Retained/Release Lists 2021

[Marked Ox]

Bannan signed a new 2 year deal at the back end of the season which he says has no relegation clause. Windass is a Championship player, Paterson was disappointing though. You can tell he’s a defender converted to a striker although it’s harsh to judge proper given the absolute shitshow of a season we’ve just had.

I think we’ll be fine personally. A lot of wages have been freed up from players released like Lees, Reach, Westwood and Rhodes so it just depends on who we recruit but if you have a look down our squad list, there’s still a few names you’d expect to do very well at this level, some who already have previously.

Have Wednesday sorted out their unpaid wages situation?

 

[DearneValleyRover]

Blackpool and Lincoln are far from average, you need to stop living off your teams past glories because it hasn’t been that for a long time, your now a promoted shit league 2 team who are now a shit league 1 side like the rest of us next season

 

[DearneValleyRover]

Bannan signed a new 2 year deal at the back end of the season which he says has no relegation clause. Windass is a Championship player, Paterson was disappointing though. You can tell he’s a defender converted to a striker although it’s harsh to judge proper given the absolute shitshow of a season we’ve just had.

I think we’ll be fine personally. A lot of wages have been freed up from players released like Lees, Reach, Westwood and Rhodes so it just depends on who we recruit but if you have a look down our squad list, there’s still a few names you’d expect to do very well at this level, some who already have previously.

Erm, probably all the players he promised when he left us leaving us in the shite

 

[masi51]

The best team won the league as it is played over 46 games not just the last 20.

Also again what are you basing Pompey not having a decent budget on?

very true.....not taking anything away from Cheltenham
Next season is what we are talking about not last season

They have released 6 first teamers including the keeper who was player of the year after offering them all reduced terms

 

[masi51]

Blackpool and Lincoln are far from average, you need to stop living off your teams past glories because it hasn’t been that for a long time, your now a promoted shit league 2 team who are now a shit league 1 side like the rest of us next season

If Blackpool played Bolton with there present team i would say we beat them 2 in 10
Maybe Lincoln 4 in ten

Take there loan players out and i think its pretty even
Heard all this shit last season

 

[Marked Ox]

very true.....not taking anything away from Cheltenham
Next season is what we are talking about not last season

They have released 6 first teamers including the keeper who was player of the year after offering them all reduced terms

The Cowleys may have deemed them not what they want in next season's squad or those who turned down contract offers (I think this was the case with the keeper) weren't worth the wages they were on. Pompey will have a decent/competitive budget even if they trim it back.

And you haven't a clue if Cheltenham will do worse or better than you this coming season based on last year's players. I get that you are bullish after promotion but lots will change for both clubs.

 

[Tea Towel]

Erm, probably all the players he promised when he left us leaving us in the shite

Eh?

 

[masi51]

The Cowleys may have deemed them not what they want in next season's squad or those who turned down contract offers (I think this was the case with the keeper) weren't worth the wages they were on. Pompey will have a decent/competitive budget even if they trim it back.

And you haven't a clue if Cheltenham will do worse or better than you this coming season based on last year's players. I get that you are bullish after promotion but lots will change for both clubs.

Pompey are cost cutting.....Fair play to them as they dont want to end up like they were a few years back nor us.
Cheltenham will finish well below us.....Just my opinion.

 

[Tea Towel]

Have Wednesday sorted out their unpaid wages situation?

I have no idea mate. If we have, I haven’t seen it reported.

 

[Si Robin]

Well for what its worth i dont think you have a clue....The team that finished the season first played on 30th Jan
with us in 18th position. Last 20 league games we won 16 drew 2 lost 2 with 12 clean sheets.
Not taking anything away from Cheltenham but the best team promoted was not the best team on the last day of the season
We have the team more or less sewn up for next season.............Agreed it wont be good enough for back to back promotions but we have now eight weeks to improve the squad with better than what we have got key players and one or two loan signings.
Seems most teams in this league rely on loan signings

Take them away how good are Blackpool and Lincoln
Average at best

You have posted some shite since you first signed up last year, but this must be the biggest load of shite yet.

We had the joint most wins, least defeats, most clean sheets, second best goal difference (13 better than Bolton) and second lowest number of goals conceded (11 less than Bolton).

As the saying goes - the league table never lies at the end of the season.

 

[masi51]

You have posted some shite since you first signed up last year, but this must be the biggest load of shite yet.

We had the joint most wins, least defeats, most clean sheets, second best goal difference (13 better than Bolton) and second lowest number of goals conceded (11 less than Bolton).

As the saying goes - the league table never lies at the end of the season.

Simon calm yourself down...........i was in no way going against Cheltenhams Championship season
It is about opinions
Next season we start level
Ps put your stats up since January

 

[Si Robin]

Why? The season didn't start in January.

Post Bolton's from their last 5 games. Anyone can pick a random starting point. The fact is, the best team in each division this season went up as Champions - therefore we were the best team in League 2.

