[jack bauer]

 Mr Mercury, on 17 May 2025 - 10:54 PM, said:

I’d have Donacian nowhere near sadly

you're probably right, shame we didn't go after tendayi last summer when he was OOC, I like donacien i have to say but hmmm... it's a tough one. i'm hoping we sign sparkes and retain gordon on the left, both for me as good as you could hope for in league 2, on the right side we don't for me currently have the same, i liked tanton but he barely featured, mandy back there did his best but lets get him where he can hurt the opposition, VDC and shecks not really so can we find a right back of the calibre of gordon and /or sparkes?

[Nitrous Oxide]

Probably try and loan Madden as a way to offload.

[Mr Mercury]

 jack bauer, on 17 May 2025 - 11:07 PM, said:

you're probably right, shame we didn't go after tendayi last summer when he was OOC, I like donacien i have to say but hmmm... it's a tough one. i'm hoping we sign sparkes and retain gordon on the left, both for me as good as you could hope for in league 2, on the right side we don't for me currently have the same, i liked tanton but he barely featured, mandy back there did his best but lets get him where he can hurt the opposition, VDC and shecks not really so can we find a right back of the calibre of gordon and /or sparkes?

VDC was ok when fit, nothing more, would definitely let go. Shecks , again ok at this level, nothing more. Maybe keep,as back up but wouldn’t be surprised to see him let go, Tanton looked great but nowhere near enough minutes, Gordon, started great but definitely dropped off.
For me I’d snap up Sparkes and Metcalfe if we could , Ajuro , maybe, again is he too light weight! Fleck and Fadz? Tough call but neither for me, maybe Fleck at a push, and I’ve not seen too much that separates Grimes from Fadz for me, except age.
Anyway it’s not up to us and I trust Cook to give it ago with the Kirk’s backing.

[jack bauer]

 Mr Mercury, on 17 May 2025 - 11:15 PM, said:

VDC was ok when fit, nothing more, would definitely let go. Shecks , again ok at this level, nothing more. Maybe keep,as back up but wouldn’t be surprised to see him let go, Tanton looked great but nowhere near enough minutes, Gordon, started great but definitely dropped off.
For me I’d snap up Sparkes and Metcalfe if we could , Ajuro , maybe, again is he too light weight! Fleck and Fadz? Tough call but neither for me, maybe Fleck at a push, and I’ve not seen too much that separates Grimes from Fadz for me, except age.
Anyway it’s not up to us and I trust Cook to give it ago with the Kirk’s backing.

given that analysis, surprised you advocate araujo, for me he had "moments" but felt overall he was a dissapointment.

[lindo-spireite]

 Siberian Spireite, on 17 May 2025 - 10:39 PM, said:

Well,stealing the out-of-contract list from the pinned thread:

Bailey Hobson
Darren Oldaker
Ryan Colclough
Jamie Grimes
Tyrone Williams
Mike Jones
Ryan Boot (GK)
Ollie Banks
Ash Palmer
Michael Jacobs
Kane Drummond
Connor Cook
Lewis Gordon (+ an option)
Vontae Daley-Campbell (+ an option)
Liam Jessop
Ashton Rinaldo (GK)
Ali Mohiuddin
John Fleck
Janoi Donasien
Kyle McFadzean

I’d favour offering Gordon, Banks (if interested) and Boot new deals/extensions, probably McFadzean too if not too expensive on wages.

Naylor and Madden are finished, I fear, but their contracts are not.

Think it was rumoured Colclough had played enough games to trigger another year, I hope not.

From that list I’d be offering boot a year, palmer one as back up, trigger Gordon’s year and I don’t know about mcFadzean, will probably depend on if cook knows already if we’re bringing a better centre half in

[dim view]

 Mr Mercury, on 17 May 2025 - 11:15 PM, said:

VDC was ok when fit, nothing more, would definitely let go. Shecks , again ok at this level, nothing more. Maybe keep,as back up but wouldn’t be surprised to see him let go, Tanton looked great but nowhere near enough minutes, Gordon, started great but definitely dropped off.
For me I’d snap up Sparkes and Metcalfe if we could , Ajuro , maybe, again is he too light weight! Fleck and Fadz? Tough call but neither for me, maybe Fleck at a push, and I’ve not seen too much that separates Grimes from Fadz for me, except age.
Anyway it’s not up to us and I trust Cook to give it ago with the Kirk’s backing.

