You're the manager, what would you do?

[alcoblade]

Let's say the budget remained the same, but you had nothing to invest without selling - what would you do?

Let Kitson go. Try to move Porter on. Try to find 2 pacey strikers that compliment each other. This is our biggest challenge and Miller's return is key here.

Sell McGuire and Long to fund the above. Hopefully leave enough in the pot for his own replacement - generally quite cheap to find an average 3rd div center half. Make do with either Coyne or the other chap.

Wingers - Murphy / McFadzean - OK here.

Doyle / McDonald - I'd try to move both on, but either way I'd offer Robson a contract and make either fight for the other place. Possibly use Whitehouse, but I'm far from convinced here. Any spare cash, a strong athletic pacey type required.

Full backs - make do.

Overall - we need to emphasise power, and pace (plus ability ) in any signings. We are slow and weak.

UTB

 

[shorehamview]

This, basically. Then wait to get sacked and trouser some compo.

 

[Gavlar]

the million dollar question!

the thing we need the most is goals. our defense tho cack, is one of the best in the div. our midfield aint great but again not bad for this div. for me, get rid of all the strikers aside from miller and get some good ones in. try and get someone like madden to leave yeovil, or someone in the champ to step down who isnt getting a game. gotta keep the majority of the team and get some goals in, simples!

 

[Vancouver]

the million dollar question!

Or in our case the 100,000 quid question with a youth team friendly tied on.

 

[Kev Gee]

Id get rid of anyone over the age of 30. (Kitson, Higginbottom, Doyle, Hill etc)

Sign young pacy players who want to learn & get first team football.

Trawl the released players list. Im sure Mendy is up for grabs? Who are Chelsea, Liverpool etc releasing? Can we get some young players who will come good? Ala Tonge from Man U etc.

Have a look at some players from Eastern Europe (croatia, Bulgaria etc)
Yes i know they may take a season to settle in, but lets be honest. Were not going anywere next year. Lets build a squad from the ground up.

Id def sell or let go:-
Doyle (too old, and slow. Since hes been captain weve dive bombed)
Kitson. Too Old and a liability
Collins (he fades badly in the second half of seasons)
Hill (why did we sign him? waste of a wage)
Ironside (not good enough imo)
Higginbottom (another player stealing a wage)
Porter (why did we extend his contract?)
Westlake - Not good enough

Jurys out:-
Macdonald - been poor this season. Maybe de to the players around him? Id drag him in office & say if he hasnt got the heart to be here then he can leave.

Its all academic though as each season that goes by we say we need a clear out & it doesnt happen, or we sign players that were worse than the ones that left. Hence why were now in League 1.

 

[KenMcnaughtsNuts]

resign

 

[Bladesman]

All our side has needed is a bit more pace on the flanks to make up for what we lacked actually last season as well. I mean Lowton and Williamson were hardly fastest in the world and neither was Quinn really.

We sort of have a bit with McFadzean but we need more.

 

[Kenilworth]

resign

Ken agrees with Ken

Resign and go on the dole - it's a cluster fuck of mammoth proportions and I cannot see any way put of it bar sacking the lot of them and starting afresh. Worried about next season already.

 

[ghandi]

the million dollar question!

the thing we need the most is goals. our defense tho cack, is one of the best in the div. our midfield aint great but again not bad for this div. for me, get rid of all the strikers aside from miller and get some good ones in. try and get someone like madden to leave yeovil, or someone in the champ to step down who isnt getting a game. gotta keep the majority of the team and get some goals in, simples!

Madden .....really? Over the last two games he might as well be a striker playing for us

 

[super_pig]

All our side has needed is a bit more pace on the flanks to make up for what we lacked actually last season as well. I mean Lowton and Williamson were hardly fastest in the world and neither was Quinn really.

