I will give credit to the board for announcing all the tool downers are already gone. In the past we've offered new contracts to guys who were never going to sign them and it dragged the summer out with uncertainty.
So our current starting XI looks like: 5-3-2: Killip Earl Pines De Gevigney Styles O'Keefe Benson Phillips Connell Cosgrove Watters/Jalo 4-2-3-1 Killip Earl Pines De Gevigney O'Keefe Connell Wolfe Styles Phillips Jalo Cosgrove
I’m ok with that. Always been a big fan of Herbie Kane, but the teams not about one player, and I don’t think he and Luca are suited.
I don't think it is a massive rebuild. I hope the new guy is pragmatic and doesn't see it as a big job but a necessary job. For me a couple of decent additions in the right area and we'll be away and flying. GK O'Keefe, Lopata, Pines, MDG, Earl. Cover at fullback and centre back. Phillips, Connell, Hourihane? Back up in midfield assuming Grant doesn't sign. Possibly two. Cosgrove, Jalo. Two strikers. One permanent and one on loan? Seven or eight players need bringing in permanently or on loan. No major surgery required.
Ye would include Dallas in that but as pointed out they are ours for the purpose of the current list. In reality they could have been told to move on but as they're contracted we have to pay them..of the seniors would only have kept Williams
Praising the club for not giving you the opportunity to criticise them has got to be the most BBS thing I've ever seen.
I'd expect players and club would have been in dialogue for months. I'd very much have expected what I perceive was our most expensive signing in the squad (Kane), our top scorer, our captain and best attacking full back (on the very small sample size I've seen) to have been offered new terms a long time ago. I'd imagine those terms weren't what they'd hoped, and/or their agents were confident better offers were available.
Nothing unexpected there, and I'm sure the departures will have been planned for. Like others, I'll be massively disappointed if we don't sign Grant. But I don't think him "returning" to MK Dons is anything more than an administrative formality at this point.
Be interesting to see where Cole, Kane, Cadden, Williams end up. I predict Kane will end up like Adam Davies did....decent pay rise and a bench warmer mid Championship, which he'll no doubt be content with. The others will be L1, or clubs destined for L1, on more money than we were prepared to pay.
Once they leave I don't really bother with ex players other than if I'm in the pub watching soccer Saturday and an ex red scores. I'll let whoever I'm with know they used to play for Barnsley. If i'm watching MOTD with my Dad we'll debate where Barnsley might have been if we'd had all these ex Reds in the same side together like a fantasy team.
Don’t think Sunderland can take the option yet? Technically he is still our player until(if) they complete.
I'd agree with this. I heard on Radio Sheffield last night that Grant McCann has put a hard deadline for any of his out of contract players to sign a deal by. No wiggle room or negotiations. That's how it should be.
and the retained list was decided by who ..... ? It'd be a bugger if the new applicants for head coach were banking on some of those just released still being here !!
I actually don't think we look too bad, presuming we don't lose anyone else. I stlll think MDG, Pines and Earl will come good as a defensive unit, Phillips and Connell are as good as anyone in the league, and Cosgrove was showing signs of life in the playoffs. It'll be a rebuild of course, but I think that might be no bad thing after the second half of the season, and that feels decent as a core.
I’ve been thinking of that for Kane for a while now. Probably have a season or so has a squad player at championship level and then go out on loan to a league 1 side. I think Williams will end up at Huddersfield. That’s a shame in my opinion as a I know a lot on here and social media don’t like him but as a right wing back, I think he’s probably the best in league 1. The others I’m not sure will make any impact at championship level unless if one of the promoted teams from this season take a chance on them.