I like May, his workrate is great, his goal return better but sometimes his touch is terrible. If we are offered 1.5 Million that can be used elsewhere then we would be mad to say no.
He scored 23 goals in a shit team in a shit season.
“Used elsewhere”????
We need to keep him and build a squad around him.
If he wants to go, thats another matter.
Building a squad solely around one player at elite level is a bad idea,
To do it at league one is even more foolish.
I like Alfie and hope he stays but everyone (EVERYONE) at this level has a price and it would be mad to turn down 1.5 Million for a 31 year old instead of using that cash to build a robust squad that can actually challenge for promotion. If we build a squad around Alfie as you say and he gets injured, has a bad run of form or plays well enough to get championship offers in Jan we are up the creek without a paddle.
Also worth noting whilst May's goalscoring was great last season of his 23 league goals, 6 of them were pens. Which, of course, still count but do rely on some luck actually winning the pens to begin with.
I have an unsupported hunch that Josh Edwards will be an important player for us, if only because of his long throw. Loads of people here decry Scottish football almost as a matter of course, there are decent players there as there always have been. C’mon Josh, be any good.
Fond memories of Greg Shields as right back.
You could end up with Brian Smith . About 1968 from Arbroth or was it Aberdeen. Anyway he never made the grade.
I like May, his workrate is great, his goal return better but sometimes his touch is terrible. If we are offered 1.5 Million that can be used elsewhere then we would be mad to say no.
He scored 23 goals in a shit team in a shit season.
“Used elsewhere”????
We need to keep him and build a squad around him.
If he wants to go, thats another matter.
Building a squad solely around one player at elite level is a bad idea,
To do it at league one is even more foolish.
I like Alfie and hope he stays but everyone (EVERYONE) at this level has a price and it would be mad to turn down 1.5 Million for a 31 year old instead of using that cash to build a robust squad that can actually challenge for promotion. If we build a squad around Alfie as you say and he gets injured, has a bad run of form or plays well enough to get championship offers in Jan we are up the creek without a paddle.
Also worth noting whilst May's goalscoring was great last season of his 23 league goals, 6 of them were pens. Which, of course, still count but do rely on some luck actually winning the pens to begin with.
So get rid and then what ?
Who were our other biggest scorers last year?
May - 23 Kanu 6 Leaburn 3 Dobbo 2
I know what I’d do….!
I'd keep May but at our level, literally everybody has their price. The key point is to make the team as a whole categorically stronger and more robust. If we did sell May then id like to see it spent to make the team stronger of course.
Charlton rejected a bid earlier this month from Huddersfield Town for May, who collected the League One Golden Boot with 23 goals last season.
But the Terriers, who sold former AFC Wimbledon youngster Jack Rudoni to Coventry City last week in a deal potentially worth up to £5million, have continued their attempts to strike a deal.
He'll go, there's been too much noise. The question now is how much Ipswich want for Ahadme, how much more that is than what we'd anticipated paying and how much it will cost to get another striker in on top of that. If we'd budgeted say £400,000 for Ahadme and Ipswich want £1m AND we have to pay £200,000 to bring in Godden to replace May, taking into account Cheltenham's sell-on percentage as well, then there's a fairly hefty shortfall we have to make up to still be able to bring in the targets we have in other positions. We still need another keeper, CB, and two CMs as well. I'd like another CB on top of that too so we can't just kill our budget on this.
With Huddersfield getting that Rudoni windfall I think we'll be really pushing up any potential fee. We have to. It's been clear for a long time that the most important signing for us this season is a striker who can hold the ball up. So much of our trouble was caused by the ball not sticking up front and it can't all be left to Leaburn. We've complained that not enough players other than May score but a big part of that is because the ball doesn't stay in our possession in the opposition half long enough for or midfielders to get forward most of the time. To get the most out of the wingbacks, Berry, Coventry and whoever else we bring in in midfield as well as take the pressure of the defence this striker signing is absolutely key.
Rodwells rambling answer full of waffle when asked about May's future rather confirmed that for me.
All those on the update show last night spoke really highly of Nathan Jones. They all said he knows exactly where he wants to go and how he intends to do it. If he sells May, they had better be right.
Same, all the quotes sound like they're waiting for the offer to be upped and he'll be off.
What concerns me (on top of just the fact we're losing our top scorer and a good player) is that the initial comments were about Jones not wanting May as he wants a different type of striker, but if we sign Godden then it's not that.
Godden is just a cheaper like-for-like replacement, which I can see as funding the transfer business. After wanting to let Dobson leave early for a few quid and get a free replacement in Coventry, it all feels very much like not much money is being put into the playing budget at all.
