[St Charles Owl]

So we reach that time of year where we sit here and wait in hope of news of a signing of some obscure foreign player or a washed up free agent or an injury prone player.  We laud him and the possibility he might either actually be as good as his YouTube video suggests or that he can rediscover the form he had last decade or that the amputated left foot won't hinder him too much!!!

Well not anymore!!!!!!!!!

The arrival of Dejphon Chansiri (or more importantly his football loving son!!) means that for the first time since the early 90's we may actually have money to spend on both transfer fees and wages for players who will actually be good players with none of the traditional baggage we normally get with signings!!!  At this stage we have no idea what the budget will be or how it is likely to be spent.  What we do know is that DC has set a goal for us to be in the Prem by the time of our 150th birthday - 4th September 2017 to be exact, so we need to get promoted either in 2015/16 or 2016/17 to achieve that publicly stated goal.  On that basis the spending and rebuilding has to start now and we need to be challenging for at least the playoffs next season, I think it is fair to assume he will make a decent amount of money available this summer.

So where do we stand now??  Midtable, actually our best position for many years, yet we are unhappy about it!!  Thats what the prospect of money does to you I suppose, but the reality is if we are to progress from here then there will need to be a lot of new faces brought into the club.  Lets start by looking at the management and coaching team we currently have:

Paul Aldridge, Vice Chairman - I would assume he is safe but not 100% I am sure.
Stuart Gray, Head Coach - Has done a great job progressing us without a ton of support on the financial side, but can he take us any further??

Now onto the current squad.  

Goalkeepers
Keiren Westwood
Cameron Dawson
Joe Wildsmith
Lewis Price - Free Transfer on one year contract from Palace

Defenders
Liam Palmer
Tom Lees - Signed extension until 2019
Glenn Loovens - New contract signed (1 year)
Claude Dielna
Jeremey Helan
Darryl Lachman - signed 2 year contract
Vincent Sasso - Season long loan from Braga
Jack Hunt - Season long loan from Palace
Rhoys Wiggins - Signed 3 year contract from Charlton
Daniel Pudil - Season long loan from Watford
Michael Turner - Season long loan from Norwich

Midfielders
Jose Semedo - New contract signed (1 year)
Kieran Lee - New contract signed (2 years)
Silva Felipe Melo
Sam Hutchinson
Marco Matias - Winger, signed a 4 year contract from Nacional.
Ross Wallace - Winger, signed on a one year contract from Burnley
Alex Lopez - Season long loan from Celta Vigo
Modou Sougou - 2 year contract from  Marseilles
Lewis McGugan - 3 year contract from Watford
Barry Bannan - Contract until end of this season.

Forwards
Athde Nuhiu
Sergiu Bus
Caolan Lavery
Lucas Joao - 4 year contract from Nacional
Fernando Forestieri - 4 year contract from Watford

Players out on Loan
Marnick Vermijl - Season long loan to Preston


Players Released or Sold
Lewis Buxton - Released - signed for Rotherham
Kamil Zayette - Released
Dejhan Kelhar - Released
Joe Mattock - Released - Signed for Rotherham
Rafael Floro - Released
Jacques Maghoma - Released - Signed for Birmingham
Rhys McCabe - Released
Paul Corry - Released
Giles Coke - Released - Signed for Ipswich
Matt Young - Released
Gary Madine - Released - Signed for Bolton
Chris Kirkland - Rejected new contract
Chris Maguire - Rejected new contract, signed for Rotherham
Stevie May - Sold to Preston, undisclosed fee


Player Currently with us on loan
Will Keane - Returned to Man Utd - Signed for Preston
Lloyd Isgrove - Returned to Southampton

So this is what we start with and as we go along I will add new players and remove the ones who leave.  So who do we want to stay, get new contracts, be sold and who should we bring in??  What rumours are out there with regards to who we are looking at etc, post it all on here!!  I expect this to be a busy thread throughout the summer!!!!! 

Over to you.

[Owlkev71]

Loovens, Lee, Semedo, Mattock will probably be offered new contracts, Zayatte and Mcguire 50\50. The rest will be going. This is what I think SG will do.

[Statesideowl]

Who's Ashley Westwood?

[Maddix]

So where do we stand now??  Midtable, actually our best position for many years, yet we are unhappy about it!!  Thats what the prospect of money does to you I suppose, but the reality is if we are to progress from here then there will need to be a lot of new faces brought into the club. 

It's nowt to do with the prospect of money. It's the fact that we actually had a golden opportunity THIS season. We've pissed away too many points with SG's negativity, dated tactics, square pegs and bizarre substitutions   FFS, we've only won 4 or 5 at home all season. Where would we be now if we'd won a few more ? In the play-offs at least.

No, it's nothing to do with the prospect of money   it's the abject failure of our coaching staff to be able to react to a situation and take that opportunity   And I've been saying SG should go since pre-season 

[St Charles Owl]

Nice spot Stateside, a blast form the past with that name!!

Maddix, yes I agree some have been calling ofr his head for longer than other but I haven't. Before the takeover I was happy with what we had and if MM was still in charge I would say keep SG as we will not go up but we won't go back to the pub league either. Now we have money the expectations have risen, and for me that means we can do better than what we have.

[Thurnscoe_OWL]

eh? ..

[Thurnscoe_OWL]

eh? . ..

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im a little drunk and may not know what im doing

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ahley westwood a blast from the past

fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucking hell thahyx scraping the barrrel of frecent heroes

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\and are ISIS not far right wing rather than LW?

[madsteve]

Mattock & Loovens make sense for new contracts irrespective of money because they add solidity to our defence. Semedo is borderline because Melo does his job better, Hutchinson has quality if no brains & we might bring in someone better still. Maguire & Lee have both improved their chances with better performances in recent weeks. Buxton has come back with a flourish but with Vermijl & Palmer is he a backward step. Zayatte has looked better in the last month but we can probably do better. Floro might get another season to prove himself.

The rest will be gone.

SG should have tried to find out if Madine & McCabe could cut it at this level but that ship has sailed now. Just more ammunition against SG if they do well else where like Antonio has at Forest.

We have to sign McGugan and a season long loan for Isgrove wouldn't be a bad move. Keane has quality but he is injury prone and I feel that Lavery & Bus or at least one of them might come good next season. Maybe a cheeky £3m bid for Antonio would make us promotion contenders.

[Statesideowl]

I'd agree with that MS. I always had belief in McCabe, I'm not sure he was really played correctly or given a fair chance but he didn't snatch his chances either when he did get them. Madine is leaving on a free and if SG has anything to do with it, Nuhui is getting 2 year extension before his runs out.

We have the bones of a good squad, we now need a savvy manager to fill in the gaps with quality purchases. This current squad was and is better than the one DJ had at his disposal and SG hasn't exactly achieved too much more has he?

I think it's a bit shitty of the players to put in a shift at this stage in order to earn contracts. Kelhar Floro Coke McCabe Corry. I'm on the fence about Maguire & Maghoma and Kirkland can go if we can't find a better backup Keeper.

[Thurnscoe_OWL]

floro has played what? 2 games? Rest of the time he has been in the development squad. He played regularly for portugal's u21s which suggests he has some talent. I'd give him another year or 2 and tell him he HAS to step up