The Run in

Sorry I haven’t posted for a while. Been reading but unable to post(technical deficiency on my part).

Been an anxious few weeks on the relegation front but Monday’s win has put us in a strong position.

It may be that we are already safe given that Welling are 8 points behind with that horrendous goal difference.
On paper they have 2 home games against Havant and Maidstone which they should lose leaving them possible points at Hungerford and Concord at best?

Looking forward to the trip to Billericay this Saturday.

After a miserable season it will be interesting to see what changes are made to enable us to do better next.

I think you mean Welling are seven points behind but because of that goal difference they need 8 points to overtake us, which is two wins and two draws from their last four games. Or a quarter of their season's points in 4 consecutive games.
As you say it was certainly a massive win on Monday, but our recent draws have also been important.
It gives us something to build on rather than a need for a wholesale clear out. I think it is clear midfield needs strengthening and we are light on numbers defensively so it will be interesting to see how things go in the summer.

Welcome back to the forum, Pete!

Win on Saturday means Billericay cannot overtake us and we’re safe. After the build up to this season and the targeting of a top three place that will be no reason for celebration just a huge sigh of relief.

Whichever league we end up in next season it promises to be an interesting summer…

Yes it will be one of the more interesting close seasons. Big reset required for a 24 NLS that will not be significantly weaker.
Raynes, Eddie Jones, Cooke and Fletcher only ones I would immediately retain, if indeed they wish to stay, their performances in a struggling team will not have gone unnoticed.

Luton Roman wrote:Yes it will be one of the more interesting close seasons. Big reset required for a 24 NLS that will not be significantly weaker.
Raynes, Eddie Jones, Cooke and Fletcher only ones I would immediately retain, if indeed they wish to stay, their performances in a struggling team will not have gone unnoticed.

Clarke, Batten, Ball?
The board needs to step up and stop all this loan nonsense, apart from Zak Delany and Callum Wood the others have been mediocre to say the least, 2 maximum unless injuries dictate otherwise

I’d add Jordan Dyer to the successful loans - he did well in both defence and midfield.

Luton Roman wrote:Yes it will be one of the more interesting close seasons. Big reset required for a 24 NLS that will not be significantly weaker.
Raynes, Eddie Jones, Cooke and Fletcher only ones I would immediately retain, if indeed they wish to stay, their performances in a struggling team will not have gone unnoticed.

I would definitely add Tom Smith to that list.

threeday week wrote:

Luton Roman wrote:Yes it will be one of the more interesting close seasons. Big reset required for a 24 NLS that will not be significantly weaker.
Raynes, Eddie Jones, Cooke and Fletcher only ones I would immediately retain, if indeed they wish to stay, their performances in a struggling team will not have gone unnoticed.

Clarke, Batten, Ball?
The board needs to step up and stop all this loan nonsense, apart from Zak Delany and Callum Wood the others have been mediocre to say the least, 2 maximum unless injuries dictate otherwise

Clarke injury prone and now 40, there must be a limit !
Batten and Ball, consistency? Though I think Dan Ball embodies everything I want to see in a City shirt.

PHILB1973# wrote:

Luton Roman wrote:Yes it will be one of the more interesting close seasons. Big reset required for a 24 NLS that will not be significantly weaker.
Raynes, Eddie Jones, Cooke and Fletcher only ones I would immediately retain, if indeed they wish to stay, their performances in a struggling team will not have gone unnoticed.

I would definitely add Tom Smith to that list.

Consistency again. Season lasts August to May, not the last couple of months

Luton Roman wrote:

PHILB1973# wrote:

Luton Roman wrote:Yes it will be one of the more interesting close seasons. Big reset required for a 24 NLS that will not be significantly weaker.
Raynes, Eddie Jones, Cooke and Fletcher only ones I would immediately retain, if indeed they wish to stay, their performances in a struggling team will not have gone unnoticed.

I would definitely add Tom Smith to that list.

Consistency again. Season lasts August to May, not the last couple of months

Also would his wage be better spent on one or more players?

