So thinking ahead, if we are relegated, who do we think stays and who doesn’t. Manager Current Squad 1 Alex McCarthy (G) 13 Joe Lumley (G) 30 Aaron Ramsdale (G) 31 Gavin Bazunu (G) 2 Kyle Walker-Peters (D) 3 Ryan Manning (D) 5 Jack Stephens (D) 6 Taylor Harwood-Bellis (D) 12 Ronnie Edwards (D) 14 James Bree (D) 15 Nathan Wood (D) 16 Yukinari Sugawara (D) 21 Charlie Taylor (D) 28 Juan Larios (D) 35 Jan Bednarek (D) 37 Armel Bella-Kotchap (D) 57 Jayden Moore (D) 4 Flynn Downes (M) 7 Joe Aribo (M) 8 Will Smallbone (M) 9 Adam Armstrong (M) 10 Adam Lallana (M) 18 Mateus Fernandes (M) 20 Kamaldeen Sulemana (M) 22 Maxwel Cornet (M) 26 Lesley Ugochukwu (M) 33 Tyler Dibling (M) 54 Romeo Akachukwu (M) 60 Joseph O'Brien-Whitmarsh (M) 11 Ross Stewart (F) 17 Ben Brereton (F) 19 Cameron Archer (F) 24 Ryan Fraser (F) 27 Sam Amo-Ameyaw (F) 32 Paul Onuachu (F) 46 Jay Robinson (F)
Ramsdale KwP ThB Abk (meh, no loss) Fernandes Sulemana (hopefully) Cornet Lesley Will all be gone for definite. Leaves us a (I think) relativey strong 2nd division side. Obviously we'd need to bring a few in ... Question marks over Downes & Dibling, depending on how their season goes
I’m not sure Downes has adapted so well although that may be down to the managers tactics. Wonder which players have any clauses allowing them to leave in the event of relegation. I thought Ramsdale did. Also, and possible big one here is what happens to the Manager.
I only have down Ramsdale as a definite sale. Obviously those who are only here on loan, or out of contract, are different (I think that comprises of KWP, Lallana, Lumley, Lesley, Cornet) - I suspect they might all leave. I do think Dibling and Fernandes would be very likely to leave, but ultimately I think it will come down to whether anyone would pay the transfer fees demanded - because I doubt we would sell either on the cheap (particularly Fernandes). This is why I don't put them down as definitive leavers. The likes of Paul, ABK and Sulemana we might look to move on, but whether that happens is another question. And likewise maybe a fringe player or two (Larios for example). But I think the rest, by and large, would still be with us. I don't see THB or Downes or Archer being sold. I think (or at least hope) that we'll be really well set up to attack the Championship, with minimal additions required (maybe only, say, three first team players needing to be signed). I don't know how Edozie is getting on at Anderlecht, but apparently Charles is having a very good season at Sheff Wed. So he could come back in to replace Lesley.
Yeah would agree largely with this. I’m not sure Dibling would go, he would get great value playing every week and not convinced he’d be pushing to leave. I do wonder if we will need a couple of high sales. Ramsdale would be one of those for sure but I think there may be a set fee already agreed there, with us taking a slight loss. Bit of a cheap loan if you like. Archer I think would be very good next season. Kind of getting more excited thinking about next season opposed to this, one of the reasons I made the thread. What do you think will be the manager situation? I am wondering is Lee Carsley is being spoken with. He may think it could be a good time going back into club management and perhaps wouldn’t mind dropping a league. And the U21s play a good brand of football.
According to Transfermarkt, the contracts up in the summer are; Lumley Stephens KWP Lallana With Cornet & Lesley returning to their parent clubs with not much sorrow. The most concerning going into a year left is Sammo. He is in and around the squad, but I think we need to show him or guarantee that he’ll get starting chances next season to get him to sign an extension Now THB has his foot in the senior camp I’d expect him and Ramsdale as well as Fernandes to be 100% certainties out the door. Dibling will get an offer we can’t refuse sadly, but depending on management and probably finally get sales for Too Tall & heArtBreak Kid, then we should be able to convince the rest to stay Bazunu Sugawara Edwards Bednarek Taylor Downes Charles Aribo SAA Archer Armstrong
At the moment the only players who I can see definitely leaving are Ramsdale and KWP, plus the loanees returning. A handful of others will depend on the rest of the season. If THB and Fernandes have decent individual seasons then I think they are likely to go, but as Brendy said they’d go for decent money. Dibling is a wait and see for me as, I’d expect, we’d want good money for him like we got for Lavia and Livramento and I don’t know if there would be interest at that sort of price. Downes possibly if a promoted team wants him, but again with him only just signing I’d imagine we’d want a pretty big fee that I don’t know if anyone would pay based on his performances so far. Same with Sugawara, I can see there being interest but we might want too much for another club to pay. Players like ABK, Onuachu and Sulemana I’d imagine we would want rid of and with another year of their deals having run we might find buyers cheaper than we wanted this last summer. I can’t see the same level of turnover as last time we were relegated and we should have a strong side for the Championship, and similar to last time we just need to get on a roll and momentum/ability should he enough for us to challenge at the top end of the league. But I’d be surprised if at least half of the consensus “best 11” this season didn’t leave
Strangely, I think this injury break will have helped Bazunu and when he is back fit he won’t be playing week in and week out and will train alongside Ramsdale for a bit. Whether that’s enough to improve on the fundamentals we shall wait and see
If Bazunu returns from injury before the end of January, I'd like to think that we'd loan him out. Give him five months to stake a claim for the shirt next season, and if he doesn't perform then we ditch him and sign a new keeper in the summer to replace Ramsdale.
