We’re only 6 points off the play-offs, and there’s a lot of football to be played, but unless TS has a visit from a footballing prophet informing him that investment in Jan will lead to promotion, I think we’ve seen enough to know we’re not getting out of this league again this season. Which means we need yet another round of wholesale changes to make an impact in the summer. Crazy really. Same story playing out for the 3rd season in a row by the looks of things.
For me, I’d be jettisoning the following.
MacGivillary - I don’t dislike him, but it’s clear he’s second fiddle to Wollacott and he probably has eyes on being a starter. For both parties it’s best to part ways.
Stockley - atrocious. Contracted until summer 2024 unfortunately. His return this season is pathetic and he’ll be lucky to land a role with a League one club. League 2 is his level.
Lavelle - Not worked out for him. League One is above his ability and like Stockley, a league 2 footballer
Morgan - no more goes, no more tickets to the show. We’ve seen enough to know his future lies elsewhere
JFC - had he not had the 2 injuries this might be a different story for some and how they feel about him, but like MacGilllvary, best for both parties if time is called sooner rather than later
Kirk - I think he’s showed more this season, but we know he’s not someone getting you promoted
Mansfield - he’s injured at the moment, so a bit unfair to dig him out, but he was on the cusp of a loan move there on deadline day. That says it all.
McGrandles - oh dear. A shame to write him off so soon, but he’s been so poor since he’s been here and barring a miraculous turnaround, it’s going nowhere
Payne - tries hard, looks neat and tidy every 3/4 games, but he’s not going to get us out this league.
Inniss - recovered well since the sending off at AFC last season, but can you rely on him from a discipline perspective, and is he good enough to play alongside another CB as a promotion pairing.
We’ve then got Dobson, CBT and Clare out of contract, Aneke can’t be relied on for fitness and you have O’Connell and Egbo.
Egbo looks okay, CBT isn’t consistent enough and O’Connell was finding a bit of form prior to the injury.
Dobson and Clare are tough to call because Dobson could probably get a move away and Clare has been good over his time here, but seems to be playing a little off the standard he was last season.
basically, it’s another complete overhaul imo. I can’t see any other way, yet again
Comments
The problem is that we didn't move the deadwood on in the summer like I'm sure TS promised Garner.
For a few years it was the fault of whoever the Manager was - Perhaps its neither, and the fact that we're scrimping on backroom staff... Players after all shouldn't be running on fumes four months into a season, so suggests a larger issue at play.
I'm probably doing 2+2 and getting five as a result - But we made such a fanfare about meeting the building requirements to be a Category One Academy, yet did we meet club requirements for having the correct amount of staff in place?
We have 3 or 4 and than 7 or 8 that can do a job.
We need the other 4 or 5 and the rest you can pick from. No point having a mass clear out of you don't replace them with better. Oh to have Washington amd Purrington this season.
For me, those two would’ve been good to keep on had we got better in than them, not we should’ve kept them and what we have around them would’ve been the back up