Next season should already be at the forefront of everyone's minds, unfortunately for the wrong reasons what with uncertainty over Bowyer's future and so many players out of contact.
So with that in mind let's look at the current squad as it stands, including those out of contract and on loan
Goalkeepers
Phillips
Maxwell
Maynard-Brewer
Right backs
Solly
Dijksteel
Centre backs
Pearce
Sarr
Bauer
Bielik
Left backs
Page
Purrington
Central midfielders
Pratley
Reeves
Forster-Caskey
Williams
Cullen
Aribo
Lapslie
Morgan
Wingers
Marshall
Fosu
Strikers
Parker
Vetokele
Taylor
Hackett-Fairchild
That's 25 players, 5 of which are on loan and most of the rest are out of contract.
So the 3 questions I have for you are;
1) How many of the above are actually here come September?
2) How many new signings will we make?
and
3) Who will be making them?
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https://www.londonnewsonline.co.uk/charltons-wembley-goal-hero-patrick-bauer-wants-quick-resolution-over-contract-situation/
2) 12 or 13
3) Bowyer, Gallen and Jackson
I'm now waiting for that big kick up the b@llocks .
Think that at the moment the priority should be to get Aribo to sign a new deal (whether he's here come the closing of the Transfer Window will still remain to be seen) and I also think that Patrick will now remain at the club - The questions to be asked are as follows:
(1) Can Lapslie and Morgan step-up to the Championship - In all honesty (and under a realistic owner) I dont think a loan back to League One would be a bad move for either player, whilst both showed great maturity to be on the fringes of the First-Team this season was excellent from them both; Lapslie after his horrendous debut against Blackpool (and disastrous loan spell @ Chelmsford) really surprised whilst Morgan came out of no where, throwing them into the Championship could very easily break them like what we saw with Joe Pigott, after all we saw from the Play-Offs (i.e. between Leeds and Derby) that this is a lot quicker Division, hesitation and sloppiness will prove more costly
(2) Who else can step up from the U23s - Of course we don't have a realistic owner and imagine that it wont just be those two who we ask a lot more of, apart from Kennedy we unfortunately dont currently know who has been released from both the First-Team and U23s (Wasnt Taylor Maloney a rumour?), but is there anyone else remotely ready for First-Team Football; Kenneth Yao and Wassim Aouachria have signed new deals at the club so will be around next summer, will we see them (along with Alfie Doughty) joining a pre-season trip somewhere, I think its obvious that Ashley Maynard-Brewer will still be with the club but he cant be relied upon to be No.2 which brings me to the third question
(3) Where are the most important areas to strengthen - We know under Roland that the budget has always been tight and expect this summer to be no different... As already mentioned we're going to need a No.2 (or even a No.1 if Phillips isnt able to raise his game which would surprise me), would Chris Maxwell who is clearly behind both Rudd and Ripley at Preston going to be an option or is he going to be a bit peeved at not getting an opportunity; Left-Back is the second area I'd like to focus on, we cant go into the Championship JUST with Lewis Page (he's proven to be injury prone and expect next year to be no different), of course Ben Purrington is the obvious option but Rotherham will want money for him
The final focal point is up front; Taylor is unproven in the Championship, next year will be his first season at that level; Defenders will be smarter and they will be faster, does he have the ability to raise his own game (I imagine he is) but at the same time he needs support, not just from the rest of the team (Something that wasnt achieved enough this season) but from fellow Strikers... they dont come cheap and they're wanted by everyone, its the one area that Lee will need to get spot on, we've got the likes of Tom Eaves who will be on the Free Transfer list or the likes of Igor Vetokele who may be offered terms on a heavily reduced basis, its the one position where you cant afford to fail in those, goals dont just win you promotion, they keep you up!!
Apologies if its a bit of a stark / miserable post so soon after the highs of yesterday
Like Bowyer and Gallen though, its us and Derby who are effectively starting our 2019/20 season behind everyone else, unlike Derby though we need to raise our game for another level whilst they just need to recover from the heart break of this afternoon - We've only got a month before the players report back and MUST hit the ground running else we really will be whipping boys!!