Which of these 10 players would you most want to keep?

[BLUEAWAY]

Bacuna joins Sean Morrison, Joe Ralls, Aden Flint, Will Vaulks, Marlon Pack, Ciaron Brown, Josh Murphy, Isaac Vassell and Alex Smithies as players who have only five months left to run on their deals.

For me it would be in the order below but tbh assuming we don’t lose other players, the bottom five could all go and the top 3 would be the ones I would most like to stay.
1. smithies
2. ralls
3. flint
4. Morrison
5. Vaulks
6. Pack
7. Murphy
8. Brown
9. Bacuna
10. Vassal

[Mr Soul '68]

Only the top 2:
1. smithies
2. ralls

The rest can go. I'd keep Josh Murphy though, if he would accept much reduced wages. That's about it

[Stanmore Bluebird]

Nos 1, 2 3 and 4 only

[Hilts]

1 and 2. 4 if shows any of old form.

Id give Pack a year in L1.

Id be happy if we just kept Ralls.

[Der Kaiser]

2 and one of 3 or 4 but on significantly reduced wages.

[The Bloop]

Depends on which league we're in.
Smithies and Ralls definitely in the Championship. Others possibly if we're in Lee Gwan, but I'd ditch Ciaran Browne even if we were playing in the Cardiff Combination .

[Dorcus]

Bacuna joins Sean Morrison, Joe Ralls, Aden Flint, Will Vaulks, Marlon Pack, Ciaron Brown, Josh Murphy, Isaac Vassell and Alex Smithies as players who have only five months left to run on their deals.

For me it would be in the order below but tbh assuming we don’t lose other players, the bottom five could all go and the top 3 would be the ones I would most like to stay.
1. smithies
2. ralls
3. flint
4. Morrison
5. Vaulks
6. Pack
7. Murphy
8. Brown
9. Bacuna
10. Vassal

1 and 2 and at a push 3

[ToTaL ITK]

smithies ...the rest can feck orf

[2b2bdoo]

Ralls for sure.

Smithies on a decent wage.

[LeningradCowboy]

I'm not sure about Smithies. He was top quality in the season that we made the play-offs, but since then has he been any better than an average Championship goalkeeper?

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Bacuna joins Sean Morrison, Joe Ralls, Aden Flint, Will Vaulks, Marlon Pack, Ciaron Brown, Josh Murphy, Isaac Vassell and Alex Smithies as players who have only five months left to run on their deals.

For me it would be in the order below but tbh assuming we don’t lose other players, the bottom five could all go and the top 3 would be the ones I would most like to stay.
1. smithies
2. ralls
3. flint
4. Morrison
5. Vaulks
6. Pack
7. Murphy
8. Brown
9. Bacuna
10. Vassal

Ralls is ok at this level. I'd give Morrison a 1 year deal because of his loyalty. I think Vaulks has a place as well, even if his passing is woeful.

[life on mars]

Flint.Smithies, Ralls only on reduced wages and 2 year max contracts

[binman]

Ciaran Brown so he can do his magicians act in the kids end at half time to keep them entertained

I’d also keep Ralls and Morrison

Smithies is not staying at that wage but he is a competent keeper so I hope something can be sorted though I doubt it. He’s off to be 2nd or 3rd choice at a premier league club is my guess

Bacuna Brown are nowhere near good enough

The rest have taken us backwards and need releasing including Flint and Pack

[olderblue]

Brown, Vaulkes Pack, Bacuna Vassell Whyte Nelson
Have all been very poor signings and won't be missed.
Morrison has been a good Captain, but have injuries taken their toll?
Flint is average at best and at 32 probably could do a job as back up on reduced wages
Smithies is a decent keeper, but is he that much better than Phillips and worth 3 or 4 times the wages?
Murphy has played his last game for us and never lived up to the expectations of a £11M signing

Ralls would be the only one I'd keep

The business model isn't working too many on inflated salaries and not performing to the standard required.
More importantly its largely because of the above that were in the position where we are.
Time for a complete rebuild and if the club can find some other mug to take take Collins as well, happy days.

