Out of contract

[Garawa]

How much do we need (yet another) clear out and how much is down to having a decent pre-season and bringing in players that actually fit the holes we have? For me, I still maintain we had players that were very good at this level. Some haven't lived up to expectation (Knott, Konchesky) whilst others have provided glimpses of brilliance but could do a lot more (Jet, Wagstaff). I also feel that our failures were down to Edinburgh bringing in too players to replace Dack who didn't go. We then had too few defenders and changed players too often trying to find a winning formula that never came due to the confusion.

These are the players out of contract in the summer:
Ryan Jackson
Adedeji Oshilaja (L)
Rory Donnelly
Cody McDonald
Emmanuel Osadebe
Elliott List
Oliver Muldoon
Zesh Rehman
Chris Herd
Josh Parker

I really like Jackson, I think he gets an unfair rap and would keep him. Cody has proved recently that, once again with someone big alongside, he will score goals and anyone capable of 15 for a season is tough to find (he has 9 now). Parker has looked a handful and Rehman useful so I would keep those. I'd like to keep Herd but I don't think he'd stay fit. Donnelly is woefully lacking in confidence due to being played all over the place in 10 minute bursts but I don't see that changing sadly for him.

[lidbid46]

Interesting. All of them have had really good games, apart from Muldoon who I can't remember. I can see arguments to keep them all, work hard over pre season and add some quality defenders. Herd and his injuries may make him a luxury I suppose.

[gillsfan1066]

Spotty Muldoon, Spotty Muldoon, he's got spots all over his face, thank you Peter Cook and Little Dud's band, and now for something completely different,...... GFC.
OK were 3/4 of the way through the season, the players play on average every 7 days, so with a day off they can train for say a minimum of FOUR DAYS A WEEK, even playing mid week they can still train 3 days a week with a couple of light work outs on the day of the game. Now why for GOD'S sake do you think these guys are going to train any harder in preseason games than they are now?
In case the players have NOT noticed looking realistically at the tables we could well be back on the verge of relegation in two weeks, are you telling me some of these guys are NOT playing to their full potential,just posting it in to get a pay check, as in, " well I might not be here next year so f*** the GILLS." ??
If thats the case get rid of the bad apples NOW, sod them, bring in some second team players and lets see what we have got there for next season,even if it means we only survive by a point or two and I have a heart palpitations waiting for us to beat Nthmptn on the last day of the season.

[baronnight]

Some of those players are youngsters and will continue to improve with the experience gained this year, others are getting older and you need to decide whether they have another season in their legs.

[Garawa]

Gillsfan, the issue isn't training harder in pre-season. It was about having a very small pre-season and then going into the season not knowing who to play where best! I'm not not sure Jed stopped changing things about at any point this season. If we had an unchanged side we'd all ask each other when the last was as it was so rare - many of those were not injury enforced changes.

Unfortunately, if we look at current midfielders, we have:
Dack
Wagstaff
Martin
Wright
Hessenthaler
Oldaker
Byrne
Morris (injured)
Osadebe
List
Muldoon
Knott
(and this doesn't include loans)!

Yet defenders this season can be counted on one hand. If the squad is stretched out to maximum we have little scope for change unless a number of those players move on. I would imagine Lincoln will get promoted and Knott may possibly get a permanent move and a tidy wage will be gone but I don't think we can afford the luxury hoping players like List come good when he has been at the club for a year and half or so. I don't think Dack will move in the summer so the first 8 in this list should be the ones we use and make room for strengthening the defence. I'd keep Parker and Cody and replace Donnelly. As Quigley is still only just coming back we may even get him for another loan spell so the forward line will be fine.

[gillsfan1066]

I recall a dozen people on here saying in July of 2016, great team Edinburgh has assembled ,a keeper, a full back, 8 in midfield and a forward, or something very similar.
OK so lets do a bit of role playing, I will be Sir , His Royal Highness ,Mr. Scally, and you can be Edinburgh, and you come and knock on my door, and I say WAIT because that makes me feel important and gives my secretary time to pull her panties up, then I say COME, and she says no ,did you, and I say no not you Hilda the person outside the door, and you come in and I say yes Mr Edinburgh what can I do for you ??
You say "Mr Scally" (because thats my name ), you say, " I have this list of players we need,and I want us to go after this guy Lidbit he's out of contract next week has played two years at left back at Charlton, scored 5 goals , spent three years at Fulham, played twenty times in the first team at the left side of the back four , spent three years before that in the Spurs youth program playing on the left side at the back, THAT'S THE GUY I WANT NOW to strengthen our defence."
So I write you a check and off you go and in comes left back Lidbit,( wasn't a big check, he was just happy to be coming here to the MIGHTY GILLS, well that and he's cheap) and two weeks later were playing the first game of the season, and there is Lidbit playing on the right side of the midfield, and we lose 3-1 at home to Coventry.
You think about now I call you into my office after the game and say " Hey ASS HOLE, why is that guy Lidbit, a left footed defender playing on the right side of Midfield ? "
Now if you say " well Mr. Scally I was chatting to my wife who watched us play Faversham in a pre season friendly last week," and she said " I think that guy Lidbit should learn to kick with his right foot as well as his left, so why don't you play him in mid field on the right side", don't I look at you with a somewhat quizzical look ?
Now if you say, " so I am going to develop him as a right side attacking midfielder, even though I know he is not happy playing there and I know his coaches at Fulham , Charlton and Spurs and his County team coach when he was at school and his school coach when they won the inter city tourney,played him at left back,but lets be honest what the hell do they know," " So Mr. Scally THAT'S where he is going to play for the rest of the season" , maybe just maybe don't I kind of say "WHAT THE ****ing hell are you doing Edinborough ??
But you say " now,now Mr. scally, you sit your happy little butt down in that chair and I will get Hilda in to look after you, as soon as she has finished showering with the team , and just out of interest next week I am playing Hessy's kid in goal, I think he has great potential as a keeper, then Nelson can play on the left wing "?
I guess Scally goes along with the old saying of you don't have a dog and bark yourself, so he let Edinboro do what ever he wanted and sat back, said nothing and thought if were playing 4th division footie next year what the hell does it matter, those idiot fans turn up week in,week out, and if we loose a few hundred who cares, salarys for the players will be much less so it doesn't matter, my salary will be the same.
I guess this is how it goes at GFC ??