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Next season’s squad

andrew p long

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Here are my thoughts pre Covid 19 impact.

we have a squad of 32 professionals. That is a maximum number.

Out
Thompson 3rd choice keeper
Woodman, Warren, Holmes on grounds of age/injury/not played much this season
richardson returning to parent club
fisher- we need a centre forward to challenge Bowman, not just as cover.
williams seems to be off if we get a decent offer.

Tricky. Moxey and Lee Martin . 34 and 33. Neither are now automatic first choice, tend to play a lot but can be left out when everyone is fit. Joined from League One clubs so presumably relatively expensive. Retain but only if reduced contracts can be agreed?

Current young professionals. All seem worth retaining. Dodd has not played due to real bad luck with injury, highly rated so deserves another six month contract to prove himself. Smerdon and Key need to kick on this season. Dyer, Dean, Hartridge, Kite and of course Randall should be close to the first team

In - new first year professionals. has this been announced yet ? Diabate, Iseguan, Wilson and Stafford?

In - new signings. priority is competition for Bowman as target man. AJose is on an expensive long contract, so we have to try to make that signing work rather than try another Ajose type signing. Could still do with competition/cover for Sweeney, but I think Jordan Dyer may well do that this season. Might need to convert someone to right wing if without both Williams and Richardson ( though either Richardson or Kane Wilson type signings would be good)
 

Red Devon

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Would like to see Brennan Dickinson stay...coming in in January at a difficult time personally for him couldn’t have been easy, him and Jack Sparkes down the left hand side would take some beating.
 

ryancooper327

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I hope Dickenson gets a deal. He would push Sparkes too. Sweeney is the only player I know who has confirmed they are contracted for next season.
 

Red Devon

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Williams is contracted too.
 

John William

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I suspect a lot of players everywhere, particularly older ones whose contracts expire at the end of the season, are concerned about the future.

EFL clubs are telling the PFA that they will not be able to pay wages in April, let alone in the future (article in the Torygraph, may be pay-walled. I can post the full text if necessary).


IMO all the way down the pyramid, from the top of the PL to semi-pro clubs, squads and wages are going to be under pressure - even if all clubs survive, which is to say the least in the balance. Sugar daddies are not going to put shed-loads of money in for the foreseeable, and clubs with lower turnovers are going to have to rely more on cheaper younger players or sign ones from lower down the ladder. Cruel but that's the reality.

I imagine transfer fees are also going to drop precipitously, which will affect clubs like us who have developed players who have moved upwards and are hoping for add-ons. Watkins, Ampadu...
 

ryancooper327

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It’s crazy how quick our squad turns over. Just rewatched the 3-2 Carlisle game 3 years ago and only 4 of the 18 are still here with Woody and Holmes most probably going end of season. Only Jake and Pierce will be here then.
 

grecIAN Harris

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It’s crazy how quick our squad turns over. Just rewatched the 3-2 Carlisle game 3 years ago and only 4 of the 18 are still here with Woody and Holmes most probably going end of season. Only Jake and Pierce will be here then.
That's not crazy, that's just having a new manager with his own ideas.
As to the OP, why does Williams seem to be off for? The potential is there but the consistency isn't sufficient yet. I'd suggest if anybody will be off it would be Sparkes. He has a better consistency in his performances and a better all round game.
 
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Positive spin

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City with promising youngsters coming through from the Academy may be better placed than many clubs to weather the financial storm created by the virus
 

tonykellowfan

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From a mercenary point of view there may well be a lot of players available from clubs higher up that have had to release players.
 

Oldsmobile-88

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In RaWZ we trust....Amen.
From a mercenary point of view there may well be a lot of players available from clubs higher up that have had to release players.
From a mercenary point of view there may well be a lot of players available from clubs higher up that have had to release players.
If the club will have the finance after all of this or players are willing to accept a huge salary cut to play at the Grecians level is a moot point.
 
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