Current Squad: June 2021 | Vital Football

Current Squad: June 2021

Scotimp

Scotimp

Vital Football Legend
OK, we are nearing the end of the season with just one ever-so-slightly huge game remaining.

The retained list is due for submission to the EFL by 3 June. Most of the squad is under contract with just a few exceptions, although realistically upgrades will be needed to improve on this term. Quite what the squad will look like at the end of the summer transfer window will depend almost entirely on which division we are in regardless of contracts or anything else. Reality suggests that our present squad will not be remotely good enough to keep us in the Championship if promoted, so changes look to be in the offing whichever way Sunday's game goes.

This should be an interesting summer to say the least, as Michael Appleton has already stated his intention to reduce the reliance on loan players. Will TJ sign permanently? Will Rogers return? Here's the starting point after all loanees have returned to their parent clubs (ages are at 30 June 2021):

Goalkeepers: (2)
Sam Long, 18 (June 2023)
Ethan Ross, 24 (June 2021)

Defenders: (9)
Joe Walsh, 29 (June 2023)
Lewis Montsma, 23 (June 2023)
Regan Poole, 23 (June 2023)
Sean Roughan, 18 (June 2023)
Hayden Cann, 17 (June 2023)
Tayo Edun, 23 (June 2022)
Max Melbourne, 22 (June 2022)
Adam Jackson, 27 (unknown, minimum June 2022)
Cohen Bramall, 25 (unknown, minimum June 2022)

Central Midfielders: (5)
Jorge Grant, 26 (June 2023)
James Jones, 25 (June 2023)
Max Sanders, 22 (June 2023)
Liam Bridcutt, 32 (unknown, minimum June 2022)
Conor McGrandles, 25 (unknown, minimum June 2022)

Wingers: (4)
Remy Howarth, 23 (June 2022)
Harry Anderson, 24 (June 2021)
Theo Archibald, 23 (unknown)
Zack Elbouzedi, 23 (unknown)

Strikers: (3)
Tom Hopper, 27 (June 2023)
Anthony Scully, 22 (June 2023)
Jovon Makama, 17 (unknown, minimum June 2023)

Total: 23
Contracted: 23
In on loan: 0
Out on loan: 0

Average age at 30 June 2021: 23 years 9 months
(excluding players out on loan)
 
I reckon at least 5 of that list will be gone along with the 5 loan players. When you consider that another 4 on that list are the youngsters who won't be featuring at this stage it adds up to a lot of incomings, after our division for next season is settled.

Defensively and central midfield we've still got a core that will likely remain. GK, wide players and forwards are the areas where I expect to see the most activity.
 
I imagine Melbourne will make his move to Walsall permanent. Can’t see Ross being retained being out of contract. Would also expect Jones and Archibald to be moved on. Possibly see us cashing in on Roughan too if the deals right. If we do go up imagine a much bigger turnover. Will be an interesting summer whatever happens. Of the loan players, could see Rogers returning if we go up and possibly TJ. Johnson and Palmer will at least finish with a Wembley date.
 
If we get promoted.. and MA stays... im sure we will be banking on a bunch of high quality loan players to give us a fighting chance of staying up.
 
I am sure that MA and Jez George have two lists of targets ready to go

List 1 is for Championship survival and might include a couple more experienced players (and that doesn't just mean older, just played more)

List 2 will be to go for the automatics in League 1 and will be more akin to our current squad.

I think these lists will be quite different from each other.
 
a very high number of players under contract, which is great for planning a steady ascent up league one... a bit more of a headache when you are burning the plan with such rapid progress.

making any big adjustments will mean moving contracted players out first, otherwise we could end up with one of those bloated squads, using up a fair wedge of wasted cash that we don't have, on players that hardly play.

for instance, i am wondering why we needed to give howarth a contract extension so early?
 
sedgleyimp said:
I am sure that MA and Jez George have two lists of targets ready to go

List 1 is for Championship survival and might include a couple more experienced players (and that doesn't just mean older, just played more)

List 2 will be to go for the automatics in League 1 and will be more akin to our current squad.

I think these lists will be quite different from each other.
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Do you reckon? I can't see us bringing in many old heads to be honest, L1 or Championship.
 
Rasenimp said:
Do you reckon? I can't see us bringing in many old heads to be honest, L1 or Championship.
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I think we'll be looking at one or two at least. We've seen how big a hole Bridcutt leaves this season and I don't think you can count on him being available for a whole season. At least one more player who can provide that sort of leadership will come in I'd think. Particularly if we go up but even in League 1.
 
I think Sanders and or Edun are being trained up to act as the next Bridcutt. Either that or we sign someone similar, good football in the twilight of their career. Bristol City signed Chris Brunt as short term holding midfielder - he played instead of Morrell. That kind of signing adds balance and clam to the youngsters.
 
