Most liked posts in thread: Out of contract players

Odour would be the first out of the o-door for me. He's nowhere near Chapman's level and most would agree that we will probably look to move him on so it wouldn't make any sense whatsoever to try and keep Odour.

 

Don't think you can play your best game if at the back of your mind you're thinking that you are going to lose a few months pay if you go in to that tackle too hard...

 

Me and the lad are renewing, more out of a sense of loyalty than the product on offer.
I dislike the present owners as much as anyone. I just do not want to think by staying away i was as much to blame as them for any demise.
I have 2 young grandsons i would like to start taking to games, i know, child cruelty and all that. But i was here long before the present owner and hopefully will still be attending long after he has sailed into the sunset.
Hopefully still in the football league.

 

The problem this season as with last is that we have been too dependent on one player to score our goals and we have a lack of providers and players that make things happen. Cook was never going to be as prolific this season as he was last but he is still our top scorer and also top of the assists as well but despite that, he is still the scapegoat for many. Last seasons second top scorer was Banks with 6, a long way behind Cook's 28 and this year it's Walker, also currently with 6. Our central midfield pairing of Smallwood and Gilly have a total of 4 goals and 2 assists between them which quite simply, is not good enough. We need providers and chance creaters from that area of the pitch, not someone that runs around a lot with no end product and another that spends half the match pointing and the other half with his hands on his hips. I hope to god that at least 7 hours 59 minutes of the eight hour meeting Sharpe had with GA and Sparks on Thursday was spent convincing them Smallwood needs to go because if he's still here come August, it will be another wasted season.

 

You need a team where the majority and not the minority are battlers and have a never say die attitude. Those who'll die for one another. If its the other way round (as we've seen so often), you end up where we are season after season. We talk about characters and this is one of the most important traits. Bring in winners and you've half a chance. Bring in serial relegation fodder and your heading for a fall.

 

Great in the middle or the back. A great honest footballer, liked him a lot Steve.

 

I have to agree, I'm no Smallwood fan and everyone is entitled to an opinion but there are some total knobs on here.

 

Not just on here, somebody shouted abuse at him yesterday and Sam Walker had to shepherd him away. He was looking back at the person who said something and wasn’t happy.

 

The WOAP report from yesterday nails it with Smallwood for me.
Most of the criticism of him is because his set pieces are so poor. He simply shouldn't be taking them.
Ultimately he’s not been as good as we’d hoped but he’s not been as bad as some people make out either.

 

I think in order to progress we need to inject pace into the midfield. When I watched the Notts County game at home, they had a couple of players who ran around Smallwood as if he was stood still. I feel we can get better midfielders, who contribute more than the aimless punts we see more often than not from Smallwood. Again, compare him to Doyle under Parky and they’re miles apart.

 

I'm one of Smallwood's biggest critics but I actually thought he was our MOTM on Saturday.

 

It’s kind of my point though, everyone said the same with Smallwood. Stockport are no doubt getting rid as they’re well passed their prime, every player has a final good season and how often does that season tend to be the one before joining us?! I’m not advocating bringing in a bunch of kids, just getting away from the same tired old journey man list.

 

And non released by recent league 2 clubs. Of course older signings can work, but the point is we have experience we need mobility and pace that we’re lacking.

 

It is all about balance; a team of young players would be very difficult for them. Exactly the same for older players but for different reasons.

 

Odours football ability is like mine at pool. 99% of the time I can miss an easy shot, but 1% of the time I can pull off a worldy and beat anyone. The differenc eis I can only do the latter when I am so pissed I don't know what ball I am hitting, and sober I'm probably in the worlds worst ten pool players.

 

Has he sussed the club out already and done a runner..........should we send out a search party ... ?

 

Can't disagree with that Kev. A go forward plan pretty much always includes a structure of financial investment, sometimes small, sometimes like Stockport and Wrexham it's on the larger scale. Even Barrow, who I would expect most to see as club punching above their weight, have intact spent to a point what some would see as beyond what they can make on the pitch. Some, and quite a few on here, shudder at the sound of debt and it conjures up to them scenes of admin due to us being there twice. Truth is we have no idea of the long term financial plans of the likes of Stockport, Wrexham etc. What I do know is you could talk the best business plans in the world, if you ain't got finance backing those plans you pretty much pissing in the wind.
Rupp has alluded to that in his statement, the fixation with sustainability in the short term effectively sees you stand still and eventually go backwards, kinda like our public services right now but that's for another thread.
Hence now an alleged more proactive approach to risk/reward by bringing in David Sharpe. Only time will tell how committed Rupp is, if you go at it half hearted it will only flatter to deceive.

 

I'm not one to beat the 'big budget' drum, but given what Rupp has said and the situation we are in this season, I fully expect serious investment from Stefan.

We're on a promise, no Stefan has not been at all reliable or true to his word, but a statement is a statement: Rupp will invest and give us a much better chance, or there'll be hell to pay as they say.

 

GA has said retain list will be done this week.

Hendrie, Cousin-Dawson, Ridehalgh, Stubbs, Chapman, Derbyshire will all be let go.

I think we trigger 1 year options on Halliday, Smallwood, Walker and Pointon - with Halliday and Pointon also offered new contracts.

Doyle and Platt will be offered new deals.

Odusina, Taylor, McDonald and Oliver will be told to find new clubs.

Cant really comment on Richardson, Rowe, Wadsworth, Jeffreys and Youmbi. Hope 2 or 3 extend their stay though.

 

Stubbs hasnt featured since 5th March. No way he is offered a deal and Platt isnt.