Looking ahead to next season...

[Kenneth E End]

As our season is virtually over already, how will your squads shape up and which players will be put out to pasture.

For Luton, we seem to be in an unenviable position of having to transfer list or pay off as many players as we release. There does need to be a major overhaul; I'd say 15 players would need to leave the club and need to sign 7 (a new first team goalkeeper, a right back, two first team centre halves and a spare, a left winger and a target man):

Goalkeepers:
Mark Tyler - New 1-year contract, but only as a substitute keeper.
Elliot Justham - Released. Disappointed with him as he's shown promise, but not fulfilled it. His performance v AFC Wimbledon was very poor.
Craig King - New 1-year contract to see if he can make any progress.

Defenders:
Stephen O'Donnell - Transfer list. He's got better as the season has gone on, but made too many mistakes. Need to get a more consistent RB in.
Scott Griffiths - Feel sorry for him because I like him a lot but I think Jones will release him. Will get another League 2 club.
Scott Cuthbert - Transfer list. Optimises how poor we've been this season. He's not been a captain nor a leader.
Magnus Okuonghae - Transfer list. Worst signing on the season. Done absolutely nothing and a liability.
Alan Sheehan - Currently on loan, but try and re-sign on a 2-year contract.
Mark O'Brien - Transfer list. Mentally found wanting earlier in the season. Has played in the Championship, so he may get another chance, but struggled when called upon.
Curtley Williams - Release; John Still's worst signing last season. No where near good enough for League football and not really sure why we signed him. Total waste of money.
Jake Howells - Release. Needs a new start and regressed as a player over the last 2 years. Not sure why he's playing LB ahead of Griffiths, although his defensive game has improved.
Luke Trotman - New 1-year contract, to see if he can make more progress.
Mark Onyemah - Release. Came in with a lot of promise, but not even made the bench in 2 years. Still young.
Frankie Musonda - Already signed a contract for next year and the victorious youth team captain. Could easily break through to the first team in the next 12-24 months.

Midfielders:
Jonathan Smith - Release. Combative player, but not sure he fits into the way Jones wants to play.
Cameron McGeehan - Recently signed a new contract and our top scorer from midfield this season.
Danny Green - Existing contract; best set piece taker in the division.
Ryan Hall - New 1-year contract, to be used as a backup winger.
Pelly Ruddock-Mpanzu - New 2-year contract. Still think he's got a bright future at Luton, but needs to prove he can retain long term fitness.
Alex Lawless - New 1-year contract. Has had a bit of a renaissance since Jones came in. Welsh and looks like him too.
Paddy McCourt - Transfer list. May well be going to Euro 2016, but he wouldn't be doing it on club performance. Strolls in and out of games; no consistency nor battling qualities. This could be a difficult one for Jones, as he fits in to his style of play.
Olly Lee - Undecided on this one, but inclined to say transfer list despite his performance yesterday. Not sure he contributes enough.
Matt Robinson - Transfer list (still). Somehow still got 1 year to run on his contract. Not good enough for League football.
James Justin - Recently signed a first professional contract and part of the successful youth team.
Isaac Galliford - New 1-year contract. Not had a chance yet.

Forwards:
Paul Benson - Release; legs have gone. Model professional, but think his career is coming to an end.
Jack Marriott - Existing contract; best striker this year and getting better.
Craig Mackail-Smith - Existing contract; expensive to pay off. Been very unlucky this year.
Josh McQuoid - Existing contract. Inconsistent this year, but think he's got a future here.
Zane Banton - Release. Never given a chance, but with the competition for places, I don't think he will.

Nathan Doyle - Existing contract; again, one of the best defensive midfielders in the division when on form.

 

[StagsForLife]

It's February mate, I know Luton fans want to get the point across that they're too big for L2 but it's a bit premature.

 

[Stagat]

What happened to Tyler's dream move back to Posh?

 

[EricSabin]

All but one of our players is under contract for next year. Josh Lelan will be released I would have thought. Oh forgot about Danny Rose, hopefully he gets another deal. Collins, Marquis, Martin and Prosser will be approached to sign permanent deals as well I reckon. Then a couple of defensive additions and we'll be good to go.

 

[Kenneth E End]

It's February mate, I know Luton fans want to get the point across that they're too big for L2 but it's a bit premature.

Not really. We've got a quarter of the season left.

 

[BeesKnees]

The most important quarter of the season. I'm not interested in this until the maths says we will finish midtable

 

[oakroader]

glad your not in the dressing room on motivational duties....leave this type of thread till its mathematically impossible to make the play offs...

 

[Judge Dredd]

Goalkeepers:
Mark Tyler - New 1-year contract, but only as a substitute keeper.

Jake Howells - Release. Needs a new start and regressed as a player over the last 2 years. Not sure why he's playing LB ahead of Griffiths, although his defensive game has improved.

Midfielders:
Jonathan Smith - Release. Combative player, but not sure he fits into the way Jones wants to play.

Ryan Hall - New 1-year contract, to be used as a backup winger.

Tyler will not sign a new contract. He's Posh bound, so I reckon Justham is here to stay unfortunately.

Howells is playing ahead of Griff because Griff cannot pass a football in a straight line. Same reason Smudger is out of favour. Working hard and tackling is not enough in the set-up Jones wants to play.

We can't release Smith because he was given a three year contract in May 2015 by Still. Why the board let him hand those things out like he did is beyond me, no player at this level should get more than two years.

If Ryan Hall gets a new contract I will be positively amazed. He is shite. Up (down?) there with the worst players and worst waste of moneys we have had.

 

[BelizeHatter]

Can someone point me to an example of where we as a whole, or even majority, come across as too big for anything? Like in the last four years or so.

 

[BelizeHatter]

Last four years as we admittedly thought we'd walk the Conference, which turned into a quagmire of quicksand we just couldn't figure out. I think we when we finally climbed out we're in decent shape off the pitch and generally relatively humble now. Shit sticks I guess.

 

[Habbinalan]

Can someone point me to an example of where we as a whole, or even majority, come across as too big for anything? Like in the last four years or so.

mike.simmonds@jpress.co.uk
14:15 Thursday 14 January 2016

New Hatters chief Nathan Jones believes the squad he has inherited at Kenilworth Road is too big for League Two.

Luton currently have 32 professionals on their books, while both Matt Robinson and Andy Parry remain at the club despite neither having squad numbers.......

Well you did ask

 

[BelizeHatter]

Nice one.

 

[jacobncfc]

I thought Paddy was like George Best, lads?

 

[BelizeHatter]

George Best back in the side tonight. Doesn't seem to have set things alight consistently at all - guess Jones is giving him the game time to evaluate if he can get consistency from him for next season. A race for a spot with Green perhaps?