Retained list

[leedsvaliant]

I

 

Very few on here thought that Johnson did not deserve a new contract; look back on the threads (if they're still around) and check, if you like. It was only when SJ suffered that pre-season from hell and that Page acted and brought in another keeper. Also, maybe Page thought that it was worth giving Lloyd a little more time .

 

A little more time? He's been around the first team squad (and hardly played) for about 4 years!

 

And for the record I thought he was insane to give Johnson a contract. Never have I had so little trust in a goalkeeper (and that was before his horrendous preseason)

[bookworm]

now jacko, that was comedy gold, or did he consult the services of a medium.

[leedsvaliant]

So you weren't proved right when you made the same prediction last were you. 12th isn't the same or worse than 18th. Secured league one status with one game spare last season. Had a chance of making the play offs with one game left this time, eventually finishing 11 points better off than last season. I think it's fair to be confident in Page's ability to make the right decisions, like he clearly did last pre season.

 

I think I understand the confusion now. When I talk about last season I mean the season that's just finished!

[Family Stand Terrier]

Agreed.

 

I said it before the start of last season and was proven correct. Unless we are ruthless, we will end up in exactly the same spot as last season and possibly lower.

 

We don't want players who can 'do a job', we want players who can effect a game. I'd pump all my budget into a first 11 and a subs bench and then loan a few promising youngsters from the Premier/Championship for the rest of the squad. What's the point of having 'utility' squad players such as Yates and Birchall who have barely played this season?

 

We have to change the mentality and stop being 'loyal' to players who have served us.

 

This was your initial post. "I said it before the start of last season and was proven correct. Unless we are ruthless, we will end up in exactly the same spot as last season and possibly lower."

 

Now if you made that same statement before the season just gone, how has it been proven right?

[PV1973]

I think Lloyd has had enough time to develop now, if at 24? hes still not strong enough or good enough then I think its time to release him.

 

As crazy as this might sound I wouldn't be surprised to see Sam Johnson offered another year. I don't think thats the right thing to do mind, but I think he might given the time to develop.

[leedsvaliant]

This was your initial post. "I said it before the start of last season and was proven correct. Unless we are ruthless, we will end up in exactly the same spot as last season and possibly lower."

 

Now if you made that same statement before the season just gone, how has it been proven right?

 

This statement: "Unless we are ruthless, we will end up in exactly the same spot as last season and possibly lower." is the statement I'm making now at the present moment (i.e. last season being the season that has just gone). It should read: ""I said it before the start of this season just gone and was proven correct that unless we were ruthless, we would not have enough for the playoffs and I was proven correct. I am saying now, today, that unless we are ruthless, we will end up in exactly the same spot as this season just gone and possibly lower." The statement I made before the start of this season just gone is that we wouldn't have enough for the playoffs, which we didn't.

 

I hope this clears it up.

[Regal Beagle]

This statement: "Unless we are ruthless, we will end up in exactly the same spot as last season and possibly lower." is the statement I'm making now at the present moment (i.e. last season being the season that has just gone). It should read: ""I said it before the start of this season just gone and was proven correct that unless we were ruthless, we would not have enough for the playoffs and I was proven correct. I am saying now, today, that unless we are ruthless, we will end up in exactly the same spot as this season just gone and possibly lower." The statement I made before the start of this season just gone is that we wouldn't have enough for the playoffs, which we didn't.

 

I hope this clears it up.

 

If we were too ruthless we would (could) have been relegated. Where do you draw the line?

 

Page took a squad who but for a disastrous run would have stayed up comfortably last season. He dropped a few off the bottom and signed a few first teamers, and we have improved. Same again for me please.

[TylerB]

Half the squad aren't good or consistent enough to warrant a place in a League One team. We should keep Alnwick, Grant, Foley and Andoh for the first team, and also Dickinson, Dodds, Leitch-Smith and Hooper as squad players. I haven't included O'Connor as its almost a certainty he'll be off, and he's far from irreplaceable anyway. The rest can get fooked for all I care.

 

We desperately need two decent centre-backs and a proven goal-scorer. I'd be happy enough with Foley and Grant as a midfield pairing with Andoh as one of the wide players, and perhaps Leitch-Smith as the other.

[geosname]

He cant really win whoever he selects, some will question his choice. Its all about choice, he is the manager and he gets to make that choice. As fans we can only really judge that choice when we see the result although we can all have an opinion.

[geosname]

If we were too ruthless we would (could) have been relegated. Where do you draw the line?

 

Page took a squad who but for a disastrous run would have stayed up comfortably last season. He dropped a few off the bottom and signed a few first teamers, and we have improved. Same again for me please.

 

If crewe hadnt had a disastrous run they wouldnt be going down... it could be said of all the bottom teams.

If I hadnt bought a ticket with the wrong numbers I would have won the lottery...

[Tomo]

Did someone mention it would be out today?

[mr.hobblesworth]

People like Lloyd, yates, birchall have barely played so what was the point in keeping them? I believe that the retained list at the start of this season just gone has contributed to the fact that we've fallen short.

 

There's every point because a squad requires back-up players. Just because a player doesn't play many games a season, doesn't mean that they're not needed. When they were called upon, all 3 performed well (by and large). Who would have come on and replaced the injured Streete a couple of weeks ago if we didn't have Yates, for example? We do have to have players who sit on the bench and it's better for those players to be the extremely cheap, versatile players that the manager trusts rather than 1st year pros who need week-in week-out experience. For the relatively small outlay on CB & AY, we have adequate cover right across most of the midfield and defence. People should get off their backs.

 

And for the record I thought he was insane to give Johnson a contract. Never have I had so little trust in a goalkeeper (and that was before his horrendous preseason)

 

Shame you (and the vast majority of people on here) didn't actually say that at the time. Isn't hindsight wonderful?!

[Regal Beagle]

If crewe hadnt had a disastrous run they wouldnt be going down... it could be said of all the bottom teams.

If I hadnt bought a ticket with the wrong numbers I would have won the lottery...

 

But we had done enough before our disastrous run to be a handful of points from safety. Crewe have got nearly half of our points this year so I don't think you could really say it about them...

[Tomo]

To be fair, I thought Johnson was an ok backup for Neal and wouldn't have been TOO concerned had he started the new season, until pre-season, then he was just a walking disaster. In a matter of weeks I went from being really excited to dreading a loss at Crewe.

[leedsvaliant]

There's every point because a squad requires back-up players. Just because a player doesn't play many games a season, doesn't mean that they're not needed. When they were called upon, all 3 performed well (by and large). Who would have come on and replaced the injured Streete a couple of weeks ago if we didn't have Yates, for example? We do have to have players who sit on the bench and it's better for those players to be the extremely cheap, versatile players that the manager trusts rather than 1st year pros who need week-in week-out experience. For the relatively small outlay on CB & AY, we have adequate cover right across most of the midfield and defence. People should get off their backs.

 

 

 

Shame you (and the vast majority of people on here) didn't actually say that at the time. Isn't hindsight wonderful?!

 

I take your point on the backup players but I just feel we need to concentrate our efforts on a really good first 11 with a few reasonable game changer subs. Keeping the likes of Yates and Birchall is not something that a side aiming for the top should be doing in my opinion as they're not even good as back up.

 

If you care to look back at my posts (even before the preseason disaster), I berated Johnson well before and often referred to him as dopy or a liability.