Next Season......

[Legohead]

So Mr Avid Follower of ECFC, you constantly complain and criticise the Club for not telling you stuff, yet when it does, you choose to ignore it. Here is one classic example. On the 28th January the Club announced that four players had signed new contracts, there is even an Exeweb thread devoted to it. Now the Club does not routinely disclose the length of contracts, but that told you that Jay, Key, Kite, and Diabate were under contract . KMT has also publicly stated that Randall is under contract too. Do try and keep up old chap !

Man, you seriously have some issues. As for old. I'm not yet 45. How about you?

 

[The Proper Chap]

Man, you seriously have some issues.

I concur.

 

[Colesman Ballz]

I concur.

Don't strain yourself !

 

[manc grecian]

Sure Bowmans contract is up.

We've got no keepers, no strikers and the same plodding central midfielders

 

[Ex-ciderrr]

Lewis Page (if out of contract that is) would be one of the 1st I’d get signed on a longer deal, he has shown he’s a very good footballer who quite clearly could play a higher level and also at a good age too, else we find ourselves in the position of being in the market again for another left back, the less said about Sparkes in that position (LB) the better (and probs LW too on that note). Weather Page is out of contract or not is clear as mud to us all, but would be great to see us get him on a longer contract, I think I saw him with the captains armband at some point in one of the recent games too (I stand to be corrected by all means) If he was to sign, continue to stay fit and progress we could demand a decent transfer fee for him too. I Struggle to see many better left backs than page in league 2 to be honest.

 

[Moomin Grecian]

I’d imagine Page intended to basically use us to prove his fitness with the hope of having a lot of clubs in for him in the summer.

Hope I am wrong, but I can see him moving into L1. Perhaps Argyle will come back in for him, or maybe he’ll head back towards the SE.

 

[geoffwp]

Man, you seriously have some issues. As for old. I'm not yet 45. How about you?

He's right though Lego isnt he? Now, keep up son/ lad/ boy/young feller (delete as applicable) !

 

[IndoMike]

Lewis Page (if out of contract that is) would be one of the 1st I’d get signed on a longer deal, he has shown he’s a very good footballer who quite clearly could play a higher level and also at a good age too, else we find ourselves in the position of being in the market again for another left back, the less said about Sparkes in that position (LB) the better (and probs LW too on that note). Weather Page is out of contract or not is clear as mud to us all, but would be great to see us get him on a longer contract, I think I saw him with the captains armband at some point in one of the recent games too (I stand to be corrected by all means) If he was to sign, continue to stay fit and progress we could demand a decent transfer fee for him too. I Struggle to see many better left backs than page in league 2 to be honest.

IINM it was made clear that Page was just passing through : here to get fit and help us out and then moving in to new pastures. So my guess is that he will have a 1:year contract.

 

[IndoMike]

Two big questions.

First what is the true position about players out of contract/leaving versus players signed up? Lots of rumour but very little solid fact or confirmed by the club (just MJ,Kite and some youngsters signed up). Stories that Atangana has signed on reduced money for next year, Taylor has sold his house and is leaving. Bowman and Williams are out of contract, not signing new deals and coveted by others. Ten players are out of contract? - not confirmed but not difficult to believe (say Ward,Maxted, Sweeney, Parkes,Page, Atangana,Taylor, Williams, Bowman Fisher and Ajose makes 11!)

Secondly what is the club's financial position? Uncertain I'd say. We've burnt through the £4m received for the sales in the year from July 2017. We have got another £3m+ for the Watkins sell ons, but money is flying out the door at a rate of knots. Fans possibly back next season, but how often and under what circumstances? (social distancing, Covid passports? negative test necessary each game if not vaccinated?) And will Covid make a permanent reduction in attendances after an initial bounce back of fans who have been missing their fix? The optimism that there would be cash to burn in the budget took a hit in January when the money spent on wages of new players coming in was broadly equal to money saved on players going out - no budget increase evident from the reduced level of last summer?

Still a bit early to make forecasts on this, Andrew. I reckon one of Sweeny or McA. will go. Think Parkes will stay. Page will go if he gets a good offer. Caprice probably stay. Collins, Hartridge, Key, Kite, Randall, Dyer, Dean will all feature if not sold. We assume Randel, Bowman, Fish, Ajose will be gone. They say Antagane will still be here. Taylor is a tricky one. The Icelander : don't know. Seymour should have been loaned out this season : don"t know if he can improve. Sparkes is OK but not progressed as hoped. I reckon 5 or 6 will leave one way or another.

 

[Ash]

Still a bit early to make forecasts on this, Andrew. I reckon one of Sweeny or McA. will go. Think Parkes will stay. Page will go if he gets a good offer. Caprice probably stay. Collins, Hartridge, Key, Kite, Randall, Dyer, Dean will all feature if not sold. We assume Randel, Bowman, Fish, Ajose will be gone. They say Antagane will still be here. Taylor is a tricky one. The Icelander : don't know. Seymour should have been loaned out this season : don"t know if he can improve. Sparkes is OK but not progressed as hoped. I reckon 5 or 6 will leave one way or another.

I hope we keep Sweeney but get rid of Parkes & McArdle. Sweeney has some versatility and is young enough to keep improving. He also plays right side and I'm very much hoping that Hartridge will be nailed on for the LCB role next season. Parkes & McArdle are okay but no better and their distribution is cr@p, plus I doubt either is particularly cheap. Stubbs will hopefully be fit and perhaps Dyer & Dean might also push those three for a spot.
Caprice & Page are IMHO, good enough to be worth keeping. I hope Jake Taylor stays and I hope the rumours about Big Nige's contract extension turns out to be bollox!
We all know Williams will be off and despite his critics (which have certainly been deserved for much of this season), he'll be missed.
As for the forwards, I'd like Bowman to stay but suspect he won't. The terrible trio can FRO, although the homegrown one is almost certainly already signed up for next season. One way or another, we're going to be in the market for at least 2 forwards and perhaps as many as 4
If we can secure Jokull for another year, be it a permanent deal (seems unlikely) or another loan (gotta be a decent chance) then that would be great as I'm sure Ward & Maxted will be off.
It looks like it'll be a much busier summer for incomings, so at least we'll have stuff to talk about in the close season. I'm genuinely looking forward to it.