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OOC players - keep or release?

A

Andy's_Gone_Again

Bench Warmer
Joined
Apr 14, 2025
Messages
16
Looks like a big summer around the corner (for better, worse, or more of the same)
Thought it might be interesting to hear your thoughts (keep, let go) on just the out-of-contract players without getting distracted by potential incomings or players who we all know realistically will be around next year no matter what!

Woodman - on his way, right? At his best I actually rate him, but he's been close to his best so rarely this season
Riis - wants to leave, and has been playing like it. Not for me that, no matter how much I loved him in the past
Ledson - bit of a passion merchant, but does have his moments. I'm probably in a minority camp here but I wouldn't be totally against him staying to make up numbers, especially if we'd just be replacing him with a lower-league free transfer
Brady - same as Ledson really except less combative. Definite quality in places but old and slow, which can really show at this level
Bauer - can't see him staying. Seem to remember Hecky wanting to bring him back into the fold, but it didn't work out and there must be a reason for that. Place in the squad going to waste on him to be honest
Evans - time must be up for Ched. Bit like Ledson in the passion-merchant department. Any questionable quality he ever had has definitely aged out of him and he offers very little. Can't be a spot wasted in the squad on him if we're being brutal

Loans/youngsters - loans speak for themselves, most youngsters we haven't seen enough of for me to have an opinion really

All opinions welcome! I'm just very curious what to expect. I'm not very itk or up to date on what's been said about individuals too, so if there's anything been said I don't know please share that as well!
 
I’d keep Brady and have a spot for Ched in the coaching department.

I like Riis and ideally he would stay, but it’s obvious that he’s on his way.
 
Fluffs said:
Get rid of all of them if we are in any way serious about being competitive in this league
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If we are in any way serious we are going to need an appropriate (though sensible) budget utilised efficiently and we haven’t a great track record in either aspect.
Any season now a lack of funding could lose us our Championship place.
 
The reality is we aren’t going to go out and buy 2 quality players for every position in this window.

I’d be happy to keep Brady another year providing he isn’t first choice, which I don’t think he will be.

The alternative is let Brady go and bring in someone on a free, or very cheap transfer to be a backup and I’d be surprised if we could get anyone with Brady’s quality for that.

Buy the first choice LW option this window, and replace Brady next Summer would be my plan.
 
Lord Edgington said:
And how do we fund this wholesale change ?
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The fans shouldn’t be funding anything, that is for the owners and Peter to figure out.

Seriously the situation we find ourselves in again this summer is due to a lack of infrastructure and long term planning for many a years. Constantly buying older players with no resale value, not attempting to sell players at there peak value, youth set up not upto scratch so not able to complement the first team and potentially sell on for decent fees.
 
Yeti said:
The fans shouldn’t be funding anything, that is for the owners and Peter to figure out.

Seriously the situation we find ourselves in again this summer is due to a lack of infrastructure and long term planning for many a years. Constantly buying older players with no resale value, not attempting to sell players at there peak value, youth set up not upto scratch so not able to complement the first team and potentially sell on for decent fees.
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The royal we
And you make some good points
But wholesale change is simply not feasible
 
Lord Edgington said:
The royal we
And you make some good points
But wholesale change is simply not feasible
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The OP and @Fluffs aren't describing wholesale change, just 6 players leaving who are out-of-contract, 3 of whom are definitely leaving anyway.

Which of the other 3 tip us over into unfeasible wholesale change and therefore cannot leave?
 
Lord Edgington said:
And how do we fund this wholesale change ?
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We don’t, I agree it’s going to take more than one summer although I do expect a better team next season. I hope we manage to keep hold of the management team so they have the time to build something better and get the awful lazy player culture (downing boots on 50 points) gone.
 
Yeti said:
Didn’t Ched say to PH in January he wanted to concentrate on playing and not coaching so presume that is still the case and he will be looking to extend his career for another year or two somewhere
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He did say that, but my impression is that Ched’s game time is limited mainly due to the restrictions his ageing body places on him, rather than his ability. There’s just no way Will Keane offers any more than him.

I may well be proven wrong, but I think Ched would only be able to play 45 max even at L1 or L2.

I imagine he may do what Gally did when he joined Frankie’s set up. Yeah, could play another year if he wanted to, but if an opportunity presents itself like a job on our coaching staff, would be daft to say no just to play for another year at Grimsby or something.
 
I think its a given that Brady will be staying, PH clearly, as most of us do, rate him as a player when he's on it and fit.

The only possibility with Brady really is we offer him 12 months on reduced money and his agent plays a blinder and secures him two years on more money somewhere else that suits him and he walks. Happened with Alexander and Burnley years ago.

I really don't see an argument for any of the others to stay. Ledson is a likeable character but he's been here years and never kicked on. I think he needs a new challenge as much as we need to accept he will never nail down a place.

Woodman and Riis have made it clear they want to go. I can't believe I'm not that arsed about Riis after how much I used to rate him. I think I'm just bored of his lack of enthusiasm, Osmajic makes him look worse I think with how he plays every game like a man possessed.
 
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