No Sheriff next season

[gazan]

So Nottingham has been retained by Blackpool. Hopefully, that's the only disappointment for next season.
That leaves us with Nolan, Offord, Lancashire and Sass-Davies. A bit thin for a step up to the next level.
So a new priority is a good solid Centre-Half. Clearly Offord is going to be good enough but I imagine Artell won't want to
overstretch him. Nolan was still looking good until he was injured but I don't have a lot of confidence in the other two.
Any ideas??

[jamesdad]

Losing Nottingham is a big set back for the squad. Since he appeared in the back 4 we have looked so solid as a unit and I was confident that we would be ok in league one. I agree with Gazan that we are now light in this area and it is for the management team to pull the rabbit out of the hat and find a replacement of the same standard . It will be a big step up this coming season and I do not want to see us struggling from day one.The only positive thing is that there will be a lot of players looking for new clubs due to the financial situation in football so we might be able to find that replacement player at a price we can afford.

[out0lunch]

Although Nottingham helped us go on a good winning streak I was not totally convinced he was wg=hat we needed. He often go caught out of position eg Stevenage's goal in the last match.
I don't think he was coming anyway but was trying to get a good deal at Blackpool imo

[ShropshireAlex]

Losing Nottingham is a big set back for the squad. Since he appeared in the back 4 we have looked so solid as a unit and I was confident that we would be ok in league one. I agree with Gazan that we are now light in this area and it is for the management team to pull the rabbit out of the hat and find a replacement of the same standard . It will be a big step up this coming season and I do not want to see us struggling from day one.The only positive thing is that there will be a lot of players looking for new clubs due to the financial situation in football so we might be able to find that replacement player at a price we can afford.

How did they retain him? I thought he was out of contract and that was why DA was able to say he'd spoken to him about next season. Or as Blackpool have changed the manager who let him out, did they just make him an offer he's accepted in preference to us? (Maybe having seen they should have played him at CH.)

Offord and Nolan should make a decent pair, without the height that the Sheriff brought alongside Luke. I agree Lancashire looks a back up to those two, Sass Davies may turn out to be a star but not seen him enough to judge yet, so with Hunt gone they'll certainly be looking for signings.

[ShropshireAlex]

Oh I see there was a contract option to extend which they've chosen to trigger - Critch rates him then.

[AstonAlex]

Critch wasn’t their manager when he came to us on loan either. So I guess he still has mates at Gresty Road, as well as his own scouts, to report on his progress. Of course, it could still be a way of getting a small fee for his services.

I agree we need cover at CH - we shouldn’t forget that Perry can also play there but if we could still do with a big strong fella like Nottingham as Nolan and a Offord are pretty similar types and I don’t trust Lancashire to be up to snuff based on last autumn. I was surprised Dave kept Sass-Davies (unless he had to) so he must see something I don’t! Mind you, Nottingham wasnt good enough at his age so maybe.....

[ShropshireAlex]

Critch wasn’t their manager when he came to us on loan either. So I guess he still has mates at Gresty Road, as well as his own scouts, to report on his progress. Of course, it could still be a way of getting a small fee for his services.

I agree we need cover at CH - we shouldn’t forget that Perry can also play there but if we could still do with a big strong fella like Nottingham as Nolan and a Offord are pretty similar types and I don’t trust Lancashire to be up to snuff based on last autumn. I was surprised Dave kept Sass-Davies (unless he had to) so he must see something I don’t! Mind you, Nottingham wasnt good enough at his age so maybe.....

It had occurred to me to wonder if they're trying to get us to pay for him. We shall see - need strikers too, of League 1 calibre, so can't see us paying much on our budget. Sass-Davies I haven't seen him play enough to see something in him or to decide I don't, as yet, so prepared to wait and see.

[AstonAlex]

I can’t see us splashing much cash in any event. As an article on the BBC website says today, there will be 300-400 players released this summer and, in the current financial climate, it’s a buyer’s market so we will hopefully find a couple that we want - CB and striker maybe? Assuming the same salary budget we have let 2 well paid players go (Hunt and Green) so Dave should have some wriggle room.

Then see what the loan market brings.. would love to get Stephen Walker but I reckon he’ll be in Boro’s first team squad next term.

[gazan]

I see Hiwula has been released by Coventry