Squad for next season
I know we are a way to go this season but it feels like we very much on the home straight.
I've come to see more of a player in Taylor over the past few weeks and think there is a player there that could do well at this level. Hopefully he and his parent club realise that he's nowhere close to Premier League standard and his development should be at the lower level, which works for some players far better.
I hope Matt has learned from his summer recruitment that just because you can doesn't mean you should when it comes to loans. Breckin and Phillips were not good loans. Breckin has gone back to Citeh despite the laughable Southampton rumour, Phillips has been in and out with Aberdeen but has hardly ripped up things north of the border. I have a strong belief that Matt now knows what is going to work and will recruit around that ethos and structure. We have had an odd season with a dip that felt like a bottomless chasm at one point and I would be amazed to see that happen again as I think the manager has learnt so much this season. I shudder when I recall his pained interviews following yet another 98th minute defeat caused by a 5th centre back being deployed.
Comments
So we know that at the end of the season we are going to lose Potts, Taylor, Campbell, Kodua, Lonwijk & Earley as their loans will come to an end. As for the contracts, are we able to unpick who does / doesn't have a contract on the 1st July?
I think Scowen, Low & Leahy must have another 12 months on their contracts but not sure about anyone else?
Phillips is potentially a very good player, no idea what the thinking was there on any part but as usual we don't know the story, have to pick loans carefully and have some luck.
COTN is still the daddy when it comes to contract details - thanks Gasman:
http://www.chairboys.co.uk/onthenet/players.htm
The Earley loan is an odd one considering he’s been injured the entire time.
Maybe putting 2 + 2 together to make 5, but usually if loanees get crocked then they go back to the parent club to get mended - my assumption is that if he hasn’t done so, then it’s because the loan was with a view to a permanent signing in the summer, but who knows.
I do wonder if West Ham might be keen for Kodua to have a full season with us; he's only 19 and unlikely to feature for them at any point for a while. I would hope they'd be pleased with how we've treated Potts and the experience he's gained this season.
Can imagine Wolves feeling similar about Longwijk.
@MindlessDrugHoover I was going to suggest something early but chickened out. I think Kodua's spell has been spoiled by our agreement with Wolves to give Campbell more opportunities however, I'd like to see him continue with us and have a full season. He's highly thought of within the squad, has an eye for goal and pace into his game.
As for Lonwijk, I'm not sure. He's 21 already and it might be a question about our squad size as he'll have to register and if Wolves want him to play for a Championship side or even themselves. I think he was loaned to us after a serious injury and with the promise of getting minutes into his development so that he could push on elsewhere next season.
Question for the Chat: If Taylor was available on a free / cheap on a permanent signing, would you want to see him playing for us next year?
PACE
Lonwijk and Potts are ready for the Championship.
Hopefully Potts will be evidence that we can love and develop players and West Ham trust us with Kodua for a whole season as he looks to me like the kind of threat that we miss in some games. Campbell is in contract for 2 more years at Wolves. I see nothing that suggests he's ready for league 1.
Top of my Santa's list would be a new goalkeeper, a creative midfielder and a pacey striker
I would take Taylor. He is still very young but he has improved and surely that's the point of loans. He's out of contract too. So who knows he could be the key to Forest meeting their FFP obligations.
The squad list shows we could see a massive overhaul of the team this summer. I hope not but contracts are up all over the place.
CB worries me, with all of them out of contract (except Low maybe?). I don't see any way we keep Low, Tafazolli, and Forino, but losing two (or even all three) would be bad news.
Let's hope no-one was watching Chris Forino yesterday
I would love to agree with you @TheAndyGrahamFanClub when you say "I have a strong belief that Matt now knows what is going to work and will recruit around that ethos and structure" except for the fact he brought Chem Campbell back in Jan, which goes against every lesson he should've learnt on not recruiting Premier League baubles just because they're on offer.
The Premier League loans I'd really like are a keeper (Nathan Bishop, perhaps, given he can't get into Sunderland's team...) plus a Potts replacement. We then need a left back and probably a set of Vokes and McCleary replacements, though easier said than done.
