Retained list.

I think we've got a pretty decent squad for what we can afford.

Only two I'd consider releasing would be Mellor (too many goals down to his mistakes this season and his kicking hasn't improved one jot in the last two years) and Hemmings (just hasn't been enough of a presence in the midfield for me)

Diallo has impressed me since joining, very fast and skilful.

I would imagine Stearn would want to move on as its pretty clear he won't be a regular starter under the current management. I know he has his critics but I just don't see why a player of his skill level would want to be a sub every week, honestly believe he could be playing at a higher level if managed correctly.

[quote="London Calling"]I think we've got a pretty decent squad for what we can afford.

Only two I'd consider releasing would be Mellor (too many goals down to his mistakes this season and his kicking hasn't improved one jot in the last two years) and Hemmings (just hasn't been enough of a presence in the midfield for me)

Release Hemmings   Have you actually seen any games this season ?

A little awkward yes, but that goes with his height and build.
Probably the quickest football brain at this club for many a season.

Yeah, I am amazed by both of those. I was a massive critic of Hemmings and his signing previously but since moving back to in front of defence he has been mostly excellent.

As for Mellor, he has been at fault for some goals but has also saved us from some defeats as well. The question is who would you replace him with?

Pratt 20 goals so far, Stearn 15 goals so far(not bad for a sub), McCootie 14 goals so far (even better for half a season as a sub), Watkins only 3 goals so far this season.

I am sorry but we have not got the return from Watkins this season, he works hard for the team but ultimately has not scored.

Simmo has been a fantastic servant for the club but I feel it is time to give the young ones a chance. I would reluctantly release Simmo.

Chris Allen? Not sure if he would be on my retention list.

I would release Chris Allen. Question marks against Watkins and Addlesbury. For me Watkins has not done enough this season and as he travels from distance with Addlesbury I think there is a case for them both going.
We need a hard experienced defender in the Steve Elliot mould but not sure if his fitness is up to 40 plus games now, no point if he misses every other game. To bring in an extra defender someone would need to go and, unless Phil Walsh does not want to stay, then that has to be Keary or, reluctantly, Simmo.

Keary has to stay. If a club is going to survive, you don't bring through talented young players and then get rid of them unless they are (a) underperforming (not applicable to Keary or (b) they are snapped for a big fee (again not applicable to Keary, I wouldn't have thought).

As far as Simpson is concerned, he has not only made loads of appearances for us this season but hasn't been found wanting in many - the North Ferriby home leg being the only one that springs to mind. He is also very useful because he is adaptable and can play in a fair few position. Yes, he is 30 but I reckon he has got at least one good season in front of him and I would like to see it being with us. For all this speculation, I reckon that Howells has said that he wants another centre-half and striker because he knows that two are on their way anyway and that is possibly Watkins and Adelsbury because of the travelling.

Adelsbury is an odd one. I didn't initially mention him in my list to go but that is only due to me forgetting him which may suggest much. He hasn't really scored enough but, of course, got us the win against Borehamwood. I have mentioned about Watkins not scoring enough this season but he still creates a heck of a lot and I wouldn't particularly want to see him go.

On the whole, I don't think we have got a bad defence and can't see that our goals against is that bad in this league. To be brutally honest, the one player that continually makes cock-ups which often directly cause goals to be lost perhaps even games is Mellor who also stops a lot of goals and keeps us in other games.

As I say, if you were to say that every single player in this team was going to stay and get a chance to bed down over a season that, off-field, could be dramatic, I wouldn't mind at all.

Personal preferences aside I don't think too many people can criticise any line-up from the squad, which suggests to me that all the players are good enough to warrant keeping. So unless we can get an obvious upgrade then why change for the sake of it.

I suppose it comes down to what you want to achieve next season, agreed there could be big changes over the course of the next year and so it may be ok to settle for something similar to this season or a bit better.
If you do want to push on from mid table then some changes are needed and with a small aquad the only way you can do that is by releasing players. I think we have a useful squad but there has been a recurring theme in that several of the defeats have been in games that we should not have lost, too many for it just to be bad luck.
What we need is 2 or 3 players who are a bit more streetwise and with a bit of steel about them. They can make the difference between going to Basingstoke on a Tuesday night and coming away saying we played well but lost, should have got something from the game and actually getting something.

I am never convinced about this idea of, sorry to pick up on your quotes but they are a recurring theme elsewhere, "streetwise" and "a bit of steel". Many posters on here quite rightly, in my opinion, criticise other teams for practicing "dark arts". Personally, Stearn's terrible dives notwithstanding, our play is about football not cheating or even bending the rules to breaking point to win.

Also, I think that there is something that you lose with more "streetwise" defenders which may not be gained elsewhere in an equal fashion. Look at Simmo. To me, he is an consistetly excellent performer at this level. He knows when to stand up to his man, jockey and shepherd them down the line and when not to jump in. However, when he needs to, he can get a tackle in, block and head it away and kick it out of the park. He also knows when it is right to bring the ball forward to start an attack and when to play the simple but effective pass. The fact that, at 30, it was so noticeable that he was skinned by St Juste in the first half of the North Ferriby home leg is because it so rarely happens. Even then, he adjusted himself for the second leg and wasn't so easily beaten. The man has an excellent football brain which is rare at this level and will also stand him in good stead when he gets slower.

