Next Season

[5 on Tour]

I think application and drive are far more important than talent.

Far too many have the ability and aren’t trying to the same level as earlier in the season.

If we could rate someone out of 10. 10 being max potential for League 1:

Player A) 10 potential. Doesn’t seem to care most of the time so scores 5 most games with the odd 10 thrown in.

Player B) 7 potential. Gives his absolute best and would die sooner than quit. Scores 7 every game.

We need more Player B’s in our side next season. Moments of brilliance vs a season of consistency is not a tough choice in my eyes.

More Alfie May and less John Bostock for me.

[Lesonthewest]

I think personally, with a manager who can get the best out of players, John Bostock, with better & more focused players around him, could be an integral part of the team next season. Tom Anderson & Wright were excellent earlier in the season & are definitely worth another go next season also. Apart from James, who may well be on his way, & maybe Fej, who has scored 14 in a very uncreative team to be fair, & we all know strikers don't grow on trees, as for the rest, good riddance.

[sha66y]

At the beginning of the season we won quite a few games against the run of play , fluked a few and deserved a few....at no point did we dominate consistently, and I think a lot on here could see the shitty way we managed to win but was happy all the same, ...of course 3 points is 3 points no matter how it’s achieved.......but the writing was always on the wall...we saw teams absolutely batter us and get nothing .....and I think we all hoped that it would come good and we would be a consistently good team...
Alas, here we are now , the wheels that were wonky managed to fall off and we have players who can’t hide the fact that they are very one dimensional plan A only types.

We need 3 new defenders, fast and big and hungry
We need 3-4 midfielders who can physically dominate and get dirty
Keep Jones and persevere that he improves game on game
Get the young lads either on the pitch or out the club
Work hard with Bogle and Fej in training ....on paper they look formidable and I wouldn't want them playing against us...

2-3 loans to add something different, but not loans you suddenly become reliant on for the answers

Get a manager that is a bloody miracle worker

[Monkcaster_Rover]

I used to hold Wright in the highest regard. Started umpteen threads about him after a string of stellar performances but I reckon he must have been at fault for 6 goals this season?

I think a fresh start will do us both the world of good. He seems to have regressed.

[DonnyOsmond]

I want to see Greaves next to Bostock, I think it'll free him up and give us more bite and aggression in midfield.

[wilts rover]

I think application and drive are far more important than talent.

Far too many have the ability and aren’t trying to the same level as earlier in the season.

If we could rate someone out of 10. 10 being max potential for League 1:

Player A) 10 potential. Doesn’t seem to care most of the time so scores 5 most games with the odd 10 thrown in.

Player B) 7 potential. Gives his absolute best and would die sooner than quit. Scores 7 every game.

We need more Player B’s in our side next season. Moments of brilliance vs a season of consistency is not a tough choice in my eyes.

More Alfie May and less John Bostock for me.

If you have a team full of '7's then over a season that is where you will finish. Average mid-table.

Greg Blundell is a prime example here. Fan favourite, great trier, brilliant in League 2 - bang average in League 1.

As others have put its up to the manager to realise the potential of those 10's. That where they make the difference. Or get found out in some cases if they are only a 7.

[the vicar]

At the beginning of the season we won quite a few games against the run of play , fluked a few and deserved a few....at no point did we dominate consistently, and I think a lot on here could see the shitty way we managed to win but was happy all the same, ...of course 3 points is 3 points no matter how it’s achieved.......but the writing was always on the wall...we saw teams absolutely batter us and get nothing .....and I think we all hoped that it would come good and we would be a consistently good team...
Alas, here we are now , the wheels that were wonky managed to fall off and we have players who can’t hide the fact that they are very one dimensional plan A only types.

We need 3 new defenders, fast and big and hungry
We need 3-4 midfielders who can physically dominate and get dirty
Keep Jones and persevere that he improves game on game
Get the young lads either on the pitch or out the club
Work hard with Bogle and Fej in training ....on paper they look formidable and I wouldn't want them playing against us...

2-3 loans to add something different, but not loans you suddenly become reliant on for the answers

Get a manager that is a bloody miracle worker

In no way would I call Bogle formidable, waist of space in my view

[DonnyOsmond]

Fej's a decent striker but I would add someone like Joe Piggott or Dion Charles into the ranks. Goalkeeper-wise, I'd look to have Jones as #1 but offer Luke Daniels or Frank Fielding something, they offer good experience and would keep Louis Jones on his toes.

All 4 I believe are out of contract.

[sha66y]

At the beginning of the season we won quite a few games against the run of play , fluked a few and deserved a few....at no point did we dominate consistently, and I think a lot on here could see the shitty way we managed to win but was happy all the same, ...of course 3 points is 3 points no matter how it’s achieved.......but the writing was always on the wall...we saw teams absolutely batter us and get nothing .....and I think we all hoped that it would come good and we would be a consistently good team...
Alas, here we are now , the wheels that were wonky managed to fall off and we have players who can’t hide the fact that they are very one dimensional plan A only types.

