Squad for next season

[Rjk]

Here's how we are shaping up for next season:

Players currently in or around the senior squad:

GK
Phillips

CB
Nelson
McGuiness

WB/FB
Ng
Bagan

CM
Wintle
Sang
Bowen

AM
Colwill
Evans

FW
Moore
Harris
Collins
Davies
Watters

Then there are a few in the u23s who could make the step up

GK
Ratcliffe

CB
Denham
Connoly (although I think he's also out of contract)
Bakare

WB
Semenyo

CM
Patten
King
D'Almeida

CF
Zimba


Well we have a LOT to do.
I'd say we need:
1 Gk
2 CB
2 WB/FB
1 CM
1 AM

possibly less depending on if any of the other youngsters can step up.
thats a massive transition, you'd expect we would be looking at a couple of loans again, and frees and good prospects in the lower leagues.
I see some teams have started picking over the bones of Derby already - I wonder how much they'd accept for Bird, Sibley or Knight

[the other bob wilson]

If anything, I’d say you are underestimating the number of new players to come in, I think we may need as much as ten newcomers.

[Lawnmower]

If anything, I’d say you are underestimating the number of new players to come in, I think we may need as much as ten newcomers.

If all of the out of contract players leave we will need at least 10 new ones. Our loanee will also go, so that’s 11, plus Tomlin gone and we were already thin in the ground.

Think we should try to keep at least Ralls, and one of Flint/Morrison, one of Vaulks/ Pack depending on what they will accept and of course what is offered elsewhere. Maybe Smithies too depending on what he will accept.

The squad is paper thin and although we’ve been poor this year I wouldn’t put all the blame on these guys - there have been a lot of background problems this season… same players got us to 2 decent finishes last 2 seasons.

Not as easy as many think to bring in better, although there should be a fair bit of budget released to bring in some quality additions

[2b2bdoo]

If all of the out of contract players leave we will need at least 10 new ones. Our loanee will also go, so that’s 11, plus Tomlin gone and we were already thin in the ground.

Think we should try to keep at least Ralls, and one of Flint/Morrison, one of Vaulks/ Pack depending on what they will accept and of course what is offered elsewhere. Maybe Smithies too depending on what he will accept.

The squad is paper thin and although we’ve been poor this year I wouldn’t put all the blame on these guys - there have been a lot of background problems this season… same players got us to 2 decent finishes last 2 seasons.

Not as easy as many think to bring in better, although there should be a fair bit of budget released to bring in some quality additions

I would say it’s more an unbalanced squad than paper thin.

If people want going to have their chance you have to include them in the squad and can’t have a huge squad of experienced pros.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

One rather sobering thought - if we let the contracts of Morrison, Flint, Bacuna, Pack, Vaulks and Smithies all run down, we'll have paid over £20m in transfer fees for those 6 alone and have got not a penny back in transfer fees.

[Cardiff-Cal]

And when you consider all those extra matches in the Papa John’s Trophy it’s looking even bleaker.

[J R Hartley]

I think dropping down a division could be the making of these young lads. Could be a case of one step back, two steps forward.

[Rjk]

I think dropping down a division could be the making of these young lads. Could be a case of one step back, two steps forward.

i don't agree

[City123]

1 new central midfielder? We'll be losing 4 and there's no guarantee that Bowen or Sang are good enough

[The Hooded Claw]

One rather sobering thought - if we let the contracts of Morrison, Flint, Bacuna, Pack, Vaulks and Smithies all run down, we'll have paid over £20m in transfer fees for those 6 alone and have got not a penny back in transfer fees.

The alternative is to renew their contracts…

[goats]

The alternative is to renew their contracts…

That’s a lot of wages and I dont think we need them anymore. Morrison and smithies have been here quite a while and have served the club pretty well….did we pay money for vaulks?

[City123]

That’s a lot of wages and I dont think we need them anymore. Morrison and smithies have been here quite a while and have served the club pretty well….did we pay money for vaulks?

Yep, about £2m

[J R Hartley]

1 new central midfielder? We'll be losing 4 and there's no guarantee that Bowen or Sang are good enough

Well we won’t know if they are not given an opportunity will we. Bowen has been arguably City’s best player in 2 of the 4 games he’s started - Brighton in the cup and Reading the last league game before he got injured.

