Towcestrian wrote:
Otterspocket wrote:
As long as the budget remains pretty much the same I have no issue with the lack of extra incentive to renew. The biggest thing for me is having the money to hold on to the better players and not have to go round either having a fire sale or a burst of mutual terminations, which could lead to two more seasons of rebuilding.
What better players? (Chuks accepted)
I will pay based on the hope this will lead to a root and branch Mick Quiche clear out.
This group have performed shit this year, but many of them are clearly good enough for league two, and also for league one if used correctly.
I would like to see us keep (if we can afford to):
Nicholls, Brittain, Williams, Walsh, Ward?
Jackson, Lewington, McGrandles, Gilbey, Pawlett, Nesbitt, Aneke, Agard, Nombe, Thomas-Asante.
Obviously some will go, and clearly Chuks will be one of them. But I'd like to see us keep a good amount of the others and build around them with what will likely be cheap signings (frees and loans - but hopefully better choices of loans next season). And crucially a creative number 10 must be one of the additions.
If we sold these players, they would all go to the championship / league one / top of league two level; none would drop down the levels. They are good enough individually to perform a solid role in a team, if utilised correctly, but collectively they have failed as the team lacks technical, creative ball-players like Reeves, Chadwick, Carruthers, etc. If we had one on the pitch, then all these other players roles become easier and more effective. And we
need one or more on the pitch as we can't play Danball effectively without them.
Promotion has to be earned, even from league two, and I wouldn't be confident that, if we off-loaded most of the above, that Pete would give Dan much money after two relegations to sign players of equal or better ability. If he intends to do that, then that would be great. But as I don't think that likely then I want us to keep who we can, fill the obvious two weak parts of the team - CB and a #10 - and really try to earn promotion. Rather than offload everyone, replace cheaply, and yet assume that we'll somehow still get promotion given to us because it's all part of the grand plan.
I don't have a massive issue with those you list.