Rebel

I would be a bit worried about the forward / striker position unless the new striker we sign is very good and a guaranteed starter. I am not convinced Archer will score a lot of goals on our team unless we change the way we play, And at 31 Larin is bit too old to play 90 mins week in week out. That's partly why rotating him with Steward got the best out of them both. Even if we manage to keep Stewart I would still want a new No. 9 to give us real depth at centre forward - another physical presence. I am expecting us to sell and replace Archer and Edozie if I am honest.

I wonder if we will make a move for some of the players we were linked with last summer like Dejan Zukic to provide cover for AZAZ at number 10. We were supposedly looking at Lucas Cepeda on the left to replace Edozie if we sold him last summer - maybe that will happen this summer. We were also rumoured to looking at Besfort Zeneli as an alternative to Jander in midfield. Could we take another look if Jander leaves this summer. Both Zeneli and Cepeda moved in January though - and seemingly have done well at their new clubs.

I would think the only way we would sign JWP is on loan if West Ham cover half his wages for the final year of his contract. But I can see him ending up at Everton or Fulham to give them midfield depth on that deal. People forget JWP started as a AM/CM playing on the right of a midfield 3 or on the right of the 3 behind the striker in a 4-2-3-1. He was more than capable of putting in the killer through ball /pass or cross from the right- and had a good engine. Ralph then turned him into a DM/CM in the 4-2-2-2 but it only worked when he played alongside someone more physical like Romeu -but for a time he was great there. Like a lot of our players he lost his way under a succession of bad managers. But then he left because we needed the money more than anything else. I'd be OK with him coming back but I am not sure where he'd fit in our current 4-2-3-1 as a first choice.

How about that Brazilian striker from Goztepe - Juan or something like that I think it is? Apparently he's only valued at £12-15M - they got him from somewhere for a real steal. He's been banging them in. Salech from Cardiff -but he might be expensive now - and there may be issues with Peretz being Israeli as Salech has a Palestinian background I think. Should have bought him instead of Downs. Kaspar Hogh - or is he too highly rated for the Championship now? Using the Serbian connection how about Jovan Milosevic from Werder Bremen?

Kaspar Hogh anyone? Or is he heading for a higher level than the Championship now?

How about that Brazilian striker from Goztepe - Juan or something like that I think it is? Apparently he's only valued at £12-15M - they got him from somewhere for a real steal. Whilst were at it their goalkeeper Mateus Liz would make a great back-up to Peretz along with Ollie Wright. They got him cheap somewhere as well.

Salech would have been a good buy last summer when Cardiff went down instead of going for Damian Downs. Now I am not sure if the 'team dynamics' would work with him being Palestinian I think - and Peretz being Israeli. It might be a non-issue but its certainly something that should be considered. In a perfect world it wouldn't matter.

with a year left on his contract I think we are more likely to see Manning leave than Welington. I can see a club like Leeds who play wingbacks signing Manning to add some cover and depth at leftback/wingback. I'd be more than happy with Targett and Welington at left back - we would be better defensively and probably just about the same if not slightly better going forwards Saying that I'd be happy if we kept both Manning and Welington and signed no one else for that position. Targett is out of contract at Newcastle - but they have an option on another year - but I think they want rid of him. So he could be available on a free. I can see him signing on permanently at Boro. But I would l would be happy to bring him home on a free - plus it would piss Boro off 🙂

Scott Parker has new West Ham manager written all over him if they get relegated. Same with Liam Rosenoir and Burnley. If Johannes Spors is still involved I can see us going for Matthias Jaissle - whether he'd come or not is a different matter.

Manning has a year left on his contract so I expect he will go. Smallbone is out of contract but I think we have an option on another year - but I think Millwall will make his mov permanent for a small fee. Stewart is out of contract but we have an option on another year - so hopefully he will stay. Azaz is supposedly on 50K a week - so I think we will need to move him on - and he wants to play in the Premier League.

