There is a lot of dead wood

[Chester Perry]

Dan James
Jarrod Bowen
Ché Adams

That’d be lovely.

The Dan James deal to Leeds collapsed when the Americans found out only £1m of the £6m deal was upfront - since then he has placed himself on everyones radar with the performance against City and for Wales.

All 3 clubs will be looking for £20m+ - all three clubs desperately need the money for different reasons and want to start an auction - only think Bowen could achieve that money, though the Allam's have not been good at getting big money for their players

[Long Time Lurker]

Okay, so basically we need to sell half of our squad, who have collectively produced a respectable set of overall match results since Christmas. Pretty much the same squad that finished 7th last season and would have probably secured a comfortable mid table position this season, had they not performed below expectations before Christmas - when they had to contend with a lot of new elements.

Then we need to replace them all with younger players, who will probably be untested at this level, and hope that they can bond together and forge an understanding before the season starts.

We should also strive for financial value and buy all of these new first team players from abroad, because we obviously can't afford to buy half a squad of young English players with proven quality. Then we sit back and hope they can adjust to the English game and hit the ground running.

And we need to trust our new Technical Director and overhauled recruitment team, with its shifting emphasis towards statistical modelling, to sell our players for good prices and spend the incoming money wisely.

What could possibly go wrong?

When did we suddenly become Fulham?

Obviously we need to make some changes, couldn't agree more with that, but trying to do it all in one swoop by making dramatic changes to the first team would be asking for trouble.

[exilecanada]

For a start the goalie situation needs to be sorted asap. Hart could be a good back up for Pike Hill, if the Gucci purse isn’t too much of a distraction. No clue why we signed him in the first place….total waste. Neither Pope or Heaton would be content sat on the bench, one will go. Ward has been a good servant, Taylor has LB locked up. Defour’s played his last game for BFC, never was much use in our system. Lennon is history, too old. Bardsley’s a keeper, difficult to replace such intensity despite the fact he’s one tackle away from a red card, ditto for Barnes. Tarky will probably find ‘greener pastures’. No question we need to get younger, hungrier, with a decent blend of youth and experience.

Bottom line is the ‘powers who be’ will need to make some tough decisions this off season, relegated or not

[Siddo]

Okay, so basically we need to sell half of our squad, who have collectively produced a respectable set of overall match results since Christmas. Pretty much the same squad that finished 7th last season and would have probably secured a comfortable mid table position this season, had they not performed below expectations before Christmas - when they had to contend with a lot of new elements.

Then we need to replace them all with younger players, who will probably be untested at this level, and hope that they can bond together and forge an understanding before the season starts.

We should also strive for financial value and buy all of these new first team players from abroad, because we obviously can't afford to buy half a squad of young English players with proven quality. Then we sit back and hope they can adjust to the English game and hit the ground running.

And we need to trust our new Technical Director and overhauled recruitment team, with its shifting emphasis towards statistical modelling, to sell our players for good prices and spend the incoming money wisely.

What could possibly go wrong?

When did we suddenly become Fulham?

Obviously we need to make some changes, couldn't agree more with that, but trying to do it all in one swoop by making dramatic changes to the first team would be asking for trouble.

Excellent post. Factual, full of common sense, and sums us up perfectly.

Can this post be the standard now, and less contributions from the doom mongerers and downright halfwits.

[Walt]

We clearly targeted Europe a couple of years ago. By now I'd be amazed if we haven't identified several players worth signing.

So rather than panic and sign someone for the sake of it I can see us making moves now we've had time to believe in that network.

Obviously I don't expect us to be signing the several players but we surely have options in that area.

[ŽižkovClaret]

We so need Hendrick.

Agreed. He has shown his versatility and really gives McNeil freedom to roam by tucking into a mf 3 when McNeil goes on his runs

[Claretmatt4]

Some of you just need to stick to fifa and football manager. Its not a case of saying 'oh we don't want you so you're Contract is up'

Ward can stay another year as a squad player, we don't need another young left back as they aren't going to get game time with Taylor Young and on form.

If offers come in for anyone we'd have to consider them but these new teams are going to have to pick up those wages so it's unlikely we can just ship them off with a snap of the fingers.

[Lancasterclaret]

I don't think its worth keeping any of the lads who are out of contract.

But we do need to realise that we've gone from 7th to 17th, and that does suggest that the squad is not as good as we hoped it was, so we might need to be a lot less conservative in the summer transfer window than we normally are (assuming we stay up of course!)

[claretspice]

I don't agree with the premise of the OP, or the thread generally.

This is definitely going to be a big summer for us - whichever division we are in - but a bit of proportion is needed. We aren't going to be looking at turning over half the squad, as some seem to be insinuating.

I'm not sure that there's actually any real deadwood at all. You can make a good case for moving Defour on because he doesn't play enough games, and for not renewing the contracts of Ward (given he seems to be close-ish to retirement) and Crouch, and possibly also Bardsley given his age. You can also make a case for moving on Wells given he's not really broken through in his short period with us, and at a push, for moving on Lennon given he's only really flickered for us.

But realistically, at least a couple of those players will be with us next season - even if only to be used in a back up capacity. We'll probably be prioritising another wide player, a right back, a central midfielder and possibly a left back this summer, and depending on how Dyche sees us lining up, possibly another forward too. That's 4-5 players, which is plenty to integrate in one summer. We don't want to leave ourselves having to sign a load of squad players too because we've allowed all the depth in the squad to leave. That would be madness.

[houseboy]

Hart, Wells and Crouch need to go. Pope will be sold.
Ward, Bardsley, Defour, Vydra all need to be replaced
We could do with an upgrade on Barnes or Wood and Westwood or Cork.

