Summer Shopping List
As Easter is fast approaching, it can only mean that the EFL Season is slowly drawing to a close. Now we have mentioned about the names of players who are (potentially) out of contract this season and who we'd like to keep or who will leave this summer.
So who realistically would you like us to sign that we can afford? Who coukd be the next 'big name' (like Bayo, Sam Vokes or Alfie Mawson) that we could recruit to rediscover their form & love for the game?
This will be Matt's first big test as manager with expected budget cuts to build a squad for us to move onwards after Gareth's management and become Matt's team.
All answers and suggestions welcome!
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This is a great thread to have eventually (as in, June) - the one issue I have right now is that without knowing which division we are in, it is impossible to make those calls with enough certainty. We almost need one thread for Championship and one for L1!
One of the most exciting seasons is about to unfold and you are talking about shopping lists?
Stick to fantasy manager lad/lass
This was the tweet that gave me the idea to start this discussion.
Now following the trends that Wycombe have gone through, our next 'big' name could be someone like Troy Deeney or Billy Sharp if Vokes prices himself out of an extension?
Fell for it sorry. Think i identified otter a few weeks ago
Maybe we should have a rule that you need to state which league we'll be in before mentioning a player to sign?
I could live with that! I think L1 is an easier call then the Champo, as we are already here, so it is more a case of re-signing as many as possible and supplementing. I can't think of anyone I would 100% let go at this stage, to be honest, in the main squad.
Except Horgan or do you think Matt will want to keep him around?
Sam Vokes is priority one
Year in username... beware
Isn't your username '61' in half roman numerals? 😉
Good shout, I forgot he would be part of that (lumped him in with Kaikai leaving permanently). I would keep him if he came cheap as a squad player, but sadly he won't come cheap, so I think we have to move on. Seems like a thoroughly likeable 100% effort type of chap, but for whatever reason he has never caught fire with us.
Interesting article in QPR’s local rag( they’re equivalent to BFP) where Ainsworth outlines his priorities for this season . Ensure they stay in the Championship and then effectively start again for next season. He goes on to say that they cannot spend big because of massive debt at the club but says there are lots of gems in the lower leagues and that he has already identified and spoken to the board about who to go after. Does that list include Wycombe players? If it does, will raiding our club, tarnish his reputation?
If he can't get a game at Stevenage I don't see how he could hold out for a high wage for an unlikely renewal here. Either way It's a shame it hasn't worked out and Bloomsball might suit him better but I think it's probably an unnecessary gamble and time to look forward to other options.
If he's seen to only be able to attract people who he knows that will reflect badly although if they perform well it would be forgiven. His small budget there is probably way higher than he had here though so as much as we might be vulnerable to a raid he'll have targets from non league to the top of L1 and out of contract higher up who he wouldn't have been able to dream of approaching with us.
I think we need milk
I would probably let Gape go in view of his seemingly endless injury problems. I know it's harsh, but we also have Thomson with similar problems. With a potential reduced wage budget, I'm not sure we can afford to have both playing so few games, particularly when they are both midfielders. I think Thompson is the better of the two when fit.
I thought Gape already has a contract for next season whereas Thompson is out of contract this year? I might be wrong tho
That probably solves the problem of having two injury prone players then.
Except Thompson’s the better player. So not sure it does.
I think they’ll just have to call it on the medical view of whether this is just one of those injuries that’s bad luck and he’ll be perfectly fine once recovered or whether there’s likely to be continuing issues.
As far as we can tell, there's only 4 players left in contract next season.
Forino, Wing, Gape and Hanlan, with Young in 2025.
Don't forget Skura, that makes six
I imagine Stryjek will be an automatic extension. Whether we keep him beyond the summer is another matter...
I guess we would have an option to trigger another year for Max and possibly Willis
Grimmer, Scowen and Vokes are the 3 I would like to see re signed as priority. Thompson and Taf too if considered fit enough
I would offer the rest a contract within budget and keep who signs.
release Mellor and possibly Wakely.
The 2 new signings would be to replace Anis and a number 2 keeper. I wonder if Campbell would be available for a season long loan and if Bishop, who I believe becomes a free agent in the summer, maybe being lined up
oops, nearly forgot Wheeler as a priority as well
I'd go absolutely priority order of Scowen, Vokes, Taf, Max.
Absolute undoubted key players of the spine. Sign that lot up and we've got a superb base for next season.
Everyone else who starts regularly when fit I'd be happy to keep if the money makes sense versus other options.
Meant to say that’s if still in League 1. If we get promoted then I would make a couple of hard decisions and release McCarthy and TJ
TJ surely has to be 5050 to stay in league 1? has barely had a look in until we absolutely trimmed the squad down.
Max, Jack, Taff, Josh, Wheels and Sam Vokes (can you believe he plays for us?) are a spine you can build around. GMac looks about ten years younger than he is, I’d offer him a new contract too
I don’t see much of a future for D’Mani, Horgan or Tyla since none of them are getting a look in in L2.
I'd keep Tjay, I can see real promise. Plus I love watching him absolutely flatten defenders twice the size of him.
All those out on loan who expire in the summer are surely gone.
The development players currently on our bench will have to produce something decent to stay as well I'd have thought.