Most liked posts in thread: Out of contract players

I'm at the point of just waiting for retained lists now. I know we still have the faintest of outside chances, but I'm not holding out hope. There aren't many areas of the field I wouldn't look to improve on to be honest. I think it all depends on who GA can get out the door. There's plenty out of contract who might stay in L2 from the promoted clubs, if their clubs want to try upgrade their positions in the summer? A lot are experienced heads, but Wrexham and Mansfield often field the oldest squads in L2 every week and they'll likely go up. Going for recent winners might bring a better mentality into the dressing room?

Stockport have Madden and Sarcevic who look like they'll be leaving at the minute. I know Madden is 34 but if you've caught any of their games this season, he's still a very smart forward and has only had 24 starts this season and played 60% of possible minutes but has still notched 14 in the league. Sarcevic another they've rotated out due to wanting to go younger next season, played a similar amount of minutes to Madden and has 12 goal contributions from midfield. Ryan Croasdale is up too, their DM of the last few seasons and switches the armband with Madden, another who has been rotate out but still performed well. Their keeper Hinchcliffe is up but I'd be surprised if he isn't offered a deal, and both LWBs Ethan Bristow and Ryan Rydel are up too although Rydel hasn't played since Oct after doing his ACL and Bristow hasn't been a thrilling signing.

Wrexhams are all in defence with Callum McFadzean up who is a very accomplished LB/LWB but has seemingly fallen out of favour at Wrexham behind McLean and Mendy. Sounds like their captain Luke Young is also likely getting phased out and will be free after making his 250th app recently for them, although will probably end up down south. Ben Tozer is out too, although I cant imagine there will be a clamouring for him. Jordan Tunlicliffe is another like McFadzean who'd get into most L2 squads you'd think, but has been injured and replaced at Wrexham. Aaron Hayden another defender in the same boat, few injuries at the start, replaced in the market and likely thats him done there.

Mansfield have a lot out of contract and given we've hired Sharpe who might of had a hand in bringing some in, I wouldn't be surprised to see us linked to a few. Hiram Boateng is out of a deal, big central midfielder who i thought looked good against us. George Maris in midfield has been in and out towards the end of the season but still has 15 goal involvements from midfield.

 

This. We are definitely getting mixed messages about the budget. Remember, the reason we were told Ryan felt he needed to fly out to Germany was because he had concerns about the budget for next year, which in itself doesn't make sense when Rupp had just been over for an 8 hour meeting about it before the Mansfield game. Surely if that was the case, those concerns should have been raised in that meeting. Anyway, straight after that we got the statement from Rupp saying he would be investing to make sure we have a competitive budget next year. I took that mean that whatever budget is deemed necessary, he will make up any shortfall that isn't achieved through season ticket sales. So why is GA now saying he doesn't know what the budget will be until we know how many season tickets we sell? It doesn't make sense and certainly doesn't give me any faith that Rupp will be true to his word.

 

Agree to an extent Damo, but League 2 is where we will stay if we don't continually improve.

 

Oyegoke has improved in the last couple of months. He was possibly one of the better players as far back as Harrogate away and he scored an OG. His form in recent weeks has been excellent and he has that pace that get out of jail pace that the best have. He is a strong option if we can get him. Still raw at times but improving like several of the younger squad members

 

Stubbs has made occasional errors. To my mind he can play at a higher level. Platt can’t. Platt useful under bombardment but loses his man when forwards have half decent movement. See Harrogate as an example. He isn’t going to play in a successful league 1 team. I want players to be able to get us out it of this shitpool but them be able to carry on successfully higher up. ALA Meredith.

 

For me this is what I'd do/expect to happen:

• Doyle: Retire him we need competition not cover
• Richardson: Keep as your cheap, young 3rd choice keeper - agree
• Halliday: trigger 1 year extension - Disagree. Try to get him signed longer term
• Hendrie: Release - didn't realise he was still ours
• Stubbs: 1 year extension (only just, benefit of the doubt based on last season) - Agree
• Platt: offer new deal - Agree
• Ridehalgh: release - A week ago I would have said keep as cover, now I say release.
• Smallwood: down to wages, suspect he's on a high wage so release - Release. Pay his travel expenses to get as far away as possible, I'm sure he would be a success in Saudi.
• Walker: 1 year extension - Release. Expensive, Injured. little end product. A poor man's Eoin Jess. More likely to break his own leg than score a goal
• Chapman: if we are looking play with wingers then offer a new 1 year deal as I think he's a good player when played wide - release. Flatters himself. There's a reason why he can't hold down a starting a place in the 82nd bext team in professional football.
• Pointon: 1 year extension - Agree, but still think he will end up in The National League.
• Derbyshire: will be very surprised if he doesn't retire, could be an option to keep on as a coach - Release, has been coaching and it's not improved our on target shots.