My guess, and it's impossible to know, is that we are waiting for Ahadme to be closer to 100% signing before allowing May to go to Huddersfield. Godden possibly okay to be a starter/sub throughout the season, whereas May is wanting to be starter only, which is understandable considering his goal tally from the previous three seasons.
I was desperately hoping he will stay, but after the comments from Rodwell yesterday evening it looks to me like Alfie will go. Hard to take after losing Dobbo too. But win after win after win will soften the blow, otherwise losing Alfie and Dobbo will feel like an icy stab to the heart.
Good. Always better to have 2 teams interested if you're going to sell. Create a bidding war and drive up the price. If you're selling, make the most of it
If Alfie went to Wrexham, that’s one promotion spot gone, note to board, don’t sell to rivals if you want to get promoted, it will cost you more in the long run, staying in this division.
If Alfie went to Wrexham, that’s one promotion spot gone, note to board, don’t sell to rivals if you want to get promoted, it will cost you more in the long run, staying in this division.
That’s the problem I have . I can understand if we get a championship offer but to sell to a league one rival is unforgivable.
If Alfie went to Wrexham, that’s one promotion spot gone, note to board, don’t sell to rivals if you want to get promoted, it will cost you more in the long run, staying in this division.
Is it a promotion spot gone, if he goes there? - Seeing he's never won promotion from this level
If Alfie went to Wrexham, that’s one promotion spot gone, note to board, don’t sell to rivals if you want to get promoted, it will cost you more in the long run, staying in this division.
Is it a promotion spot gone, if he goes there? - Seeing he's never won promotion from this level
This might sound simple and very Michael Owen, no one gets promoted until they do.
May is a victim of being a late bloomer and playing in three shit teams three seasons in a row, in Cheltenham twice and then us. Had May been at Derby, Oxford, Bolton, Pompey etc, he'd be a championship player right now. They'd all have been better off with him, and him being on anyone of those teams, I'd even add Peterborough, could have changed the standings completely. Pretty sure we would be in league 2 without him. (I am of course aware 5 teams can't go up, just pointing out he's more than good enough got top6'
He is arguably the only player in the team that could hold his own in the level above I'd say, and deserves to be playing at the level above based on his performance last level. Similar to how nit every player promoted is actually ready for that level, there will be a fair few players who didn't go up, who probably deserved to, like Dion Charles, Aaron Collins, Ronnie Edwards etc.
There is no doubt that sides like Wrexham and Huddersfields chances increase drastically if they sign the best striker in the league, would be quite bizarre to think otherwise surely?
If Alfie went to Wrexham, that’s one promotion spot gone, note to board, don’t sell to rivals if you want to get promoted, it will cost you more in the long run, staying in this division.
Is it a promotion spot gone, if he goes there? - Seeing he's never won promotion from this level
This might sound simple and very Michael Owen, no one gets promoted until they do.
May is a victim of being a late bloomer and playing in three shit teams three seasons in a row, in Cheltenham twice and then us. Had May been at Derby, Oxford, Bolton, Pompey etc, he'd be a championship player right now. They'd all have been better off with him, and him being on anyone of those teams, I'd even add Peterborough, could have changed the standings completely. Pretty sure we would be in league 2 without him. (I am of course aware 5 teams can't go up, just pointing out he's more than good enough got top6'
He is arguably the only player in the team that could hold his own in the level above I'd say, and deserves to be playing at the level above based on his performance last level. Similar to how nit every player promoted is actually ready for that level, there will be a fair few players who didn't go up, who probably deserved to, like Dion Charles, Aaron Collins, Ronnie Edwards etc.
There is no doubt that sides like Wrexham and Huddersfields chances increase drastically if they sign the best striker in the league, would be quite bizarre to think otherwise surely?
I think the point is that we signed him after a season where we finished 10th and ended up 16th. We only lost one key player from the previous season's squad but still ended up a substantially worse team despite bringing him in. A 20 goal a season striker doesn't actually guarantee promotion and only increases your chances relative to the rest of your team. Wrexham will have to do a lot of work in the transfer market to get themselves to a point where they're seen as a definite promotion team so someone saying that Alfie going there means they're already up doesn't really ring true.
If Alfie went to Wrexham, that’s one promotion spot gone, note to board, don’t sell to rivals if you want to get promoted, it will cost you more in the long run, staying in this division.
Is it a promotion spot gone, if he goes there? - Seeing he's never won promotion from this level
This might sound simple and very Michael Owen, no one gets promoted until they do.
