Onto next season

[Left Wing Cross]

Looking at the team if we lost CB and Dickie,:

Eastwood
Long Mous Moore Ruffles
Gorrin
Sykes Henry
Hall Agyei Forde
​

Subs: Stevens, Atkinson, Jones, Napa ... "kids"

While you would want to improve the first XI, that's a decent foundation on which to build.

 

[OX14]

Looking at the team if we lost CB and Dickie,:

Eastwood
Long Mous Moore Ruffles
Gorrin
Sykes Henry
Hall Agyei Forde
​

Subs: Stevens, Atkinson, Jones, Napa ... "kids"

While you would want to improve the first XI, that's a decent foundation on which to build.

Thought Hall was out of contract this year?

 

[Left Wing Cross]

Thought Hall was out of contract this year?

Got an extra year just before he went on loan

 

[Gary Baldi]

Yeh I wouldn't want us blowing a million on one player. That was silly money for Cadden, we just don't need to be so tight when it comes to a players wage demands and end up losing out. Let's get are signings in early so they can gel quick. Don't forget Rob Hall is out of contract this year too. Someone needs to do a list of what players we currently have and how much time left on contract etc.

The issue is quality over quantity. And with COVID, it maybe wise to let other clubs set the market for agents. Just a thought

 

[battman]

That's quite a shopping list. I agree that some of those options would be great, but 10 new signings - phew! We'd be relying on some loanees in that lot.

Also, you have to get rid of some players - we've already signed up Long, Hall and Stevens. Who goes? The likes of Hanson, Forde, Mousinho etc are still here. To bring in some new players, we may need to pay up a few contracts/transfer list some players.

For me, get right on the model that works for us - shop for the best young talent in unfashionable leagues (Sykes, Whyte, Marvin Johnson, Gorrin) and the PL/Champ released players looking to rebuild their careers (Brannagan, Lundstram, Dickie, Moore, Ledson). If ticket revenue isn't going to be coming in, we need cash from elsewhere and only through player trading can we generate it. Cash in on Brannagan and Dickie now and use that to see us through 2020 and invest some in bringing that talent in to develop. Even more so, why not find another 'keeper that way too?

With cash flow soon to be a problem for all clubs, we need to prepare behind the scenes first.

I can see why some would like to bring more players in, but it's only really going to be a case of replacing those players that depart or have recently departed.

I can't see us signing a goalkeeper to simply compete with Eastwood, Stevens is fine and Easy probably wants to move up north anyway. Ditto fullback really, we'll bring in a Cadden replacement but I don't expect us to have backup left and right backs when Long and Forde can cover. Nor do I see us signing any centre-halves, plenty still have faith in Mous, Moore will be around and Atkinson will break through (Nico Jones might also get a look in).

I think this season we may have had one too many midfielders, so I only see us signing one or two if Thorne, Kelly, Hanson and Brannagan leave. And no doubt we'll be looking at players to replace loanees like Woodburn, Browne, Holland and Taylor if they don't return, plus a new striker if Mackie isn't kept on playing-wise.

 

[Manorlounger]

I distinctly remember an interview with KR in which he stated that player targets for the coming season had been identified, it was a case of League 1 or Championship to decide on some and formulate a budget for others. I would expect a list of players departing to be published fairly soon. As to those coming in, well, now is the time for the board to make their decisions. To finance a push for the coming season or to hold fire and hope things work out.
As I've said elsewhere, my opinion is that they need to impress the political side of the City and County in order to realise a new stadium. That means showing that they mean business. (If they can afford it and if they still want it)

 

[Mystery Yellow]

Looking at the team if we lost CB and Dickie,:

Eastwood
Long Mous Moore Ruffles
Gorrin
Sykes Henry
Hall Agyei Forde
​

Subs: Stevens, Atkinson, Jones, Napa ... "kids"

While you would want to improve the first XI, that's a decent foundation on which to build.

we going to have to clever with loans again I think losing Taylor, Browne, Holland, Kelly, Woodburn is a massive amount of quality gone for this squad already add the fact we going to lose Brannagan & Dickie aswell

 

[OX14]

we going to have to clever with loans again I think losing Taylor, Browne, Holland, Kelly, Woodburn is a massive amount of quality gone for this squad already add the fact we going to lose Brannagan & Dickie aswell

Plenty of loans available. But the important thing is they don't get recalled in January. Loosing Cadden in January was a big issue. We should have money to spend though as selling fosu and Baptiste in January while only bringing Browne, Holland, Kelly on loan means there should be a lot of money left over.