Regarding League 1 - we've lost 3 players so far that meant anything in our promotion year, we're expecting two of them to come back. A decent goalscorer and we'll be fine next season.

 

[masi51]

Why? The season didn't start in January.

Post Bolton's from their last 5 games. Anyone can pick a random starting point. The fact is, the best team in each division this season went up as Champions - therefore we were the best team in League 2.

Regarding League 1 - we've lost 3 players so far that meant anything in our promotion year, we're expecting two of them to come back. A decent goalscorer and we'll be fine next season.

Yes you was the best team over last season......You say you have lost 3 already
I know and said in the lge2 forum the is a big gulf in class between lge 2 and 1
Not quite sure this season as teams are cutting there wage bills because of the pandemic
And they are basically starting a new team from scratch.
Loans seem to be the answer in lge 1

 

[DearneValleyRover]

Eh?

Serpent tongue Darren, lots went off over at ours in January with quite a few players not signing new contracts when offered just before he jumped ship. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few ex Rovers at Wednesday next season

 

[PuB]

Yes you was the best team over last season......You say you have lost 3 already
I know and said in the lge2 forum the is a big gulf in class between lge 2 and 1
Not quite sure this season as teams are cutting there wage bills because of the pandemic
And they are basically starting a new team from scratch.
Loans seem to be the answer in lge 1

My brain literally flinched while I was reading that.

Are you ever going to make any sense?

 

[DearneValleyRover]

If Blackpool played Bolton with there present team i would say we beat them 2 in 10
Maybe Lincoln 4 in ten

Take there loan players out and i think its pretty even
Heard all this shit last season

I think you are vastly over rating your team, cup game yes, league no chance

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Hilarious when people think budgets are everything in lower league football. We slashed our budget in 2011 and reduced it in 2019 and the following season both times we were promoted.

Good management, strong work ethic and great team spirit get you up the pyramid. Money might not keep your squad together, but I think the dickwaving about budgets should be a thing of the past now the pandemic is causing clubs to cut costs across the board.

 

[masi51]

I think you are vastly over rating your team, cup game yes, league no chance

Of course as a supporter i am bullish, but Blackpool Rotherham apart once those loan players are stripped off i dont see many squads as good as ours certainly would not swap Lincolns for ours.
As i said we have 9 of the outfield players who won 16 of the last 20 league games tied up for next season

If we can get two big signings a couple of stand out players from lge2 last year and perhaps 3/4 Premier league youngsters i really fancy us to have a good season

 

[Tea Towel]

Serpent tongue Darren, lots went off over at ours in January with quite a few players not signing new contracts when offered just before he jumped ship. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few ex Rovers at Wednesday next season

I see. We’ve only been linked with Reece James from Rovers but I think that’s more just lazy journalism with us not having a left back.

 

[stevowanderer]

Of course as a supporter i am bullish, but Blackpool Rotherham apart once those loan players are stripped off i dont see many squads as good as ours certainly would not swap Lincolns for ours.
As i said we have 9 of the outfield players who won 16 of the last 20 league games tied up for next season

If we can get two big signings a couple of stand out players from lge2 last year and perhaps 3/4 Premier league youngsters i really fancy us to have a good season

Our team that we have now is not on the same level as the team that went up from league 1 a few years ago though. Not yet anyway. Beevers and wheats at the back. Vela, Spearing, Pratley, Le Fondre, Madine who we sold for 6m. And we didn’t win it that season either.

It’s all about how we start. If we start like we did last season we are in big trouble. You did make this big predictions last season and we were 20th in Feb.... but it came off in the end. This is a totally different thing though. Look how long Sunderland and Pompey have been stuck down here. We could be here for years. I think we will be somewhere in mid table this season. And it will take a few years of player turnover (hopefully making profits like Peterborough) to be pushing for promotion. Im still excited though after the run we went on. Can’t wait for the new season already.

 

[DearneValleyRover]

I see. We’ve only been linked with Reece James from Rovers but I think that’s more just lazy journalism with us not having a left back.

It was more tongue in cheek to be fair based on Moore’s behaviour and tapping up of players before he left us.

 

[Bar Carousel]

Pompey are cost cutting.....Fair play to them as they dont want to end up like they were a few years back nor us.
Cheltenham will finish well below us.....Just my opinion.

You can call it cost cutting (which it is), but it's more a case of aligning our budgets with a massively reduced income due to huge covid deficits. We missed out on approx £700,000 worth of income a month over the last year. Unlike a lot of clubs, we didn't sell season tickets. There was a scheme at £25 a head to effectively give you an option to buy a ticket should fan attendance be possible. We're doing the same thing for next season at present. Fair play to the club. They could have taken season ticket money and blamed covid and offered follow passes as comp like many clubs did.

The players we had were on decent wages at this level, many signed after we had sold off Clarke and Lowe for approx £5m and had cash to burn.