He is worth a hundred badge kissing red faced shouty defenders in their mid 30s who will collect yellow cards and get suspended or sent off. Simmo is one of players with most appearances. I can't remember the last time he was suspended or sent off. I am sure it wasn't this season.

Like I say, our goals against isn't at all bad this season. I am not sure that we need a startlingly different type of defender. I would prefer the likes of Keary to be learning off the likes of Simmo how to defend strongly and well while still being an excellent footballer.

Sekani has 6 yellows and 0 reds in 362 appearances. An astonishing record in modern football.

Bloody hell, I knew it was good - hence the somewhat rhetorical enquiry - but didn't realise it was that good. Hope, when he retires, we keep him on as a coach.

I think we've usually got it just about right when making the very difficult in releasing long-serving loyal players.

I personally think Simpson has been one of our best players this season and definitely wouldn't release him yet.

Yeah, they did right with the "Night Of The Long Knives" at the end of last season and there was a reason they kept Simmo on.

Bloody hell, I am giving Howells and Britton a lot of credit for things at the end of the season. I must be getting soft. Either that or I am realising the responsibility of being an owner of a club.

There seems to be a general consensus that we have the right players - by and large. So why are we 13th? Of course we had a cup run, I get that, but one inference of this is that we have the wrong formation and / or tactics? So how to address that?

Yes, we have the talent but I think the problem is one of mentality.  Ferriby showed what can be achieved by a fairly ordinary side with a winning mentality.  Our players simply do not show the required commitment week in week out.
We still need an Adie Harris/Coupie/Hoggy.

Oh, and I think it worth mentioning we have a pretty horrendous discipline problem.  Far too many bookings spread across too many players.  You accept this is a risk with a midfield enforcer but we have simply racked up far too many this season.
No coincidence that our successful season in Conf Prem coincided with us winning the fair play award for least number of cards that season.

We have plenty of creative, pacy players which means we should never be short of goals (difficult to type that after the last 3 matches!), but defensively we often look a soft touch with the conceding of far too many sloppy goals. After a poor start to the season, the defence settled down and rarely conceded more than one goal from mid September through to February. Those mad final minutes at Dover seemed to affect us and since then we've rarely conceded less than 2. I'm not convinced we have the necessary quality at the back to finish well up the table in 12 months time and this needs addressing over the summer.

Roman Mike wrote:...but one inference of this is that we have the wrong formation and / or tactics?  So how to address that?

I can think of a way...

Presumably the shareholders in a community owned club can say "we don't like the tactics" and something will be done (will it?) because if the tactics aren't working then that'll be to the detriment of the club they've invested in. Yes?

Twerton Parker wrote:Presumably the shareholders in a community owned club can say "we don't like the tactics" and something will be done (will it?) because if the tactics aren't working then that'll be to the detriment of the club they've invested in.  Yes?

Bloody hell, I hope not.

This isn't a MyFC deal where everyone gets to vote on the line-up, signings, tactics, etc. Is it?

Though it does raise a point that I hadn't thought of regarding appointing managers.

yuffie wrote:

Twerton Parker wrote:Presumably the shareholders in a community owned club can say "we don't like the tactics" and something will be done (will it?) because if the tactics aren't working then that'll be to the detriment of the club they've invested in.  Yes?

Bloody hell, I hope not.

This isn't a MyFC deal where everyone gets to vote on the line-up, signings, tactics, etc. Is it?

Though it does raise a point that I hadn't thought of regarding appointing managers.

I'm sure that it won't be a MyFC deal but, looking at the broader picture, I don't see that there's any point in re-inventing the club and sorting out the finances etc if at the end of it we are going to just have more of the same that has got us into the current situation. All that will do, if the past is anything to go by, is prove that football at our level run on this particular financial basis is unsustainable and sooner or later everything will once again go pear shaped. So my point is simply this, if any club is to survive and prosper it has 'sell' something that its customers want to 'buy'. If things don't go well in any aspect of the business - primarily but not exclusively on the pitch - and the numbers aren't stacking up then the shareholders, just as in any other business, will (even if it is only at the AGM) want to voice their opinion/s of the way things are being run as to request changes if they think changes are needed from those who are empowered to make them.

Simpson, Keary, Diallo, Gallinagh should definitely stay from what I've seen. Walsh would be good to keep but if a better option is available then if there is a defender to go it will probably be him. Watkins I don't think is that good, good squad player but would rather see him replaced if possible.

TP, I will check with a couple of guys involved at Wimbledon and FCUM and see what happens there.

Ok,

At Wimbledon we have always had a committee / board / whatever you want to call it running the club day to day, appointed by the board of the Trust.

With our first permanent manager, we went through a full recruitment process and talked to the Trust board all the way through it, with the club making the final decision in a process agree by the Trust board.

At FCUM the board appoint a GM to run the club. He, along with the board appoints a manager who is then in charge of all team affairs. We trust the board and the GM to act on our behalf so no, no vote is needed.

Marc Monitor wrote:Ok,

At Wimbledon we have always had a committee / board / whatever you want to call it running the club day to day, appointed by the board of the Trust.

With our first permanent manager,  we went through a full recruitment process and talked to the Trust board all the way through it, with the club making the final decision in a process agree by the Trust board.

At FCUM the board appoint a GM to run the club. He, along with the board appoints a manager who is then in charge of all team affairs. We trust the board and the GM to act on our behalf so no, no vote is needed.

Thanks for that!