So who's in and who's out at your club? Any notable departures or additions? Any players who'll be making a name for themselves next season?
Oldham have lost Gary McDonald (our Everton-slaying midfielder) to Aberdeen, told our inconsistent Congolese defensive midfielder Jean-Paul Kalala that he can move on, and released a couple of youngsters.
No players have signed yet, but we've thrown contracts at two of our promising young players (Lewis Alessandra and Deane Smalley). Alessandra, a tricky striker, may be getting some scouts at Boundary Park next year. Veterans Andy Liddell (34) and Mark Crossley (38) have also signed new deals.
We're also looking forward to the stories about Micah Richards moving on coming to fruition, as we've a 20% sell-on clause in his contract.
Likely to be huge changes at Norwich. Dublin played his last game today, and Huckerby probably did too. Roeder will want to get rid of some of the crappier members of the squad. We already shipped out a lot of players mid-season and replaced them with loans - so those will be going back too. Combine all this with the fact that our youth system doesnt seem to deliver much these days and i think we'll be bringing in at least 10 new players. No idea who though, or if there's any real money to spend.
Rob Page has allegedly turned us down for Chesterfield. Very odd as he's been brilliant for us. Maybe Ternent didn't want him.
Now we've got some cash, I fully expect more than the usual 6 shite players released, 2 shite out-of-contract players in and no loans at all. In fact, I want us to do a Leeds or a Wednesday and have 8 or 9 loan players throughout the season...
We're expecting a keeper (understudy to Crossley), maybe a full-back, definitely two, three or even four midfielders - the midfield is looking a little threadbare - and possibly one experienced striker.
John Sheridan is a fan of Leon Clarke, and may also be making eyes at loanees Leon Constantine, Jason Jarrett and David Livermore. I'm not too fussed about any of them (Clarke & Constantine didn't impress me, Jarrett's too inconsistent), although Livermore is at least versatile.
Depends on the take-over I suppose. We sold most of our top players this season (and Whelan and Brunt will now be off to the premiership), and aside from about 5 players the whole squad could be sold and no-one would care that much. But then of course whether we can afford to have such a wholesale clearout depends largely on whether we actually have any money at all to work with.
QUOTE: ...aside from about 5 players the whole squad could be sold and no-one would care that much.
Same at Brentford - apart from the 5 players bit.
As this has been the case for the last two seasons, I'm having to reassess what I'm actually supporting here. Next August there'll be a new bunch of strangers (a few of whom I may have vaguely heard of) that have been hastily cobbled together over the summer but it's going to take a lot to establish any sort of emotional connection.
Not entirely true sidjames, surely: Kevin O'Connor, Gary Smith, Ryan Dickson? I'm struggling after that though...
Andy Scott's recent public player bashing is a bit weird and unsettling, isn't it? The press conference after Saturday's loss to Stockport contained the phrase "bad players playing badly" or something to that end. Has someone really upset him? I mean, he picked the team.
In the short term I think Calderwood wants to make Brett Ormerods loan deal into a permanent one. No doubt replacing Grant Holt who the manager has been trying to get rid of.
Holt's demise has been a sad one. 2006/07 player of the year, 18 goals. He was looking good for this season. Then Calderwood started playing him left wing in 442 or 433, a tactic which he used against Chelsea to much ridicule. Especially after we'd beaten premiership Charlton with him playing down the middle in a 442 and scoring with Tyson left wing instead.
From left wing the goals dried up (ironically in one game he did play in the middle and scored twice). His morale dissapeared, murmerings in the dressing room about him falling out with Calderwood and taking the piss out of Agogo. Shunted off to Blackpool (a league above us) on loan.
Unless there's another Brentford fan on here, I'm assuming that's you HB!
Couldn't face going to Stockport but having been at Lincoln, I think 'bad players playing badly' sums it up pretty accurately. Andy Scott's harsh words at least give me some hope that he recognises the scale of the problem.
You've mentioned three of the better players (and I also think Nathan Elder could be OK next season) but frankly I wouldn't be too bothered if any of them buggered off.
I haven't been since the dismal 0-0 at home to Notts County, though I trust the accounts I'm fed by regular GP attendees. I was astounded just how poor the quality was this season in League 2, I mentioned it to a few people before realising it's been in our favour. We've been poor in a poor league.
