Retained List / Areas to Improve

As we all know, this season has proved to be quite a disappointment, and in my opinion, we have underachieved massively.

We are now effectively playing dead rubber games, as we are not going up, and we are not going down.

I'm keen to find out opinions as to who you all think should stay and go and which areas you think need strengthening next season.

You never know, we may give Simon some ideas!!!

Thoughts?

Retain: Turner, Nyoni, Swain, Gascoigne, Fallowfield, Emmett, Nowakowkski (good squad man), Bloomer (ditto), McLauglin, Dom Rowe (I like him, I know some don't), try and sign Clayton, Thewlis, Sheils, Mcgurk. Thats 14 I think. We will obviously need a keeper, two more strikers, a left back.

Two keepers in fact! Thats already 19.

Already Retained: Fallowfield, Emmett

Retain: Gascoigne, Worsfold, Thewlis, Nyoni, Swain, Turner, Shiels, Killock, Nowakowski, Walshaw

Already Leaving: Crook

Out: McGurk (too injury prone), Rowe, Speight, Milligan, Dean, Heath, Kerry, Barnes, Meynell, Lenighan.

Undecided: Bloomer, Metcalfe, McLaughlin, Doran, Clayton

Anyone else i've missed. Place in undecided.

Goalkeeper and Defence should be main focus for Simon.

We need to sign a centre back who is capable of scoring 7/8 goals a season. Our CB's never score and in games like Saturday when the strikers are firing blanks you need need one of your CB's to pop up with a goal from a set piece.

Need to blend the side with youth & experience!
We are still in the process of upgrading our facilities to gain a Grade A for the Conference Premier!
So we still need to balance the budget between the ground improvements & players wages!
If Fylde don’t go up this season they will be one of the favourites next season!
You still need to aim for the play-offs though, just so you can secure your position in Conference North again!!!

Retain: Gascoigne, Worsfold, Thewlis, Nyoni, Swain, Turner, Shiels, Nowakowski, Fallowfield, Emmett, Bloomer, Mcgurk, Franks, please stay Clayton!!!

Already Leaving: Crook

Out: Rowe, Walshaw, Milligan, Dean, Heath, Kerry, Barnes, Meynell, Lenighan, Killock, Metcalfe, Speight

Undecided: McLaughlin, Doran.

Out Simon Weaver, John McDermott, Rowe, Milligan, Dean, Heath, Kerry, Barnes, Meynell, Lenighan, Metcalfe, Speight

Agreed that the keeper and back four will be a crucial area. With the brittleness of McGurk, none of the defenders are without question marks. I fear Simon is a lot keener on Franks than I am.

While our overall defensive record is average for a mid table team the position remains that only Brackley have a worse goals to games ratio. Paul Clayton and Jordan Thewlis have made a good impression but do we see them as the 20 plus goals a season players which are essential for a side hoping to reach the top of the league?

Already Retained: Fallowfield, Emmett

Retain: Crook (I have a funny feeling he may stay no he is first choice) Gascoigne, Worsfold, Thewlis, Nyoni, Swain, Turner, Shiels, Killock, Nowakowski, McGurk, Walshaw, Clayton (hopefully we can sign), Bloomer.

Out: Rowe, Speight, Milligan, Dean, Heath, Kerry, Barnes, Meynell, Lenighan.

Undecided: Metcalfe

Not sure if I have missed anyone.

We dont need a prolific goal scorer as we already have one, who for whatever reason, Simon doesnt think he is good enough.

Paul Clayton doesn't strike me as an extremely prolific striker, but he adds a lot more with his height and sheer physical presence which I can accept and does add a different dimension, and gives us a lot of options.

Jordan Thewlis is an extremely promising young talent, who has the potential to do well. But I think he needs more experience, and needs to develop physically, just like Jack Emmett has.

We have the 20 goal a season Striker in James Walshaw. Yes, he is apparently on a very good deal, but he hasn't had a look in the past 3 months and he is still our top goal scorer. That speaks loud volumes for me. If he is given a run of games, then once he puts it in the back of the net, he will go red hot.

He is a prolific Goalscorer, as proved at Guiseley, Altrincham and Harrogate and he has bags of experience to help the likes of Thewlis develop. It would be a massive mistake if we let him go, he signs for a rival and fires them into the VCP. He has got to stay.

I would love us to keep hold of Walshaw but I don't think it will happen.

JordanF wrote:I would love us to keep hold of Walshaw but I don't think it will happen.

+1 on this one Jordan, but it will be one of Simons worst errors if he goes.

I would get rid doesn't give a toss about our club.

So, you would get rid of one of the most prolific strikers in non-league football?

Every time I have seen him play, he doesn't look like a player that doesn't give a toss.

I could guarantee you, if he was a first team regular, instead of being fed 15, 20, 30 minute scraps. We would not be in the League position we currently occupy.

Paul Clayton will be confirmed as a Harrogate Town player until the end of next season later today.

Watch a bit of the training last night and Walshaw looked very sharp and was chasing everything. It's a no brainer for me to keep him if we can.

Tend to agree with Jordan here. I guess Walshaw will leave, but I'd like him to stay, he and Clayton could be a decent combination next year. Didn't Simon say 'form is temporary, class permanent'? I would certainly play Walshaw for the rest of the season (time is on Thewlis' side). He is STILL our leading scorer by some distance!

Chips97 wrote:I would get rid doesn't give a toss about our club.

I would disagree Chips - I was at the supporters club meeting last night and the players were training so caught a bit of it. Walsaw certainly did'nt look like someone who could'nt give a toss. I would love us to keep hold of him but unless we can offer him first team football, which I don't think we can, I think he will go.

Best player at the club by a long shot for me.

Chips97 wrote:I would get rid doesn't give a toss about our club.

Or possibly the management and being mis-managed?

I see no logical reason he does not play regular first team football and in my opinion, Simon is an ass to even consider leaving a player of his caliber and experience on the bench!!
Beggars belief, if you paid a senior manager to do a certain job, would you then give him 3 Months leave and let a lower level supervisor do his job?

I think not!

Chips97 wrote:I would get rid doesn't give a toss about our club.

still top scorer (clown)

yorkiebar wrote:

Chips97 wrote:I would get rid doesn't give a toss about our club.

still top scorer (clown)

And to add to this, since he has been back in the team, he has scored.....

I think we have to try and hold on to him if we can. He got 12 goals and barely played half a season. Clayton, I think, 4 goals in 18 games Thewlis about the same.

Chips97 wrote:I would get rid doesn't give a toss about our club.

Would be interested to know whether your thoughts have changed Chips given the past three games.

So, now that the season is drawing to a close, here is my list:

Nowakowski - Leave
Metcalfe - Leave
Worsfold - Leave
McGurk - Leave
Rowe - Leave
Coates - Leave
Speight - Leave
Milligan - Leave
Franks - Leave
Dean - Leave
Heath - Leave
Clayton - Leave
Barnes - Leave
Lenighan - Leave
_______________________________

Bloomer - Retain
Meynell - Retain
Fallowfield - Retained
Killock - Retain
Gascoigne - Retain
Nyoni - Retain
Crook - Retain (At all costs)
Shiels - Retain
Turner - Retain
Kerry - Retain
Swain - Retain
Thewlis - Retain
Walshaw - Retain (At all costs)
Emmett - Retained

I'm sure this list will raise a few eyebrows, but based on my analysis of the season, and what I look for in certain players/positions, this is how I would go.

I'm sure people will disgaree, but this is my view.