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2024/25 Squad Assessment
Views: 1060
M. Cooper
A solid addition. Been dependable and made some important saves. I wouldn’t look to sign him, as we have an excellent keeper in Taye. Also, his height will work against him unfortunately.
K. Smith
Always gives his all. At this level he’s a good reliable stand-in for Luther
L. James-Wildin
Our best fullback at the club. Gets forward well and has good height. Can fill in as CB too. Just needs to stay fit.
C. Piergianni
Hard as nails. Does the dirty work, but lacks pace, which has been exposed this season, without the likes of TVC to cover. Distribution is pretty poor unfortunately. Dangerous in the opposition box. Maybe 1 more season with us.
D. Sweeney
Similar to ‘Pidge’ but has a bad mistake in him each game. The defenders version of David James (GK). No nonsense player, but also lacks pace.
C. Goode
Thought he looked imperious when he first arrived. Hasn’t looked as good since returning from his injury. Would probably let him go this summer.
L. Freestone
The complete opposite of Charlie Goode. Looked woefully out of touch early in the season. Not helped by playing out of position at L/B, compounded by a lack of pace (Recuring theme). Has improved as season has gone on, and is possible our most improved player? Could be long term replacement for ‘Pidge’.
D. Butler
Our only left sided fullback. Better going forwards than defending, although is bloody frustrating with his final ball into the box. Too often misses his target, or hits the first man.
N. Freeman
Mr Utility. Can fill in all over the park, which unfortunately can also be a hindrance. Can’t see him re-signing due to injury.
D. Phillips
I find him so frustrating. Potentially has the ability to be an excellent League 1 player, but all too often is caught ball watching, and loses his man (See Crawley goal at home). Improve the concentration levels and we have an excellent player.
J. Forster-Caskey
Nothing to say really. Fear his playing days may be over.
E. King
Been in and out the team a lot. Never really held down the central role. Can be excellent, but can also be virtually anonymous. Too inconsistent. If Cardiff were to release him I’d be interested.
H. White
Flatters to deceive for me. Never really grabs the game by the horns and dictates. Similar to Eli. Set pieces on the whole have been disappointing.
L. Thompson
Midfield dynamo. Your 7/10 guy every week. Would like to see him get forward more. Never shy’s away from a trackle.
D. Kemp
Player of the season. Started slowly having been played out of position. But since then has been outstanding. Enough said. Hopefully keep him from any circling Championship clubs.
K. Edwards
As Mr Wallace said – Wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t injury prone. No idea what deal he’s on, but if its end of season, not sure id re-sign him unfortunately. Squad is too small to carry these type of players.
L. Appere
Not seen enough to make a firm decision on him. Think he would work best in a front 2. Not sure we will ever see that under Rev’s.
J. Young
Who? Barely had any minutes on the pitch. Wonder why we signed him TBF. Seems clear Rev’s doesn’t fancy him for whatever reason. Sell in summer (Although I actually think there is potentially a good League 1 player in there somewhere)
J. Reid
This isn’t the same JR from 18 months ago. Whether it be because of injury or another reason. Looks disinterested a lot of the time. Needs to play in a front 2, not on a wing!!
E. List
Alas, no more than a squad player. Not sure whether to stick or twist?
J. Roberts
When he’s in the mood he is a pivotal player for us. Just not in the mood enough this season. Needs to chip in with more goals. I wouldn’t mind seeing him as a striker in a front 2. Very good at winning the long balls.
B. Hanlon
Been decent since he came in. Holds the ball up reasonably well. We just don’t get enough players around him in the final 3rd. If he was ‘cheap’ I’d probably try to sign him.
T. Simpson
This is harsh, but, this guy is so lucky to be in the EFL. I’d put his level at somewhere like Conference level at best. Never going to score goals on a regular basis. Sell this summer. A poor mans ‘Hanlon’.
A Pressley
League 2 player at best. Need to sell this summer.