There are a few that I've said to trigger the extension but it's only just and wouldn't have an issue if they were release.

 

Wow. Smith & Oduor here for another 2 and a bit years. Gent should be hung drawn & quartered, and Sparks not far behind

 

I liked Richards in his first few games but recently he looks dreadful. I'd rather have Bola. At least his throw-ins were entertaining.

 

Disappointed? I’d be absolutely seething!!!

 

Injuries aside, Walker is a key player. Like you say, his G/A ratio adds up to him been an on the pitch asset, sadly we dont see that enough. That said, Im taking the 1 year option on him.....I am a fanboy.

 

I’m not sure the injuries he’s had are injuries that the club could foresee, either now or with any future signings.

He tends to suffer from impact injuries more than anything else - I don’t think it’s injury prone as such, more the type you pick up when you’re putting your body on the line for the team.

The broken bone he suffered at Doncaster a prime example

That said - his talents are wasted in the side we have at the moment when we constantly hoof it

 

Totally agree. Firstly we cannot build a completely new squad - however many of us would want that, it’s not realistic.

Secondly, when managed correct Walker is a player you can build a successful team on. I get the frustrations of injuries and perhaps not living up to expectations, but the guy cannot do it alone. Look at the shite he’s had around him this season.

For me, Walker (GK), Halliday, Stubbs, Kelly, Gillead, Pattison, Walker, Cook, Young, Kavanagh, Odour and Pointon (on the fence on the last two) - all has the nucleus of a squad (not all starting XI) capable of challenging at the top of the table IF the remaining recruitment is good enough AND there are additional football roles introduced within the club.

 

Pattison isn't an attacking midfielder, he plays much better and far more dangerous when playing deeper so that he can either arrive late or make runs into the space.

He's also got bags of energy to get up and down so it's completely wasted playing behind a striker.

 

Its not the club though, the club is so much more than a bloody minded individual.
Match day is about the time spent with my son, the emotional roller coaster, the people that sit around us and the football friendship/family. The ups, but mostly downs of the past 46 years of attending games, a lifetime.
Its just a shame the present incumbent does not get this and has employed and egotistical moron to run the business on his behalf.
Piss off your customers and soon you will have no customers and eventually no business.

 

You're right about so much here in my opinion.

Our squad in 22/23 is pretty similar to the squad we had this season. Halliday, Ridehalgh, Platt, Stubbs, Gilliead, Smallwood, Walker, Chapman, Cook, but if you asked people at the end of this season if any belonged, they'd probably demand a clear out.

Not needed.

The squad we have now is capable of top 7, they've already done it, the very same players, they literally finished top 7.

"Weak division", "strong division", whatever you want, what's needed is progress. Hughes probably did bugger it up in the Summer, but he was under pressure to change it too from weak people - both at the top and the fans, in my opinion.

In any event: if a side that can finish 7th can finish 14th, that doesn't mean either one needs a total overhaul. We need to get over that obsession.

Hopefully David Sharpe provides some freaking vision and can explain to fans what's needed, why, and how patience is key - without tolerating obvious poor leadership that we've been subjected to under Ryan Sparks.

 

I don't think Halliday would make a good captain. I know he leads by example but I think we need a more vocal motivator. Halliday is more head down and does his job.

 

First and foremost you need an environment which is conducive to getting the best of players. That means first and foremost someone at the top who knows what they are doing.

 

This is why I dont see GA as the right man for the job, even by some miracle we get promoted next year, I dont see his style of football working in the league above. The reason we did so well 10 years ago was because we had players that were versatile an can adapt their game to suit their surroundings. There's no point in going up if we have to rebuild the team from scratch next summer to suit League One. Its a recipe for distaster