The Squad List (2023/24 Edition)

[DiV]

Also, you missed Johnson who looked solid in his one sub appearance

[Bob's Orange]

I think Drinan is the only one I haven’t see any positives in.
I’ve been somewhat confused by how we’ve used him. I think in most people’s opinions he’s the alternative for Austin - so odd they’ve been playing together (I get it if we were playing a front 2 but not a front 3) a wide forward he is it not.

Everyone else has looked decent. With what we could or couldn’t do in January I’ve lost sight of who we own & how long for. If we’ve taken over contracts that end in the summer I hope we are looking to tie those players down longer term and more importantly that we can afford to do so.

Imagine getting McGurk in January and him leaving on a free in June.


McCarthy is everything we’ve needed at CB for about 4 years now. Again I don’t know his contract situation but we should be putting the feelers out now…but knowing us we’ll wait, he’ll do well enough to attract other interest and sign else where whilst we are still messing around with the admin.

I'm sure there is a reason why the club don't announce it, but it irks me when players are signed and we don't announce contract lengths/details. It makes these discussions trickier.

[DiV]

That's kind of where I am at the moment as well. A bit of brawn in midfield and we could have the potential of an exciting side. Still a little thin on experience as well, that also needs work, but it's positive to see that there are building blocks in place for next season.

Nothing new here but we need 2024s version of 2020 Anthony Grant.

[Bob's Orange]

Also, you missed Johnson who looked solid in his one sub appearance

Cheers - have added him into the list. I knew I would have forgotten someone!

[DiV]

I'm sure there is a reason why the club don't announce it, but it irks me when players are signed and we don't announce contract lengths/details. It makes these discussions trickier.

I mean my understanding is we could only take on contracts

Therefore my assumptions are; these are players the parent club have decided they aren’t going to make the grade & stay beyond their current contract but also players who have no sale value. Just because you aren’t going to make the grade at Liverpool with 2 years left on your contract for examples sake doesn’t mean a championship won’t come in and pay 500k for you. So logically following that line these players are likely to be players the parent clubs aren’t planning on keeping who are in the last 6 months of their contract.

Would be such a Swindon thing to do. Get these young players in, start seeing some potential out of them & not being able to afford to extend their contracts passed June

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

I thought the young Turk McGurk was Irish but he is mega Scouse.

Obviously is by birth.

[Nemo]

We have a *lot* of Scousers now. If Clayton is still homesick, it isn't for lack of our trying!

[Peter Venkman]

I agree pretty much with all of that BO.

The only bits I am not too certain on are that IMO Drinan may be a decent signing, he held the ball up and brought players into the game well last night, the first time he has impressed me so far so there could be something there.

The other is Devoy, scored a good goal on his home debut but he has not impressed me at all so far, looks way off the pace of the game at times and a lot of his passing is often very short of its intended target, personally I wouldn't sign him and spend his wages on a battling defensive midfielder.

Otherwise pretty much spot on for me too.

Still shocked that a player with the obvious skillset of McGurk would contemplate coming to Swindon, his ball control and speed of his feet are as good as anything I have seen in a Swindon shirt in many seasons, he can and will make things happen from nothing and actually exhibits better skills than many Premier League youngsters we have had in on loan previously and he is our player!

Want to see more of Johnson before making a judgement but on his one showing so far he looked more competant than Ward and other loan defenders have done, at least he can head a ball and tackle.

[TailBetweenLegs]

I mean my understanding is we could only take on contracts

Therefore my assumptions are; these are players the parent club have decided they aren’t going to make the grade & stay beyond their current contract but also players who have no sale value. Just because you aren’t going to make the grade at Liverpool with 2 years left on your contract for examples sake doesn’t mean a championship won’t come in and pay 500k for you. So logically following that line these players are likely to be players the parent clubs aren’t planning on keeping who are in the last 6 months of their contract.

Would be such a Swindon thing to do. Get these young players in, start seeing some potential out of them & not being able to afford to extend their contracts passed June

I don't think that'll be the issue as we signed the majority on permanent deals . I think it is more likely we have signed them from their clubs with a huge sell on fee. Leeds for example really rated McGurk so probably reluctantly allowed him to go. I think the Dinan signing was actually forward planning with him likely to be Austins replacement

[Peter Venkman]

I don't think that'll be the issue as we signed the majority on permanent deals . I think it is more likely we have signed them from their clubs with a huge sell on fee. Leeds for example really rated McGurk so probably reluctantly allowed him to go. I think the Dinan signing was actually forward planning with him likely to be Austins replacement

That is my assumption too on all those things.

[theakston2k]

I don't think that'll be the issue as we signed the majority on permanent deals . I think it is more likely we have signed them from their clubs with a huge sell on fee. Leeds for example really rated McGurk so probably reluctantly allowed him to go. I think the Dinan signing was actually forward planning with him likely to be Austins replacement

I do fear we’ll just take the options and then sell them in the summer as that’s exactly the type of thing we do at the moment. Based on performances to date Glatzel and McGurk will inevitably end up with some interest if they carry on as they are.

[TailBetweenLegs]

I don't think there will be enough interest in the summer for the lads we have just signed i would imagine clubs will want to see what their fitmess is like after pre season etc. Be a big gamble to sign any of them just now i would think

[RobertT]

The devil is going to be in the detail around what those "options" are.  There is clearly a reason we didn't sign them on deals longer than June 2024.

We have added options for positions we had a decent first teamer in, going into January, aside from McCarthy (who is only on loan and still contracted at Barnsley for next season I think).

I'm not sold on Drinnan being much help and Devoy would be sent back now if he had anyone to take his spot.  I'd rather have kept Kinsella, and I don't think he was a player worth keeping around next season either.

Johnson looked OK for a cameo and Bywater seems OK, but not Benda level by any stretch.  He does not look like he fancies balls into the box, which at this level could be an issue.

Elbouzadi looks fast, but I am not sure if you can carry him and RHM in the same squad when you have these types of budgets.  You keep one and and not the other so you can go and get what you need elsewhere.

You have to think Austin probably calls it a day.

I am still very worried that we will be short of everything we were short of in December.  Our midfield is just not strong enough and our defense still doesn't have enough defenders and our overall squad lacks the been there and done it know how to get out of this Division (I can accept you can still get promoted without that, but every player needs to be around the McGurk level).

[Trashbat?]

At the fans forum, Jamie Russell mentioned that we had taken over the players existing contracts. Which I did think was interesting, because if that is the case how would a club have a sell on fee? but also does that mean that contract extensions and lengths etc are also based on those contracts with their previous teams.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

Who is going to sort out the retained list at the end of the season.