It will depend on which league they are playing in next season. Would hope to sign Carden and McEvilly permanently from Accrington, and would expect Fortune-West and Chillingworth to depart. Convery will be sold as well after he fell out with the management, which is a shame as he is potentially a very talented player. He will do someone else in the Conference a decent job, especially if their manager is someone who likes to keep the ball on the deck. There might be a wish to make Magno Vieira's loan permanent, but I would be a bit lairy of that. I don't really rate him.
Stoke
This summer will be fascinating. The current team is patently nowhere near good enough to survive in the Premier League. But given the amount of surgery that needs doing, it may not be possible even if all the extra money was blown on new players. One runs into the problem that players of the required standard are unlikely to be interested, whatever cash is thrown their way. So how Coates and Pulis play it, whether they go all out to stay up or decide to play a long game, going for players that will get relegated but might mature into a team capable of staying up two or three seasons down the line, is the big question.
Either way, some holes have to be filled. Most pressing issues are a goalkeeper as competition for Simonsen, possibly converting Carlo Nash's loan from Wigan into a permanent deal.
Wide midfield, especially on the left side, is also urgent. Richard Cresswell has done a job out there most of the season, but he isn't natural in the role. A couple of ex-Stokies, Kris Commons or Lee Hendrie, might fit the bill. Commons would need convincing to come back after sticking with Forest for so long and them finally being back in the Championship. Hendrie would only be worth it if his fitness is better than it has been this season. Some cover for Liam Lawrence on the right would also be good.
Elsewhere in the squad, more choice in defence, especialy at full-back, is essential. I think Zakuani's loan is due to be made permanent, so that is some for centre or right. Given the realtively young age of Cort and Shawcross, an experienced centre-back would be good. At full-back, Dickinson and Wilkinson have potential, but not as first choices in the Premier League. Pugh, despite playing back there quite a bit this season, is better used as a midfielder in my view. Griffin is the only full-back currently at the club I feel comfortable with as a first choice. A big money signing of a full-back would be most welcome.
Central mid is well enough covered with Whelan, Pugh, Matteo, Delap, and Stephen Pearson (if his loan move from Derby is made permanent, which I hope it will be). Salif Diao is a cause for concern. I was really glad to see him back, but he has looked well off the pace. Hopefully with a full pre-season he can be the player he was for Stoke in '06-'07.
Ameobi has signed permanently as a forward, and with Fuller, Sidibe and Cresswell that is nearly enough cover. One more would be good, I would hope not Bothroyd but I think his loan becoming permanent is quite likely. If it is him, I would hope for another forward, someone who doesn't panic when presented with a chance!
Leaving, I guess, will be Paul Gallagher at the end of his loan, he has barely played. Marlon Broomes, Lewis Buxton, Russell Hoult, Vicnent Pericard and Jon Parkin have all hardly been selected this season, so it seems pointless keeping them for next. And I'm sad to say that Adam Rooney needs to move on for his own sake.
Leicester
Oh, good god.
Well before thinking about signing more players, it depends on who can be hung on to. The major problem will be keeping the young defenders, the only bit of the team that has succeeded this season. Joe Mattock leaving is a foregone conclusion, seeing as offers from Premeriship sides have already been turned down. Ipswich seem willing to pay a lot for McAuley, which might be hard to ignore now. Stearman again is young and talented, one would have thought that he would attract offers. Patrick Kisnorbo, though not young, is not someone I would have expected to play in League One, but he injured himself for ~six months against Wednesday, which probably means he stays at Leicester until next January.
Further forward was what got Leicester relegated, so I doubt too many are clamouring for those failures. Clemence will probably move to a Championship side if only based on his time at Birmingham, and it might be hard to hang on to Ian Hume. The only other one that I think might attract decent bids is James Wesolowski.
Coming in will be David Bell, that is already agreed. Given how well Max Gradel has done for Bournemouth this season in the league Leicester are about to play in, I would like to think he will be given a shot. It would also be nice to see Levi Porter back in the first team...
Once all the goings are sorted, including managers and chairmen, then someone needs to think about who fills the gaps.