Retain, release, sell, keep

[ARLukomski 𝕏 ARLukomski Instagram declanweliczko_arlki]

We need to be ruthless this summer. No room for sentiment anymore or loyalty. We've given players enough chances to prove themselves at League 2 level and a lot have proved they aren't good enough. No other club would have given them players the amount of time we have.

The out of contract players

Richard Brindley - Release. He wasn't a starter in the National League last season. Had a small reinvention as the central defender in the back 3, earlier in the season. However, he hasn't made the step up and after Harrogate (A) it was obvious he wasn't cut out for League 2. Thanks for the memories Richard.

Tobi Adebayo-Rowling - Release. As much as I like his infectious personality, he hasn't had the first team opportunities and I think we can upgrade who can challenge Nemane for his starting spot. 

John Bostock - Release. Harsh but his performances have not been the same. We need more energy and drive in midfield. Thank you for Wembley you beautiful bloke

Jim O'Brien - Release (offer coaching role). Always gives 100% for the badge and can always rely on him to bust some bo***cks when the team isn't performing. However his best days are behind him and we shouldn't be relying on Jim O'Brien to start in midfield. Help him with his coaching badges and offer him a role as part of the reserves/youth team.

Aden Baldwin - At the moment, release. He has 6 games to prove it. There is a good player in there on his day but I grew tired of him on Friday. When playing the ball back to Sam, the Notts fans ironically cheered. He then turned around to the fans looking visibly annoyed. Get on with it Aden, it's not our fault you've not chose to run with the ball into space. On his day, he's good, but too many times he has a brainfart (Sutton, Shrewsbury, Wrexham). 

Luther Munakandafa - Undecided. You've got see how he does out on loan at Truro and also maybe get him a NL loan next season. You've also got to see where he fits in our plans. From when I saw him a year ago, to when I saw him against Derby, he's improved massively. 

Retain Cedwyn and Geraldo. Give Ceds a 2 year deal. An excellent finisher on his day and never got the opportunity to prove himself this season because of his injury after 5 games. A presence and someone who will get to the loose ball in the penalty area if Macca doesn't get to it. Our pressing game also takes a hit without him on the pitch. A 1 year deal for Baj. His physicality will help us in the middle and again, another player who never got the opportunity. We need a more physical presence. Here's your guy.

In contract who I would sell on frees or mutual termination.

Adam Chicksen - One good season in 4 isn't enough I'm afraid. After Harrogate away, enough was enough. Thank you for some iconic moments last season but we need an upgrade at LWB. 

Connell Rawlinson - Another play who has given his all to the cause but he's not a League 2 player. Thank you for your effort and your passion towards Notts.

Sam Slocombe - Yet another player who has served us well through the years but he should not be our No.1 in 2024. It shows how poor our recruitment has been when he's still starting. Friday was the last of very thin last straws. 1 good in game 8 every time isn't enough. 

Will Randall - It's just not worked. His signing was done before the play-off final, but he's never been in the squad. Maybe loan him out at a push

Kyle Cameron - Yes. Really. Ash Palmer lead Stockport to the NL title, signed a new deal, got found out at L2 level and got shipped off to Chesterfield 4 months later. Salford was the last straw. He might have played well yesterday but he's not a starter, nor do I think he should be captain anymore. Lead this club back to the Football League and saved his best performance for Wembley where he was excellent, but not a League 2 starter. Keep him on if you must, but he shouldn't be a starter or captain.

Junior Morias - Some National League club will pay a small amount for a guy who can score in the 5th tier. However with Macca, Ceds, Didzy and Jatta, he's never getting another look in. Just like Billy Waters at Wrexham, he was signed as squad depth for our strikers. He's barely played and will do a job for let's say Woking, Dagenham or Kidderminster.

That leaves Brooks, Stone (keep him on as 3rd keeper so we aren't buying 2 keepers but please buy a new commanding No.1), Nemane, Macari, Jones, Palmer, Robertson, Bajrami, Crowley, Austin, Langstaff, Scott, Jatta and Didzy. Plus Sanderson, Mahovo, Gill, and Cisse.

If we get a good offer for Crowley then I would accept. An excellent player on the ball and his return has been impressive, but off the ball he doesn't offer enough and you need to be good off the ball in this league. Him and Didzy's stats look good, but on the eye they don't offer enough out of possession and we've lost our pressing game from last season.

On the shopping list. GK, RWB, CBx4, LWB, CM, CAM and maybe ST if Macca leaves

[Robbie 𝕏 @Robbie_NCFC]

I'm in broad agreement with your summary of who to retain and keep.