Rev’s
Done very well to deliver mid table security. However, his stubbornness to not change, or evolve his management is bloody frustrating. Far too rigid with his formation, particularly as it isn’t suited to this squad of players. I think this squad has more potential than it has realised this season. Shoe-horning players into his system has cost us. I will reserve final judgement until next season, but he MUST become more adaptable.
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Re: 2024/25 Squad Assessment
Views: 250
Cost us £187,423 in agents' fees for that lot, covering 12 different player contracts.
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Re: 2024/25 Squad Assessment
Views: 236
There really ought to be rules that agents representing players recoup their costs from the players (as their employer) rather than football clubs.
Fine for the clubs to pay agents who represent them mind.
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Re: 2024/25 Squad Assessment
Views: 238
Yeah, I thought similar.
Although it would no doubt just result in everyone asking for more in order to cover it, so would make no difference to our cost, and this way is more transparent at least.
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1 person
Re: 2024/25 Squad Assessment
Views: 203
I imagine they argue they are acting on behalf of both club and player. If the club pays agent fees on behalf of the player that amount should be taxable on the player as a benefit in kind subject to income tax. So instead the agent says they are acting for the club so that any fees the club pays can be tax deductible and the player doesn't get a tax bill on it.
Something that HMRC looks at. I wonder how many do it right!
Article about it:
https://www.tax.org.uk/millions-in-taxes-missed-in-football-transfers
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Re: 2024/25 Squad Assessment
Views: 189
Tax doesn't have to be taxing.
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Re: 2024/25 Squad Assessment
Views: 172
But it helps keep me in a job if it is.
I'll be redundant in a decade with Making Tax Digital and AI.
No golf for me.
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Re: 2024/25 Squad Assessment
Views: 182
Not my area but think you are correct .
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Re: 2024/25 Squad Assessment
Views: 248
Pressley is banging a few goals in on recently at Barrow. Seems to be doing well
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Re: 2024/25 Squad Assessment
Views: 245
Simpson doing OK at Colchester too. But then that's League 2 where we had lots of players that looked good and they can't always step up to League One.
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Re: 2024/25 Squad Assessment
Views: 246
The issue we might have though is Pressley out of contract but Simpson not.Assume we could let him.go.on a free if they want him but probably less salary, would he take it ?
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Re: 2024/25 Squad Assessment
Views: 147
If he's under contract we can't end it unless he agrees, we'd likely have to pay him off if we couldn't offload him.
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Re: 2024/25 Squad Assessment
Views: 473
Pretty much agree with all of that.
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Re: 2024/25 Squad Assessment
Views: 813
I'd keep 90% of the squad, and i think that'll be the plan.
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2 people
Re: 2024/25 Squad Assessment
Views: 884
I agree with most of this pretty exactly, including that Freestone's effort has impressed me. In my eyes Thompson has similar consistency issues to Phillips but goes missing more than he fucks up.
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Re: 2024/25 Squad Assessment
Views: 935
"J. Young
Who? Barely had any minutes on the pitch. Wonder why we signed him TBF. Seems clear Rev’s doesn’t fancy him for whatever reason. Sell in summer (Although I actually think there is potentially a good League 1 player in there somewhere)"
I have referred to this previously on here, how people think he has hardly played, which is simply wrong.
The guy has 31 appearances for us this season and has played over 19 hours of football for us! That is not "Barely had any minutes on the pitch".
Edit: But otherwise, I disagree on a few players/points, but mostly a fair summary.
Edited by Chuds at 14:20:57 on 9th April 2025
Edited by Chuds at 14:26:29 on 9th April 2025
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Re: 2024/25 Squad Assessment
Views: 460
How many of those minutes were shoved out on the left wing though? That isn't his game at all.
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Re: 2024/25 Squad Assessment
Views: 443
Could argue the same about Reid and List appearances.
Square pegs + round holes ≠ a lot of goals.
