The nucleus

[Tony_Kaufman]

Next season the following players(excluding loans), are out of contract.

John Egan, Oli McBurnie, Jayden Bogle, George Baldock, Max Lowe, Rhys Norrington-Davies, Oli Norwood, John Fleck, Ben Osborn, Ismaila Coulibaly, Daniel Jebbison, Wes Foderingham, Adam Davies, Chris Basham, Jordan Amissah.

Out of that list I'd personally only offer new deals to Foderingham, Baldock and Norrington-Davies. The rest can all leave as far as I'm concerned. Not one of them has offered any consistency over the last three seasons.

That would leave us with a nucleus to build on of;

Foderingham, Baldock, Ahmedhodzic, Trusty, Robinson, Norrington-Davies, Arblaster, Slimane, Souza, Traore, Hamer, Davies, Osula, Brewster.

That's 14 players to build a team and new formation around. That would leave us with needing 8 more players to give us a squad of 22 and we still have some other prospects in the wings where 1 might step up to the challenge of the Championship.

Based on this nucleus, what formation would you consider that could get the best out of them? Leaving blanks is fine as we'd need to sign some players anyway. Personally I'd start with Hamer and work out his best position/role and build a team/formation around that.

 

[Kizmet]

arblaster is out of contract too one thing strikes me from that list
who is the player sale needed in order to survive ?

 

[Wards]

Norrington Davies probably won't play again, I think you'd have to discount him. You'd also wanna offer Jebbo a contract given he's seemingly attracting interest, even if it's just for the purposes of seeing if we could get a fee for him down the line. Also think McBurnie is a good championship striker but he misses too much football to be relied upon.

Build a side around a spine of Anel, Trusty, Baldock, Hamer and potentially Osula and you have the makings of a half decent side there.

 

[Tony_Kaufman]

arblaster is out of contract too one thing strikes me from that list
who is the player sale needed in order to survive ?

Why do we need to sell to survive? You get £130mil minimum just for being in the Premier League. You then have season ticket sales, sponsorship and other revenue on top of that. We have the lowest wage bill in the division, lower than a lot of Championship clubs. We barely spent anything as sales were largely offset by the sales of Ndiaye and Berge. Players will take pay cuts on relegation reducing the wage bill further. We have money. We just haven't spent it as the Prince knew we couldn't compete even if we did, so he's clearly got next season in mind.

I don't expect to spend loads like under Robson, but I'd expect more than under Slav as we won't have the debts of 19 poor signings to pay off like we did after 2 seasons of poor Wilder signings.

I'm sure Arblaster will sign a new deal.

My other concern is players with options for an extra year. I don't want to see the likes of Norwood back in United shirts next season. They had their time. They had their chances. We need to look forward not back. I don't want to see a repeat of this season where we extend the likes of Fleck, Basham and Osborn through desperation when we had a chance to get rid.

 

[Kizmet]

Why do we need to sell to survive? You get £130mil minimum just for being in the Premier League. You then have season ticket sales, sponsorship and other revenue on top of that. We have the lowest wage bill in the division, lower than a lot of Championship clubs. We barely spent anything as sales were largely offset by the sales of Ndiaye and Berge. Players will take pay cuts on relegation reducing the wage bill further. We have money. We just haven't spent it as the Prince knew we couldn't compete even if we did, so he's clearly got next season in mind.

I don't expect to spend loads like under Robson, but I'd expect more than under Slav as we won't have the debts of 19 poor signings to pay off like we did after 2 seasons of poor Wilder signings.

I'm sure Arblaster will sign a new deal.

My other concern is players with options for an extra year. I don't want to see the likes of Norwood back in United shirts next season. They had their time. They had their chances. We need to look forward not back.

bettis said if we sell one player we will be fine ( on relagation ) when asked about our financial issues

last time round we needed 40 m we didnt get even though we sold ramsdale for 20-30 m

 

[Brian Deane]

Osula and Jebbo will be the main 2 strikers if we get relegated.
It will be a major cloth cutting exercise so anyone currently on high wages by our standards will be gone.
A new era begins next season.
UTB

 

[Tony_Kaufman]

bettis said if we sell one player we will be fine ( on relagation ) when asked about our financial issues

last time round we needed 40 m we didnt get even though we sold ramsdale for 20-30 m

League One here we come then.