The big question will be is Morison the man to lead us next season?

[Punxsutawney Phil]

Brown, Vaulkes Pack, Bacuna Vassell Whyte Nelson
Have all been very poor signings and won't be missed.
Morrison has been a good Captain, but have injuries taken their toll?
Flint is average at best and at 32 probably could do a job as back up on reduced wages
Smithies is a decent keeper, but is he that much better than Phillips and worth 3 or 4 times the wages?
Murphy has played his last game for us and never lived up to the expectations of a £11M signing

Ralls would be the only one I'd keep

The business model isn't working too many on inflated salaries and not performing to the standard required.
More importantly its largely because of the above that were in the position where we are.
Time for a complete rebuild and if the club can find some other mug to take take Collins as well, happy days.

The big question will be is Morison the man to lead us next season?

This

We are at a crossroads and this is an opportunity to clear the decks and get in players who can play to the style that we are now adopting. None of the players listed, bar Ralls, can do that and we could be saving between £150k and £200k (if the internet is to be believed!) per week in wages on these players who are unsuited to the style, that's a decent number to rebuild with. It's crucial we stay up this season though as there will be a large number of free transfers out there but they'll be hard to recruit in League 1.....

[jon1959]

Brown, Vaulkes Pack, Bacuna Vassell Whyte Nelson
Have all been very poor signings and won't be missed.
Morrison has been a good Captain, but have injuries taken their toll?
Flint is average at best and at 32 probably could do a job as back up on reduced wages
Smithies is a decent keeper, but is he that much better than Phillips and worth 3 or 4 times the wages?
Murphy has played his last game for us and never lived up to the expectations of a £11M signing

Ralls would be the only one I'd keep

The business model isn't working too many on inflated salaries and not performing to the standard required.
More importantly its largely because of the above that were in the position where we are.
Time for a complete rebuild and if the club can find some other mug to take take Collins as well, happy days.

The big question will be is Morison the man to lead us next season?

Aren't Nelson and Whyte still under contract next season?

If Morrison can get back to his last season form after injuries, he would still be a top Championship defender. On the basis of his performances this season he isn't, but that may be something he can get over. I think we need to keep one of Morrison or Flint - not both.

Ralls we should keep, and Smithies too - but in all cases that would only be if reasonable wages could be agreed.

Smithies reported wages (who knows if the ITKs are ITK) are way too high for the post-Covid Championship. He is better than Phillips, but not so much better. But other than parachute-payment Championship clubs and Premier League clubs, who would offer high wages (maybe equivalent to current contract) to any of our players out of contract in the summer. The power has shifted from player to club.

[Rjk]

1. smithies
still a good keeper at this level, if we can agree a sensible wage I wouldn't be against keeping him, but Phillips is good enough and we could probably put the money to good use elsewhere.
2. ralls
brings energy and quality to the midfield, good player at this level, will be in demand. would like to keep if it fits into our budget.
3. flint
still a good player, but the level is starting to drop with age. possibly worth a 1 year deal if the money is right.
4. Morrison
Captain and influential player. hasn't been at his best in a back 3. again I'd keep if it was sensible money wise.
5. Vaulks
he's done OK. the long throws and occasional long range strike will be missed, but I'd move him on, doesn't do enough defensively or attacking wise for me.
6. Pack
important role in the team, but everything he does is so slow, Wintle should be keeping him out of the side now. move on.
7. Murphy
should have been a good player for us, one of our most expensive ever signings. I've been willing him to succeed for years but I think we are all resigned to the fact that it isn't going to happen. how much of that is down to him and how much is down to managers not using him well, but he is a shadow of the player we thought we had signed. definitely don't keep.
8. Brown
left footed CBs are very in demand, but I'm yet to see anything from brown to suggest he's good enough.aside from a good loan spell in Scotland. move on
9. Bacuna
he's been ok for us, but for someone we paid that much money for, and in his reported wage he should be one of the first names on the team sheet. on paper it is odd that as someone who has played as a premier League full back and has played as an attacking midfielder that we've never tried him at wing back. having seen him play I'm not that surprised.
he has some ability, but doesn't bring it often enough.
10. Vassell
I think there's a good player in there, but nobody is going to be brave enough to give him a contract after the last few years. I hope he goes elsewhere and scores a hatful of goals