I believe that we could lose Langstaff, Jones & Crowley in the summer transfer window unfortunately. I would still wish to keep them all and for Notts to offer them extended contracts. 

Dan Crowley does have his limitations off the ball but he more than makes up for that with his creativity going forward.

We need two tall & strong centre backs & a good wingback that is strong on either the left or right. I would recruit a strong tenacious & hard defensive midfielder.

If Langstaff, Jones & Crowley go, we will need an attacking midfielder who can defend, a left sided wingback with a good left foot, & a striker to cover for Scott, Jatta & Didzy 

We don't know if Matt Palmer & Cedwyn Scott are going to be affected by their ling term injuries when they return, so that may have to be factored in too.

With so many changes it may take time for the team to gel together, so talk of challenging for automatic promotion next season may be premature.

I see that you didn't mention the future of Stuart Maynard. His future at the club is not totally secure at the moment, so if there is a change at the top, the new Head Coach should have input when it comes to future transfers.

[Wheelbarrow repair man]

Well ARLukomski Here's my Retained list.

Macca  Jodi Jones  Dan Crowley  David McGoldrick  Matt Palmer  Scott Robertson  Lewis Macari  Cedwyn Scott Allsanna Jatta Sam Austin  Geraldo Bajrami

Luther Munakandafa James Sanderson Tiernan Brookes. Should be promoted to the senior squad,  Jim O'Brien giving a Coaching Role. The Rest Thankyou for your efforts in the Black & White Stripes but your time at Notts as run it's course. This of course only applies to the Senior Squad.

It's time Luther was given a ran at a First team Spot  Loaning the Kid out over and over again isn't going to do him any favours. I think his contract is up for renewal in the off season, he should be given a new one, but I wouldn't blame him if he decided to go elsewhere. 

Those Players Not on the Above List are either to Old   (from a Footballing position) or are Not Up To League 2 Standard. As I've Stated Repeatedly there needs to be a Massive Shake Up At the Lane this Off Season. Players with recent League 2 experience and above ( particularly Defenders)   and aged 30 or under need to be brought to the Lane. The Main Problem with this  is of course the current position Notts find themselves in, so a New Man in the Dug Out is Essential a Manager with  a lot of  Football League  Experience who can build a Squad that is capable of challenging for a Playoff Spot Next Season.

 

[DangerousSausage]

Good post @ARLukomski and I largely agree.

John Bostock - I can't help wonder whether he's got a niggling injury and is playing through the pain barrier. If so, and if there's a chance of getting him firing on all cylinders again next season, I'd consider keeping him on.

Luther - Loan him out to a NL club for the first half of next seaon. If he does well, he's ready.

Geraldo - Maybe give him another year. I can see him being released though as he wasn't an automatic starter in the NL either, but before the season I felt that L2 might suit him. Sadly we never found out. Also unlikely to be one of our bigger earners.

Kyle Cameron - I agree that at this level he's a squad player at best. However, he was a left back when he joined us and he might be able to do a job there for us too. Having a full back with a bit of height isn't a bad thing in this division.

GK - They're in contract, but I'd be looking to move on Slocombe or Stone, or maybe both. Stone clearly isn't trusted and may be keen on a move. We need experience and leadership at the back, and a good way to get that would be to bring in an experienced goalkeeper who has played at a higher level and can organise our defence. But we need to make room first.

Personally I'm not convinced that Langstaff will leave, we're not under any pressure to sell and plenty of quality strikers are available on a free in the summer, so clubs might be less willing to pay the transfer fee. But if he does, Scott, McGoldrick and Jatta are more than adequate at this level. The priorities definitely lie elsewhere.

[True Magpie]

Jim O’Brien could be a fantastic coach, but I don’t believe another season as a player would be beneficial for the club. That said, we do miss his experience and attitude at times, such as in the match against MK Dons. The club should aim to find a similar, but younger, player.

John Bostock - Despite his poor performance, I would keep him. His salary is a factor, but I believe he could return to his best with Matt Palmer in the team and stronger players around him.

Richard Brindley - He’s a good player, but I don’t think he fits our system. I’m not a fan of him playing as a centre back, even though he’s done a decent job at times. He should be playing more frequently, and his career might be better elsewhere. So, I would release him.

Tobi Adebayo-Rowling - I like him, but his personality doesn’t match his ability. He’s not great defensively and overall, he’s not exactly a threat. So, I would release him.

Aden Baldwin - I would offer him a rolling one-year deal. He’s a good defender and could partner with someone more adept at dealing with the opposition.

Cedwyn Scott - I would offer him a three-year deal. He has been missed.

