Current Squad: June 2021 | Page 2 | Vital Football

Current Squad: June 2021

He's going to get the winner on sunday.

I agree, in a close game one piece of magic like v Ipswich could be the moment.

If we do go up, who is to say he won’t stay another season, and maybe entice Tommy Doyle & Cole Palmer with him, both of whom were in last season’s Youth Cup winning side but a good few years of regular 1st team football, but need ‘men’s football’ experience now?
 
As well as loan players going back, we've probably seen the last of Ross, Archibald, Melbourne and Elbouzedi so there's still a bit of a re-build to do, but enough signed up for it not to be too much of one.

In L1 terms, the likes of Walsh, Jackson, Bridcutt, Grant, Scully and Hopper have the makings of decent core straight away.
 
There has to be an awareness of how significant our loanees have been this season. Johnson and Eyoma in particular have been excellent and Palmer and Rogers have been good additions - all four have been better than we could have signed on a permanent basis. As far as I am concerned, that is the main challenge - to replace those four with players of the same standard. If MA is serious about reducing the reliance on loans, that is going to be very difficult even if we are still in League One. The Championship is something else again.
 
There has to be an awareness of how significant our loanees have been this season. Johnson and Eyoma in particular have been excellent and Palmer and Rogers have been good additions - all four have been better than we could have signed on a permanent basis. As far as I am concerned, that is the main challenge - to replace those four with players of the same standard. If MA is serious about reducing the reliance on loans, that is going to be very difficult even if we are still in League One. The Championship is something else again.
This has been on my mind for a while but I'm not going to worry about it until after the weekend.

The recruitment team have done a grand job so far and we just have to trust them.
 
OK, the retained list is out and is also very brief. This is what we have now, with MA claiming to have a goalkeeper and several strikers at the top of his list:

Goalkeepers: (1)
Sam Long, 18 (June 2023)

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 (minimum June 2022)
Cohen Bramall, 25 (minimum June 2022)


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


Wingers: (3)
Remy Howarth, 23 (June 2022)
Theo Archibald, 23 (minimum June 2022)
Zack Elbouzedi, 23 (minimum June 2022)


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


Total: 21
Contracted: 21
In on loan: 0
Out on loan: 0

Average age at 30 June 2021: 23 years 8 months
(excluding players out on loan)
 
Only Harry going for now, doesn't others won't be but will command a fee I'm guessing.
Good luck at Portsmouth Harry!
 
Yeah at least be it by mutual consent or a fee.

Not sure if that should have read as a free rather than fee. I think some will move on without money changing hands similar to how we acquired McGrandles and Walsh last summer
 
I am sure talks will be ongoing with 5 or 6 of the contracted players to come to some agreement to move them on. Plus we may get offers we can't refuse for some of our other contracted players. The fun I amsure is only just beginning!

All the best to Harry, a great servant and pro. I think a fresh challenge will be good for him. He has certainly given the fans plenty of pleasure in his time here.
 
Not sure if that should have read as a free rather than fee. I think some will move on without money changing hands similar to how we acquired McGrandles and Walsh last summer
Yeah they'll leave by being released from their contract another club will take it on.
 
Being under contract is essentially theoretical, whereas an honest discussion with the manager is reality. That is how contracts in football operate. Occasionally a player digs his heels in, but that player tends not to play many games and achieves an element of unpopularity with the supporters. Reality wins, and the club and the player (and his shark of an agent) will understand that dynamic implicitly.

One thing is for sure: Lincoln currently have 21 players under contract, yet no more than 14 are likely to make a dent in the league appearance roster in my opinion. That is a long way short of the requirement for a successful season and suggests there are many twists, turns and new signings to come.

Let's hope one of the departures will not be the manager.
 
OK, the retained list is out and is also very brief. This is what we have now, with MA claiming to have a goalkeeper and several strikers at the top of his list:

Goalkeepers: (1)
Sam Long, 18 (June 2023)

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 (minimum June 2022)
Cohen Bramall, 25 (minimum June 2022)


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


Wingers: (3)
Remy Howarth, 23 (June 2022)
Theo Archibald, 23 (minimum June 2022)
Zack Elbouzedi, 23 (minimum June 2022)


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


Total: 21
Contracted: 21
In on loan: 0
Out on loan: 0

Average age at 30 June 2021: 23 years 8 months
(excluding players out on loan)
Presumably no other youth players have yet got their first pro contract? I seem to think Sault & Draper may have warmed the bench.
 
Presumably no other youth players have yet got their first pro contract? I seem to think Sault & Draper may have warmed the bench.
Roughan, Long and Makama are the only academy players to be awarded professional playing contracts this season.

Draper is the one in people's minds since the Preston & Watford games, but he is still only 16 (and therefore not eligible for a professional contract).
 
I think Jones will remain. Still got 2 years on his contract rather than the 12 months others suggested have