Retained list

Quoted from jamesgtfc

First season in a very long time where we have known our fate for quite a while allowing those conversations to be had.

The retained list usually says what YTs have been offered a pro deal, have we not offered any this year?

I think I'm right in saying that we signed 4 from that squad last year, which means ,basically, that the rest had this season to prove themselves, which they obviously haven't. The only exception is the defender Henry Moore who is apparently off to Uddersfield anyway

Quoted from Stew0_0

Does anyone else agree that if we replaced McAtee with a like for like and signed a unit of a striker our central midfield is good enough as it is?  

If we played a 3 in the middle of Green as a foil to an attacking Clifton with Hunt or Khouri on the left of the 3 supplying to a target man or getting the ball to a creative sort in the hole we have the foundations of a decent attacking unit.

Add the experience of Holohan and the late energy of an Danilo Orsi and I think we can cause teams problems next season IF we get our attacking signings right. Easier said than done though I'm sure.

Nope. Midfield needs strengthening significantly.

And without having McAtee to crowbar into a starting formation I think we’re likely to play the 4-1-4-1 formation that Hurst was successful with at Shrewsbury.

He had 5 players scoring double figures that season. Finding midfielders who will contribute goals is as important as finding a striker (or 2) that will contribute 25 goals between them.

Quoted from jamesgtfc

First season in a very long time where we have known our fate for quite a while allowing those conversations to be had.

The retained list usually says what YTs have been offered a pro deal, have we not offered any this year?

None of the second year YT’s have been offered pro terms and all have been released. I think this includes our youngest ever goal scorer Louis Boyd, I wonder if Chelsea and Liverpool are still sniffing around? 🤔 Also regarding Henry Moore, I’d be very surprised if a club like Huddersfield are interested.

Quoted from GollyGTFC

Nope. Midfield needs strengthening significantly.

And without having McAtee to crowbar into a starting formation I think we’re likely to play the 4-1-4-1 formation that Hurst was successful with at Shrewsbury.

He had 5 players scoring double figures that season. Finding midfielders who will contribute goals is as important as finding a striker (or 2) that will contribute 25 goals between them.

It definitely needs improving. Hurst said a few weeks ago that Hunt is sometimes a victim of the players around him not operating on the same wave length or possessing the same technical ability. I think we'll see at least one more defensive midfielder to address that plus a more attacking one, like Haughton, too - maybe a 4-4-1-1 similar to last season.

Excluding the youths (as not sure how much they will feature) that leaves the squad looking like this:

Keepers:
Crocombe?

Right back:
Efete

Left back:
Glennon
Amos

Centre half:
Waterfall
Maher

Midfield:
Clifton
Khouri
Hunt
Holohan
Green

Wingers:
Khan
(Of course Clifton can also play wide)

Forwards:
Orsi

Regardless of whether Crocombe stays, I expect us to sign at least one new keeper with Battersby gone.

A right back as cover/competition for Efete.

A couple of centre halves - one of them being Bennett, if rumours are to be believed.

A high quality midifelder - this should be someone who is practically an automatic starter and really raises the quality of our midfield.

A couple of wingers (assuming we plan on playing with wingers, which I think we will).

At least two forwards, one of whom should be a big unit who can win headers.

Quoted from ginnywings

There does seem to be a bit more urgency around the club now.

Season tickets released earlier than usual and I've not seen the retained list that quick after seasons end before.

Hope the new signings are as speedy.

Hursty wants a proper holiday this year

Have any of this year's youth team been offered senior contracts yet?

Regards the midfield, our joint top scorers (Holohan and Clifton) with nine each are midfielders.  

Now I'm not saying that we don't need to strengthen in there but I can't remember a time we had two midfielders scoring that many.  Groves was very frequently well into double figures but didn't have anyone else significantly chipping in with goals alongside him.  Even the first Buckley spell it was Cockerill who got high single figures with Cunnington considerably less (think his best return was in his final season with five or six).  

I'm torn between if we need to improve the individuals or just use a better system.  I think Golly's point about McAtee is a good one, it's almost become our go to system for the last two years.  To the point earlier in the season when the length of his injury was apparent we tried a host of players in that role, all looking very uncomfortable, rather than adjust the system and accept you haven't got someone in that No. 10 style role.  I think we've 5 decent midfielders in Green, Hunt, Clifton, Khouri and Holohan.  All with pros and cons to their game, which is largely expected at this level.  But collectively there's enough amongst them to tick the majority of boxes you need to have an effective midfield.

Would I like to see us improve in there?  Absolutely.  That's the case all over the pitch.  But it's not a key priority.  The lack of striking options and the lack of width are far more important issues to address this summer, in my opinion.

The counter-argument is that when the midfield is working, the defence and forwards look better because they have more space to do their jobs. With the players we have under contract, I don't think we've got a midfield which is good enough to get us into the play-offs.

In the early part of the season, Morris had a run of games where he looked as though he'd be able to hold the midfield together and we dominated the opposition in that area. Unfortunately, his form dropped right off after injury (or perhaps we were just found out?) and we chopped and changed throughout the season after that, never finding partnerships which worked out well enough.

Not really sure what the answer is, really, as all the midfielders have good attributes to their game, but the combination hasn't been there this season so I doubt it will be there next season, either.

One thing we really need is some pace in the team because that's something we do badly lack. Clifton is quickish, Khouri seems a bit nippier than a couple of years ago, Efete has decent pace, but that's about as far as it goes.

If Vernam signs, that will help as he's pretty quick running with the ball, but I'd like to see somebody up top with a real turn of pace as well.

A regularly updated overview of other EFL clubs’ retained lists can be found via the links below.

Slim pickings so far, but Dan Batty released by Fleetwood could be interesting. 25 year old midfielder from Pontefract, made 60 odd appearances for Hull in the Championship before making another 60 odd for Fleetwood in League One. Fleetwood fans seem disappointed he’s gone. Same agent as Alex Hunt, Sam Bell and Jay Matete. One to keep an eye on, perhaps.

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