Rasenimp said:
Do you reckon? I can't see us bringing in many old heads to be honest, L1 or Championship.
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As Sedgley points out, "experienced" does not necessarily mean "older" as per Bridcutt.

Look at McGrandles and Jones, both now 25 but both signed last summer with considerable league experience and, before covid knocked Jones for 6, key players. Their ages mean they still have sell-on upwards potential in line with the model. Walsh, Jackson, Hopper and now Poole are similar.

I agree with Sedgley, players in that sort of age range and experience should be on our radar, particularly if next season we are in the Championship when we'd need all the experience we can get.
 
Chesterimp said:
As Sedgley points out, "experienced" does not necessarily mean "older" as per Bridcutt.

Look at McGrandles and Jones, both now 25 but both signed last summer with considerable league experience and, before covid knocked Jones for 6, key players. Their ages mean they still have sell-on upwards potential in line with the model. Walsh, Jackson, Hopper and now Poole are similar.

I agree with Sedgley, players in that sort of age range and experience should be on our radar, particularly if next season we are in the Championship when we'd need all the experience we can get.
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Fair enough, I think I'd just be surprised if 1) most targets weren't ex-premier league youth/technically good players that it hasn't worked out for whatever reason at the top level and 2) if the list was actually that different between our plans for L1 or Championship. Maybe a few players become more obtainable, but the Jan recruitment when we were flying high doesn't make me think the model would really deviate at all from the last year of business.

Poole/Brammall type business maybe but I think they were on the radar even if we weren't challenging for the autos
 
clanford said:
I imagine Melbourne will make his move to Walsall permanent. Can’t see Ross being retained being out of contract. Would also expect Jones and Archibald to be moved on. Possibly see us cashing in on Roughan too if the deals right. If we do go up imagine a much bigger turnover. Will be an interesting summer whatever happens. Of the loan players, could see Rogers returning if we go up and possibly TJ. Johnson and Palmer will at least finish with a Wembley date.
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I would love to see Rogers return but I don’t think he will. He would be one of the championship’s top players with a full pre-season. He’s improved that much since being with us.

Honestly, at the rate that lad is developing - he’ll play for England.
 
Imps2018 said:
I would love to see Rogers return but I don’t think he will. He would be one of the championship’s top players with a full pre-season. He’s improved that much since being with us.

Honestly, at the rate that lad is developing - he’ll play for England.
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That rate of improvement is why I think there's a chance that he might come back. That's what Man City will be looking for isn't it, it's not like it's about the money for them. So if they look at him now and see that the loan so far has worked as well as it has then why not? I don't doubt they could find him a bigger club if they wanted but he'll play most games with us when he might not elsewhere and Appleton would continue to bring him on.

Not saying I expect it to happen but I think there's a reasonable chance.
 
I think Rogers is great but he's not actually scored for quite a while (last goal Rochdale, maybe 10 games ago)? He was excellent IMO in the away leg of these ties but sometimes maybe trying to do a bit too much. Hopefully he's been saving it for Sunday!

I think he'd be in line for a Championship loan but think he'd still take a bit of adjusting, lot of good players and defenders at that level.
 
Easy to forget that Rogers is only 18. The start he made to his professional career was excellent - 6 goals in a 12-game period was very impressive, especially considering that he was playing in a side much weakened by COVID (twice) and injury.

Would I have him back for the whole of next season? Without hesitation.

And it must be a possibility if we are in the Championship. Man City must be pleased with his progress so far - not even they could buy a promotion campaign and a Wembley final for him.
 
We actually have loads of contracted players for once...I thought Walsh and Jones were on single-year deals. Doesn't mean they will all still be with us by the start of next season, of course. It's going to be fascinating seeing what happens, whatever happens in the next week.
 
Rasenimp said:
I think Rogers is great but he's not actually scored for quite a while (last goal Rochdale, maybe 10 games ago)? He was excellent IMO in the away leg of these ties but sometimes maybe trying to do a bit too much. Hopefully he's been saving it for Sunday!

I think he'd be in line for a Championship loan but think he'd still take a bit of adjusting, lot of good players and defenders at that level.
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He's going to get the winner on sunday.
 
With regards to Rogers, like others have mentioned, I really think it comes down to whether we are in the Championship or L1. Championship and we can make a very strong case for progressive development, with a coach all parties trust, with him playing a higher standard of football. From all angles that is a win/win scenario. He's not getting in Man City's first team, and they won't want to loan him to a Premier club, so why not continue with the strides he has made in a settled environment. If his value soars the way it undoubtedly has this season everyone's happy.

If we are in L1 I hope he remembers his time here fondly.
 
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