Question If you could hand pick next season side..

[leeblue]

I would go even less than that tbh. I think Francis, Moussa, Grant and Scannell are the four key players in our squad; the rest are all replaceable.

what he said, I believe that after relegation you should have a big clearout, the players we have are not any good (bar the few mentioned) git rid of em and build a new team

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

If you were given the option of who to retain and who to cut for next season (Forget contracts for the sake of debate) who would be in and who would you lose.

If I was building a team, I'd build it around a Grant-Moussa central midfield axis. Francis and Mildenhall would also be must keeps.

Of the rest, meh. I wouldn't be too bothered if any of them left, but they could all contribute if they had the right players alongside them. Top of my list of the rest of them would probably be Scannell for his energy, Vernon for his experience and Barrett for his dressing room influence. Spencer has probably done enough to merit a longer look to see if he can toughen up.

 

[BlueBeard]

The only ones I would like to keep are Francis Grant Moussa Macca Laurent Spencer and Scannell. The rest nah and that includes Mildenhall would rather see a younger more athletic goalkeeper and Barrett is a worry he seems so slow nowadays and his grappling is a concern,but is he Martins cheap option for assistant manager. A few months ago I would have said no to Sankofa but he will be fine in league 2 and hasnt done alot wrong when called upon

 

[superblue24]

Keep:

Macca
Herd
Grant
Moussa
Francis
Baldwin
Spencer
Vernon
Barrett
Scannell

Not Fussed:

Laurent
M'Voto
Mildenhall
Sankofa
Paterson
Malone

Off you go, sunshine:

Christophe

 

[Strykr]

slightly concerning that most people seem to be keeping 80 percent of a squad who cant win for toffee, have no width, no creative midfield, no concrete defenders, and unproven strikers?

as much as i have grown to like most of the players i didnt really rate in this team i really think its time for a shake up, get some winners back in the team.

must keep
franno
barrett
Grant

poss: moussa spencer

the rest as a unit just arent good enough, and many wont want to stay so will leave! i think people underestimate league 2, its not that different, less flair, more hoof and muscle, yet still a couple of players who can turn you over. as someone else has said, some of those teams will be looking at us as a big draw and will be up for it, something we just arent!

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

slightly concerning that most people seem to be keeping 80 percent of a squad who cant win for toffee, have no width, no creative midfield, no concrete defenders, and unproven strikers?

as much as i have grown to like most of the players i didnt really rate in this team i really think its time for a shake up, get some winners back in the team.

must keep
franno
barrett
Grant

poss: moussa spencer

the rest as a unit just arent good enough, and many wont want to stay so will leave! i think people underestimate league 2, its not that different, less flair, more hoof and muscle, yet still a couple of players who can turn you over. as someone else has said, some of those teams will be looking at us as a big draw and will be up for it, something we just arent!

Why would Mildenhall not be good enough for League 2 when he is one of the better keepers in League 1?

 

[Strykr]

Why would Mildenhall not be good enough for League 2 when he is one of the better keepers in League 1?

I was more making the point that as a unit the current squad doesnt work,
and tbh i didnt include him on the list as im pretty sure he wont stay. FWIW I think hed be fine in League two, just dont think he'll want to go there.

 

[Dick Bate's Protege]

Barrett
Francis
Baldwin
Grant
Moussa
Macca
Scannell
Spencer
Crawford
O'Keefe

Out the rest and sign some big ugly broken nosed 6"4" lumps who will stop us being kicked all around league 2.

 

[Jam_Man]

I normally agree with you on footballing matters, but I think you are way off here unless you mean Ryman League Two.

Defensively that team looks suspect. You've no central defender who is aerially dominant like a Prior, Cort or Sodje. The right-back for all his attacking pedigree is still prone to lapses, although he'll probably be able to rely on his pace to get him out of trouble more often. The left-hand side looks very suspect with the Barrett-Herd combination.

Baldwin is pretty dominant ? Not that we will sign him...

Francis is better than Jupp/Hunt.

Herd is a work in progress, not as strong as Che Wilson, but Che Wilson had an ability to make terrible gaffs.

Midfield is probably that team's strength - when not suspended - but there is a definite shortage of width as both O'Keefe and Moussa look to go inside rather than outside. Up front you've two inexperienced, lightweight strikers who will get muscled out by most league two centre-halves. Your most prolific goalscorers - Spencer, Barrett (!) and McCormack (!!!) average at most 4 goals a season.

I think we have some good midfielders, but a poor midfield as you say, no width whatsoever.

Up front the biggest difference is Eastwood, his goals were what pushed us into the top and replacing him is difficult, at present Spencer is our only hope and without any creative midfield hard to see where we would score from.

