[hardgums]

After that second-half shambles and a clearly incensed Cookie, I wonder what the team will look like next season. Duffy, Naylor, Grigg, Madden, Mandy, Dobra (if we can keep him), Coco, and that's probably your lot.

[Fit as a Nelson]

Not bothered if Colclough leaves, infact it might be for the best. That won?t be popular.

[Tha Knows...]

Fit as a Nelson, on 15 February 2025 - 05:53 PM, said:

Not bothered if Colclough leaves, infact it might be for the best. That won?t be popular.

For me, he can go.Ditto Madden.

[gordon_brittas]

Can see Colclough gone, sadly been very ineffective this season.

Hopefully Metcalfe and Thompson don?t return.

Priority for me is a goalkeeper that belongs to us that has league 2 and possibly 1 pedigree.

From names I heard before Christmas as targets for the summer, all positions we are weak in will be improved.

[Mr Mercury]

Fit as a Nelson, on 15 February 2025 - 05:53 PM, said:

Not bothered if Colclough leaves, infact it might be for the best. That won?t be popular.

I wouldn?t disagree with you. Many players helped us out of that hell hole of the NL, but I think we?ve all been caught out how big a step up L2 now is.
Major rebuild in the summer. Not a criticism of Cook or recruitment, injuries have done us and it is what it is.

[Westbars Spireite]

hardgums, on 15 February 2025 - 05:47 PM, said:

After that second-half shambles and a clearly incensed Cookie, I wonder what the team will look like next season. Duffy, Naylor, Grigg, Madden, Mandy, Dobra (if we can keep him), Coco, and that's probably your lot.

After a loss isn't perhaps the time for clarity of thought but right now I wouldn't miss Madden, Colclough or Mandeville. Two of them are presumably under contract anyway.

[warfey is a spireite]

Tha Knows..., on 15 February 2025 - 05:54 PM, said:

For me, he can go.Ditto Madden.

Nor me waste of wages,take sheckleford ,metcalfe1.with them

[jack bauer]

Very much a season of transition, think we will plenty of ins and outs this summer and hopefully not many loans

[dtp]

Mr Mercury, on 15 February 2025 - 05:57 PM, said:

I wouldn?t disagree with you. Many players helped us out of that hell hole of the NL, but I think we?ve all been caught out how big a step up L2 now is.
Major rebuild in the summer. Not a criticism of Cook or recruitment, injuries have done us and it is what it is.

The step up is as expected for me. Bromley have performed results wise to a similar level as us. Stockport did not manage to get out of L2 first time either.

Obviously, injuries have not helped us at all but some of our more senior players have disappointed as well.

We are a team in transition and yet we can still do some damage.

[azul]

I thought 1866 pundits were hilarious when the suggest the playoff push was almost over (correct) and that it was time for building for a promotion push next season.

I wonder how many of this seasons players will be here next season we really want to be. If the consensus of opinion on here reflects management very few will be here on merit to build a team around.

This post has been edited by azul: 15 February 2025 - 06:39 PM

[Sammy Spireite]

azul, on 15 February 2025 - 06:37 PM, said:

I thought 1866 pundits were hilarious when the suggest the playoff push was almost over (correct) and that it was time for building for a promotion push next season.

I wonder how many of this seasons players will be here next season we really want to be. If the consensus of opinion on here reflects management very few will be here on merit to build a team around.

Trouble is, with the majority of the squad out of contract in the summer, they?ll have an idea they?re not being kept on and keeping them motivated and keeping them fighting for every ball will be a huge challenge .

I honestly think that?s why so many players were given a years extension last season to keep them focused for the run in this time last year.

[azul]

Sammy Spireite, on 15 February 2025 - 06:46 PM, said:

Trouble is, with the majority of the squad out of contract in the summer, they?ll have an idea they?re not being kept on and keeping them motivated and keeping them fighting for every ball will be a huge challenge .

I honestly think that?s why so many players were given a years extension last season to keep them focused for the run in this time last year.

That worked well, we picked up little more than a point per game in the last 3rd of the season. It wasn't far off relegation form.

The churn in players since our arrival back in L2 has been phenomenal but we are now back to the core of players that finished last season.

We will still need still need squad players next season and you'd expect that would keep most focused.

[dtp]

azul, on 15 February 2025 - 07:04 PM, said:

That worked well, we picked up little more than a point per game in the last 3rd of the season. It wasn't far off relegation form.

The churn in players since our arrival back in L2 has been phenomenal but we are now back to the core of players that finished last season.

We will still need still need squad players next season and you'd expect that would keep most focused.

Surely, even if a player is considering his future is not with us he should be trying to impress any would be suitors.

There will be a lot of players out of contract at the end of the season which means competition for signatures.

[paulwardle]

Fair assessment by Cookie.

Players falling short in my opinion are:

Madden
Colclough
Mandeville


There are others but these players are senior and have no excuse for being poor or inconsistent

[rodney]

Westbars Spireite, on 15 February 2025 - 05:58 PM, said:

After a loss isn't perhaps the time for clarity of thought but right now I wouldn't miss Madden, Colclough or Mandeville. Two of them are presumably under contract anyway.

Mandeville?! Is this a serious post?

[Mr Mercury]

Sammy Spireite, on 15 February 2025 - 06:46 PM, said:

Trouble is, with the majority of the squad out of contract in the summer, they?ll have an idea they?re not being kept on and keeping them motivated and keeping them fighting for every ball will be a huge challenge .

I honestly think that?s why so many players were given a years extension last season to keep them focused for the run in this time last year.

Re your final sentence I agree with that totally..eyes on the prize and all that!

[Westbars Spireite]

rodney, on 15 February 2025 - 07:42 PM, said:

Mandeville?! Is this a serious post?

He's not in Cook's starting XI and was the 5th of 5 subs so isn't flavour of the month with him either.

[Mr Mercury]

azul, on 15 February 2025 - 07:04 PM, said:

That worked well, we picked up little more than a point per game in the last 3rd of the season. It wasn't far off relegation form.

The churn in players since our arrival back in L2 has been phenomenal but we are now back to the core of players that finished last season.

We will still need still need squad players next season and you'd expect that would keep most focused.

Due to the fact it was job done title won, Cook even said as much himself at the PotY do

[azul]

Westbars Spireite, on 15 February 2025 - 07:44 PM, said:

He's not in Cook's starting XI and was the 5th of 5 subs so isn't flavour of the month with him either.

Thought Cook messed up his subs big time. Far too late and then seemed to throw them on in random fashion and any organisation we had went out the window. No wonder we saw such a shambolic period of overtime. Not the first time he has done that when supposedly chasing a match.

And why is this business of playing Colclough on the right when he comes on.

[Westbars Spireite]

azul, on 15 February 2025 - 08:59 PM, said:

Thought Cook messed up his subs big time. Far too late and then seemed to throw them on in random fashion and any organisation we had went out the window. No wonder we saw such a shambolic period of overtime. Not the first time he has done that when supposedly chasing a match.

And why is this business of playing Colclough on the right when he comes on.

I agree. 10 minutes late. Not that it would likely have altered the result given what unfolded, but you never know. It feels like he gives Colclough 5 minutes on the left then swaps him over half the time.