End of season and who do we keep?

[Larry Duff]

YTS Players

Callum Stretch - Is playing in Denver so probably already gone - Release
Callum Rowe - A Pro already but average - Release
Jake Walker - Good prospect, could play in the first Team eventually - Keep
Charlie Conks - I Like but not good enough - Release
Ethan Patterson - I Like him but surprised He wasn't picked for Youth Cup - Keep
Mungo Bridge - Injured lately but I like him - Keep
Luke Ige - Not impressed by this Centre Back - Release
Jack Birch - Ball winning Midfielder injured for a while - Release I think
Lewis Brunt - Very talented but has just signed a new contract - Kept
Charlie Farr - Liked him the other week against Derby Youth, I think He has another year as a YTS - Probably keep
Colin Odutayo - Youth Team Bollasie - Keep for another year.
Jacob Ramsey - Good player - Keep
Ben Guy - I think He has another year as a YTS - If so Keep, if not release.
Michael Tate - I know He has been offered a Pro Contract but not signed it yet.
Dimmy Sea - Big powerful Centre Forward - Keep

Outstanding YTS players are ;
Walker, Brunt and Ramsey in my opinion.

[JUAN PABLO]

ramsay looked good yesterday

if thats the winger ?

[Allan C]

Definitely none of the first seven with the possible exception of Elphick

[RichardBatchelor]

I’d keep Jedi of the senior players, depending on fitness.

Will be glad to be rid of Bunn. Zero respect for him after the jumping backwards and getting tangled in the net farce at Stoke in the relegation season. It was so bad it was almost as if he’d got a few quid on it.

[Ads]

Jedi is on the best part of £45k p/w. Get rid.

[tomd2103]

Jedi is on the best part of £45k p/w. Get rid.

Doesn't really suit the style Smith will try and implement either. 

[brontebilly]

All the experienced players above will go either in Jan or in the summer on a free. Of our loanees, I can't imagine any of them being with us next year either.

Also, we have a decent number with contracts finishing in 2020. Kodjia, Chester, Elmo, AA, BB, Hourihane, Davis, RHM. Big decisions this summer on these aswell. Another reason why I think we should be very open to bids this month for likes of Kodjia.

[sickbeggar]

Glad to see Mungo Bridge gets a thumbs up. As has the delightfully monikered charlie Farr. i'd be tempted to give charlie conks another year and if he doesn't work out we can sell him to Viz.

[paul_e]

All the experienced players above will go either in Jan or in the summer on a free. Of our loanees, I can't imagine any of them being with us next year either.

Also, we have a decent number with contracts finishing in 2020. Kodjia, Chester, Elmo, AA, BB, Hourihane, Davis, RHM. Big decisions this summer on these aswell. Another reason why I think we should be very open to bids this month for likes of Kodjia.

Given his age, wage and the injuries we'd be offered £2-3m and would leave ourselves with Hogan and Davis as our only strikers come the summer. The money we'd get back isn't enough to be worth it. If a striker comes in early in the summer then we can revisit then but I'd let Hogan go first anyway.

[cdbearsfan]

As I watch the youth and reserves most weeks I will comment on them as everyone has their own opinion on the  senior players I guess.
I will split them into two groups, Young Professionals and YTS players.

My personal opinion of course and I have been known to be wrong.

Young Professionals.

Mitch Clark - I think is along with Callum O'Hare the best young player at the club and has done well at Port Vale.  Keep.
Jordan Lyden - Bog standard. Release
Kelsey Mooney - Isiah Bazely - Graham - Not quite good enough, Release
Easah Sulliman - Never been impressed as not physically strong enough, Release.
Alex Prosser - Not flash but does a good job and only 19 - Worth keeping for a year.  Best player against Man U .
Jack Clarke - One of my favourites but I fear lack of pace will be his downfall. He will have a career - Keep
Josef Pastorek - The club kept him as He had an injury. I think He has already left - Release.
Harry McKirdy - I like him and unlike most of the other players we have loaned out He has done well, as with Jack Clarke I think He will have a career but probably not quite good enough for us - Give him a Year
Jordan Cox, Corey Taylor - Not quite good enough - Release.
Callum O'Hare - Definitely Keep. Very good player.
Harvey Knibbs - Surprised He got a Pro Contract - Release.
Indy - Is in the Youth Team (U 18s) so shouldn't be included here - Offer a Pro Contract.

Thanks for this and the subsequent post. Interesting stuff.

According to Transfermarkt, Clark's contract is up in summer so I hope we sign him longer-term. Was impressed by his performance last season in the League Cup and he seems popular with the Vale fans.

[paul_e]

I agree with Larry on most of those, I'd probably give Lyden a few months to see if he can offer some enrgy in front of the defence and I'd personally like to see us keep Suliman for now and see how he develops for another year, I'd probably get him training with the senior squad and give him a list of targets for the summer. To me he reads the game well and has a calmness about him that I like but he needs to add a bit of steel to it, he appears to have grown up watching some of the classy ball playing centre backs but not noticed that they're willing to kick someone if needed.

I don't know enough about he younger lads to comment but I agree on Walker and Ramsey from what I've seen, the latter in particular looks like he could become a very good player if he works on the defensive side of him game and becomes more of a box-to-box centre mid.

[RussellC]

I don't think we should keep any of the senior players on that list. Maybe Steer, if Smith rates him more highly than he does Nyland.

There are plenty of better, younger and cheaper players that we could easily bring to the club rather than re-sign those ones. I don't doubt for a second that Smith would agree with that too.

[Hookeysmith]

I wonder if Bruce will come sniffing for a few of the experienced ones

Jedi
Whelan
Elmo

Even on loan if They have no money

[paul_e]

I don't think we should keep any of the senior players on that list. Maybe Steer, if Smith rates him more highly than he does Nyland.

There are plenty of better, younger and cheaper players that we could easily bring to the club rather than re-sign those ones. I don't doubt for a second that Smith would agree with that too.

Steer if he's happy ti fight out with Nyland for a place on the bench and I could understand if Smith offered RDL a contract to get a good look at him.

They're the only 2 that I see fitting in with the way Smith will want to get us playing longer term.

As for new signings, age (up to about 26/27) doesn't matter much and costs will all be relative to what money we have available. What I'm really interested in is seeing us looking at players who fit very specific criteria and can come in and be part of what we're trying to build. Hause is a good example as he's big, quick, strong and good in the air but also strong with the ball at his feet, can make space for himself and can pass, that's the sort of defender that works if you're playing the attacking game we are.

[JUAN PABLO]

I wish Charlie Conks was good
as thats a great name