Thetownend.com

....I've lost track a bit of where we are for next season, what with all the uncertainty this season.

    This is probably utter shit, but here goes.

     Phil Smith.....contracted for next season

      Petr Brezovan....ditto

      Jack Smith.....out of contract
 
      Miguel Comminges.....ditto

      Hasney Aljofree....contracted for next season.

      Jerel Ifil.....ditto

       Andy Nicholas....out of contract

        Jamie Vincent...ditto

        JP McGovern.....contacted next season

         Lee Peacock.....ditto

          Craig Easton.....ditto

          Sofi Zaaboub....out of contract

           Michael Pook.....ditto

            Chris Allen ?
   
            Blair Sturrock....contracted next season

             Billy Paynter......ditto

              Barry Corr .....ditto

              Simon Cox ....ditto

              Anthony Mcnamee ...ditto
             
               Pat Kanyuka ?
               
               Christian Roberts....under contract next season.
   
    So MM has a nucleus of players, that are not quite up to the job of getting us a decent season, nevertheless with some quality additions, a few have shown themselves to be  capable of the odd good display.

   You'd like to think that MM might know of a couple of Sweatie gems that coulod turn us into a competitive side for next season.....

Think you've got it about right Reg.  Allen is contracted for next season and I also thought Comminges signed a new contract at the same time as Peacock signed his (probably dreamt that though).  Are you sure Roberts is still contracted next season?

   Seem to recall Sturock giving him a 2 yeard deal last season.

So who's going to go then?

I'd like to think we can attract a better left back than what we've got.

I thought this was Roberts last year?

 I'd have thought Nicho...Boub...Vincent....Pook....Jack Smith.

  So left back is a priority, you'd hope that MM would be able to spot a good un....if nothing else.

 Also  presumably the Buddhist and Mohamed will be on their way.

  Given the 9 youth players offered pro  deals, you'd imagine that the plan is for these to step up rather than get in experienced players,

Jack Smith has done alright since getting back into the team. I'd try and hold onto him if I were MM....which im not obviously!

He would only be cover obviously . Vincent is likely to stay but i think we could do with a young fresh left back .

Vincent....I think might be worth keeping as a 3rd choice left back and 4th choice centre back

I know it was League Two, but he was like a rock for the second half of last season at centre back.

If we can find better quality then get rid....but if we cant worth having as a squad player.

 What abouit Callum Kennedy?

  If AF's strategy is to use youth players, and have a manager in MM who's happy to try and bring them through by coaching...then fair play.  It should be explained to the fans this is the strategy, because it will require patience. (See John Trollope's reign)

Is patience needed? Its not going to work with swindon fans then is it

Callum is a quality player when on the ball, cracking left foot but he is quite weak, needs to build himself up a bit

 Certainly didn't the last time we tried this policy, back in the early 80's.  John Trollope was sacked as a consequence of a fan's protest after losing at home to Darlo. We had 6 players who'd come through the ranks in the 12 players used that day.

Where any of those 6 players any good?

Cant believe Roberts got a 2 year deal. Of all the players you need to keep on his toes and keep focused. Big mistake by Sturrock that one.

Thats a lot of players contracted over the summmer. Best squad for years in my opinion. Just the left sided players missing and obviously another goalie.

Team V Darlington March 19 1983. Att 2,815. 2-1 defeat.

1 Jimmy ALLAN
2 Colin BAILIE
3 Kevin BADDELEY
4 Gary EMMANUEL
5 Russell LEWIS
6 Mike GRAHAM
7 Howard PRITCHARD
8 Leigh BARNARD
9 Paul RIDEOUT
10 Andy ROWLAND
11 Kevin MOORE
12 Paul BATTY

 Paul Rideout was good.  Colin Bailie was a cultured player.   Of course Jimmy Allan and Russell Lewis came through, but were from a different era, also Martin Blackler, Charlie Henry and Brian Hughes also played quite regularly and Jimmy Quinn had been snapped up from non league football.

 Hughes I had hopes for as he was a cultured player....just a bit lightweight though.

with a bit of patience we could reap the rewards doing the youth team thing, and you would hope the least you would get is 100% commitment which for me, especially in this league, is half the battle.

i think it's something that the fanbase could adhere to but with one major change; we'd have to put a stop to selling all the crown jewels (lukas, mills, tozer) which i'm afraid i canny see happening.

Put your mind back many years!!

John Trollope and Terry Wollen were both 17 when they made their debuts for town as full backs, they became the youngest pair of full backs for any side in the league, I think I'm right on that one, if I'm not Reg will put me right.
Youth is always worth a chance if you dont keep them any young player is soon snapped up by premiership sides, just look at the players we've sold in the last few seasons, it makes financial sense for a first division side to experiment with quality youth players.

I was told the other day that there is 10 players out of contract the end of the season, didn't Sturrock give players he thought could play at a higher level a longer deal and those that were only good enough for L1 a 1 year deal.

I'm sure some may have clauses though that entitle them to another year if they have played x games though

What i would give for that number 9 and 10 up front for us this season!!

Everything points to us spending the next few years pushing the youths; the appointment of Malpas (with his Scot U-21 experience), all those youths getting pro-contracts, and even the fact we've been hearing about a 3-year plan to get promoted, instead of just splashing out for promotion.

I'm up for that, as long as we can continue to produce young players of a decent quality. I have no idea about the standards of our younger youth team players. Of course it will require a fair bit of patience. We'd definitely need to give Malpas a proper season to see if he's up to the job of bringing these players through.

General sporting consensus would probably agree that we'd still need a few crucial vertebrae of experienced players, if not an entire backbone. The sort of player which can guarantee a performance and just as importantly, lead on the pitch when things aren't going too well. There can be a huge range of maturity amongst young players (and young people in general), both mentally and physically. There's no point having the best young player in the world if you can't make him play to his potential when it matters.

Generally I'm well for the youth route. It makes sense financially as well. But only if the players are good enough. There's no point of getting stuck in the "They're good because we raised them" mentality. We'll end up stuck in a maddening broken dreams of improvement loop.

I've never thought of it like that, good point.

It's risky, but something I'd definitely like to see... A bit like Crewe in a way, they've produced some very good youngsters in recent years, made a lot of money out of it too. Although they reinvested absolutely none of it and are now struggling, so maybe a lesson to be learnt there.

I think the money allows them to survive on such low crowds Tails.  Not so much not reinvisted as not having anything to reinvest beyond the running costs.

Crewe invest the money back into the youth system and running of the club....its how they can avoid going into massive debt on small crowds...its obviously  the sort of model Fitton has in mind, and I guess he sees MM as a sort of Dario Gradi.  He'll be around for 20 years.

Ye gods, don't say that too loud.