Well, imo Gordon is becoming a bit of a scapegoat. He's done nowt wrong defensively, and he put the best cross of the day in at Walsall. Sparkes, on the other hand, was found wanting defensively for both goals. Sparkes is a wingback who should be viewed as competition for Colclough and Duffy. Gordon is a very good fullback.

This post has been edited by dim view: 18 May 2025 - 07:29 AM

[Phil V 72]

 lindo-spireite, on 18 May 2025 - 05:18 AM, said:

Think it was rumoured Colclough had played enough games to trigger another year, I hope not.

From that list I’d be offering boot a year, palmer one as back up, trigger Gordon’s year and I don’t know about mcFadzean, will probably depend on if cook knows already if we’re bringing a better centre half in

With Colclough, maybe a ‘tactical’ release? Would take any future off-field issues off the table for us

[60s 70s Spireite]

 dim view, on 18 May 2025 - 07:03 AM, said:

Well, imo Gordon is becoming a bit of a scapegoat. He's done nowt wrong defensively, and he put in the best cross of the day in at Walsall. Sparkes, on the other hand, was found wanting defensively for both goals. Sparkes is a wingback who should be viewed as competition for Colclough and Duffy. Gordon is a very good fullback.

Apart from ball watching in the 3rd minute and completely losing Jellis to give him a free one on one with Boot.

[lindo-spireite]

 Phil V 72, on 18 May 2025 - 07:31 AM, said:

With Colclough, maybe a ‘tactical’ release? Would take any future off-field issues off the table for us

I just don’t think he’s good enough mate

I’d offer boot two years

[The Earl of Chesterfield]

 dim view, on 18 May 2025 - 07:03 AM, said:

Well, imo Gordon is becoming a bit of a scapegoat. He's done nowt wrong defensively, and he put the best cross of the day in at Walsall. Sparkes, on the other hand, was found wanting defensively for both goals. Sparkes is a wingback who should be viewed as competition for Colclough and Duffy. Gordon is a very good fullback.

But that was in the context of us chasing the game, Dave.

You're right, Gordon's okay, just seems a little, well, lightweight to me...

[Bald magician]

 jack bauer, on 17 May 2025 - 10:35 AM, said:

i think you need a blend of youth, experience and players in their prime, i can't see us clearing out all the over 30's, well in fact we can't as some are under contract, i'm sure there will be a well constructed recruitment plan set on bringing together a "team" a "squad" that has the attributes and balance to deliver what cook wants,

Exactly. The age thing isn’t relevant. You want the best attributes available to you at the right time. Age is no factor

[dtp]

 dim view, on 18 May 2025 - 07:03 AM, said:

Well, imo Gordon is becoming a bit of a scapegoat. He's done nowt wrong defensively, and he put the best cross of the day in at Walsall. Sparkes, on the other hand, was found wanting defensively for both goals. Sparkes is a wingback who should be viewed as competition for Colclough and Duffy. Gordon is a very good fullback.

I somewhat agree with your analysis there. Gordon was excellent until his injury but, perhaps, had to come back in after little too soon after Sparkes sustained injury and, as such, has had to pace himself. I have to qualms in activating the contract extension in his case.

Sparkes is more of a wing back than a full back and is not as good as Gordon defensively. He puts a lot of crosses in but they don’t always result in that much. Yes, I think he would be a good addition to the squad and in certain situations I could be tempted to play him in a role with Gordon behind him. Neither of them seem to have much in the way of a goal in them. However, whether or not I would try and bring Sparkes in would depend on the fee Peterborough are asking as I suspect there will be some free transfer bargains to be considered as well.

[Fact Checker]

Retain:
Gordon
Fadz
Boot (although I’d still be looking for a better number 1)

Offer deals to the following that suit the club - if not accepted then nothing lost:
Banks
Fleck
Palmer
Hobson
Jessop
Cook (for obvious reasons)

That’s my take.

[Phil V 72]

 Fact Checker, on 18 May 2025 - 08:58 AM, said:

Retain:
Gordon
Fadz
Boot (although I’d still be looking for a better number 1)

Offer deals to the following that suit the club - if not accepted then nothing lost:
Banks
Fleck
Palmer
Hobson
Jessop
Cook (for obvious reasons)

That’s my take.

