The rebuild...

[BigFatPie]

We’ve been getting teasers for a while now but yesterday finally showed how far away from being a championship contender we really are. The owners probably saw this a while ago and began the rebuild for next season by appointing Burchnall early in preparation for next year.

I’m not totally writing off this season but I’ve seen nothing to suggest we can compete with Hartlepool, Chesterfield and as sad as it is to say...Sutton, Stockport and Halifax! So, how do we rebuild and who stays and goes?

Going on a 4-4-2 formation here is my keep/get rid list for next year...


GK

Slocombe - Keep
Pilling - Keep
Brooks - Keep

No issues with goalkeepers I feel.

Defence

DKE - Keep
Brindley - Keep
Golden - Get rid
Rawlo - Keep
Ellis - Keep if possible
Lacey - Keep
Turner - Get rid
McCrory - Get rid (I like him but he’s injury prone)
Chicksen - Keep
Barnett - Get rid

Midfield

Doyle - Keep - maybe player coach, not a mainstay
Griffiths - Get rid
Reeves - Get rid
Rodrigues - Keep
Roberts - Keep
O’Brien - Get rid
Miller - Keep

When you look at that midfield list is it any wonder we’re constantly over run?

Forwards

Wootton - Keep
Knowles - keep if the price is right
Knight - Keep, needs time
Enzio - Get rid. Thanks for some great goals but we need to free up some wages.
Sam - Get rid
Tyrece Palmer - Promote to seniors?

Again, having seen them play all season, there isn’t a great deal of quality or experience in attack either.

.......

Having done that list it does make me realise that not only is our squad far from the best in the division but there are glaring deficiencies and midfield and attack. I’ve been pretty ruthless but by my reckoning we’d need to replace 9 players.

1 x CB
1x LB
2 x Proper experienced CM
1 x Rm
1 x LM
2 x ST ...One being a proven player, not a wildcard!

There’s a lot of work to do, not only in recruitment but first of all in what style and formation we’re going to play. This season has been an unsettled hot mess of formations and tactics and we’ve not progressed one bit...let’s hope getting IB in early will help us prepare better for next season.

I suppose it would be quite handy to know the contract positions of the squad before contemplating who to get rid of.

If we were in the position of everyone being out of contract(a shame we’re not) there’d be very few I’d keep. Maybe Slocombe, Rawlinson, Ellis, Lacey, Knight, Roberts and Wootton(just). Brindley’s pretty good as a defender, but useless over the halfway line.

Whatever method we used to recruit players last summer should be binned off, for example foreign players just don’t work at this level, I’m not sure how many times we have to learn this. Also signing has beens and never beens from the leagues above generally doesn’t work. I’m very much hoping that our new manager has good knowledge of our league and the 2 immediately below.

I should add I’m getting my first season ticket in about 25 years so I’m quite keen that we’re good!