I'm baffled with the obsession with Jebbison. Other than scoring on his debut three seasons ago he's done nothing. He had an okay loan at Burton. We recalled him and he couldn't even get into a team with a misfiring Sharp, injured Brewster and inconsistent McBurnie. Heck, he couldn't even make the bench most games. I don't get what fans see in him. Arblaster and Osula have done more to convince than he has. Osula might have blown chance after chance in pre-season, but at least he had chances. Jebbo was bang average in pre-season too. I'm happy to let him go.

 

[BladeInIreland]

Obviously depends on money, it would be great to have a big clear out if we have the funds to build (takeover fingers crossed). If that was the case I'd probably hang in to Mcburnie and Baldock.

 

[CaptainMorgans]

Why do we need to sell to survive? You get £130mil minimum just for being in the Premier League. You then have season ticket sales, sponsorship and other revenue on top of that. We have the lowest wage bill in the division, lower than a lot of Championship clubs. We barely spent anything as sales were largely offset by the sales of Ndiaye and Berge. Players will take pay cuts on relegation reducing the wage bill further. We have money. We just haven't spent it as the Prince knew we couldn't compete even if we did, so he's clearly got next season in mind.

I don't expect to spend loads like under Robson, but I'd expect more than under Slav as we won't have the debts of 19 poor signings to pay off like we did after 2 seasons of poor Wilder signings.

I'm sure Arblaster will sign a new deal.

My other concern is players with options for an extra year. I don't want to see the likes of Norwood back in United shirts next season. They had their time. They had their chances. We need to look forward not back. I don't want to see a repeat of this season where we extend the likes of Fleck, Basham and Osborn through desperation when we had a chance to get rid.

I think we're breaking even being in the PL this season with our NET spend.
Next season we will be loss making, so without sales or owner sponsored spending (lol), we will need to sell players.
Archer will go back to Villa but we will still have a hole £20-30m sized hole in the accounts. Honestly not sure who fills that. We'll be lucky to get offers for Hamer, Souza or Anel on these showings and everyone else is too old or too late in their contracts to attract big offers.

 

[Kizmet]

I think we're breaking even being in the PL this season with our NET spend.
Next season we will be loss making, so without sales or owner sponsored spending (lol), we will need to sell players.
Archer will go back to Villa but we will still have a hole £20-30m sized hole in the accounts. Honestly not sure who fills that. We'll be lucky to get offers for Hamer, Souza or Anel on these showings and everyone else is too old or too late in their contracts to attract big offers.

my point exactly
someone is going to have to come in and play a modern atracking ,pressing game ,playing out from the back to at the very least make one or two of these players look like they can handle it at this level so we can cash in and prevent a slide down the leagues

 

[TankersleyBlade]

Whatever the squad i also think we need to build to move away from the ”back 5” approach that, together with having two immobile CM’s leaves us woefully short of attacking threat right now. If you watch our defending most of the time no one takes any responsibility, we often have more bodies around but no one is winning their individual battles. Lots of teams play one up top with mobile attacking players behind, none of our 5 defensively minded central players seem capable of picking up with and staying with runners.

At the moment we have plenty of defenders who are familiar with four at the back too, long gone are the “they only know how to play as a 5” excuses. I’d also get rid of the defensive coach who seems to have added absolutely nothing. Let’s challenge people to do their job!

Of course recruitment, budget, availability will dictate what we can build next year but I’d like to see this sort of set up for now / (next season).

NOW

GK - Amissah
DEF - Baldock, Trusty or Amedhodzic, Robinson, Thomas
CM - Norwood, Osborn (energy and least worst option for now)
AM - three of Hamer, McBurnie, McAtee, Osula
STR - Archer

NEXT SEASON

GK - Amissah or NEW
DEF - Baldock, Trusty or Amedhodzic, Robinson, RND or NEW
CM - possibly Arblaster but if not then NEW, NEW
AM - Hamer, NEW, Osula
STR - possibly Jebbo or NEW

I see little point in persevering with Wes, he makes some good saves but is terrible with his feet and weak as piss in the air. Davies has never been good enough. Neither should be here next season. Not seen enough of Amissah but if he’s not good enough then we need a whole new goalkeeping department.

I think we have to be very careful about offering new contracts to players who are frequently injured or long term injured. That would include Bogle, Baldock, Lowe, Jebbo, McB, Bash, RND, Fleck, Osborn. Nevertheless I’d keep Baldock and make him captain and have McB, Jebbo and Osborn as maybe’s.

I’ve not mentioned Souza at all, just like any commentary on the first half yesterday. The minimum I expect of anyone is total commitment and effort. I don’t want to see him paired with Norwood again, at least Norwood isn’t a coward and tries to get involved he need players nearer to him capable of receiving a pass and moving the ball.