We sort of have a bit with McFadzean but we need more.

what Lowton and williamson had was not pace.. it was the engine.. to constantly run up and down the wing.. flynn looks knackered after ten minutes and MacMahon never attacks space.. Hill isn't a fullback.. he's brave and puts in the effort but can't pass for shit

 

[jezzablade]

Keep Aquire .............(experienced).................. Get Rid
McGuire ...............................1 x CH ...............................Higgingbottom
Long ......................................2 x CM (1xholder) ...........Kitson (he wants to go anyway)
Howard .................................2 x Wings .........................Coyne
Willis .....................................1 x Fwd .............................Robson
Collins ..............................................................................McMahon
Barry ................................................................................Doyle
Leksy .................................................................................Flynn
Hill ....................................................................................Murphy
Kennedy
Westlake
Harriot
Whitehouse
McFadzean
McDonald
Ironside
Di-Girolamo
Porter
Miller


This gives 3goalies at least 2 in each outfield position with some cover, room for more academy kids to come through and some experienced players brought in to help them.
Cresswell as a coach and if we are desperate to use him. I like the guy but he hasn’t got the legs anymore.

 

[metalblade]

For starters I'd get rid of the back room staff, What does Billy Dearden and the scouts do ? I'd be surprised if they could find their cocks on a dark night. Then we have the so called coaches made up of ex players (one of who handed in his resignation the other week) and Morgan and Cresswell only got to be coaches because they were on stupid long contracts as players and refused to take a pay cut when other unfortunates were picking up p45's and redundancy pay.
Next I'd get rid of the Dads Army, Kitson, Robson, Higginbottom, Hill, Porter, Collins and Doyle anyone at all over 30 next season as they offer nothing at all for the future. Quite a lot of the youngsters would be released too, Chappel, Harriot, Ironside, etc clearly not good enough if they can't displace the has been's named above. I'd maybe sell Maguire if a decent offer came in and replace all the lot with players with a bit of pace and power and most important ability. The only ones I'd want to keep would be Miller, Murphy, McFadzean Long and possibly McDonald after giving him a good kick up the arse.
If teams like Yeovil can be better than us with a quarter of our budget it is surely worth spending half our budget to pay some of the current set of wankers contracts up if they can't be sold, we would still have a budget twice the size of a lot in this division.

 

[Worksop_Blade]

Firstly I'd apologise that gutless shite today to all the fans that travelled.

Then after I'd apologised to the fans, I would sit all the squad down and explain to Doyle, Hill, Collins and Porter that unless they want to spend the remainder of there contracts in the reserves or on the bench they need to get their agents to start doing some work and finding them a new club.

Kitson, Higginbotham, Robson and Williams I believe are out of contract and therefore would be let go.

I would try and sell Harry as the kid is just too slow for words, but currently is well thought of so cash in now.

My core group of players would be:

Long
Kennedy
McMahon
McFadzean
Whitehouse
McDonald
Diego
Miller
Murphy
Harriott
Howard
Westlake

Lesc would get a chance to prove his fitness.

Signings I'd be looking for 2 centre halves, a fullback, an actual winger and a pacy forward.

It might take 18 months for the young lads to blend but if they have desire and commitment of McFadzean then we won't be far off come April 2015.

Also zero Loans, why play another clubs youngster when our own are good enough.

 

[bartman]

Firstly I'd apologise that gutless shite today to all the fans that travelled.

Then after I'd apologised to the fans, I would sit all the squad down and explain to Doyle, Hill, Collins and Porter that unless they want to spend the remainder of there contracts in the reserves or on the bench they need to get their agents to start doing some work and finding them a new club.

Kitson, Higginbotham, Robson and Williams I believe are out of contract and therefore would be let go.

I would try and sell Harry as the kid is just too slow for words, but currently is well thought of so cash in now.

My core group of players would be:

Long
Kennedy
McMahon
McFadzean
Whitehouse
McDonald
Diego
Miller
Murphy
Harriott
Howard
Westlake

Lesc would get a chance to prove his fitness.

Signings I'd be looking for 2 centre halves, a fullback, an actual winger and a pacy forward.

It might take 18 months for the young lads to blend but if they have desire and commitment of McFadzean then we won't be far off come April 2015.

Also zero Loans, why play another clubs youngster when our own are good enough.

LJF will be released..out for over a season now and out of contract. We don't know it Diego or Miller will be fit for the start of the season. We Will need to strikers if they aren't plus two others as cover as we don't appear to have any decent strikers in the academy.

