Contracts

[Robin]

We need to be on the front foot and start building the team for next season with at least mid-table aspirations. I make it we have eleven out of contract plus the five loans, some of whom are clearly here with a view to a permanent deal. My thoughts as follows:
Atangana - should be looked after and given another year subject to regaining his fitness. NEW DEAL
Addai - Same as above, suspect there will be interest from other league two sides so we should tie this one up earlier. NEW DEAL
Varney - Doubt he will be a starter but done enough to be given another year and will give everyone a boost before season tickets go on sale. NEW DEAL
Clements - Needs to be moved on if we are to improve on this season. RELEASE
Lovett - I'd probably retain him but no urgency to offer him a new deal so can wait until end of the season. NEW DEAL
Barnett - On the fence here, he's a decent target man but we may get better. ASSESS IN MAY
Bingham - Hard to judge from what I've seen he could be a decent option from the bench but equally we maybe can get better ASSESS IN MAY
Dawson - Another I am on the fence with, he's fine but I don't think he's a certain starter in midfield so wages would need to be as a squad player ASSESS IN MAY
Forster - Looked a regular fixture under Duff, I now feel he will be released especially if we sign Raglan ASSESS IN MAY
Flinders - no brainer to be retained - NEW DEAL
Broom - I suspect we've already offered a new deal and he is leaving already but if not - NEW DEAL

Loans
Raglan - I think we will sign him and should be looking to tie this up now. NEW DEAL
Waters - We should take him if it's a small fee otherwise no thanks. ASSESS IN MAY (DEPENDING UPON FEE)
Tilson - need to see more of him but doesn't look anywhere near the level of Nige from what I've seen so far ASSESS IN MAY
Pring - Send back to Bristol City, not yet ready for our first team. RELEASE
Maddox - Will be heading back to Chelsea and looking for league one next season so no decision to make.

Thoughts?

[Ben3]

Forster - ‘Assess in May’??????

Are you joking? Genuinely Robin, are you having a laugh?

[Nesty]

we also have to try to get rid of Debayo, Smith, Duku?and McAlinden

[Robin]

Why are we getting rid of Smith and Debayo? Are they any different to Bower and Lloyd?

@ Ben3 - As I stated I feel Forster will be released as we have Mullins and likely to sign Raglan to play there but no harm in giving him until the end of the season to change our minds.

[Benctfc]

The key will be if we can get rid of some of the players who we don't want on the 2 year contracts. If we can't we wont have much scope for bringing in higher quality players.

If you were to look at the current squad the below is who I think are good enough to play for a side top half competing for playoffs.

Flinders
Hussey
Boyle
Raglan
Broom
Atangana
Varney

Obviously other players are good enough to be in the squad the likes of Clements.Tozer,Mullins but these would be the players I would build around and look to add to to make the team more competitive.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

The key will be if we can get rid of some of the players who we don't want on the 2 year contracts. If we can't we wont have much scope for bringing in higher quality players.

If you were to look at the current squad the below is who I think are good enough to play for a side top half competing for playoffs.

Flinders
Hussey
Boyle
Raglan
Broom
Atangana
Varney

Obviously other players are good enough to be in the squad the likes of Clements.Tozer,Mullins but these would be the players I would build around and look to add to to make the team more competitive.

Long as well for me. Our second best player behind Hussey.

[Robin]

Mullins should be added to that list. Addai potentially too (at least as a squad player).

[horlickfanclub]

As much as I like Atangana and Addai we are carrying so many players who are not even in the eighteen or even the twenty one that to risk wages on two crocked players is risking. the budget being blown . Especially as we have yet to see Long make a full, lasting recovery

[Artemis]

The key will be if we can get rid of some of the players who we don't want on the 2 year contracts. If we can't we wont have much scope for bringing in higher quality players.

If you were to look at the current squad the below is who I think are good enough to play for a side top half competing for playoffs.

Flinders
Hussey
Boyle
Raglan
Broom
Atangana
Varney

Obviously other players are good enough to be in the squad the likes of Clements.Tozer,Mullins but these would be the players I would build around and look to add to to make the team more competitive.

Long as well for me. Our second best player behind Hussey.

Not sure how you could make that statement on the back of a handful of appearances. In principle, he should be a good player, but the evidence isn't yet there to support that position.

I'd add Tozer, Addai, Dawson and Mullins to the list. And Maddox. But he won't be around past the end of this season.
When fully fit, a first XI of Flinders, Broom / Long, Mullins, Tozer, Boyle, Hussey, Atangana, Dawson, Broom / ANO, Addai and Varney is a decent one, & quite possibly a play off challenging one, in my opinion

[Robin]

As much as I like Atangana and Addai we are carrying so many players who are not even in the eighteen or even the twenty one that to risk wages on two crocked players is risking. the budget being blown . Especially as we have yet to see Long make a full, lasting recovery

We cannot just write off two our better players this season because they got long term injuries. Any single player can get a long term injury even having gone years with few injuries. Didn't Duff say he wanted a core of 21-22 with a few youngsters added on?

Despite our lowly league position I don't believe it's a big gap to challenge for the play offs but usually the top three tend to be the clubs with abnormally high budgets like MK, Lincoln, Mansfield and FGR. There are exceptions like Bury, Accrington and Wycombe who do it but they are less frequent of course.