Going to be a busy summer for Mr Rigg if we stay up.

Why Vydra, it's not his fault Dyche won't play him, he's looked pretty decent when he has so doesn't need 'replacing' because he's done nothing wrong. I would shift out Barnes or Wood (preferably Barnes) and use Vydra whilst bringing in another striker. It seems a bit wrong saying lose Barnes or Wood but if someone needs to make way to give Vydra a run of games (and bearing in mind I think we need freshness up front) then something has to give. I know Barnes has scored goals this season but he just doesn't look a PL striker to me and I can't just put my finger on why. I think he just looks all huff and puff and aggression with not a lot of speed or skill. I've always thought he is a good squad player and if money wasn't an issue then keep him by all means but I just can't get with him starting every game ahead of a player who looks quick, keen and skillfull. Of course Crouch doen't enter into the picture and he might retire at seasons end anyway.

Don't quite understand why (apart from the fitness factor) people seem to be saying lose Defour. When he is fit and on form we haven't got anyone to touch him. JBG similar. These two are our most skillfull and inventive players (although McNeil is lookinbg the dogs doo dahs as well now).

All I know for sure is we are going to have to spend a kings ransom in Summer just to basically stand still, especially if someone comes knocking with a fistfull of cash for Tarks/Heaton (or even McNeil now). We are suffering from some woefully bad investment over the last 2/3 years and playing catch up in the PL is terribly difficult. Much is made of the boards ability to run a business but they seem to be a bit bacxkward when it comes to investment for the future and I mean on the field of play not a players 'sell-on value'. This is a football club not a player trading post and we need to sign players who will do the job for, hopefully, many years, not with one eye on their sell-on value in 2 years.

Fortune favours the brave - unfortunately we don't seem to be very brave.

[Sproggy]

Why Vydra, it's not his fault Dyche won't play him, he's looked pretty decent when he has so doesn't need 'replacing' because he's done nothing wrong.

I agree with you but if the manager won't play him, he's not much use to us. You may as well have me sat on the bench. Our backup striker options are Wells, Vydra and Crouch - 2 of which Dyche won't play and the other is Peter Crouch which is pretty desperate and that's without making an argument for looking for an upgrade on Barnes.

[houseboy]

I agree with you but if the manager won't play him, he's not much use to us. You may as well have me sat on the bench. Our backup striker options are Wells, Vydra and Crouch - 2 of which Dyche won't play and the other is Peter Crouch which is pretty desperate and that's without making an argument for looking for an upgrade on Barnes.

Without wanting to criticise Dyche (he has been great for us) I do wish I could see in his head sometimes. His apparent hatred of cup competitons, his non-use of certain players, his weird substitutions and maybe his tactics sometimes (but not all the time) leave me baffled. Even when we do get a decent player in we seem to have to put up with that awful 'Dyche fit' rubbish that prevents a player from playing for 2 years ( ) before he gets a sniff.

I wish he would be a bit more open and honest at times instead of being secretive enough to work for MI5.

[Lowbankclaret]

Most of this season we have had over 20 million in two signings sat on the bench permanently.

We need players that improve our first eleven.

Assuming we stay up, My nerves and blood pressure cannot take many seasons like this one.

New CM, Striker a winger that improve us will do me.

[Stayingup]

Brady and Defour were never going to play a major role this season and that is why it was unbelievable that reinforcements weren't made in those areas. They were coming back from serious long term injuries and if they were fortunate to avoid niggles they wouldn't have been anywhere near their best till after Christmas anyway.

In the case of McNeil it has worked out because a new left sided player would almost certainly have meant he wouldn't have played.

Defour is a 20 game a season man when considered fully fit and we have no idea whatsoever if Brady will return to his form of early 2017-18, here's hoping he does.

Heard or read somewhere that Defour had played ony 13 full matches for us.

[Stayingup]

Why Vydra, it's not his fault Dyche won't play him, he's looked pretty decent when he has so doesn't need 'replacing' because he's done nothing wrong. I would shift out Barnes or Wood (preferably Barnes) and use Vydra whilst bringing in another striker. It seems a bit wrong saying lose Barnes or Wood but if someone needs to make way to give Vydra a run of games (and bearing in mind I think we need freshness up front) then something has to give. I know Barnes has scored goals this season but he just doesn't look a PL striker to me and I can't just put my finger on why. I think he just looks all huff and puff and aggression with not a lot of speed or skill. I've always thought he is a good squad player and if money wasn't an issue then keep him by all means but I just can't get with him starting every game ahead of a player who looks quick, keen and skillfull. Of course Crouch doen't enter into the picture and he might retire at seasons end anyway.

Don't quite understand why (apart from the fitness factor) people seem to be saying lose Defour. When he is fit and on form we haven't got anyone to touch him. JBG similar. These two are our most skillfull and inventive players (although McNeil is lookinbg the dogs doo dahs as well now).

All I know for sure is we are going to have to spend a kings ransom in Summer just to basically stand still, especially if someone comes knocking with a fistfull of cash for Tarks/Heaton (or even McNeil now). We are suffering from some woefully bad investment over the last 2/3 years and playing catch up in the PL is terribly difficult. Much is made of the boards ability to run a business but they seem to be a bit bacxkward when it comes to investment for the future and I mean on the field of play not a players 'sell-on value'. This is a football club not a player trading post and we need to sign players who will do the job for, hopefully, many years, not with one eye on their sell-on value in 2 years.

Fortune favours the brave - unfortunately we don't seem to be very brave.

In the case of Defour, unfortunatley he is rarely fit and cannot be expected to play more than a minor role if he stops next seaosn. Pity that because ge is our real class midfielder.