What about Elliot Frear? We need that sort of attacking player.

threeday week wrote:

Luton Roman wrote:Yes it will be one of the more interesting close seasons. Big reset required for a 24 NLS that will not be significantly weaker.
Raynes, Eddie Jones, Cooke and Fletcher only ones I would immediately retain, if indeed they wish to stay, their performances in a struggling team will not have gone unnoticed.

Clarke, Batten, Ball?
The board needs to step up and stop all this loan nonsense, apart from Zak Delany and Callum Wood the others have been mediocre to say the least, 2 maximum unless injuries dictate otherwise

While those three have been excellent servants to the club, and I genuinely love Bally, they have also been part of a defence that has conceded 64 goals this season - I don't know what needs to change, but frankly of the current squad I'd probably keep 3 at an absolute push 4 or 5 if they were willing to be squad players, going to be an interesting summer, and I'm not saying it will be good, as a complete rebuild is never easy.

I remember looking at the fixtures back in July and thinking that the play off run in looked pretty good with those two home games to finish... While it would be great to end the season by winning them both there is the danger that that would gloss over the previous few months.

What happens during the summer will be interesting. The big question I suppose is whether we should continue with a manager who, having been at the club as long as he has, apparently misjudged the recruitment so badly that we were two players down almost before the season had started.

I also never saw the point of having two goalkeepers under contract, when we have been short of outfield players all season. Having a goalkeeper sitting on the bench every week is not a luxury you can afford with a squad as small as ours, and how often is it that you need to replace the keeper during a game - I can't recall the last time we had to, and even when Ryan has got a knock he has got up and carried on. It was proved this season how easy it is to find a replacement keeper when we signed Matthews and then Mahoney - what was the point of that by the way when Fuller was clearly fit? - and surely you could have one of the outfield players designated to go in goal during a game if needs be. I have nothing against Will Fuller at all, but it became even more ridiculous when he didn't even play in the last couple of Somerset Cup games (and presumably Ryan will want to play in the final).      

Who should we keep? I am pretty sure Cody is signed on for next season, and I think Alex is as well. but surely we would be looking to keep them anyway as goals from elsewhere are few and far between. Tom Smith I think because he has become a bit of a talisman, and also Joey Raynes, and you could make a case for others depending on what size squad we are looking at. Will depend on the size of the budget I suppose - wasn't this season's boosted by the excess of the crowdfunder? Can't help thinking that loan players will still be a factor.

The squad was clearly not right at the start of the season and we had loanees keeping out contracted players from the first game. What does that say about recruitment, especially when those loanees don't address the areas we need strengthening in?
Conceding shed loads of goals while struggling to find the net at the other end is symptomatic of a weak midfield and quite frankly none of the loanees proved any help in this regard. My feeling is that Tom Smith suffered in particular because he had to try to adapt his game. It has taken him all season to get to grips with it but ultimately it will make him a better player and after Raynes, Cooke and Fletcher he would be the next on my list. Of the other midfielders I think Freer is likely to be offered a contract.
Defensively Bath City has been a bit of a graveyard for full backs and I cannot see Jones being here next season and it wouldn't surprise me if Ball wasn't either. He has constantly had to prove himself and his age is against him. Batten on the other hand seems a shoe in but he is going to be very lonely unless there is investment in this area.
Of the others I think Dave Sims Burgess is pretty safe as he has some good attributes. While I think Clarkey is still the proverbial safe pair of hands although I am not sure about having a goalkeeper as captain.
In theory bringing loanees from league clubs provides quality that you wouldn't otherwise have but it doesn't work very well when you are at the wrong end of the table. This is why I admire Delaney. He has given his all every game which is more than can be said about some of the others.

I would add that I think we are still in need of a midfield battler in the mould of Artus, Adie Harris, Jon Holloway.
Perhaps a stronger defence would allow Raynes to play more in midfield.

Just to add, I wasn't including Delaney on my list of 3-5 players to keep, I was talking about signed on players. If Zak wanted to stay I'd happily sign him on for next season, he has the attributes to make it and could potentially be another MWH