Forino has to be a huge risk of being poached.
Low we know has already attracted bids, so can we afford not to sell him with presumably a year left in the summer?
Taf is always rumoured to be on his way out.
So it could be a real changing of the guard, but then we think that every season.
The attack needs some quality injected though.
I thought along similar lines on Earley listening to MB in a recent interview when he said he won't play for us "this season".
Last summer’s window saw the addition of one of our best loans ever, and one of our worst. One of our best permanent signings for a while and one of the most underwhelming.
I’d be much happier for Blooms to focus on developing our own players next season, and limit the loans, maybe even just to players like Lonwijk and Kodua who have already been here.
Does anyone on the Gasroom keep up with Nottingham Forest? I wonder what Dale Taylor’s contract situation is. He’s really impressed me since moving deeper.
Earley had surgery a few weeks ago and it looks like he's back at Plymouth for a long rehab.
https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/sport/football/plymouth-argyle-defender-saxon-earley-9164982
Assuming Vokes is off, that takes a nice chunk off the wage bill but also gives us a gap to fill. I also expect Forino will go - too good for clubs to pass up on a free - then Potts to replace and a new 'keeper. And more to do besides. It's going to be another busy window.
I hope Lubala will stay next season. I have high hopes for him.
Who's the underwhelming permanent signing? Apparently so underwhelming I've drawn a blank!
Oh, Lyle Taylor! I thought he didn't come til October.
Oh, and how could I forget a left-back!
I assumed Richard Keogh
Also, just a hunch but I reckon Vokes is staying
Yeah I assumed Keogh from that as well
We need a big target man to link up with Kone and/or Hanlan. Vokes is sadly on the decline, and whilst I would try and keep him on a lower wage as cover, we need a mobile physical presence.
I think one of the keepers will go to be replaced by a young prospect. Don't know which one I would keep.
As others have said, the central defence is the uncertain area. Assuming we can keep Forino and get Lonwijk on loan for another year along with Low, I would let Taff go purely on the basis of his injury record and the fact he will be nearly 33 at the start of next season. Grimmer is more than able as a central defender. Hopefully Pattenden will be fit as I really rate him.
Departures in addition to the current loanees could be McCarthy, JJ, McCleary (37 next season) and perhaps Wheeler.
I don't think Vokes is going to challenge for the golden boot next season but we must be able to use his experience to guide and mould Kone and Bez (and even Hanlan) in how to be a better striker. We were spoilt with Bayo in his on and off field influence and we need that (no, we will never get THAT again) in the squad. GMac too.
Agree about Jack Grimmer, he could easily be our first choice right back and 4th choice centre-half and save us a wage. Particularly with Jasper coming through to provide back up at full back.
I guess the worry is that Jack’s out of contract too and might get a few offers. Losing Jack and big Chris for nothing would be horrendous.
I was thinking Keogh, particularly in contrast with Joe Low. I'd forgotten all about Lyle Taylor!
My concern for next season is that L1 will be even more "anyone can beat anyone" with the top potentially slightly weaker (for the sake of argument, say Huddersfield, Birmingham and Rotherham replacing Portsmouth, Derby and Bolton), with the bottom potentially slightly stronger (say Stockport, Wrexham, Mansfield and MK replacing Fleetwood, Cheltenham, Burton and Carliisle).
Though this is an opportunity if we are upwardly mobile, I have a feeling the lower end will be even more difficult to navigate, as there may be less pushovers than this season (and there were not many this season). We can't afford to get mired down there.
We do have the makings of a good squad - and remember Hanlan will be like a new signing - but we still need a combination of grit, pace and creativity (doesn't everyone?) to turn it into a top half squad.
I'm fairly certain there was more background to the Lyle Taylor signing, which we aren't privilege to. I am led to believe he was a free signing in multiple ways.
At the time, outside a transfer window, we were desperate for another striker in the building. It just didn't work out for us, but was there another choice?
And don't forget, having seen him play a number of times we didn't then offer a longer term contract. So maybe we learnt something during his brief time with us.