The problems we had started with Quitchley just upping sticks and going out of the blue and he left us with a massive squad, which you might think was a good thing, but in our case it wasn’t because there were far too many players in that squad that just aren’t good enough for us in the championship so the recruitment team, along with Quitchley spent far too much money on very long contracts for players we are now stuck with and really need to shift.
Add to that our failure to actually only be able to sign one player not a loanee has been a hindrance so far. However I think we need to clear out those who just aren’t going to feature, sell or loan and we have 24 more days to get the players in who can play Apple’s system and improve the team.
So who do we need to offload?
Moore or Maxwell
Garbutt
James (done)
Casey (done)
Virtue
CJ
Dougall
Dale (done)
Lavery
Luballa
And I’d add Stewart and Anderson to that too unless we can keep them fit to play.
Take out Bowler, if he is sleeping lad and that leaves us with
Grimshaw Maxwell or Moore
Husband
Thompson
Thorniley
Keogh
Marv
Tharme
Gabriel
Connolly
Carey
Apter
Bowler (if not sold)
Anderson (if fit)
Stewart (if fit)
Yates
Madine
Beesley
Loans
Williams
Fiorini
Patino
Corbeneau
So that’s 18 contracted layers, Apter and Carey are under the age thresh hold so 16 that count, add the 4 loan players and that makes 20 sell Bowler and that’s 19 always have a space free for long term injured unless it’s a seriously long term injury and that gives you five places in the squad available to fill with players Appleton wants. Of course we won’t get rid of all those players I named, we are likely to keep Dougall so that gives 4 places and even then we could see Thorniley leave as he’s in the last year of his contract (I hope not) and Tharme and Apter could be loaned out, more likely Apter than Tharme I would think but Apter doesn’t affect the registered 25 as he is so young.
I think that shows the amount of players Quitchley got in weren’t good enough for where we are now. We did brilliantly to finish where we did last season, but the writing was on the wall in the last 6 or 7 games that we were going backwards, not forwards.
So, in my opinion the recruitment team need to make sure we get a good right back, an experienced holding midfielder who can dictate play and let the two in front have freedom to get forward and a striker who is mobile and can score goals a La D J Campbell and if Bowler goes we need a right winger/sided player who can at least be a real threat.
Tin hat on and my Voyeur deflection armour!!