 

[Left Wing Cross]

we going to have to clever with loans again I think losing Taylor, Browne, Holland, Kelly, Woodburn is a massive amount of quality gone for this squad already add the fact we going to lose Brannagan & Dickie aswell

True but credit to the staff that we made far better loans this season than last season so hopefully they can do the same again.

In addition, last summer we lost Nelson and Whyte but still managed to have a good season.

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

I think Kelly could be a great little player in League one, especially at home, sitting in front of the back four and dictating play. You could almost play him at home and in away games against teams with big pitches who like to play, and then have Gorrin for more battling teams or little away grounds where it’s more of a scrap.

 

[tonyw]

GK: New GK/Stevens
RB: Long/Forde
CB: Moore/Mousinho/Atkinson/Jones
LB: Ruffels/Berkoe
CM: Gorrin/Kelly/Thorne/Hanson
RM: New RM/Henry/Sykes/Hall
LM: New LM/Napa
ST: Taylor/Agyei/Mackie

Plus any youth like Goodhram, Lopez, Lofthouse, Spasov, Sole etc

To stick to my theme of "We can't really make any predictions about the squad until the EFL decides what next season is going to look like"......

......if what the Telegraph reported actually comes to pass for the 2020/21 season i.e. 20 max senior squads, eight of whom have to be homegrown......

EFL proposes League One & Two salary cap

League One and Two clubs could be placed under salary cap restrictions by new English Football League proposals.

www.bbc.com

.......then this squad wouldn't be allowed. It's 23 players, with only 6/7 being homegrown (don't know whether we'd be able to count Matty Taylor, given that he was homegrown but left and then came back - another open question)

The EFL may force everyone - us included - to restrict our spending for next season to save as many clubs as possible, but also maintain some form of competitive balance.

 

[battman]

To stick to my theme of "We can't really make any predictions about the squad until the EFL decides what next season is going to look like"......

......if what the Telegraph reported actually comes to pass for the 2020/21 season i.e. 20 max senior squads, eight of whom have to be homegrown......

EFL proposes League One & Two salary cap

League One and Two clubs could be placed under salary cap restrictions by new English Football League proposals.

www.bbc.com

.......then this squad wouldn't be allowed. It's 23 players, with only 6/7 being homegrown (don't know whether we'd be able to count Matty Taylor, given that he was homegrown but left and then came back - another open question)

The EFL may force everyone - us included - to restrict our spending for next season to save as many clubs as possible, but also maintain some form of competitive balance.

There will be a lot of loopholes I'm sure. Firstly, we don't know what 'homegrown' will look like. For example does Ruffels count as he joined the club as a 19-year-old and played in the reserves? Or do you have to make you way up from the U18s? What will the clubs that don't have academies do?

And secondly, what constitutes a 'senior' professional? Is it age or wage or what? How can you distinguish young players with professional contracts coming through the system with young players who are already in the first team? When does a player start being a non-senior professional? Will the EFL prohibit young players from getting game time because they're not part of a 20-man squad?

I seriously doubt that the wage cap will be introduced in its current proposed form, and I seriously doubt it will be voted on, agreed and fully implemented in 6 weeks time. This is the EFL we're talking about, they took at least a month to vote on the league's resumption. If a cap is agreed, it may be partly introduced in the 2020/21 season, but very few clubs would agree to introducing everything in full with such short notice.

