Most liked posts in thread: Players out of contract in June 2023 including Retained List

Think this was the plan hence why i kept saying last season was a free hit but I suppose as the season went on and we got into the play offs you think ok let’s go for it.

However, when I look at the contracted players I think we need to ship a few out and get better in.

Not sure Cook will sign a new contact. The ball is really with him. League 2 clubs will be all over him. Likes of Salford, Wrexham, Notts County, Stockport(if they don’t go up) even Carlisle.

The others I think will sign.

Hopefully, we bring quality in. Big summer ahead. If we don’t go up next season or give a really good account of ourselves then we could be in Div 2 for many, many years to come. This really is the season Rupp and Sparks prove their worth. F@ck the sustainability bull shi&e that they are feeding fans and spend some money.

 

I don't have a problem with Ridehalgh. I'd personally have gone in a different direction. But him and Halliday are sound. I'm more troubled by the offer to keep Gillead. He just doesn't produce and we've seen how badly in need we are of more energy and creativity in the midfield.

My biggest worry though, are some of the names still under contract.

Hendrie - madness to give him a 2 year deal.
Oliver - still have 2 years left, again its madness.
Young - clearly fallen out with Hughes.
East - has something, but Hughes doesn't seem to trust him.
Odusina - I'd forgotten about him.
Finn Cousin-Dawson - Not good enough
Derbyshire - legs have gone

We don't have as many squad spaces as I'd like. Even if we keep Cook, we need another striker, 3 or 4 wide options, an attacking midfielder, a midfield play maker and another centre back. And all of that needs to be quality. Not 'take a punt and he might come good' types of signings.

 

Gillead and Smallwood again in central midfield.

What could possibly go wrong.

 

I don’t remember anyone waxino lyrical about Donny. Stockport are in the playoff final, they’ve done what people expected. Salford always spend big, Wrexham will spend big, Notts County have backing, Gillingham have backing too. It looks a tougher League 2 to me.

 

I'm asking a question. What does he do well?

I've asked it before and everyone tells me I'm "scapegoating" or being harsh, like you did but the telling point is that no one wants to actually ever answer the question.

 

No doubt an Evans or a Whellens would have got us promoted this season. That’s not a dig at Hughes but I believe that’s the case.

MH has to learn from this season and go into next doing things slightly different.

It is about the spend because we lack quality in all areas. I agree it’s about spending well. Players like Oliver on a 3 contract isn’t spending money well.

Gillihead being given a contract offer isn’t spending money well.

 

Sounds like a great player, we should sign him up!

Seriously though, apart from working hard (which I already conceded although should just be a given?) and rarely injured I think you're exaggerating his abilities somewhat.

 

I'm certainly not particularly enamoured by the retained list (Cook aside)
Similar to my feelings last close season, when we were told mediocrity isn't an option, then MH's offered Angol a contract.
More of the same even at this very early stage.

 

Across the season, every team will have won a few they deserved to lose and lose a few they deserved to win.
That's football. The best team on the day doesn't always win.

 

Agreed. That's why I don't think we can look back on the "what if" scenarios to imagine we are closer than we actually are in reality. It usually all just about balances out over a season and you end up exactly where you deserve to be.

 

Probably following the wonderful example of Marco Townson and his stunning ticketing success.

 

Think Cook and Gilly are the only ones who get offered one if we go up, Clayton will if we are still in L2. Cant see Ridehalgh getting another deal if we go up, maybe if we stay in L2 but with all the people we've tried there, i'd imagine LB is an area Hughes will look to strengthen anyway.

Cant see Eisa getting one either. He's just unfortunately never fit, even when he came back in the side he was exactly a threat.

 

Eisa no chance, Gilly , even in L1 as a back up squad player. Yes agree with Cook, Stubbs and Clayton.

 

I see Clayton as like Ravenhill back when we went up last time. Ravenhill was a good rotational option for Doyle or Jones if they needed a refresher in midfield, smart little passes, knew when to win a foul, knew when to take a yellow.

Since we have moved back to the 4231 and we now have more a free flowing play, its certainly better play to watch than the diamond was, that even if Clayton was fit i doubt he'd be starting ahead of Smallwood and Gilliead at the minute, however he'd probably come on most games. Last time we ended up sticking with guys like Ravenhill, Connell, Thompson when we went up, and none really ended up making the team once we upgraded positions, and i think the same would happen if Clayton went up to L1. We might think he'd be an option, but by January he'd probably be looking for first team football.

 

Simple keep Cook, the rest need to go.

 

Mullin is leaving isn’t he? Maybe we can swap him for Cook?
I think Matty Foulds will start next season at left back, Ridehalge has been poor really and who’s that Bola guy? Did he win a raffle.

could we sign Crichlow? Do we want him? Can we get better?

Gillead will go, for all his workrate he really offers nothing going forward.

 

Trouble is that we thought we had signed a number of quality players last time out and look what happened.

Oliver. Bola. Nevers. Eisa. Costelloe. Crikey!

The only signings of real impact were Lewis, Wright and Banks. Smallwood has flattered to deceive for large parts of the campaign. Walker has injury problems that need to go away so he can get a full season and hopefully make a difference. Clayton and Derbyshire are seasoned pros but at the wrong end of the age spectrum if we are to keep building a team for the future. Our midfield was second best in too many games last campaign.