Even though I rate Ipswich less than Wolves and Palace, because of who they signed over the summer they are arguably better set up to attack the Championship than the other two. Wolves and Palace would likely suffer quite big squad overhauls, and neither are exactly flush with cash (especially Wolves). So in that respect, it might not be a bad thing if Ipswich don't come down with us. (But they will.)
Interesting point re Bazunu. Considering we are statistically the most error prone team right now in terms of our in game mistakes contributing to the most goals and also shots, whilst GB was great with his distribution, it begs the Q with the errors leading to shots isn’t where you’d want him in goal. As in you’d play safer with him between the sticks. Weirdly, we played that way with AM in goal as in less pissing around at the back with a better shot stopper in goal than AB. Just says to me Martin is deluded. We shouldn’t have been buggering around at the back when do session of errors leads to shots at a keeper renowned for being weak at stopping shots.
Current Squad 1 Alex McCarthy (G) - Still here, poss No. 1 13 Joe Lumley (G) - End of Contract 30 Aaron Ramsdale (G) - Lmao, gone! 31 Gavin Bazunu (G) - Probably still here tbh, but if he is i'd have him behind McCarthy in the pecking order 2 Kyle Walker-Peters (D) - Physically running away from this binfire on a free 3 Ryan Manning (D) - Stays 5 Jack Stephens (D) - End of Contract 6 Taylor Harwood-Bellis (D) - Uncertain 12 Ronnie Edwards (D) - Stays 14 James Bree (D) - May stay 15 Nathan Wood (D) - Stays 16 Yukinari Sugawara (D) - Stays 21 Charlie Taylor (D) - Stays 28 Juan Larios (D) - He will stay but does it really matter? 35 Jan Bednarek (D) - Stays 37 Armel Bella-Kotchap (D) - Will attempt to leave 57 Jayden Moore (D) - Assume stays 4 Flynn Downes (M) - Stays 7 Joe Aribo (M) - Stays 8 Will Smallbone (M) - Stays 9 Adam Armstrong (M) - Stays 10 Adam Lallana (M) - Think he still has enough but can see him calling it a day 18 Mateus Fernandes (M) - Could possibly fluke him staying like Alcaraz (he is better for us than Charlie though). 20 Kamaldeen Sulemana (M) - I just don't think we are capable of flogging him 22 Maxwel Cornet (M) - End of loan 26 Lesley Ugochukwu (M) - End of loan 33 Tyler Dibling (M) - Might fluke him staying by virtue of valuation and his own history, but its uncertain. 54 Romeo Akachukwu (M) - Assume stays 60 Joseph O'Brien-Whitmarsh (M)- Assume stays 11 Ross Stewart (F) - Stays 17 Ben Brereton (F) - Stays 19 Cameron Archer (F)- Stays 24 Ryan Fraser (F) - Stays 27 Sam Amo-Ameyaw (F) - Stays 32 Paul Onuachu (F) - Assume leaves 46 Jay Robinson (F) - Assume stays Not a terrible side for the Championship in theory.
Stephens had a years extension applied in the summer as a result of promotion, so he's got this season and next on his current deal.
I just pray we’ve learnt how important it is to have a GK that can save shots, and bring in a new no.1 when Ramsdale inevitably goes. Not been much to enjoy about this season but having a quality GK has been so refreshing. We’d be on 1 point and a considerably worse GD if Baz was in goal.
That’s a good memory jogger on Charles. We loaned him out & got in Big Les! I appreciate Charles probably needed / will gain from a year out but boy o boy the replacement is miles worse. Maybe, just maybe we should have used him better, last year & retained ….. and we’d have a free loan slot (to **** up).
