2021/2022 Season

OK, this season is virtually done and dusted. And a good season overall it was.
Peeps have been chatting on the various threads about the defence and the loan players etc, so I thought that I would start a general What happens next? thread.
I know that a number of players have not yet signed an extension, but who do we want to keep, who is definately offski and where do we need to recruit?

My opinion is:
GK - We have 2 adequate goalkeepers who will be with us next season.
FB - Pixie has gone so that leaves us with the 2 youngsters - Travis and Rio, both will be the main incumberants next season with maybe a CB filling in as this season.
CB - Omar will leave, Ollie and Nolan will be released, leaving us with Daniels, Sass-Davies and Offord. Wood may be a good target.
M - Wintle will try/has a new club lined up, leaving us with Kirk (maybe), Lowery, Ainley, Finney and Murph. Is that enough?
F - I think Porter will be offered a new contract unlike Powell, leaving us with Dale, Porter and Mandron.

A steady first team but not much support. I realise that on top of these players there maybe youngsters coming through (anybody got any info?) and loans.
I think we need a new CB (Wood?) and an defensive midfielder brought in as well as replacements for anybody else who leaves.

Any thoughts?

Considering the trouble we've had with injuries in the back line, we'll need 2 more CBs. Also, we may continue with developing Offord's versatility. As for GKs, is Booth any good because I think Trigger is just not up to it and should move on? Clearly we need an experienced head at full-back to boost the line up and competition and I think Artell will definitely be looking for one. In midfield, we'll also have Josh and Regan but I believe Ainley is possibly on his way out. Kirk will be feeling lonely so will be hoping for a move (although I think he'll have to put in some stormers in the last 4 games to attract the right attention) so we'll have 4 central mids, one winger (Dale) and a player who could be the player off the target man (Finney). So we need another winger available for selection. (Anyone know anything about Onyenka's development?). That leaves two front men available. Yes, the cupboard is fairly bare. I don't know if there are any potential stars coming through, or at least some decent people.
To summarise we will need: at least one experienced full-back; a winger and a stand-by striker. This is the absolute minimum. Our team is being ripped apart at the end of this season and it'll be a knock back to our club's development so next season will be consolidation at best. At worst, we'll struggle the whole season.

Partly agree with both of you.

GK Will is the number 1 and Trigger is an OK back up. If he has anything about him he should be looking to be a Number 1 somewhere (as Garratt has managed at Burton) so much depends on the other lad.

Defence. I’d be happy starting with TJ, Rio and Offord with Daniels as back up, but we need at least 2 more one of whom may be Sass-Davies, although I believe he’s been playing MF for Yeovil.

MF. Plenty of options, even if Wintle goes as most seem to think is inevitable. We have Murphy, Lowery, Lundstram, Ainley and Finney. Another experienced hand might be useful but not essential if Lundstram and Finney continue to improve. We will either need 2 or 3 of them, depending on formation, so no more than one more. We also have aregan Griffiths who I believe shows promise.

Forwards. Mandron, Kirk and Dale to stay and I’d give Ports another year. Not sure about Powell, but handy to keep him if Kirk gets a move. We could do with another! A League 1 standard version of Dagnall might be handy.

On a more general note, we or rather I don’t know what else might be coming through the Academy - we supporters have been pleasantly surprised by players we’ve never heard of making a splash from their debuts - Maynard, Lunt to name but two. Secondly yes, we’ve had a lot of injuries this season, but so has everyone else it seems. This has been a strange season with fixtures concertinaed into a shorter timespan after no proper pre-season which has contributed to it; assuming next season is more normal then the players should be fitter for longer and not so obvious signs of tiredness (Pixie excepted of course) so a slightly smaller squad might be called for.

Dave has hinted at a bit of a clear out; if that’s the case I hope his deals turn out to be as successful as this season - Mandron, Murphy and Beckles have had good seasons (for the most part, Daniels - jury still out but looks decent - leaving Zanzala the only failure.

Todays performance makes me really worried about next season. I hope DA has a LOT of players lined up.
Next season we've got to abandon the fiddling about around our own box unless the WHOLE back line are accomplished with the ball. The tempo has to be much quicker and I would like to play 4-4-2 with two goalscoring and speedy wingers. Possibly that means Porter staying for another year as the out and out striker with Mandron just behind being a link with the midfield (in which role he was excellent today).
IF Charlie is still with us he must be encouraged to take players on in attacking areas AND stick to basics before trying infuriating flicks and chips. Lowery and Murphy as well as any CH pairing need to chip in with a greater number of goals.

If Charlie is to take players on in the attacking half he needs to be on the right, so that he does not need to check back to get the ball onto his preferred right foot. Maybe next season without Pixie he may be more inclined to attack.

I can’t quite make Charlie out. On the one hand he seems to lack the confidence to take players on that he should be beating more often than not, and playing on his wrong wing isn’t going to help his career as that seems to be the modern way. I do wonder how he’ll cope without Pixie, could be do or die for him. Then at times he plays with his head up, cutting inside or demanding the ball and really looking the part. He must be frustrating to play with as he has so much ability that he raises your expectations, but then it all goes wrong and it’s NEVER his fault! He’s 23 now so it’s getting close to a make or break season for him.... or for the management team to find his best position; I thought behind the front 2 would suit him but it didn’t look that way on Saturday! I hope his career doesn’t end up fizzling out like George Cooper’s has.

Perhaps the team formation needs to be more flexible next season.
With Mandron/Dale/Kirk you have a very mobile front line.
Charlie could switch wings - Mandron could pull CBs away from the middle to create space for midfielders to burst into.
Have noticed that Kenny and Dave have been changing formations a lot recently, even within games.
Really looking forward to next season!

Looks like both Derby and Sheff Wed are coming down. Really, really hope crowds can get in next season.

Damn! Damn! Derby probably survived. Rotherham missed loads of chances. Lots of empathy, there