Connor Cook is nailed on

[Blue5]

 dim view, on 18 May 2025 - 07:03 AM, said:

Well, imo Gordon is becoming a bit of a scapegoat. He's done nowt wrong defensively, and he put the best cross of the day in at Walsall. Sparkes, on the other hand, was found wanting defensively for both goals. Sparkes is a wingback who should be viewed as competition for Colclough and Duffy. Gordon is a very good fullback.

I like Lewis. However, it's been noticeable since his return from injury that from an attacking perspective, he kills us and last Sunday's game was a prime example. DJ's the same when he starts in midfield.

If the aim next season is high-tempo, attacking football then I struggle to see how Lewis gets a game. We need more from our fullbacks than just being able to defend.

[Mr_Pleasant]

 Blue5, on 18 May 2025 - 09:32 AM, said:

I like Lewis. However, it's been noticeable since his return from injury that from an attacking perspective, he kills us and last Sunday's game was a prime example. DJ's the same when he starts in midfield.

If the aim next season is high-tempo, attacking football then I struggle to see how Lewis gets a game. We need more from our fullbacks than just being able to defend.

As Dim View says higher up, I am seeing signs of Gordon becoming a scapegoat here. Last Sunday it was his throughball on the edge of the box that set Colclough up for his shot that was tipped over; one of the few times, possibly the only time, that we played an incisive and quick pass forward. Friday he was often high up the pitch and swung in at least one very decent cross. I don't think he's a natural bomber on but I think his failings going forward are being overstated.

I also think in passing that Sparkes is being overrated somewhat, which tends to happen when a player doesn't actually play for a few months. He puts in a nice cross, which we rarely have an end point for. Whoever's fault that might be, if something looks good but doesn't lead to goals, it probably isn't as good as it first appears.

Our template should be the Walsall full backs. I think they are closer to how Cook would like to play than either Gordon or Sparkes.

[LondonBlue]

 Phil V 72, on 18 May 2025 - 08:59 AM, said:

Connor Cook is nailed on

How old is Connor Cook? You’d imagine if he gets to the stage that he is affecting the squad numbers and not just an extra body included in the young players that supplement the squad - that he won’t get a deal, he probably would get a role at the club though.

[Zigsuk]

What’s happened to Hobson? I’d forgotten about him. Did he go out on loan again or just fallen from favour?

[Zigsuk]

 Mr_Pleasant, on 18 May 2025 - 09:45 AM, said:

As Dim View says higher up, I am seeing signs of Gordon becoming a scapegoat here. Last Sunday it was his throughball on the edge of the box that set Colclough up for his shot that was tipped over; one of the few times, possibly the only time, that we played an incisive and quick pass forward. Friday he was often high up the pitch and swung in at least one very decent cross. I don't think he's a natural bomber on but I think his failings going forward are being overstated.

I also think in passing that Sparkes is being overrated somewhat, which tends to happen when a player doesn't actually play for a few months. He puts in a nice cross, which we rarely have an end point for. Whoever's fault that might be, if something looks good but doesn't lead to goals, it probably isn't as good as it first appears.

Our template should be the Walsall full backs. I think they are closer to how Cook would like to play than either Gordon or Sparkes.

I like the way Sparkes gets in crosses as soon he can and doesn’t Fanny around and plenty of them too. However as a result many seem over hit and difficult to get on the end of.

[SpireiteTillIDiee]

 Siberian Spireite, on 17 May 2025 - 10:39 PM, said:

Well,stealing the out-of-contract list from the pinned thread:

Bailey Hobson
Darren Oldaker
Ryan Colclough
Jamie Grimes
Tyrone Williams
Mike Jones
Ryan Boot (GK)
Ollie Banks
Ash Palmer
Michael Jacobs
Kane Drummond
Connor Cook
Lewis Gordon (+ an option)
Vontae Daley-Campbell (+ an option)
Liam Jessop
Ashton Rinaldo (GK)
Ali Mohiuddin
John Fleck
Janoi Donasien
Kyle McFadzean

I’d favour offering Gordon, Banks (if interested) and Boot new deals/extensions, probably McFadzean too if not too expensive on wages.

Naylor and Madden are finished, I fear, but their contracts are not.

Would only keep Boot, Banks, Palmer, Gordon, McFadzean out of that list I'd say with most of them being backups next season