Final point, remember when Lunny stank the place out as he ran his contract down and avoided exerting himself, yesterday‘s squad had 9 (NINE) players in the same situation!! I shudder to think what we’re going to be watching second half of this season! That situation is down to the owner and board for a complete lack of long term planning over the last two years. I appreciate he’s been wanting out but his shambolic dalliances with two chancers (pretty obviously so) has really damaged us and no doubt his own position. He’s no longer selling an EPL team.

Sorry, yesterday got to me, rant over!

 

[Silent Blade]

arblaster is out of contract too one thing strikes me from that list
who is the player sale needed in order to survive ?

We can hold his registration until he is 24

 

[JayGreen17]

Obviously depends on money, it would be great to have a big clear out if we have the funds to build (takeover fingers crossed). If that was the case I'd probably hang in to Mcburnie and Baldock.

I’d get rid of McBurnie , he’s a crock and there’s better out there, I’d only keep Baldock.

 

[BladeInIreland]

I’d get rid of McBurnie , he’s a crock and there’s better out there, I’d only keep Baldock.

I suppose it depends on budget. The injuries are frustrating but we don't have better and I can't imagine we could afford better.

 

[nopigfansintown]

We simply don't have the money for root and branch reform so extensions for Mcburnie, Jebbison, Baldock, Egan, Bogle, Wes, Jebbison have to be done if we can persuade them to sign. Norrington Davies, too, if he's over his injury. I hope and pray we aren't daft enough to give contracts to the injury prone players e.g. Osborn, Lowe, Fleck, Coulibaly. RND and Bogle are the only ones I'd consider with dogy injury records.

Squad:

Foderingham, Baldock, Egan, Ahmedhodzic, Trusty, Robinson, Norrington-Davies? , Arblaster, Slimane, Souza, Davies, Traore, Hamer, Osula, Brewster, Mcburnie, Jebbison.

Incomings: 1 x goalkeeper, 1 x striker, 1x right footed centre back, 1 x left wing back, 2 x midfielders. A tough gig given the likely budget.

The likelihood is that some of the above will be taken up by academy players.

 

[Tony_Kaufman]

We simply don't have the money for root and branch reform so extensions for Mcburnie, Jebbison, Baldock, Egan, Bogle, Wes, Jebbison have to be done if we can persuade them to sign. Norrington Davies, too, if he's over his injury. I hope and pray we aren't daft enough to give contracts to the injury prone players e.g. Osborn, Lowe, Fleck, Coulibaly. RND and Bogle are the only ones I'd consider with dogy injury records.

Squad:

Foderingham, Baldock, Egan, Ahmedhodzic, Trusty, Robinson, Norrington-Davies? , Arblaster, Slimane, Souza, Davies, Traore, Hamer, Osula, Brewster, Mcburnie, Jebbison.

Incomings: 1 x goalkeeper, 1 x striker, 1x right footed centre back, 1 x left wing back, 2 x midfielders. A tough gig given the likely budget.

The likelihood is that some of the above will be taken up by academy players.

There are always free agents out there. Last season Jed Wallace and John Swift were available for free. We showed no interest in either of them, signing no one in the end other than Anel, then McAtee, Doyle, Khadra and Clark on loan. It can't have been wages that stopped us signing Wallace and Swift as they came from Milwall and Reading. It annoys me that we don't make use of free agents.

Our over reliance on loan signings over the last three seasons has been part of the reason our squad is so imbalanced and such a mess. Once they leave we have huge gaps to fill. We didn't just lose Ndiaye and Berge over the summer, we lost Doyle too, which rarely gets acknowledged on here.

 

[Nick Jansky]

Norrington Davies probably won't play again, I think you'd have to discount him.

I was told by someone who would know that he’ll play again this season after recovering from a very complex injury.

 

[Wards]

I was told by someone who would know that he’ll play again this season after recovering from a very complex injury.

That would be amazing, fair play to him if he gets back to any sort of level he was at before.

 

[LBA_Blade]

If he can recover and get match fit again soon and a run of games at Donny, we also have Louie Marsh out there that could force his way into plans. He started well with Donny before breaking his arm. Could be a player with Osula but we need some height as Marsh is about 5'9.