 

[Essexyellows]

We seem to forget there may well be a lot of players looking for jobs in a few weeks.
If it isn`t EFL "rules" or FFP then lots of clubs will be drastically reducing costs to survive.
Why have a squad of 20 or 30 when you have no idea when/if the season will start and in what format?

Down the road at Leicester Tigers the senior pro`s were offered a reduced salary with a deferment of the balance until cash flow improved or leave. Several have left.
And that is from a business that is fairly wealthy and well run.

An update from Leicester Tigers

Leicester Tigers have this morning issued an update on club activities.

www.leicestertigers.com

 

[Mellowyellow]

Looking at the team if we lost CB and Dickie,:

Eastwood
Long Mous Moore Ruffles
Gorrin
Sykes Henry
Hall Agyei Forde
​

Subs: Stevens, Atkinson, Jones, Napa ... "kids"

While you would want to improve the first XI, that's a decent foundation on which to build.

Hall wasn't good enough to get into Forest Green's side let alone ours, but would be a good squad player. Napa isn't up to this standard, and could go on loan. He's had many chances, and in a physical Division 1, will simply get pushed out of the way. Jones would also benefit from being loaned out to get first team football. Stevens needs too move on and a decent back up/first choice keeper needs to come in to really challenge Eastwood, if we are to avoid some of the recent errors he's made. Eastwood knows that KR doesn't have a great deal of faith in Stevens, and turns to a loan keeper each time Eastwood is injured. Pre-season showed the youth team aren't up to first division football at the moment, as all of the preseason games showed. We have real talent in Atkinson and Agyei, who should be given their chance at some point.

 

[yellowbow]

Hall wasn't good enough to get into Forest Green's side let alone ours, but would be a good squad player. Napa isn't up to this standard, and could go on loan. He's had many chances, and in a physical Division 1, will simply get pushed out of the way. Jones would also benefit from being loaned out to get first team football. Stevens needs too move on and a decent back up/first choice keeper needs to come in to really challenge Eastwood, if we are to avoid some of the recent errors he's made. Eastwood knows that KR doesn't have a great deal of faith in Stevens, and turns to a loan keeper each time Eastwood is injured. Pre-season showed the youth team aren't up to first division football at the moment, as all of the preseason games showed. We have real talent in Atkinson and Agyei, who should be given their chance at some point.

Stevens signed a new contract a couple of weeks ago didnt he? Cant see that happening if Robinson didnt rate him.

 

[Mellowyellow]

Stevens signed a new contract a couple of weeks ago didnt he? Cant see that happening if Robinson didnt rate him.

If that's the case then money wasted, as KR will not play him quite rightly, as he is simply not good enough for league 1.

 

[battman]

If that's the case then money wasted, as KR will not play him quite rightly, as he is simply not good enough for league 1.

And you would you rather have who's happy being at the club, sitting on the bench on a low wage? We've never rotated goalkeepers, why would we start now when money is tight and that option in much more expensive?

 

[mooro]

So on the one hand we are talking 5 subs from a bench of 9 and then on the other we have max squads of 20 - madness

 

[Yellow River]

Hall wasn't good enough to get into Forest Green's side let alone ours, but would be a good squad player. Napa isn't up to this standard, and could go on loan. He's had many chances, and in a physical Division 1, will simply get pushed out of the way. Jones would also benefit from being loaned out to get first team football. Stevens needs too move on and a decent back up/first choice keeper needs to come in to really challenge Eastwood, if we are to avoid some of the recent errors he's made. Eastwood knows that KR doesn't have a great deal of faith in Stevens, and turns to a loan keeper each time Eastwood is injured. Pre-season showed the youth team aren't up to first division football at the moment, as all of the preseason games showed. We have real talent in Atkinson and Agyei, who should be given their chance at some point.

I’ve never seen Atkinson play, but that’s good to know.

 

[Sarge]

So on the one hand we are talking 5 subs from a bench of 9 and then on the other we have max squads of 20 - madness

left hand of EFL/FA not in communication with the right hand IFAB methinks