Retained list

[steve@dcfd]

Hopefully James stays, wouldn’t be surprised if someone offers him more money. Bit disappointed with Halliday but he’d definitely gone off the boil, be interested to see how good Seamen is.

Halliday could still be in negotiations if the new manager wants him. Seaman as not played RB at league level also last season he played in a wide midfield role he not play RB.

[sha66y]

By all accounts Seamon is very exciting in spurts !

Coat hat walk

[Campsall rover]

I for one hope the new manager wants to keep Halliday. So hope a contract agreement can be reached.
Cannot see a Championship club coming in for him this summer, so if he is after a pay rise then only Sunderland will be any where near those wages if they are still in League 1 next year.
Ipswich and Pompey next best and Wednesday i would assume.

He is better off staying put and getting promoted with Rovers next season.

Maybe I am in a minority on this one but Halliday was excellent last season and in 1st half of this one imo.
The teams demise has done no favours to any of our players individually.

New manager new start and I am sure we will see the best of Halliday and all the others.
Bogle does worry me though. Does he have the appetite?

[Campsall rover]

If James wants to be here then definitely I would want him but he needs to be 100% committed.
Lokilo i know has not performed consistently but he has potential. Needs the right manager to get him performing & using his considerable ability to produce a consistent end product.
100% I would keep him. He has the potential to be a match winner with assists and score some goals.

[RoversAlias]

Not disputing your overall post Campsall, but there are half a dozen or more teams in League One who could offer Halliday a pay rise on what we have, and that's if he's a top earner here. No reason he can't seek more money elsewhere if he wants to, as many others have in the past.

I wouldn't personally be breaking the bank to keep him.

[Campsall rover]

Not disputing your overall post Campsall, but there are half a dozen or more teams in League One who could offer Halliday a pay rise on what we have, and that's if he's a top earner here. No reason he can't seek more money elsewhere if he wants to, as many others have in the past.

I wouldn't personally be breaking the bank to keep him.

Alias I have no idea what Halliday is on at present and no idea what a club like Fleetwood for example are prepared to offer either.
Genuine question. Do you know? 

No there has to be a sensible ceiling on wages agreed.
But if Fleetwood want to bankrupt themselves then let them.

They got rid of their high earners in January so thought they are having to cut back before they actually do go belly up.

[RoversAlias]

I do not know exact figures Campsall, no. My point really was just that when you say "if he is after a pay rise then only Sunderland will be any where near those wages" it isn't really true, because there are big clubs who offer higher wage brackets than we do in League One, not just Sunderland but also Charlton, Portsmouth, Ipswich, Wednesday, Blackpool, probably Rotherham, potentially Wycombe, plus sides like Oxford, Fleetwood, Bolton and Lincoln can undoubtedly offer a player like Halliday more than we are willing to if they so choose. And that's half the division right there.

Halliday won't want astronomical wages I don't think, but the reality is that if he fancies a move or to find more than we have offered him, he can absolutely find what he's after somewhere else.

I like him, if he stays I'll be fine with it but I don't think he's worth pushing the boat out for and I do think we can find better if we need to.

[Chris Black come back]

A terrible defensive unit. We need to reconstruct on a wholesale basis.

[Retdon1]

We need a right back who can defend as well as getting forward. So many goals have come from
down his side this season. He never stops the cross from coming in

[i_ateallthepies]

If James wants to be here then definitely I would want him but he needs to be 100% committed.
Lokilo i know has not performed consistently but he has potential. Needs the right manager to get him performing & using his considerable ability to produce a consistent end product.
100% I would keep him. He has the potential to be a match winner with assists and score some goals.

We've had several fullbacks better than Brad in recent years and seen plenty better playing for opposition most weeks.

Reece James, I'm done with him as far as playing for us is concerned with the half arsed performances he's been putting in this last few months.

Lokilo - Somebody on here a week or two ago likened him to Kyle Bennet as regards suddenly looking like twice the player when realising he's approaching the end of his contract.  No thanks.

[BiargeBob]

The trouble with Reece James, is that we do not know what injury, if any, was he carrying towards the end of the season. The same applies to every other player during that second half of the season.

[Campsall rover]

Alias you may be right of course but I hope you are wrong about some of those clubs you mention.
Surely we are able to more than match Lincoln City, Oxford United, Wycombe Wanderers, and Rotherham United.
Fleetwood if offering higher wages are only heading in one direction imo, as although they have a fairly wealthy owner can’t possibly pay inflated wages indefinitely on gates of 3.500
They have been trimming the wage bill recently by off loading the 3 highest earners in January.
Same with Wycombe who are a smaller club than DRFC

We are right to pay what is affordable and no more of course but that should and the word is SHOULD be on at least a level with those clubs mentioned surely.

[Campsall rover]

Alias i was using Sunderland as an example of a club paying Championship wages in League 1

I would imagine they are way above all others in our league at present.
Yes Charlton, Pompey, Ipswich will be paying far more than we can afford no argument there whatsoever. Do any of them want Halliday though?

[Prez]

Its a no from me for Lokilo im afraid. Reminds me of when i was a at school when i was a little sh!t for most of the year, then 2 weeks before parents evening/school report, i was a good boy.

Teacher didnt fall for it.

We need better then the likes of Lokilo, Halliday if we are going to challenge next season.

[RoversAlias]

You may be surprised by how much the bigger clubs in this league are willing to pay players, Campsall.

Wycombe being a "smaller" club is irrelevant as well I'm afraid. They are coming off of a Championship season and haven't bankrupted themselves, they also have a pretty settled squad and want to push for an immediate return. Rotherham have had three Championship seasons in recent years and that makes a difference in terms of operating finances.