May is a victim of being a late bloomer and playing in three shit teams three seasons in a row, in Cheltenham twice and then us. Had May been at Derby, Oxford, Bolton, Pompey etc, he'd be a championship player right now. They'd all have been better off with him, and him being on anyone of those teams, I'd even add Peterborough, could have changed the standings completely. Pretty sure we would be in league 2 without him. (I am of course aware 5 teams can't go up, just pointing out he's more than good enough got top6'
He is arguably the only player in the team that could hold his own in the level above I'd say, and deserves to be playing at the level above based on his performance last level. Similar to how nit every player promoted is actually ready for that level, there will be a fair few players who didn't go up, who probably deserved to, like Dion Charles, Aaron Collins, Ronnie Edwards etc.
There is no doubt that sides like Wrexham and Huddersfields chances increase drastically if they sign the best striker in the league, would be quite bizarre to think otherwise surely?
I think the point is that we signed him after a season where we finished 10th and ended up 16th. We only lost one key player from the previous season's squad but still ended up a substantially worse team despite bringing him in. A 20 goal a season striker doesn't actually guarantee promotion and only increases your chances relative to the rest of your team. Wrexham will have to do a lot of work in the transfer market to get themselves to a point where they're seen as a definite promotion team so someone saying that Alfie going there means they're already up doesn't really ring true.
Key part you haven't mentioned there though, is the level increase last season. The league gets tougher each year and while teams improve, we don't seem to. We will see in a few weeks but so far, we are nowhere near that top6. It's not May, Dobbo or CBTs fault we didn't get top6, it's all the other shit houses around them and poor managerial decisions.
Alfie May going to Wrexham drastically increases their chances of fighting for promotion, Wrexham would beat us atm, as would Stockport and Mansfield probably. Stability and momentum can't be underestimated, and they'll add to what they've got. Him going to Huddersfield is practically giving them a promotion spot, it's bad news giving a team who have just been relegated the best player in the league.
Nothing to say we wont improve though... Need to remember that League One isn't the Premier League, its not dictated by the size of the budget, but how clever you are, and how well organised you are.
Oxford themselves went from relegation candidates in 2023 (surviving by two points) - and then winning promotion the very next season, so its not beyond the realms it could happen to us. Like you say, until we start kicking balls (Footballs), we wont realistically know where everyone stands.
If Alfie went to Wrexham, that’s one promotion spot gone, note to board, don’t sell to rivals if you want to get promoted, it will cost you more in the long run, staying in this division.
Wrexham aren't as good as everyone makes out. Don't get me wrong they have some good players but they didn't even win league 2 so it's not exactly a given they're going to come in and blow league 1 away.
Could May even play alongside Mullin? Not sure that works as a pairing but i appreciate it's a squad game these days.
If Alfie went to Wrexham, that’s one promotion spot gone, note to board, don’t sell to rivals if you want to get promoted, it will cost you more in the long run, staying in this division.
Wrexham aren't as good as everyone makes out. Don't get me wrong they have some good players but they didn't even win league 2 so it's not exactly a given they're going to come in and blow league 1 away.
Could May even play alongside Mullin? Not sure that works as a pairing but i appreciate it's a squad game these days.
Wrexham at present haven't even improved. They signed 1 player who was there last season anyway. At the moment they are weaker than the team that got them promoted.
If Alfie went to Wrexham, that’s one promotion spot gone, note to board, don’t sell to rivals if you want to get promoted, it will cost you more in the long run, staying in this division.
Is it a promotion spot gone, if he goes there? - Seeing he's never won promotion from this level
This might sound simple and very Michael Owen, no one gets promoted until they do.
May is a victim of being a late bloomer and playing in three shit teams three seasons in a row, in Cheltenham twice and then us. Had May been at Derby, Oxford, Bolton, Pompey etc, he'd be a championship player right now. They'd all have been better off with him, and him being on anyone of those teams, I'd even add Peterborough, could have changed the standings completely. Pretty sure we would be in league 2 without him. (I am of course aware 5 teams can't go up, just pointing out he's more than good enough got top6'
He is arguably the only player in the team that could hold his own in the level above I'd say, and deserves to be playing at the level above based on his performance last level. Similar to how nit every player promoted is actually ready for that level, there will be a fair few players who didn't go up, who probably deserved to, like Dion Charles, Aaron Collins, Ronnie Edwards etc.
There is no doubt that sides like Wrexham and Huddersfields chances increase drastically if they sign the best striker in the league, would be quite bizarre to think otherwise surely?