 

[LBA_Blade]

We simply don't have the money for root and branch reform so extensions for Mcburnie, Jebbison, Baldock, Egan, Bogle, Wes, Jebbison have to be done if we can persuade them to sign. Norrington Davies, too, if he's over his injury. I hope and pray we aren't daft enough to give contracts to the injury prone players e.g. Osborn, Lowe, Fleck, Coulibaly. RND and Bogle are the only ones I'd consider with dogy injury records.

Squad:

Foderingham, Baldock, Egan, Ahmedhodzic, Trusty, Robinson, Norrington-Davies? , Arblaster, Slimane, Souza, Davies, Traore, Hamer, Osula, Brewster, Mcburnie, Jebbison.

Incomings: 1 x goalkeeper, 1 x striker, 1x right footed centre back, 1 x left wing back, 2 x midfielders. A tough gig given the likely budget.

The likelihood is that some of the above will be taken up by academy players.

1 x left Wing back could be Harry Boyes depending on how he progresses. Keeper probably from academy, Striker see above, Brooks could come good and we are left with 3 positions to fill but thats all if buts and maybes etc

 

[Sean Thornton]

Why do we need to sell to survive? You get £130mil minimum just for being in the Premier League. You then have season ticket sales, sponsorship and other revenue on top of that. We have the lowest wage bill in the division, lower than a lot of Championship clubs. We barely spent anything as sales were largely offset by the sales of Ndiaye and Berge. Players will take pay cuts on relegation reducing the wage bill further. We have money. We just haven't spent it as the Prince knew we couldn't compete even if we did, so he's clearly got next season in mind.

I don't expect to spend loads like under Robson, but I'd expect more than under Slav as we won't have the debts of 19 poor signings to pay off like we did after 2 seasons of poor Wilder signings.

I'm sure Arblaster will sign a new deal.

My other concern is players with options for an extra year. I don't want to see the likes of Norwood back in United shirts next season. They had their time. They had their chances. We need to look forward not back. I don't want to see a repeat of this season where we extend the likes of Fleck, Basham and Osborn through desperation when we had a chance to get rid.

We’ve never had £130m in PL money in one year. May be £105m this season for finishing bottom.

 

[Tony_Kaufman]

We’ve never had £130m in PL money in one year. May be £105m this season for finishing bottom.

Either way, we sure as hell haven't spent that on transfer fees and wages. If every player in our 25 man squad was on a minimum of £20k per week, which we don't as many players are on less than £10k per week, that's a £26mil wage bill. We only spent around £15mil overall by the time we sold Ndiaye and Berge, so that would be £41mil spent. Where's the other £64mil?

 

[Sean Thornton]

Either way, we sure as hell haven't spent that on transfer fees and wages. If every player in our 25 man squad was on a minimum of £20k per week, which we don't as many players are on less than £10k per week, that's a £26mil wage bill. We only spent around £15mil overall by the time we sold Ndiaye and Berge, so that would be £41mil spent. Where's the other £64mil?

Well, the running costs of the club, light, heating, rates, insurance, office staff wages, telephone and other office costs.

Then, as so many fail to grasp, if we prepare a set of accounts that show we lose money, ie in most Championship seasons, the losses need funding. They aren’t just written off. Even in the PL where we made profits both seasons, we spent more on players. Where do you think the money comes from to pay those costs?

Not forgetting promotion bonuses.

 

[Silent Blade]

Either way, we sure as hell haven't spent that on transfer fees and wages. If every player in our 25 man squad was on a minimum of £20k per week, which we don't as many players are on less than £10k per week, that's a £26mil wage bill. We only spent around £15mil overall by the time we sold Ndiaye and Berge, so that would be £41mil spent. Where's the other £64mil?

Should be revealed when our accounts for 2023-24 season are revealed, it wont be this year

 

[Booker4]

Next season the following players(excluding loans), are out of contract.

John Egan, Oli McBurnie, Jayden Bogle, George Baldock, Max Lowe, Rhys Norrington-Davies, Oli Norwood, John Fleck, Ben Osborn, Ismaila Coulibaly, Daniel Jebbison, Wes Foderingham, Adam Davies, Chris Basham, Jordan Amissah.

Out of that list I'd personally only offer new deals to Foderingham, Baldock and Norrington-Davies. The rest can all leave as far as I'm concerned. Not one of them has offered any consistency over the last three seasons.

That would leave us with a nucleus to build on of;

Foderingham, Baldock, Ahmedhodzic, Trusty, Robinson, Norrington-Davies, Arblaster, Slimane, Souza, Traore, Hamer, Davies, Osula, Brewster.