Geraldo Bajrami - I would release him.

David McGoldrick - I would release him.

Adam Chicksen - If he could play more and maintain his form, I would offer him a one-year deal. However, I’m more inclined to say that we could do better. So, I would release him.

Sam Slocombe - I would release him.

Connell Rawlinson - He’s a good defender at times and a great guy, but we need someone with more speed and awareness. So, I would release him.

Dan Crowley - I would offer him a two-year deal. He’s a good player and would benefit from a stronger squad.

Matt Palmer - He’s a great player. A three-year deal would be excellent from a fan’s perspective, even with his injury.

Aaron Nemane - I would offer him a new two-year deal, but he needs stronger competition.

Kyle Cameron - He can be a great player. I think he and Baldwin show enough promise to think a solid defender could bring out the best in him. I would offer him a one-year deal.

Will Randall - I would release him.

Sam Austin and Jodi Jones both need to be offered a two-year deal. They’re very good players, around whom Notts could build.

Aidan Stone - He isn’t good enough to be the number one and hasn’t shown any signs of being able to retain the position for the long term. So, I would release him.

[Joshua]

Deciding who to recruit will be a challenging task for the board or those responsible. It seems clear that we need to part ways with certain players such as Aidan Stone, Will Randall, Connell Rawlinson, Geraldo Bajrami, Sam Slocombe, Tobi Adebayo-Rowling, Richard Brindley, and Jim O’Brien.

Some of these players, like Richard Brindley who is a very good right back, might be retained if we were to change our formation.

However, he doesn’t fit into a back three role and although he’s performed admirably at times, we seem to be pigeonholing him. Connell Rawlinson is a nice guy, but we should be aiming for better. His height is neither a benefit nor an advantage for us. He’s at a stage where he needs to rely on others or he will be exposed, and that’s not a sign of a player we can realistically progress with. We need to avoid reducing the squad too much, but ensure that we have depth and quality.

Signings like Junior Morias and Will Randall are extremely wasteful, even though Morias appears to be a capable player who has performed well when given a chance.

[Super_Danny_Allsopp]

Out of contract:

Richard Brindley - Release. Never convinced by his defensive ability even in the NL and doesn't give enough going forward. 

Tobi Adebayo-Rowling - Release. He's not good enough. 

John Bostock - Release. Can't use his ability alone to dominate L2 midfield like he could in the NL. Lost without Palmer. 

Jim O'Brien - Coaching role with squad number. 

Aden Baldwin - Keep. Always got a howler in him, but his ability to advance with the ball, pick a decent pass and his pace, make him a unique defender at this level.

Luther Munakandafa - No idea.

 Cedwyn Scott - Keep - Worth another year, depending on how he returns from injury.

Geraldo Bajrami - Unsure. Not a regular started in NL. Leave it to the manager to decide.

 

In contract: 

Adam Chicksen - Love his passion, but we need to improve.

Connell Rawlinson -Always loved Rawlo and all the effort he has put into his time at Notts, but the way we play isn't suited to him. 

Sam Slocombe - A fantastic servant to the club over the years, but it is time. 

Aidan Stone - We needed to strengthen our keeping department in the summer. Somehow we managed to dilute it. 

Will Randall - Weird signing. Always injured, never looked good enough. 

Kyle Cameron - Not quick enough. Gets beaten way too easily 1on1 . 

 

[Fozzy]

Can’t argue with that @ARLukomski, good post and I see it broadly the same.

See how Munakandafa goes at Truro, and unless he starts every game and gets good reviews then release him. He has not shown enough to warrant another year.

Baldwin I originally thought to keep, but he’s an accident waiting to happen as a centre back, could be better perhaps as a sweeper/ DM in front (a bit like Don O’ many years ago). But definitely release as a CB.

We need to get more physical presence and also pace in the side, but I can’t see us bringing in 9 players (only if Macca JJ and Dan go), more like 6 or 7. It’ll take us 3 or 4 seasons to be good enough to go up, but as long as we prioritise the defence and centre midfield then at least we will be a solid in and around the playoffs type of team.

[Piethagoram 𝕏 @piethagoram]

Excellent analysis from @ARLukomski No room for sentiment in football.

I am exactly in sync with @ARLukomski bar Crowley. He is a lynchpin that comes and offers to collect the ball and can spin his man. 

Brooks and a new GK, Slocombe and Stone can go

[liampie]

i am only really bothered about retaining cedwyn scott and aden baldwin, i do think kyle cameron can prove himself with more defensive minds around him. having a good centre back that can go forward might be a luxury but hes a decent captain despite what some fans say.