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The bloated squad


Carl Sagan

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We've had a massively bloated squad for years, Mel backing a succession of managers to bring in ever more players on high wages, making it near impossible to ship anyone out as no one could afford them. Lampard's approach to this problem has been brutal but it seems to be working. It wouildn't surprise me if one of his key tasks upon being appointed was a significant reduction in the number of senior pros (and hence the wage bill). Sam Rush used to boast we had all our wages out on the pitch with the first team, but in recent times much of the wage bill has been playing with the U23s or sitting in the stands taking the money.

Pearce didn't get a look-in and has moved for first-team football. It looks as though Thorne, Butterfield and Anya are going to follow him out. It wouldn't surprise me if Johnson does the same, not having made the squad since his suspension ended.

What I always wanted to see was quality over quantity. Lampard has the contacts and appeal to bring in quality, but he's not had the financial wherewithal. If we really do ship out all the senior pros who weren't in his thinking, perhaps we can bring in a couple of stellar loans to really improve the first team? If that's the end result of freezing some players out for the first half of the season it shows a ruthless side to the manager that we may end up being grateful for.

 

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Thorne and Anya are on longer contracts. They could end up back here.

According to the site below a lot of our u23s are out of contract this summer. Not sure if this is the case or whether we will start to hear about contract renewals soon, but after last summer when we culled the u23s i would not be surprised to see some more young players going too including mitchell, gordon, elsnik, and babos.

image.thumb.jpeg.32c9220def98f22996cc97b10d8c15eb.jpeg

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1 hour ago, RamNut said:

Thorne and Anya are on longer contracts. They could end up back here.

According to the site below a lot of our u23s are out of contract this summer. Not sure if this is the case or whether we will start to hear about contract renewals soon, but after last summer when we culled the u23s i would not be surprised to see some more young players going too including mitchell, gordon, elsnik, and babos.

image.thumb.jpeg.32c9220def98f22996cc97b10d8c15eb.jpeg

I really hoped Elsnik would be part of the Lampard revolution this season. Alas no, but I'd be gutted if he was culled. The transition from youth to man's football proved tough last year, but this season he's played 22 games, maybe consecutive, scored 4 goals and helped Mansfield into the automatic promotion places. 

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5 hours ago, Carl Sagan said:

I really hoped Elsnik would be part of the Lampard revolution this season. Alas no, but I'd be gutted if he was culled. The transition from youth to man's football proved tough last year, but this season he's played 22 games, maybe consecutive, scored 4 goals and helped Mansfield into the automatic promotion places. 

We've got a swedish CB in here, hiding in the ranks - is he Blond? Could he pass as a German......

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6 hours ago, SilentRam said:

Bryson, Huddlestone, Ledley, Johnson, Pearce, Butterfield, Olsson, Davies, Nugent all out of contract this summer.  

Thanks for the memories ?

 

That’s best part of 200 grand a week in wages, with only Davies and Hudds as first team regulars (business  madness) We may keep Davies  if he returns well from injury but suspect the rest will be gone.  I still think the thinking at the club was this season is a bonus and next year we go for it properly. I don’t mean buying loads again but buying fewer, quality players, supplemented with high quality loans. I’m not ready to write this season off but next year really excites me. ( as long as Frank doesn’t get poached) 

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13 hours ago, Carl Sagan said:

We've had a massively bloated squad for years, Mel backing a succession of managers to bring in ever more players on high wages, making it near impossible to ship anyone out as no one could afford them. Lampard's approach to this problem has been brutal but it seems to be working. It wouildn't surprise me if one of his key tasks upon being appointed was a significant reduction in the number of senior pros (and hence the wage bill). Sam Rush used to boast we had all our wages out on the pitch with the first team, but in recent times much of the wage bill has been playing with the U23s or sitting in the stands taking the money.

Pearce didn't get a look-in and has moved for first-team football. It looks as though Thorne, Butterfield and Anya are going to follow him out. It wouldn't surprise me if Johnson does the same, not having made the squad since his suspension ended.

What I always wanted to see was quality over quantity. Lampard has the contacts and appeal to bring in quality, but he's not had the financial wherewithal. If we really do ship out all the senior pros who weren't in his thinking, perhaps we can bring in a couple of stellar loans to really improve the first team? If that's the end result of freezing some players out for the first half of the season it shows a ruthless side to the manager that we may end up being grateful for.

 

I can't see Johnson going anywhere. Not when he can sit on his backside for £30k per week until the end of the season and then move on a free transfer

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On 05/01/2019 at 10:10, Doodle said:

That’s best part of 200 grand a week in wages, with only Davies and Hudds as first team regulars (business  madness) We may keep Davies  if he returns well from injury but suspect the rest will be gone.  I still think the thinking at the club was this season is a bonus and next year we go for it properly. I don’t mean buying loads again but buying fewer, quality players, supplemented with high quality loans. I’m not ready to write this season off but next year really excites me. ( as long as Frank doesn’t get poached) 

Really going for it next season? Kinda has a familiar ring to it... 

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