That's 14 players to build a team and new formation around. That would leave us with needing 8 more players to give us a squad of 22 and we still have some other prospects in the wings where 1 might step up to the challenge of the Championship.

Based on this nucleus, what formation would you consider that could get the best out of them? Leaving blanks is fine as we'd need to sign some players anyway. Personally I'd start with Hamer and work out his best position/role and build a team/formation around that.

You must be one of the few who wouldn't offer McBurnie a new contract. He's played well this season, arguably our best player. He's still young enough to have another 3 - 5 years playing well and we spent £20m on him, it would be crackers to allow him to leave for nothing next summer and we'll not sign anyone better.

Osula and Jebbo will be the main 2 strikers if we get relegated.
It will be a major cloth cutting exercise so anyone currently on high wages by our standards will be gone.
A new era begins next season.
UTB

I'd be amazed if Jebbo is still here next season to be honest. He's not signing a new contract by all accounts and the club will cash in on him in January if fit, if not I expect Jebbo will leave of his own accord next summer but we'd be entitled to compensation I think as he's under 24.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Should be revealed when our accounts for 2023-24 season are revealed, it wont be this year

The last accounts showed total income of £66.7m. Wages cost of sales and admin costs totalled £65m. 2023 accounts will see both figures reduced but still more or less cancelling each other out.

The estimate of a wage bill of just £25m this year seems low to me, admin costs will probably rise and as stated we still had old debts for players to pay.

Sadly, for the umpteenth year since it was planted, The Munneh Tree hasn’t borne fruit.

 

[Carlton Blade]

I imagine, including promotion bonuses etc a reasonable guess at a wage bill for this season starts at £40m and is probably a chunk North of that.

Income next season will be somewhere between £65-70m

 

[Sean Thornton]

I imagine, including promotion bonuses etc a reasonable guess at a wage bill for this season starts at £40m and is probably a chunk North of that.

Income next season will be somewhere between £65-70m

The promotion bonuses are likely to be included in last years figures but paid in this.

£66m in 2022, you won’t be far out.

 

[Carlton Blade]

The promotion bonuses are likely to be included in last years figures but paid in this.

£66m in 2022, you won’t be far out.

We'll have a reasonable budget next season in comparison to most of the league. Unless the plan is to try and spread the PP's out over longer than the 2 years the club receives them? But, traditionally, jam tomorrow is not something football is good at

 

[Tony_Kaufman]

You must be one of the few who wouldn't offer McBurnie a new contract. He's played well this season, arguably our best player. He's still young enough to have another 3 - 5 years playing well and we spent £20m on him, it would be crackers to allow him to leave for nothing next summer and we'll not sign anyone better.

I'd be amazed if Jebbo is still here next season to be honest. He's not signing a new contract by all accounts and the club will cash in on him in January if fit, if not I expect Jebbo will leave of his own accord next summer but we'd be entitled to compensation I think as he's under 24.

I wouldn't offer McBurnie a new deal as his goal scoring record is below average at best.

2019/20 - 36 games 6 goals
2020/21 - 23 games 1 goal
2021/22 - 28 games 0 goals
2022/23 - 38 games 13 goals
2023/24 - 7 games 2 goals

Overall - 132 games 22 goals £17mil!?!

Granted, this season and our previous relegation season didn't exactly give him the best chance, but over two seasons in the Championship he only scored 13 goals in 66 games, including no goals for nearly a calendar year. He improved last season but didn't even finish in the divisions top 10 highest scorers.

Next season is a chance to start over and finally get rid of the dead wood, busted flushes and players who haven't delivered over the last five years. McBurnie is an average Championship striker at best and there is nothing anyone can do to convince me that he will ever be a reliable and consistent goal scorer at that level.

Sorry. I'm trying to look forward, not back. He is one of many players we have wasted a lot of transfer fee and wages on with absolutely zero chance of cashing in on him, or getting a reasonable fee for. Who would pay more than £5mil for him? Anyone?

As for cash in on Jebbo? I doubt it. He'll either sign a new deal or be gone in the summer on a free. Personally I've got no issue with him leaving. Build a team around Trusty, Hamer and Osula. If Jebbo goes then what will we miss? A player who rarely made the bench even when we had injuries, and rarely came off it when he did make it onto it. There's nothing to miss. He may well end up being another Calvert-Lewin but no one can predict the future. From what I've seen he can run fast and that's it. A slight upgrade on Oli Burke, but at least Jebbo had the occasional shot on goal.