If Maguire is sold,and Kennedy is not deemed good enough,we will need an experienced centre half

Westlake would only be cover so for this reason I would sell him and keep him who has done OK for most of this season and can cover across the back 4.I also believe Harriott and Porter will leave.

This leaves us with an opportunity for a new manager to build a new squad of pace,strength and ability (for league one level). We will probably average 14000 next season but this should still give us one of the top 6 budgets in the league (Wolves will have the biggest as they have 2 years of parachute payments left)

The problem is,who will McCabe chose to lead us ?

 

[Ashtonsmashton]

Let's say the budget remained the same, but you had nothing to invest without selling - what would you do?

Let Kitson go. Try to move Porter on. Try to find 2 pacey strikers that compliment each other. This is our biggest challenge and Miller's return is key here.

Sell McGuire and Long to fund the above. Hopefully leave enough in the pot for his own replacement - generally quite cheap to find an average 3rd div center half. Make do with either Coyne or the other chap.

Wingers - Murphy / McFadzean - OK here.

Doyle / McDonald - I'd try to move both on, but either way I'd offer Robson a contract and make either fight for the other place. Possibly use Whitehouse, but I'm far from convinced here. Any spare cash, a strong athletic pacey type required.

Full backs - make do.

Overall - we need to emphasise power, and pace (plus ability ) in any signings. We are slow and weak.

UTB

ARE YOU CRAZY

 

[StarBlade]

I'd put my boots back on, tell the chairman that I'm still only 35 and experienced, then cash in on a 4 year highly paid contract, then take up golf.

 

[Bergen Blade]

It would be a fantastic challenge for a motivated, ambitious manager to take over at the Lane if he could build a new squad, only helped by the better youngsters.

If the likes of McMahon, Collins, Hill, Doyle, Williams, Flynn, Porter and Howard are not wanted by the new manager, but impossible to get rid of, how much of a restriction would that be on a new manager's budget? Is a real clear out possible this summer, or will it be "2 or 3 additions", which Morgan suggested was what we needed?

 

[KenMcnaughtsNuts]

"2 or 3 additions" made me want to throttle him. we need about 8 new players to have any chance next season.

 

[alcoblade]

It would be a fantastic challenge for a motivated, ambitious manager to take over at the Lane if he could build a new squad, only helped by the better youngsters.

If the likes of McMahon, Collins, Hill, Doyle, Williams, Flynn, Porter and Howard are not wanted by the new manager, but impossible to get rid of, how much of a restriction would that be on a new manager's budget? Is a real clear out possible this summer, or will it be "2 or 3 additions", which Morgan suggested was what we needed?

Though I'd prefer it, I suspect a real clear out is not possible. I also think that, although we'd be slaughtered in the league above, a decent striker and a combative midfielder (with ability) would have seen us promoted automatically. That and not treating small clubs like they are big clubs when they visited The Lane. So 2 or 3 additions could make us very competitive.

UTB

 

[Hodgyman]

Though I'd prefer it, I suspect a real clear out is not possible. I also think that, although we'd be slaughtered in the league above, a decent striker and a combative midfielder (with ability) would have seen us promoted automatically. That and not treating small clubs like they are big clubs when they visited The Lane. So 2 or 3 additions could make us very competitive.

UTB

I would insist that I picked the players and the team, not the owner's family or the senior citizens of the playing staff. I would get rid of anyone on the playing staff that didn't agree to that.

Having set the stall out, I would then move on the dead wood in the playing staff such as Kitson, Doyle, Collins, Higginbottom and MacDonald (on this season's form) reducing the wage bill. Bring some cash in to fund new signings by the sale of Long (we have Willis to replace him) and Maguire (cash in while his "stock is high" as he has lapses in concentration, discipline and is too slow).

I would create a wage structure that is performance related, i.e. poor results/performance means reduced paypackets. I would also give a bonusto improve competitiveness for a place in the team and have a "nobody's place is sacred" policy.

Once you have decent ground rules we then can start to recruit younger, quicker players who will adapt to them.

