Doug Tharme and Curtis Thompson

Doug Tharme and Curtis Thompson have been good and necessary additions....

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/grimsby-town-tharme-and-thompson-solve-key-issues/

Stiffened the spine of the team and  Doug's throws had Newport pinned back for large chunks of the game.Not pretty but pretty effective.

Both great additions, especially Thompson. Tharme is no nonsense at the back and has definitely helped improve us. Thompson does the dirty work and he is neat on the ball too. He’s confident enough to take a midfielder or two out of the game before passing it which opens up space and is something we have been really lacking.

Probably second and third as my player of the season behind Rose of course.

Couldn't agree more. Hopefully he pick up some more gems in the summer

If both are under contract for next season, together with Rose and Vernam we have four good players to build the team around. If Artell can bring in more players of this quality we could have a very different season to look forward to.

Quoted from RonMariner

If both are under contract for next season, together with Rose and Vernam we have four good players to build the team around. If Artell can bring in more players of this quality we could have a very different season to look forward to.

agreed, add in Clifton who we know is more than good enough for this division , plus Khouri and Ainley who will be like new signings, and that's at least a third of the squad sorted

Quoted from RonMariner

If both are under contract for next season, together with Rose and Vernam we have four good players to build the team around. If Artell can bring in more players of this quality we could have a very different season to look forward to.

I have my doubts about Vernam. He's a creaking gate, he was last time and he still is. These talented players are all well and good but they're about as much use as a chocolate tea pot lying on the treatment table. I know players don't get injured deliberately but I think we have to make our own luck in his regard. Vernam is the prime example, Wilson is another. Really liked the look of him when we've got him on the pitch but that's been all too rarely.

For me, you can afford to carry one injury prone player in the hope they get a lucky season, not two or three.

I think there's a bit of a myth with Vernam and that he's injury prone.

He signed for us permanently in the summer of 18/19.

18/19 - Was involved in every match day squad bar 3.
19/20 - Involved in every match day squad bar 3 - 2 of which when he was on loan at Chorley (his loan spell coincided with that weird run of so really only uninvolved in 1 squad.  Played all but 7 minutes of his loan spell at Chorley.
20/21 - First half of the season at Burton, uninvolved in 9 squads early on.  Involved in 15 with 11 starts before he goes to Bradford.  At Valley Parade he's involved in 21 out of 22 squads. Total for the season, 10 squads where he wasn't involved.
21/22 - 14 uninvolved squads with a run of 10 consecutive missed squads at the turn of the year.  32 involved squads though.
22/23 - Lincoln.  Uninvolved in the first two squads but then involved in every single one until mid-March when he isn't involved for the final 11 games.  33 involved squads in total.

So his career history prior to coming here is just over 40 squads where he's not involved and even if they were all for injury as opposed to selection, that's 8 missed games a season.  It's hardly someone with a chronic injury record.  For a little bit of context, Danny Rose has missed 6 games this season through injury.  

I'd say Vernam is more guilty of drifting in and out of favour than as someone who's proven to be injury prone.  He's just had a crap year of it this season.  From the first minute on Saturday he showed what he's got in his locker and how much of an asset it is at this level.

Quoted from forza ivano

agreed, add in Clifton who we know is more than good enough for this division , plus Khouri and Ainley who will be like new signings, and that's at least a third of the squad sorted

Are we planning on another season at the bottom end of the league?

How about being ruthless and clear out the players that have contributed to us being where we are currently.

Amos, Maher, Glennon, Ainley, Braithwaite, Bramwell, Clifton, Gnahoua, Green, Holohan, Khan, Khouri, Eisa, Essel and Tomlinson are all out of contract (Green might have triggered another year) and predate Artell and I wouldn’t care less if we released all of them. And I’d add Hume to that list.

If we want to move forward we need to stop rewarding mediocracy.

As things stand we have 11 contracted players for next season (maybe 12 with Green).

This is a great opportunity. Why waste it by keeping the likes of Clifton, Holohan etc…

In general I agree with you Golly.  I think it's fortunate that the spine of the team (Tharme, Thompson and Rose) are the ones under contract and ones you would want to keep.  There's very little in the rest of the squad that makes me desperate to keep.

Perhaps a little harsh on the first year professionals.  I think there's an argument for keeping Clifton if we're using him as wingback and I'm keen to see a fit Ainley in a Town shirt.  But other than that, nah.   Khouri's got a few years left on his deal btw.