I think the point is that we signed him after a season where we finished 10th and ended up 16th. We only lost one key player from the previous season's squad but still ended up a substantially worse team despite bringing him in. A 20 goal a season striker doesn't actually guarantee promotion and only increases your chances relative to the rest of your team. Wrexham will have to do a lot of work in the transfer market to get themselves to a point where they're seen as a definite promotion team so someone saying that Alfie going there means they're already up doesn't really ring true.
Key part you haven't mentioned there though, is the level increase last season. The league gets tougher each year and while teams improve, we don't seem to. We will see in a few weeks but so far, we are nowhere near that top6. It's not May, Dobbo or CBTs fault we didn't get top6, it's all the other shit houses around them and poor managerial decisions.
Alfie May going to Wrexham drastically increases their chances of fighting for promotion, Wrexham would beat us atm, as would Stockport and Mansfield probably. Stability and momentum can't be underestimated, and they'll add to what they've got. Him going to Huddersfield is practically giving them a promotion spot, it's bad news giving a team who have just been relegated the best player in the league.
Selling to a team likely to finish high in the table of course is not good, however, it may be that a club from the Championship has not made an offer so we are left in this position.
I do understand the arguement of taking the money and bringing in players, BUT you do not sell your best players. Losing Dobson and May, on top of Blackett-Taylor is criminal.
Comments
Who were our other biggest scorers last year?
May - 23
Kanu 6
Leaburn 3
Dobbo 2
I know what I’d do….!
Few questions from fans at the end.
Anyway he never made the grade.
But the Terriers, who sold former AFC Wimbledon youngster Jack Rudoni to Coventry City last week in a deal potentially worth up to £5million, have continued their attempts to strike a deal.
With Huddersfield getting that Rudoni windfall I think we'll be really pushing up any potential fee. We have to. It's been clear for a long time that the most important signing for us this season is a striker who can hold the ball up. So much of our trouble was caused by the ball not sticking up front and it can't all be left to Leaburn. We've complained that not enough players other than May score but a big part of that is because the ball doesn't stay in our possession in the opposition half long enough for or midfielders to get forward most of the time. To get the most out of the wingbacks, Berry, Coventry and whoever else we bring in in midfield as well as take the pressure of the defence this striker signing is absolutely key.
Rodwells rambling answer full of waffle when asked about May's future rather confirmed that for me.
All those on the update show last night spoke really highly of Nathan Jones. They all said he knows exactly where he wants to go and how he intends to do it. If he sells May, they had better be right.
I still think it will be a massive mistake to let him go.
What concerns me (on top of just the fact we're losing our top scorer and a good player) is that the initial comments were about Jones not wanting May as he wants a different type of striker, but if we sign Godden then it's not that.
Godden is just a cheaper like-for-like replacement, which I can see as funding the transfer business. After wanting to let Dobson leave early for a few quid and get a free replacement in Coventry, it all feels very much like not much money is being put into the playing budget at all.
Plus ça change.
Hard to take after losing Dobbo too.
But win after win after win will soften the blow, otherwise losing Alfie and Dobbo will feel like an icy stab to the heart.
May is a victim of being a late bloomer and playing in three shit teams three seasons in a row, in Cheltenham twice and then us. Had May been at Derby, Oxford, Bolton, Pompey etc, he'd be a championship player right now. They'd all have been better off with him, and him being on anyone of those teams, I'd even add Peterborough, could have changed the standings completely. Pretty sure we would be in league 2 without him. (I am of course aware 5 teams can't go up, just pointing out he's more than good enough got top6'
He is arguably the only player in the team that could hold his own in the level above I'd say, and deserves to be playing at the level above based on his performance last level. Similar to how nit every player promoted is actually ready for that level, there will be a fair few players who didn't go up, who probably deserved to, like Dion Charles, Aaron Collins, Ronnie Edwards etc.
There is no doubt that sides like Wrexham and Huddersfields chances increase drastically if they sign the best striker in the league, would be quite bizarre to think otherwise surely?
Alfie May going to Wrexham drastically increases their chances of fighting for promotion, Wrexham would beat us atm, as would Stockport and Mansfield probably. Stability and momentum can't be underestimated, and they'll add to what they've got. Him going to Huddersfield is practically giving them a promotion spot, it's bad news giving a team who have just been relegated the best player in the league.
Oxford themselves went from relegation candidates in 2023 (surviving by two points) - and then winning promotion the very next season, so its not beyond the realms it could happen to us. Like you say, until we start kicking balls (Footballs), we wont realistically know where everyone stands.
Could May even play alongside Mullin? Not sure that works as a pairing but i appreciate it's a squad game these days.