We are still 'lumbered' with a few big wages under contract, meaning that the overall player budget is already well used honouring existing contracts at least until the end of the new season. The key will be if somehow we can offload some of these and free up more manoeuvrability for the Cowley's. In this present financial climate it seems unlikely anyone is going to pay what we're paying some of them. Next season should be the one where the Cowley's have a real clean slate and a lot of budget to play with.

I certainly won't be shedding a tear for those already released, or offered far reduced terms to re-sign. If they were worth the money they expect, we wouldn't have had such a poor season.

I'd be amazed if clubs across the board are still operating with budgets similar to pre-covid levels now having endured massive losses of income over the past 12 months. The effect is that players looking for new contracts will surely have to consider reduced terms for most.

 

[Tea Towel]

It was more tongue in cheek to be fair based on Moore’s behaviour and tapping up of players before he left us.

Ha I’m not totally clued up on what went on when he left, as you can tell! Is it going to be another summer similar to last season for your lot would you say?

 

[masi51]

Our team that we have now is not on the same level as the team that went up from league 1 a few years ago though. Not yet anyway. Beevers and wheats at the back. Vela, Spearing, Pratley, Le Fondre, Madine who we sold for 6m. And we didn’t win it that season either.

It’s all about how we start. If we start like we did last season we are in big trouble. You did make this big predictions last season and we were 20th in Feb.... but it came off in the end. This is a totally different thing though. Look how long Sunderland and Pompey have been stuck down here. We could be here for years. I think we will be somewhere in mid table this season. And it will take a few years of player turnover (hopefully making profits like Peterborough) to be pushing for promotion. Im still excited though after the run we went on. Can’t wait for the new season already.

That season Beevers and wheats were great in both defence and attack.......They are a class above Santos and Baptiste. Vela Spearing and Pratley are not as good as Williams,Lee and Thomason in my opinion
Le Fondre was a bit part player who scored off the bench.....Madine was good for 10 games
Yes i think we need to improve on what we have but i am as ever very optimistic

 

[masi51]

My brain literally flinched while I was reading that.

Are you ever going to make any sense?

maybe you should re read it slowly

 

[masi51]

Hilarious when people think budgets are everything in lower league football. We slashed our budget in 2011 and reduced it in 2019 and the following season both times we were promoted.

Good management, strong work ethic and great team spirit get you up the pyramid. Money might not keep your squad together, but I think the dickwaving about budgets should be a thing of the past now the pandemic is causing clubs to cut costs across the board.

FFS its NOT about budgets and thats my point................We have a settled team who have played 20 games together winning 16 all be it in the league below. Teams rebuilding like Portsmouth,Shef Wed etc will take time to click.
Yes Cowley may get it right and get a team playing his way but it wont be immediate

 

[DearneValleyRover]

Ha I’m not totally clued up on what went on when he left, as you can tell! Is it going to be another summer similar to last season for your lot would you say?

Yeah total rebuild for the fourth season in a row, I’ve been reading quite a bit of what’s going on down at your place, it sounds grim which makes Darren’s decision even more baffling

 

[DearneValleyRover]

FFS its NOT about budgets and thats my point................We have a settled team who have played 20 games together winning 16 all be it in the league below. Teams rebuilding like Portsmouth,Shef Wed etc will take time to click.
Yes Cowley may get it right and get a team playing his way but it wont be immediate

It’s not entirely about budgets but they do allow you to get better quality players. Yes you have a settled team that did great in a league below this one, look at the teams that came up last season, Crewe had a settled squad that did well but ultimately found it a step up, if you add quality to what you have then yes maybe you can achieve back to back promotions.

 

[Tea Towel]

Yeah total rebuild for the fourth season in a row, I’ve been reading quite a bit of what’s going on down at your place, it sounds grim which makes Darren’s decision even more baffling

Yeah it’s not good. Some of the chairman’s comments and decisions are baffling. It’s been a steady decline for the last 4 years barring the few months when Steve Bruce was here. We’re under an embargo yet again but can sign frees and loans which seems to be what most L1 sides do so I’m not overly concerned about that, it’s more being able to attract new players when the current lot are still waiting for previous months wages.

 

[stevowanderer]

That season Beevers and wheats were great in both defence and attack.......They are a class above Santos and Baptiste. Vela Spearing and Pratley are not as good as Williams,Lee and Thomason in my opinion
Le Fondre was a bit part player who scored off the bench.....Madine was good for 10 games
Yes i think we need to improve on what we have but i am as ever very optimistic

We played a certain way under parky that suited Madine. Le Fondre would score loads in this team the way we play now. Santos and Wheats would have been an incredible combo.

Disagree on Spearing. Back then (and probably still) was absolutely quality for that level doing the job he does in front of the defence. I like MJ etc but Spearing was a class above. Vela when he broke through was wanted by Liverpool. Never lived up to his potential but was still a quality player. Thomason could be as good/better for sure but would argue that he isn’t yet. Not sure we saw the best of Pratley but he’s been playing elsewhere at this level and higher throughout his career including a season in the prem with us. Kieran Lee still is a quality player though. I think combining the options I’d take Spearing and Lee as my centre mids.