Edited by BALDOCKBORO at 07:46:52 on 11th April 2025
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Re: 2024/25 Squad Assessment
Views: 817
Would love to know what the breakdown of Young's minutes is (i.e. how many of them are 15-20 minute cameos - see his goal against Birmingham), to see whether this is a complete misconception as you suggest. I think that the main perceived crime is how few minutes he seems to play alongside Kemp, which was the pairing that worked so well at Swindon (albeit as a front 2, but I don't want to start that whole debate - again). I would love to see if the numbers back that perception up.
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1 person
Re: 2024/25 Squad Assessment
Views: 685
https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/jake-young/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/794437/verein/3684
7 league appearances of 60+ mins.
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Re: 2024/25 Squad Assessment
Views: 651
Plus a further six in cup competitions.
Edited by Chuds at 23:22:39 on 9th April 2025
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Re: 2024/25 Squad Assessment
Views: 564
Fair enough, although using the site given by Freemo above, it does say that he has only played in 23% of all possible minutes across all comps this season, compared to, say, List's 39%, Reid's 75%, or even Roberts' 80%.
I think the frustration with Young among the fanbase (myself included) is that he has seemed good when he has played, and yet others are far more favoured even through their dry spells. Case in point would be List having nearly double the minutes in the league (1407' to 753') for only 1 extra goal, or Reid having nearly 3.5x the minutes for only 3 extra goals.
Now that the season is effectively over I'd be starting him every game alongside Kemp to see if they can form that partnership again.
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1 person
Re: 2024/25 Squad Assessment
Views: 559
Just to make clear, I wasn't suggesting he shouldn't be playing more, or that others aren't playing too often for not enough return.
Just that I see a lot of people saying Young has hardly played, when he has played a lot of games (and 20 hours of football, so it isn't even that he has lots of appearances but they are all for a handful of minutes so you cannot expect any output as a result).
What is clear to all I think, as we have discussed multiple times, is that he clearly has ability but also clearly has either a fitness or attitude issue (as Bradford would tell you) that is restricting his gametime to being less than it could be, despite having still played decent minutes.
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Re: 2024/25 Squad Assessment
Views: 540
I think it is lack of starts and run in the team. How many games in a row has he started, for example. Difficult for a striker to get any sort of form like that.
And when he has played it's generally been left side, which probably isn't his preferred position, or a position where you can make as big an impact.
It is what it is though. We don't know if he'd have been any better or worse.
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Re: 2024/25 Squad Assessment
Views: 511
Hard to be worse....
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Re: 2024/25 Squad Assessment
Views: 551
Out best player by minutes per goal is...Ken Aboh.
Then Kemp, then Reid. Kemp is scoring on average once every 3.5 games...
Reid and Young are on identical minutes per goal if you exclude penalties.
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Keep/Let go
Views: 942
As we're now virtually safe, it's perhaps time to contemplate who stays and who goes. Some initial thoughs:
Keep
- Ashby-Hammond - Should be the No1 keeper between now and the end of the season unless he's already decided to go
- James-Wildin - Solid full back and at home in League 1
- Piergianni - Not quite at the heights of his first two years but still the Best CB at the club
- Freestone - Still developing and good cover to have across the back line
- Butler - A solid option and an upgrade at LB would be difficult
- Thompson - Consistent player and the best CM currently at the club
- Phillips - Still young and raw, but could be one that goes for big money in a couple of years
- Kemp - POTS. We'd do very well to keep him over the summer
Sell/Release
- Forster-Caskey - Too many injuries in the last 18 months. I fear we'd be paying someone to sit on the physio table if we kept him on
- Edwards - Undeniably talented but also too many injury issues
- List - Not good enough for League 1. Shouldn't have been retained last summer
- Pressley - Disappointing signing who's contributed very little
- Simpson - Not good enough at the moment. If he's under contract for next season, then sell or loan out
On the fence
- Cooper - Only keep if Taye is going in the summer
- Smith - Solid FB cover but can understand if he wants more first team football
- Goode - A little inconsistent and with injury issues. Would be happy enough to keep him for another year though
- Sweeney - Can be great, can have a howler. Similar stance to Goode
- King - Would consider re-signing if he's available on a free
- White - Not sure he's League 1 level yet. A season on loan in League 2 might do him good if he's kept on
- Freeman - Underrated player who can cover lots of positions but out long-term with injury. A gamble keeping him on with this in mind
- Roberts - Most frustrating player at the club. Has ability but doesn't show it often enough
- Reid - We've missed the boat cashing in on him. Inclined to keep to retain some continuity in the forward line
- Appere - Injured for most of the season. Largely depends on whether he's already contacted for next season
- Young - Shown his talent in glimpses but Revs doesn't seem to fancy him. Pre-season could be make or break for Young
- Hanlan - Decent as far as January signings go. Not too bothered either way
I think it's likely that most from the 'on the fence' list will stay.