We need 3 new defenders, fast and big and hungry
We need 3-4 midfielders who can physically dominate and get dirty
Keep Jones and persevere that he improves game on game
Get the young lads either on the pitch or out the club
Work hard with Bogle and Fej in training ....on paper they look formidable and I wouldn't want them playing against us...

2-3 loans to add something different, but not loans you suddenly become reliant on for the answers

Get a manager that is a bloody miracle worker

In no way would I call Bogle formidable, waist of space in my view

We haven’t seen the best of him, just a guy getting very little ball from crap support....I’ve seen him holding the ball up well, but having no one to lay it off to has been the problem !

[VivaRovers]

Don’t get the hate for Fej he’s a decent finisher we just don’t play for him...

This. Take out the anomaly that is John Marquis' phenomenal record, and few have scored more for us in the third tier than Okenabirhie has this season.... Wilks in 2018-19, Williams in 2015-16, Paynter in a title-winning team in 2012-13, and Heffernan (thanks to 10 goals in the JPT) in 2006-07.

Would be a mistake to let him go, as I think the right set-up could bring even more out of him.

[swintonrover]

2007-08, the year we won at Wembley, our top league scorers were Hayter, Heffernan and Price, who scored 7 each, with a midfield of Stock, Wellens, Copps and Green behind them. Fejiri is unconventional, but he is a fairly good striker.

[DonnyOsmond]

Don’t get the hate for Fej he’s a decent finisher we just don’t play for him...

This. Take out the anomaly that is John Marquis' phenomenal record, and few have scored more for us in the third tier than Okenabirhie has this season.... Wilks in 2018-19, Williams in 2015-16, Paynter in a title-winning team in 2012-13, and Heffernan (thanks to 10 goals in the JPT) in 2006-07.

Would be a mistake to let him go, as I think the right set-up could bring even more out of him.

Goals record when playing up front per 90.

Overall
Okenabirhie - 0.38
Marquis - 0.35

18/19
Okenabirhie - 0.43
Marquis - 0.43

19/20
Okenabirhie - 0.39
Marquis - 0.2

20/21
Okenabirhie - 0.33
Marquis - 0.43


Play him up front and have other players in the team who can score to take the pressure off him and he'll get 15+. He will have off games, so did Marquis but as long as midfielders, full backs, wingers, etc are getting a handful each season then we should be good.

[Chris Black come back]

We don’t do him any favours asking him to play with his back to goal. It’s the worst part of his game. We are literally playing to his weakness. The poor guy doesn’t get a kick when we do this.

[normal rules]

2007-08, the year we won at Wembley, our top league scorers were Hayter, Heffernan and Price, who scored 7 each, with a midfield of Stock, Wellens, Copps and Green behind them. Fejiri is unconventional, but he is a fairly good striker.

What a team that was. The mention of Heffs has conjured up the headbutt inc that day at Roots Hall which me and my lad and brother were there for.

[Lesonthewest]

I used to hold Wright in the highest regard. Started umpteen threads about him after a string of stellar performances but I reckon he must have been at fault for 6 goals this season?

I think a fresh start will do us both the world of good. He seems to have regressed.

Personally I think he has struggled lately I agree, but earlier in the season we were getting battered but winning games both he & Anderson were rocks at the back, just think it would be a mistake to split their partnership, with a new manager & a more settled team they would come a good again I'm sure.

[Lesonthewest]

We don’t do him any favours asking him to play with his back to goal. It’s the worst part of his game. We are literally playing to his weakness. The poor guy doesn’t get a kick when we do this.

Agreed, it's mind boggling when we set up this way.

[Red wizard]

I would imagine any potential manager worth their salt will be relishing the prospect of a blank canvass to get all the players they want in (within budget of course)

At the end of the day we are a well run club thats got a track record for giving managers time and also backing them in January transfer windows. We will be a very attractive proposition to a lot of managers id think. Make no mistake it will be a tough season next year imo with the amount of new players we will need to sign. Let's just hope we will have fans back.

[GazLaz]

We don’t do him any favours asking him to play with his back to goal. It’s the worst part of his game. We are literally playing to his weakness. The poor guy doesn’t get a kick when we do this.

Agreed, it's mind boggling when we set up this way.

I don’t think it’s by design. When we play well he has support close by and we have control higher up the pitch. When we play not so well, the gap between the midfield players and him becomes too large and when he’s isolated he’s not the best. I have always really liked him though.

[nortikorner]

The problem is the defence
a solid defence will win you more games than you lose (George Graham )
Wright is not a centre half ,playing at full back shows he lacking look at the last game

[NewDonny]

There is imo a total overreaction to the lack of ability of some of our players.

The same players who are not performing now were performing earlier in the season.
So that suggests to me that they are good players capable of performing at League 1 level and as a team achieving a top 4 position in the league over half a season.