[City123]

Well we won’t know if they are not given an opportunity will we. Bowen has been arguably City’s best player in 2 of the 4 games he’s started - Brighton in the cup and Reading the last league game before he got injured.

I agree, but they should be tested now and regardless 4 midfielders probably isn't enough for a full season. Has Sang ever started a game for us in midfield?

[J R Hartley]

i don't agree

I don’t expect many to as people want instant results but if this summer is going to be another window of austerity and we have to go into another season with the youngsters I think it would be more beneficial long term if they were winning some games, which we are more likely to in League 1.
Even if we survive this season, another relegation fight beckons next year. We are fortunate this year Reading and Derbyhave had points deducted. No good for their development being in a relegation scrap constatnly losing games imo. We need to be giving this group 2/3 years of football experience to make them ready for Championship football. That may need to take place in league one for a season or two.

[J R Hartley]

I agree, but they should be tested now and regardless 4 midfielders probably isn't enough for a full season. Has Sang ever started a game for us in midfield?

Well it doesn’t help we are bringing someone else’s youngsters in on loan at the expense of our own. And yet Morison talked about clear pathways when he first took the job.

It didnt take him long to go into Neil Harris mode. Talk is cheap.

[2b2bdoo]

Probably a good thing especially in midfield which has been an issue for so long. I would try and keep Ralls but let the rest go.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

The alternative is to renew their contracts…

Morrison has been a good servant to the club and has been worth his transfer fee. Can't say the same about the others, Smithies has been ok at best.

Yes, what a mess. I notice the five other players in that list were signed by the same man...

[Eric the Half a Bee]

I don’t expect many to as people want instant results but if this summer is going to be another window of austerity and we have to go into another season with the youngsters I think it would be more beneficial long term if they were winning some games, which we are more likely to in League 1.
Even if we survive this season, another relegation fight beckons next year. We are fortunate this year Reading and Derbyhave had points deducted. No good for their development being in a relegation scrap constatnly losing games imo. We need to be giving this group 2/3 years of football experience to make them ready for Championship football. That may need to take place in league one for a season or two.

I don't have much of a problem with us going down. I would hope the drop in income might bring about a reality check for Tan. Relegation didn't work out too badly for Norwich, Southampton, Leicester etc. It's true that Bolton and Portsmouth struggled and there is a fear we could end up as we did in the mid 80s, but we're not a club in huge trouble like those. It took Slade to sort out the mess from Solskjaer and it's taken 3 managers to sort out the mess from Warnock. Sometimes you need to take a step backwards to make bigger steps forward.

[City123]

I missed this from a few days ago in WOL about George Ratcliffe:

Smithies: Ratcliffe 'needs to be playing'
Cardiff's Alex Smithies believes youngster George Ratcliffe is getting to the stage of his career when he needs to start playing first-team games.

The 21-year-old is yet to make his first-team debut, but is a fully-fledged member of the senior setup.

With two top stoppers in front of him in Smithies and Dillon Phillips, chances are few and far between. However, with Smithies' contract up in the summer, the Wales under-21s keeper might get his shot next term.

"For George, he’s getting to that stage where he’ll need to be playing games, stepping up when he gets the opportunity," Smithies said.

"He has been working hard with me and Dillon, which I’d like to think is helping in bringing him along in his development as a young player with potential.”

It's a bit of a surprise to me that Ratcliffe hasn't at least been given a cup game, we may need to rely on him as second choice next season

[jon1959]

I hope the club re-sign Smithies, Morrison and Ralls.

[Rjk]

I hope the club re-sign Smithies, Morrison and Ralls.

depending on wages, I can see the merit in that

[az city]

Face it folks, if we don't get relegated this year, we're nailed on certs for next. Unless of course Uncle Vinny gets his mojo back.

[Rjk]

Face it folks, if we don't get relegated this year, we're nailed on certs for next. Unless of course Uncle Vinny gets his mojo back.

there will be plenty of good frees available, we could be good, or absolutely terrible

[Pedro de la Rosa]

I hope the club re-sign Smithies, Morrison and Ralls.

Ralls, Smithies and one of Morrison/Flint. I'd probably lean towards Morrison cos he's Morrison, if that makes sense. He's a leader, captain, keeps everyone in line, is well liked. They don't grow on trees. However, we can't keep someone cos he's a good bloke, so he needs to get back to his best sooner rather than later.

The rest, hard pass. We could be freeing up about 150k a week.