I reckon that team would finish around 14th in league two. Our 2004-05 team was considerably stronger and we only finished 4th that season.

I think with confidence and at least one winger (Scannell?) that team would be top 6.

However I doubt half of them will be here though.

 

[Pubey]

Was having the same discussion on the way back from the game last night.

Go back to our double-promotion winning squad. When the likes of Bentley, Gray, Guttridge, Sodje etc left people where gutted. I can't imagine the same reaction if the likes of JFC, Laurent, Sankofa etc left.

I'd like us to keep Mildenhall, Francis, Barrett, Herd, Scannell, Laurent, Grant, Moussa, Spencer and Paterson. Obviously the likes of Crawford and O'Keefe would be kept as well and I'm assuming all the loan players disappear.

I then would like us to dip into the non-league scene for a few players. Players that are hungry for a chance in League football. The likes of Bentley, Gower, Eastwood all joined us in that way. Just look at Dagenham, on the outskirts of the play-offs on the back on non-league signings.

I'd like us to bring in Billy Jones from Crewe (contract expires in the summer), Danny Green and Paul Benson from Daggers, Daniel Jones from Wolves (contract expires in the summer) as a starter. Then you are looking at at least 2 centre halfs, another keeper if/when Mildenhall leaves, some genuine width on the left hand side assuming we don't bring in Daniel Jones from Wolves. Someone like HRK on loan would be ideal. Then a couple of strikers and maybe some central midfielders as well.

sounds good to me!

 

[The Blue Stig]

Must keeps are Grant, Francis, Barrett, Moussa, Scannell, Herd and some of the younglings apart from that get rid of the lot. A few constructive additions to that lot an we would smash league 2 IMO

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Baldwin is pretty dominant ? Not that we will sign him...

Francis is better than Jupp/Hunt.

Herd is a work in progress, not as strong as Che Wilson, but Che Wilson had an ability to make terrible gaffs.

Baldwin might hold his own in the air, but he isn't dominant. With the likes of Prior, Cort, Sode etc you knew that if a cross or long ball came in they'd get their head on the end of it and clear it well out of danger. Baldwin doesn't offer that.

Francis is better going forward than Jupp and Hunt, but defensively Hunt is/was far superior.

I don't think Che was particularly gaff prone, I just think he was incredibly limited. Whilst long-term Herd may turn-out to be the better player, I think I'd take Che over Herd for now.

I think we have some good midfielders, but a poor midfield as you say, no width whatsoever.

Midfields are all about balance. That isn't a balanced midfield. It's not just the lack of width (I favour only one out and out wide player), it's the lack of players who can pass the ball (only Moussa), who can pop up and score goals etc

Up front the biggest difference is Eastwood, his goals were what pushed us into the top and replacing him is difficult, at present Spencer is our only hope and without any creative midfield hard to see where we would score from.

Even without the Freddy factor, the likes of Wayne Gray and Laurie Dudfield are better players than the unproven Spencer and Paterson.

I think with confidence and at least one winger (Scannell?) that team would be top 6.

However I doubt half of them will be here though.

With Prior and Eastwood we finished 4th and this team has no Prior and no Eastwood.

We might have some good players but we had some good players the year before when we were struggling against relegation (for Gower and Maher read Grant and Moussa) to the conference.

 

[tice_18]

KEEP:
Mildy, Francis, Barrett, Baldwin, Herd, Scannell, O'Keefe, Macca, Moose, Grant, Spencer, Patterson. Possibly Laurent and Sankofa.

If we sold the rest of them, brought in a few more players then that core of a team could do well in league 2.

 

[billy best was god]

All this talk about players we will need next season, but thanks to Ron what decent player is even going to consider signing for us would you ??????? we will get the cheap left overs no one else wants

 

[andrew_sthnd]

As long as we have a settled squad that has time to gel I will be happy. I don't want average deadline day signings, I want a squad which has played in pre season together and bonded. Obviously keeping players like Mildy, Grant, Barrett etc will be important, but lets not forget our League 1 and League 2 promotion seasons...you don't need the greatest players to make the greatest team!

 

[Strykr]

All this talk about players we will need next season, but thanks to Ron what decent player is even going to consider signing for us would you ??????? we will get the cheap left overs no one else wants

like eastwood?;)

 

[fredheim_holm]

Mildenhall

Francis Barrett [Mvoto*] Herd

Scannell Grant Moussa [Other player]

Paterson/Laurent/Spencer [Other player]

subs: 2 of Paterson/Laurent/Spencer, Osei, O'Keefe, Crawford, Bentley, +4

* - If we could loan him again, if not sign a replacement.

Bolds are must keeps if possible.​