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Re: Keep/Let go
Views: 723
Don’t even think of letting go
Pidge
Should retain
Taye
Luther
Freeman
Kemp
Time to go
Sweeney
JFC
Roberts
List
Smith
Not fussed either way on the rest. Only taking into account players we own.
We’ve got a solid enough squad but they're getting older (aren’t we all) and familiarity can breed contempt. We don’t necessarily need an overhaul but definitely an injection of fresh blood/competition.
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Re: Keep/Let go
Views: 779
Keep
Taye
Luther
Butler
Pidge
Freeman
Kemp
Roberts
Smith
Freestone
White
Thompson
King (if possible)
Reid
Hanlan
Release/Sell
Sweeny
Forster-Caskey
Appere (what ever his name is?!)
Cooper (unrealistic to say we'll keep him)
List
Edwards
Philips
Young
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Re: Keep/Let go
Views: 830
Agree with almost all.
Smith and Sweeney id move to sell/release though.
Desperately need more athleticism at the back next season.
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Re: Keep/Let go
Views: 789
Kane Smith if we can keep him, should 100% stay. A solid 7/10 squad player. We aint getting better FB cover.
If he wants regular playing time, he'll maybe end up in L2, but as cover here he's excellent.
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Re: Keep/Let go
Views: 693
Luther plays 10 games
Gets injured
Smith plays 2 games
Gets injured
Freeman plays until Luther is fit.
Repeat
Agreed that he is a reliable back up, but never bloody fit.
Edited by CDawg at 21:57:03 on 9th April 2025
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Re: Keep/Let go
Views: 640
Perhaps he had to play when not really fit , hence current injury and the close season will cure it.Would offer a one year contract with an option but if he gets offered a 2 yr somewhere else he might go anyway .
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Re: Keep/Let go
Views: 601
And the previous seasons when he has also been injured?
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Re: Keep/Let go
Views: 487
Good point but just wondering who we could get on instead as no 2 ,on assumption Luther stays.
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Re: Keep/Let go
Views: 511
I don't mind Smith, and think he does a decent job most of the time, but he is never going to replace Luther and has been unavailable during a couple of seasons now when we have needed him, so Freeman has had to step in. I also assume he is on reasonable money having signed a couple of extensions, including after we got promoted, when you would have a pay rise. Unless of course he started on low money and so is still at the lower end of the L1 scale (probably is to be fair). If he is cheap and willing to stay I don't mind as a backup, hoping he is available when needed.
That is where you need a Freeman type player in the squad, who can offer reliable cover in multiple positions outside his normal position when needed, and if the player is going to be out longer term, you bring somebody in who plays that position as first choice.
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Re: Keep/Let go
Views: 506
Charlie Lee and Nick Freeman types who can play almost anywhere to a good level are rarer than hen's teeth.
With a small squad as you suggest, they're invaluable.
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1 person
Re: Keep/Let go
Views: 775
Hmm, spent quite a lot of his time with us injured, as he is again now and when we needed him because Luther was injured.
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Re: Keep/Let go
Views: 826
Agree, we need a TvC type defender or two (though cashing in on him was the right decision).
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