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Right I'm making the sweeping statement that we are safe and will happily be held as the Pariah of the club if it goes horribly tits up.

Who do you keep for next season if you had complete choice?

For me:

Will J
Okoli
Odusina
Akinola
Moss
Beautyman
Effiong
Ward
Osude

Says a lot that I wouldn't keep a single one of our midfielders, apart from Beautyman if you count him as one

Just seen the other post - ignore this one!

I'll delete if possible

Hinds surely needs to be on that list.

Agree with the above list, plus I would add
- Gorman (but not as captain)
- Andrews (young and has potential, but not as a starter)
- Hinds (class)

There is value in continuity which is why I would keep the above. Going in with a completely new midfield would be somewhat risky imo. Give the captaincy to Harry Beautyman.

I think we will struggle to re-sign Okoli and Ward.

From the list above, Okoli isnt ours and I think will go into the FL next season. I wouldnt mind Mazionis though as he will be coming back from an injury, so Ipswich may want him to go out on loan to get game time
I believe Odusina, Effiong and Osude are on contract anyway. Ashford may well be as well.
Id keep everyone else mentioned above, inc Gorman (agreed not as skipper) and Andrews

Royal Flush wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 15, 2025 9:07 am

There is value in continuity which is why I would keep the above. Going in with a completely new midfield would be somewhat risky imo.

A risk would be deploying the same misfunctioning midfield and expecting it to resemble anything other than what it has done so far, which is a misfunctioning midfield.

Kanu's Nan wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 15, 2025 10:07 am

Royal Flush wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 15, 2025 9:07 am

There is value in continuity which is why I would keep the above. Going in with a completely new midfield would be somewhat risky imo.

A risk would be deploying the same misfunctioning midfield and expecting it to resemble anything other than what it has done so far, which is a misfunctioning midfield.

Albeit Ardley has managed to pull off near play off form with this mis-functioning midfield.

That said, we need some dynamism and drive. Gorman, Andrews and Beautyman have no pace either.

Beautyman doesn't need pace if played in the correct position.

On the wing/wide forward isn't his game but he did a job for us when we were short on numbers

Give him a contract and the armband then get the rest of the midfield sorted as misfunctioning is being very kind.

We need at least 2 new centre midfielders that are mobile enough to function as a middle 2 in a 442 rather than the current midfield that struggle to immobilise as a centre 3 in a 352/433.

Those saying we need keep player x but not as a starter needs to have a think about that. How many seasons have we had now with constant injury problems? Therefore the chances are these non starters are starting every week. Every player available to the manager should be good enough to start every game, or have we accepted mediocrity as standard!

There is no doubt that we need a squad, and you are correct in that everyone in that squad should be available and good enough to start when others arent available.
However, squad players like Tunji are exactly that. If you had a fully fit 1st XI, they dont start, BUT they are capable of filling in and playing a number of different positions, and in different formations, when needed

The only player I’d keep as “not a starter” is Akinola. We all know he’s not amazing but he’s never injured and can cover at CB and midfield.

If we want to have a decent season, we can’t be keeping both Andrews and Gorman. I’m not really sure what Andrew’s is meant to offer.

Ignoring loan players, I’d be happy with:

Will

Moss Odusina + 1 Hinds

Beautyman + 2

Ward Effiong Osude

Subs
+1 Keeper, Ashford, Akinola, +1 Winger, +1 Forward + 2 CMs

Can we get Jim Kellermann back?

I really liked Jim, but too brittle IMO

KT22Card wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 15, 2025 2:07 pm

I really liked Jim, but too brittle IMO

Seems insanely lucky looking back that Ince and Kellermann only missed about 4 league games between them in the Sarll season.

A fully fit trio of Kellerman, Ince and Anderson would be a dream.

vinrouge wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 15, 2025 9:02 am

Hinds surely needs to be on that list.

He was, forgot him as was thinking right backs and only Chicken and Jones as left backs, forgetting about Hinds' miraculous switch to lb.

I think we have a clause on Gorman... or so I've heard, so he'll probably be there. But I really don't get Andrews at all, if we have to keep one, at least Gorman scores a couple of peaches

WFC1993 wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 15, 2025 8:11 am

Right I'm making the sweeping statement that we are safe and will happily be held as the Pariah of the club if it goes horribly tits up.

Who do you keep for next season if you had complete choice?

For me:

Will J
Okoli
Odusina
Akinola
Moss
Beautyman
Effiong
Ward
Osude

Says a lot that I wouldn't keep a single one of our midfielders, apart from Beautyman if you count him as one

Will
Odusina
Moss
Beautyman
Ward
Osude

only ones for me