Retained List

[LaxtonLad]

Retained list published yesterday.

Under contract

Alex Lacey
Richard Brindley
Jake Reeves
Callum Roberts
Ruben Rodrigues
Lewis Knight
Elisha Sam
Kyle Wootton

Offered new contract

Sam Slocombe
Tiernan Brooks
Connell Rawlinson
Adam Chicksen
Dion Kelly-Evans
Jim O’Brien

Offered assistant head coach role

Michael Doyle

Released

Luke Pilling
Luke Steele
Ben Turner
Damien McCrory
Jordan Barnett
Enzio Boldewijn

Loan players returning to clubs

Mark Ellis
Calvin Miller
Regan Griffiths
Matty Wolfe
Jimmy Knowles

[pravda_plc]

Absolutely 'love' Enzio BUT remember he was signed for a lot of money,(reportedly £300K) , on a 3 year deal + big wages. One of Alan Hardy's guarranteed bankruptcy signings. IMO he will go to the EFL and play as an orthodox winger. If he signs for any other National League club I would be very surprised.

We definitely need cover in midfield. Whatever people think of JoB, his absence was critical at Torquay. We didn't have another experienced midfielder available, (sorry Regan Griffiths doesn't count). In effect we played with a 2 man midfield + Enzio, (out of positions as usual).

I hope Michel Doyle accepts the coaching role offered. I wouldn't be surprised though, if he wants to continue playing regularly. Possibly a move to Solihull Moors is on the cards, back to his old gaffer and nearer his Coventry City roots.

I would like Notts to sign both Ellis and Miller but I suspect 23 year old Miller fits more into Football Radar's thinking than 32 year old Ellis. If Ellis doesn't sign we need a younger, speedy and dominant centre back for the squad.

As to new signings your guess is as good as mine...

[Killerkline]

I hope Michel Doyle accepts the coaching role offered. I wouldn't be surprised though, if he wants to continue playing regularly. Possibly a move to Solihull Moors is on the cards, back to his old gaffer and nearer his Coventry City.

I’ve stated previously on other threads. Doyle did not expect to play the volume of games he played this season. It was always his aim to step into a coaching role.

I hope he accepts the coaching role, if he doesn’t it won’t be due to wanting to continue playing.

[Kyle95]

If we did manage to re-sign Ellis and Miller we would have the basis of a decent squad.

The rest is up to the brothers to find a few gems.

I’d like them both also, however there’s a 0% chance of both of them being here next season. Just 1 of them at best.

[Chicken Balti Pie]

I suspect that Casper Sloth was supposed to be playing a bigger part but obviously that never happened. I suspect we will sign about 6 new players if everyone signs back up for a squad of about 20. If that's the case, we've released 11 players and are replacing half of them, that should hopefully say we will be replacing with quality

[slack_pie]

It will be interesting to see how Enzio does at a different club. I can't help but feel his natural abilities were somewhat stifled during his time with us. He arrived as a flying winger / forward but ended up playing out of position half the time. Sticking him at wing-back (and under Arldey, that basically meant full-back) was one of the daftest things I've seen.

He'll always be remembered for the countless wonder goals he scored for us, but I can't help but feel he didn't live up to the hype. After all, he was a marquee signing at the time, albeit in the bat**** crazy days of Hardy.

Good luck to him wherever he ends up.

[laddo]

How many times did Enzio play as a winger for Notts? Regardless of whether Notts were playing a defensive game overall or not out of the 82 games how many did he line up on the wing?

The wing-back/full-back period did seem crazy and summed up Neal's conservative/defensive approach as he sought to get Enzio working on both sides of the game when he's a player with the talent where you just want to set him free in an attacking sense and hurt teams as only he can. Play him to his strengths as people say.

But how many of the 82 was he played as a wing-back? Didn't seem that many to me during his time here.

He definitely didn't live up to the hype nor price tag, neither are his fault per se and it's anyone's guess how much of inconsistent/ineffective perfomances were down to him and how much was down to the managers in charge.

[MAD_MAGPIE]

No real surprises in the retained list. The best signing we could make this summer in my view is Michael Doyle as assistant manager. It’s worked very well thus far and I think both IB and Doyle compliment each other perfectly and have the makings of a good partnership. One highly experience intelligent and attack minded coach, the other a highly experienced player, leader and motivator. Both young and a similar age.

I’d imagine Doyle would move into an Alan Smith role whereby he would come on later on in games to sure things up in cameo appearances. It can’t be understated that players of this ilk bring a lot to the team on and off the field. Look what happened after the Nolan playoff season when we lost Edward’s, Ameobi and Smith.

Pleased to see JOB offered a new contract. He has plenty to offer as well in both experience but motivation, drive both on and off the field but also on the field works hard and is always trying to make something happen.

I hope Slocombe, Rawlinson and DKE all sign new contracts. With Brindley and Lacey in season one they were part of the second best defence in the National league conceding 38 goals. In season two we had the fifth best defence in the league conceding 41 goals. All are solid and can do a job at this level. If Ellis were to be offered a deal it would give depth plus some goals.

Enzio is a good guy and has been a good servant to the club over the past three seasons and has scored some great goals and been a match winner. Had to do more defensive work this season which in my view stifled him. Likewise did not have the quality of Thomas or Dennis around him. Had we been promoted then who knows maybe he would have stayed? The only player not signed post Hardy so would it be wise to assume he was on on a lucrative contract? At 28 I’d expect him to sign for a EFL club, or a higher level abroad. Unless Wrexham or someone at this level throw cash around?

The squad was not broke so it did not need fixing and it’s glad that if all those offered contracts sign we have a strong competitive squad. It’s now down to those three or four quality players that I think need bringing in who can offer goals, strength, energy and dominance in midfield to get us an extra five wins and another ten goals next season on top of our 61 and 62 goals scored in each season. That would give us a good chance at the title.

[countygump]

[countygump]