Something has gone badly wrong over the last 11/12 weeks and you can question the mental strength of some of those players maybe but ability is permanent so something else has stopped them performing and it is not ability imo.

So with the right manager at the helm I am sure next season he can get those players performing to their optimum on a consistent basis.

So personally I would like to see most of our out of contract players sign new contracts.
Gomes and Lokilo are not good enough imo but all the others i think are worth persevering with.
Like to see just 3 quality loans next season absolutely no more than 4

Wright not good enough; Halliday not good enough; James good enough, but looks like his head's been turned.

Bogle, Bostock, and Fej not good enough, but we're stuck with them for next season. Let's just hope they improve.

Wright & Halliday not good enough for League One?

Seriously? Sorry, I have to challenge that. They are absolutely good enough and have put in some excellent performances over the last 2 seasons. The fact that that they might have put in a string of poor performances does not make them poor players or that they are not up to it. Players, like you and I in our jobs of work, have good days and bad days. As the saying goes, "form is temporary, class is permanent". I can recall some outstanding performances from the both of these players over the last two seasons, they are very good players who don't forget are still learning their trade.

[roversdude]

I had big concerns about Wright and his injuries, thankfully he has had a (mainly) injury free season. He has also put in some excellent performances, however lately he has been below par, not sure if his head has been turned but on current form he maybe in need for fresh pastures.
Halliday has been one of our most consistent players this season. I agree he has struggled against a few of the top wingers, however the way we played he received no support from our winger. Definitely one I’d keep.
Les mentioned splitting up Anderson and Wright, our best pairing has been Anderson and Butler though, love to see CJ have a run at Centre Half

[scawsby steve]

There is imo a total overreaction to the lack of ability of some of our players.

The same players who are not performing now were performing earlier in the season.
So that suggests to me that they are good players capable of performing at League 1 level and as a team achieving a top 4 position in the league over half a season.

Something has gone badly wrong over the last 11/12 weeks and you can question the mental strength of some of those players maybe but ability is permanent so something else has stopped them performing and it is not ability imo.

So with the right manager at the helm I am sure next season he can get those players performing to their optimum on a consistent basis.

So personally I would like to see most of our out of contract players sign new contracts.
Gomes and Lokilo are not good enough imo but all the others i think are worth persevering with.
Like to see just 3 quality loans next season absolutely no more than 4

Wright not good enough; Halliday not good enough; James good enough, but looks like his head's been turned.

Bogle, Bostock, and Fej not good enough, but we're stuck with them for next season. Let's just hope they improve.

Wright & Halliday not good enough for League One?

Seriously? Sorry, I have to challenge that. They are absolutely good enough and have put in some excellent performances over the last 2 seasons. The fact that that they might have put in a string of poor performances does not make them poor players or that they are not up to it. Players, like you and I in our jobs of work, have good days and bad days. As the saying goes, "form is temporary, class is permanent". I can recall some outstanding performances from the both of these players over the last two seasons, they are very good players who don't forget are still learning their trade.

ND, Halliday is quite decent going forward, but as a right back he's too easily skinned by fast wingers, and I honestly believe some opposition managers have been targeting him.

[Padge_DRFC]

Won't lose sleep if Halliday leaves. Opposition managers might do mind.

[Chris Black come back]

Our defensive unit is dreadful. If I said that so far this season we have managed to keep 8 clean sheets and in 1997/98 - the worst season in our entire history - we had kept 7 clean sheets by the same point, you understand how bad this group have been.

[glosterred]

It’s not a question of who is good enough or not for next season, but should I or shouldn’t I buy another season ticket? Currently this shower of shite are not enticing me to buy one


COYR

[sheffield exile1]

So you work for an organisation/firm/employer. Your old manager walks out, an interim comes in and unfortunately it doesn't work so the organisation invite applications for the post. Its very likely he is on I Follow today to assess his plans/future. Do you a) try your best to impress, do your best to  be noticed because you want to enhance your career? b) Put in an "I can't be arsed, its nearly the end of the season, would be on a Spanish beach if I could" don't give a toss? £10 voucher to the winner!

[Filo]

So you work for an organisation/firm/employer. Your old manager walks out, an interim comes in and unfortunately it doesn't work so the organisation invite applications for the post. Its very likely he is on I Follow today to assess his plans/future. Do you a) try your best to impress, do your best to  be noticed because you want to enhance your career? b) Put in an "I can't be arsed, its nearly the end of the season, would be on a Spanish beach if I could" don't give a toss? £10 voucher to the winner!

It’s very likely if any potential manager watched that, they would be withdrawing their application

[sheffield exile1]

Forgot to also say- I am a loan player, so this doesn't really matter either way tough on the contracted lads, but, hey that's football!! ((and I will remove Sims from this criticism today)

[Prez]

I am seriously worried about next season.

[EasyforDennis]

If we want to progress and have any chance of promotion next season we need a new right back and a strong CB.