he at least deserves the chance to stay here as number one for a season at least, to see how he pans out as number one. Hopefully James reduces his wages and stays on as his coach.
I remember the first time I saw Ribs play in a City shirt. Living in Devon, I took the opportunity to go and see a pre-season game at Torquay a few years back when GJ was still in charge (can't remember what year but it must be 3-4 years ago). He came on as a 2nd half sub and immediately went bursting up the pitch from LB and I sat up and thought "who the hell is that" - they didn't announce the subs. He looked awesome - a step above most of the others on the pitch. Ever since that day I have been waiting for him to fulfill his potential. I really think if given the chance he could be a star for years to come at our club. I just wish Del would give him a chance before he has to decide on the contracts and who he wants to keep. He seemed not to fancy Stead for quite a while but now he's one of the first names on the teamsheet. I reckon if he gave Ribs a run in the team and he stayed fit he would be won over in no time. Problem is - now is not a good time for him to be trying out new players. He has to stick with those he knows/trusts. I just hope we don't end up, like with Henderson, regretting letting a good young player go.