Tonda has to go - for one thing I expect he will get a suspension from football for at least a year - along with anyone else that was directly involved in the spying/cheating or new about it. For another I think the relationship between the players and Tonda is probably broken beyound repair - although most of them will leave. But more importantly I think the trust or support of the fans in Tonda has completely gone.

The big players who are in demand will probably be gone before next season - Scienza, Charles, Jander, THB, Azaz. And it is very unlikely Peretz joins us permanently as he will have much better offers from better clubs than us after his second half of the season performance. Probably the same with Larin. I can't see Jelert joining us permanently either based on game time. Bree is out of contract and will have better offers from elsewhere - which I expect he will take and who can blame him. Romeu, McCarthy, Jones and Long are all out of contract. Manning has a year left on his contract and I am guessing he will push to leave - probably a premier league club for a small fee. Same with Edozie - he has a year left - but he will end up at a Championship club. Stewart has a year left on his contract if we take up the option for an additional year - but given his injury record and age I think he will probably end up staying. Welington is also wanted elsewhere - so I can see him pushing to leave as well. I can see Downes also pushing to leave for somewhere like Everton or Ipswich or even a relegated West Ham. Same with Fellows - he might even get his premier league move on the cheap. Archer will probably be off to another championship club as well. I doubt any of the players out on loan that have done well will come back - Smallbone, Sugawara, BBD. I do worry we will end up with Bazunu and Downs back though. But I hope not. If we start the season with Bazunu in goal we are in trouble. So that leaves us with the bare bones of a team along the lines of: Bazunu Roerslev Stephens Wood ??????? Quarshie Bragg ????? (Williams) Matsuki ??????? Robinson Stewart (Downs/Oyekunle) Not to mention a new DoF, Manager, coaching team and analyst team.

Position, style of play, technical ability, physicality are all factors alongside age. Not too mention the players injury record and level of football the team is playing at. Small fast wingers that rely on explosive pace can be past their best by their mid twenties for example. Whereas a deep lying midfielder who relies on technique and reading of the game can be just as good in his mid/late 30s if not better than his early 20s. Similarly a robust physical centre back is probably at his peak in his late 20's early 30s. If the question is should we give Stewart a new 2 year contract on reduced money at the end of this season rather than take up the existing option of a 1 year extension on the current deal - the answer is probably yes if we stay in the Championship. That's based on his injury record and the assumption he won't be our first choice centre forward. If by some chance we go up I am not so sure - maybe its the one year extension in that case.

I think we should be more worried about who will be ready for a promotion push in the Championship next season and which players will actually stay. I don't think Ramsdale or THB will be here for the start of next season for one thing. And I am pretty sure Bazunu, Larios, Sugawara, Archer and Edozie will be gone too. McCarthy and Long will be out of contract, as well as Stewart, Larin, Taylor, Aribo, Romeu, Smallbone and Bree (who I can't see staying given we pushed him out on loan at the start of the season). Jelert and Peretz loans will come to and end - but will we be able to afford the options to buy at £8M a player I think it is. It wouldn't surprise me if Downes and Manning left as well - but even if we can persuade them and players like Jander, Fellows, Scienza, Azaz and Charles to stay SR will have a massive rebuild on their hands. For a start we will need a new goalkeeper plus cover and 2 if not 3 new strikers.

I think you are right about the club trying to reduce the wage bill - the sale of Edwards and Armstrong and the loaning out of Aribo and Archer and exit of Fraser all point to it, along with the likely exits of Larios, Edozie and Kayi Sanda. With McCarthy, Long, Stewart, Aribo, Taylor, Smallbone and Bree out of contract and ABK either sold or the same and the likely exits of THB, Ramsdale, Downs, Sugawara and Brereton-Diaz the wage bill is going to go down quite a bit in the summer. It suggests they have given up on promotion this season and are trying to raise money to spend in the summer for a promotion challenge next season - or they are just cutting costs and preparing for what will be a long stay in the championship. Or possibly cutting costs in preparation for selling the club. To be honest I hope that is the case.