Should they stay or should they go.....
It’s unfortunate that the Gasroomers were right; JMac has sadly left to pursue new opportunities.
Who do we think might be the next to leave?
Wheeler: I can’t see him going. He’s heavily involved with environmental matters and is capable of playing in various positions across the front, in midfield, and as a right-back. Since McCarthy is gone, I believe he will stay through the summer.
Bishop: It’s hard to imagine Sunderland wanting us to keep him as our number two or three keeper. He may end up being recalled to Sunderland, which wouldn’t be our choice.
Taffazolli: He’s injury-prone but is a great player on his day in this league. He serves as the cover for Low and Taylor. If Taylor gets recalled, I doubt Taffazolli will be allowed to leave, as he probably wouldn’t pass a medical elsewhere anyway. We have other options like Skura and Grimmer to cover at center back if needed, so I don’t anticipate us bringing in a new center back. He is definitely one of our highest-paid players from the Championship season.
Regarding the development players, with Ward and Young getting older and not making the impact we hoped for, will they receive loan renewals past January? Or will we sell them leave, considering the rest are younger and performing well at their loan clubs? They might also be released at the end of the season.... anyway.
Morley, Taylor, Humphreys, and Bishop's futures depend on their parent clubs. If they are not recalled, is it feasible to keep three or four of them for the rest of the season, especially if they end up being loaned to higher-level teams? It’s somewhat out of our hands what we do, I suppose.
Who would you want to keep if you were Blooms, apart from the loan players?
I’m assuming Hanlan and Vokes won’t leave, as they are on decent money here. They have had longer-term injuries, but Blooms has mentioned they are getting back to fitness and that Hanlan is being involved in the squad again.
As for Little Gideon Kodua, I assume he will stay when back fit, as he has starts and goals to his name.
Comments
I would imagine there will be plenty of transfer activity in and out in January.
Yep. Most confident on Butcher leaving. Wouldn’t rule out Vokes going too. I think we’ll have about five outs and three or four ins.
Does anybody know the contract situation for Low? I’m guessing he may be entering the final six months.
I think Young is potentially out of contract in January so could be on his way.
Clark, Ward and Woodhouse have been in the squad on occasions so would expect they maybe recalled and sent on loan in a higher league. Although Woodhouse already doing well at top of National League.
unless any of Butcher, Taf or Wheeler are really unhappy I would expect them to stay. However I could see Vokes or Hanlan moving on.
Could be two or Three spaces to fill if loans stay. Excited to see what ML’s ambitions are for the rest of the season
Not sure about Hanlan going - he seems pretty solidly in Blooms' plans. Vokesy could be a seriously useful option to have at the business end of the season, too.
I think we have to view this transfer window in context because, quite frankly, we have the best squad ever and in any other season would be happy to see Wheeler, Hanlan, Vokes, Taf, Skura, Butcher, Bakinson and Hartridge getting many more minutes when fit.
However, the truth is we are owned by a billionaire with ambitions and a vision and are currently sitting top of league 1 (it's true I just checked to be certain), playing some excellent football at times. We have to capitalise on our current league position and make automatic promotion our aim - even if the management team talk it down in public.
It feels very un-Wycombe to be considering upgrading perfectly good players mid season who have maybe 18 month left on a contract, in fact almost disloyal and disrespectful of their contributions. However, the really is we almost certainly will see some of those players leaving to be replaced by higher quality and that's even before talking about the loanees - I expect Morley and Bishop to be recalled and trust we've identified suitable replacements.
I anticipate we will see quite a bit of activity next month which might include the loan signings of some talented young players who won't count towards the squad size limited as well as the replacement of players who six months ago we wouldn't have thought of letting go.
Extraordinary times indeed to be a supporter of Wycombe Wanderers. COYB
I don't imagine our new owners expected us to be in this position almost half way through the season (I certainly didn't).
They probably thought this was (another) season of 'consolidation' while they put in the foundations of their academy, and that further investment in the squad over the summer would give us a real chance next season.
But... here we are, and football being football, there is no guarantee of similar success next season. So they must surely be thinking what a great opportunity this is and given the huge amount of money they've already spent on prepping the academy, I'd be amazed if the manager isn't given the funds to seriously strengthen the squad next month.
Bloomfield seems to massively rate Hanlan and especially at centre forward.
I don't see it at all in that position, but he could be an option on the left, but we've so many other options now.
Vokes surely won't go anywhere else. He's probably not capable of starting 30+ games in a season, so the bit part role will suit him here in what might well be his last season?
I would like to think Vokes stays based on his unique attributes. He could help us unlock stubborn defences late on if we desperately need an equaliser.
*a winner ;)
The only player I expect to go at this stage is Bishop
We don't need a replacement for Bishop.
Canterbury FC does
We do really - I doubt Shala is anywhere near ready
Bishop is a bizarre one. No doubt joined as a number 1 and now assuming he's fit (as he played in the whatever cup) he's number 3. If Sunderland were looking to develop him for their own purposes then no way is this working, if they wanted rid then what do they care. Feel for him. 3 games 3 defeats and an injury. I'd be surprised if Vokes went as he can help the strikers we have by being the target man for them to play off. An option we don't normally employ but something to throw in the mix.
I suspect we want to keep Wheeler but if a team offers him a 2-year deal we will probably do the decent thing and let him go.
Butcher leaving disappoints me but these rumours usually originate from somewhere which suggests he wants to go. And if Morley goes too we will definitely need to fill that area.
Taff might go. Might not.
As for the rest I will wait to be pleasantly surprised. But Kodua is a definite keeper for me. Another great attacking option.
Canterbury FC - Canterbury Failed Christians?
If both Rav and George were injured couldn’t we get an emergency loan?
Lommy: The new academy isn't even finished and we're already top of the table. How to maintain this? More academies!!!!
Yeah, but why not be prepared? We're not strapped for cash anymore!
What quality keeper would be prepared to join knowing that they wouldn't even be a bench warmer unless one of the other two got injured. Additionally, it would be a wasted squad number.
yeah as mooneyman said, why not use the squad space for a different position - still think we need a back up LB and another centre mid
We'd get hold of someone, even if it's a veteran. We really ought to have three 'keepers.
Goalkeepers don't count towards the squad cap
in that case, ignore everything I said and sign a keeper
Three senior keepers feels like an extraordinary luxury. I can't see Sunderland being happy with Bishop being third choice so surely they'll find another home for him. Given his wages and lack of playing time i'd have thought Taff is the most likely candidate to leave.
Can’t see Vokes going really. I reckon he will retire at the end of the season.
I genuinely thought Bishop was on a loan with a view to joining permanent at the end, and I still think it could be, otherwise surely he'd have gone back to Sunderland when injured.
When was the last time we had three goalkeepers? Like, proper ones, not ones that we only worked out existed when they appeared in a team photo.
We had Allsop, Stocko and Yates in the Championship
Does Yates count?
Definitely counts more than Henry Newcombe