 

[blade too long]

piggies went up and discarded 8 first team players immediately
we have to be more brutally honest and discard everyone whos failed
ie forwards that havent got into double figures, unfortunately for them its all of them
midfielders whos pass success rate is below 60% , again this leads to a major cull
Long has for a 19 year old done amazing considering whats in front of him

 

[alcoblade]

piggies went up and discarded 8 first team players immediately
we have to be more brutally honest and discard everyone whos failed
ie forwards that havent got into double figures, unfortunately for them its all of them
midfielders whos pass success rate is below 60% , again this leads to a major cull
Long has for a 19 year old done amazing considering whats in front of him

Getting rid is easy to type but difficult to do with overpaid contracted players. I doubt the real ability of most of our players is lost within the club. Many are inept, but they are all human.

UTB

 

[StarBlade]

No point culling the first team without the management in place to replace them. Having someone not fit for the job handing out numerous 3 year contracts in a lump could be disastrous. People mention Charlton, for that, also read Preston, which flirted with relegation alot this season.

Let's get a (decent) manager in place first.

 

[blade too long]

No point culling the first team without the management in place to replace them.

Let's get a (decent) manager in place first.

which was my first point
and of course you can get rid of contracted players if your brutal enough
Lets face it , none of the current squad cost us a big signing fee so we could sell them for a fiver and save the wages as an excuse.

 

[alcoblade]

No point culling the first team without the management in place to replace them. Having someone not fit for the job handing out numerous 3 year contracts in a lump could be disastrous. People mention Charlton, for that, also read Preston, which flirted with relegation alot this season.

Let's get a (decent) manager in place first.

Agreed, I doubt many want the tea lady to make the decisions. My intention was to discuss what you'd like a new manager to do, given realisitc constraints.

There are a number of threads about who the new manager might be.....

UTB

 

[blade too long]

Agreed, I doubt many want the tea lady to make the decisions. ....

UTB

I wouldnt be surprised if shed been tapped for ideas this season

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

I would insist that I picked the players and the team, not the owner's family or the senior citizens of the playing staff. I would get rid of anyone on the playing staff that didn't agree to that.

Having set the stall out, I would then move on the dead wood in the playing staff such as Kitson, Doyle, Collins, Higginbottom and MacDonald (on this season's form) reducing the wage bill. Bring some cash in to fund new signings by the sale of Long (we have Willis to replace him) and Maguire (cash in while his "stock is high" as he has lapses in concentration, discipline and is too slow).

I would create a wage structure that is performance related, i.e. poor results/performance means reduced paypackets. I would also give a bonusto improve competitiveness for a place in the team and have a "nobody's place is sacred" policy.

Once you have decent ground rules we then can start to recruit younger, quicker players who will adapt to them.

Imagine the senario; scout to manager "I've found us a new centre half boss, only trouble is he has lapses in concentration, discipline and is too slow"

How do we cash in on that?

 

[Worksop_Blade]

Imagine the senario; scout to manager "I've found us a new centre half boss, only trouble is he has lapses in concentration, discipline and is too slow"

How do we cash in on that?

Think positivly we got £1.5m for Oliver Tebily, £3m for Claude Davis and £1m for Andy Gray, some times the club is quite good at ripping clubs off on transfers.

I'd be delighted if we could find a deal worth £1.75m for Harry Maguire.

 

[JohnDenver]

I'd be delighted if we could find a deal worth £1.75m for Harry Maguire.

It's tempting to think like that. Until we discover we've replaced him with a 35yr old Mark Blount.

 

[cooperblade]

I'd tell anyone who'd listen that 2013/14 was a season of transition where the key objective was to get set up for a promotion challenge in 2014/15. We can't do enough clearing out this summer, it's going to be a 2 year job given how many players are (a) still in contract and (b) unlikely to be attractive to anyone who can afford them.

The players who give us a little hope for the future (Miller, Diego) aren't going to be ready in August and might never come back as good as they were so we're in limbo there.

I think we can achieve mid-table next year whilst getting some playing time into the likes of Whitehouse and McFadzean, developing a playing style and slowly moving the squad towards one which can compete at the top end of the section.