[WJ99mobile]

Smithies is by a country mile a better keeper than Phillips

[olderblue]

The issue is how you divide the pot?
If by letting Smithies walk away and replaced by Phillips, this allows you to bring in 2-3 players then it's got to be an option that's considered.

Smithies is a good keeper, but somewhere you have to draw the line and ask are you getting the best value for money?

I've always thought we need a DOF, someone who could oversee how the club played from academy level to the first team, and whose main role was to see that the type of player recruited would fit into our style of play

That would have stopped us wasting money, time and energy on some of the real duds weve been saddled with over the last couple of years

[FormerlyJohnnyBreadhead]

Assuming we stay up, I'd keep Ralls and that's it. Morrison has been a good servant to the club but I think it's the right decision not to renew.

Smithies is our best GK but I don't see us being able to offer him anywhere close to what he could get elsewhere. As someone else said I wouldn't be surprised to see him go and be a no. 2 at a PL club. Maybe it's an opportunity for George Ratcliffe to start challenging Phillips for the no. 1 spot (I've not seen him play but I hear he's well thought of?)

If we get relegated I'd maybe consider giving Pack another year but everyone else on that list I'd be glad to see the back of.

Either way, this is the best opportunity to reshape the playing squad since Malky took over in 2011. Hopefully we can use it as wisely as we did then.

[delmbox]

1. smithies
still a good keeper at this level, if we can agree a sensible wage I wouldn't be against keeping him, but Phillips is good enough and we could probably put the money to good use elsewhere.
2. ralls
brings energy and quality to the midfield, good player at this level, will be in demand. would like to keep if it fits into our budget.
3. flint
still a good player, but the level is starting to drop with age. possibly worth a 1 year deal if the money is right.
4. Morrison
Captain and influential player. hasn't been at his best in a back 3. again I'd keep if it was sensible money wise.
5. Vaulks
he's done OK. the long throws and occasional long range strike will be missed, but I'd move him on, doesn't do enough defensively or attacking wise for me.
6. Pack
important role in the team, but everything he does is so slow, Wintle should be keeping him out of the side now. move on.
7. Murphy
should have been a good player for us, one of our most expensive ever signings. I've been willing him to succeed for years but I think we are all resigned to the fact that it isn't going to happen. how much of that is down to him and how much is down to managers not using him well, but he is a shadow of the player we thought we had signed. definitely don't keep.
8. Brown
left footed CBs are very in demand, but I'm yet to see anything from brown to suggest he's good enough.aside from a good loan spell in Scotland. move on
9. Bacuna
he's been ok for us, but for someone we paid that much money for, and in his reported wage he should be one of the first names on the team sheet. on paper it is odd that as someone who has played as a premier League full back and has played as an attacking midfielder that we've never tried him at wing back. having seen him play I'm not that surprised.
he has some ability, but doesn't bring it often enough.
10. Vassell
I think there's a good player in there, but nobody is going to be brave enough to give him a contract after the last few years. I hope he goes elsewhere and scores a hatful of goals

Mostly agree with this apart from the fact that I think that I'm one of only 4 City fans who have a soft spot for Vaulks

[2b2bdoo]

Whatever Smithies is ok now which we are lead to believe is a good wage is irrelevant. We just need to at least match what someone else is willing to pay him. Is he in that much demand? I’m not sure.