I'm not saying we can't compete with some of these sides for players, it's just that we can't expect that Halliday, James or anyone we've offered a contract to will not have equal or better offers elsewhere in League One. We aren't a club in such a luxurious position.

[Campsall rover]

You may be surprised by how much the bigger clubs in this league are willing to pay players, Campsall.

Wycombe being a "smaller" club is irrelevant as well I'm afraid. They are coming off of a Championship season and haven't bankrupted themselves, they also have a pretty settled squad and want to push for an immediate return. Rotherham have had three Championship seasons in recent years and that makes a difference in terms of operating finances.

I'm not saying we can't compete with some of these sides for players, it's just that we can't expect that Halliday, James or anyone we've offered a contract to will not have equal or better offers elsewhere in League One. We aren't a club in such a luxurious position.

No you are quite correct in what you say Alias.
Rotherham  financial situation not sure. They may well be in reasonable shape.  Wycombe I believe have kept their wage bill down and have not paid transfer fees so should be in a stable financial position.
Both clubs, if they have not spent all the Championship money should be ok.

All clubs though should be watching their costs as the last 15 months must have tested the pockets of all owners in the EFL.
Just surviving has been a challenge for many clubs.  If some of them do not learn from what has happened to finances in Football Clubs during this pandemic and start spending money they do not have then good riddance to them when they actually do go belly up.
I will have no sympathy except with the supporters who are the ones who suffer seeing their clubs destroyed

[Michael Gibson]

Banker of the year is Ipswich next season, got bucket loads to spend but how do they round the fair play play rules????

[danumdon]

Its all well and good comparing us with the financial state of teams coming down from the championship.

If i remember rightly when we went up a level we also overnight accrued a championship wage bill, every player wanted a pay rise for playing at the higher level, all well understandable and above board, id want a pay rise if my job required me to perform at a higher level and standard.

Fast forward to the next season, when we came down our first and major action was to trim the wage bill of expensive and over rated players, just like the present incumbents of these positions are going to have to do.

Moral of the story, Ive no fear of the Rotherham's, Wycombe's and Pigs of this world, bring it on.

[Cramby10]

In recent history all our best sides had terrific fullbacks. Maples and Ryan, O’Connor and Roberts, Quinn and Spurr. They are a vital cog in which a good side operate. In my mind Halliday and James are not fit to lace their boots. We need better. I would actually keep James but as midfielder. And as for Halliday I’ll taxi him wherever he wishes. People say he can’t he just struggles with the defending part of the game, but going forward he equally poor. He can’t pass wind which is why he takes cowards option and goes backwards time and time again.

[Plumbster]

Got to agree with this, Halliday’s first touch is the worst I have seen from a professional footballer so his second touch is always rushed or backwards

[silent majority]

How the hell as Lokilo been offered a new contract? He had two good games and the rest he was gash!

He's a young lad, still developing, and will be on very little salary compared to others. I think its worth another look.

[Bessie Red]

Hasn't Hasani got another year on his contract?

He has been offered an improved contract. When I say improved it is only slightly more than what he is on at the moment.

[Filo]

How the hell as Lokilo been offered a new contract? He had two good games and the rest he was gash!

He's a young lad, still developing, and will be on very little salary compared to others. I think its worth another look.

I agree with this, there is a player in there, he just needs to play with no fear

[roversdude]

Just seen that Tommy Rowe has been released by Bristol City would love him back at Rovers

[bobbymax]

Just seen that Tommy Rowe has been released by Bristol City would love him back at Rovers

If he is still as good as he was, absolutely!

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Hasn't Hasani got another year on his contract?

He has been offered an improved contract. When I say improved it is only slightly more than what he is on at the moment.

2 parts to this.  1 has he done enough for more?  2. Doesn't it mean we are due a fee even if he rejects it?

[Bessie Red]

Hasn't Hasani got another year on his contract?

He has been offered an improved contract. When I say improved it is only slightly more than what he is on at the moment.

2 parts to this.  1 has he done enough for more?  2. Doesn't it mean we are due a fee even if he rejects it?

Its been improved by a very small amount from a very low base. He hasn't really had chance to show his true potential due to the farcical loan rules that prevented him from playing but he was highly praised by previous management teams. As for your second query I don't have a clue.

[DonnyOsmond]

Hasn't Hasani got another year on his contract?

He has been offered an improved contract. When I say improved it is only slightly more than what he is on at the moment.

2 parts to this.  1 has he done enough for more?  2. Doesn't it mean we are due a fee even if he rejects it?

He's still got another year.

[Janso]

Hasn't Hasani got another year on his contract?

He has been offered an improved contract. When I say improved it is only slightly more than what he is on at the moment.

2 parts to this.  1 has he done enough for more?  2. Doesn't it mean we are due a fee even if he rejects it?

Yes, we would be due a fee - but as DO says he's not out of contract this summer.

[GazLaz]

How the hell as Lokilo been offered a new contract? He had two good games and the rest he was gash!

He's a young lad, still developing, and will be on very little salary compared to others. I think its worth another look.

Definitely agree. He is inexperienced games wise for his age as well.

When judging young players you have to try look past the consistency and get an idea of their possible peak performance level. With Lokilo that’s very high I think going on what we’ve seen. Rather a young player with a potential high ceiling that can develop consistency rather than our usual young players that tend to be more consistently average, like Middleton etc.

Saying that, he has to show signs of increasing consistency over the next season or so.players development takes time and effort. Binning him after a season would be absolute madness, he definitely had a potential sell on value.

Changing managers can be an issue with these potential prospects, easy for new gaffers to over look them, WATTERS! That’s why we need someone overseeing the football side and managing player development.