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I am right in thinking now they are all gone?

Heaton
Collins
Heath
Gurney
McDermott
Brown
Bouazza
Mikolanda

Now what then? I'd like to extend the loan stays of Heaton, Gurney, McDermott, Brown & Bouazza. I know that, that isnt going to happen

We know Heaton will be going back, as will Bouazza. I think Brown will be a free agent in January worth a short term contract if we can afford it. Think he adds balance that we have been missing, although I would like to see Nicky Nicolau give a chance on the left wing.

God knows about Gurney, but Swansea dont want him

So, are any of them coming back?

- Gurney to sign subject to medical to replace McDermott
- Cureton to play up front with Fallon with Holgate as the option
  (replacement for Bouazza & Mikoland)
- Lapham to replace Collins
- Nicolau & Stroud back from injury to replace Heath & Brown

NMH

Gurney - Looks like we're gonna sign him, won't be available for Hartlepool because he needs a medical.

Bouazza - Gone

McDermott  - Probable gone, has expressed a wish to return to Fulham as his contract expires this season

Heaton - Gone

Collins - Already gone? If not I'll give him his train fare.

That's about all I know.

Heaton - thought we might have been able to get him until the end of the season but no chance it seems. shame.

Collins - cunt, goodbye.

Heath - waste of time, can't see iffy keeping him.

Gurney - will probably sign permenantly and i'll be very happy if he does.

McDermott - i get the feeling he'll extend his loan until the end of the season, if not move here permenantly.

Brown - available on a free so we either sign him up or someone else does. i'd sign him up on the basis of his ability to cross the ball.

Bouazza - gone unless we sell fallon and stick in a half-decent bid for him. good player but we need a goalscorer and he's not one.

Mikolanda - eeeeyooorrrreeee! west ham loaned him out so he could adapt to english football, he can't even get in the team. not worth bothering with imo. won't stay.

so effectivly we are losing about 5/6 players out the squad....who or what do we replace them with

Thought I'd explained that in my post ?

NMH

How many more loans do we have available to us for the season?

After monday night we've got a fortnight for Iffy to get some players in to replace the loanees that are going. I would think we'd be quite an attractive prospect for players coming to the end of their contracts to come on loan, what with the Sky cameras being around to put them in the shop window, and the prospect of picking up some nuggets of wisdom from Big Ron :wink:

Depends upon their ethnic origin I suppose.

NMH

not what iffy said on the radio

what did iffy say on the radio? i was in the pub

pretty much what brighton red said

mcdermott wants to go back to earn a new contract at fulham. could possibly extend his loan but isn't looking good at the minute

listened to iffy then went to a pub in cricklade

i'd say our team now will be:

Evans
Smith
Ohanlon
Ifil
Nicho
Shakes
Migs
Gurney
maybe holgate on the wing if brown don't stay?
Fallon
Curo??

to be honest, i dunno.  :|

fair play to the lad but if he makes the grade at fulham then i'm going to become a professional footballer as well.

i agree sonic. just that he is crap. don't become a pro.  :wink:

McDermott will never make the grade at Fulham.

Without our loan players the team would have to be

Evans

Smith
O'Hanlon
Iifl
Nicholas

Shakes
Miglioranzi
Whalley
Nicolau

Fallon
Cureton

Doesnt look all that bad, providing the likes of Whalley, Nicolau & Cureton perform. Doesnt give us much on the bench though

Bulman
Jenkins
Comyn-Platt
Pook
Holgate

Don't you think that if Gurney doesn't sign (he will) that they'll play CCP in the same role as Gurney's been occupying?

Right. Looking at the squad without the current loan players and ignoring a few youngsters who haven't played yet (Ben Wells, Kyle Lapham and Leigh Henry) this is how the squad looks:

Rhys Evans
Sean O'Hanlon      
Jack Smith      
Nicky Nicolau      
Jerel Ifil      
Steve Jenkins      
Gareth Whalley      
Rory Fallon      
Stefani Miglioranzi      
Jamie Cureton
Ricky Shakes      
Matthew Bulman      
Alan Reeves      
Andrew Nicholas      
Charlie Comyn-Platt      
Christian Roberts      
Michael Pook           
David Stroud      
Ashan Holgate    

It does look a little on the small side, however, if you take into consideration the positions we need to fill in a basic 4-4-2 system using the barebones squad we've got, it's fairly comfortable.

Assuming Gurney does sign and opinion is fairly unanimous that he will and also presuming we sign Brown, which I'd like us to, this is how the squad looks in a more detailed format.

Goal: Rhys Evans | Matthew Bulman

Right-back: Steve Jenkins | Jack Smith | Andy Gurney

Left-back: Andy Nicholas | Jack Smith | Nicky Nicolau

Centre-back: Sean O'Hanlon | Jerel Ifil | Charlie Comyn-Platt | Alan Reeves | Andy Gurney

Right-wing: Ricky Shakes | Christian Roberts

Left-wing: Nicky Nicolau | David Stroud | Aaron Brown

Centre-midfield: Stefani Miglioranzi | Michael Pook | Gareth Whalley  | Charlie Comyn-Platt | Andy Gurney | Aaron Brown

Striker: Rory Fallon | Jamie Cureton | Christian Roberts | Ashan Holgate

Okay, so the players in bold are the ones who started the game today and those in italics are players on loan who I think are likely to sign. As it looks, there isn't a huge amount of depth in the squad but there's cover in all positions even without Gurney and Brown.

As DV has highlighted, much and a little more depends on certain players performing - Cureton and Nicolau in particular - as there isn't much depth or experience on the bench. For this reason, I'd look at bringing in an experienced goalscorer, a right-winger who can cross the ball well and has pace and a backup goalkeeper to push Evans for the first team spot.

All in all, things aren't too shoddy. Of the loan players who are leaving, we've not seen much of Collins, Heath or Mikolanda and Gurney and Brown seem poised to remain at the club. This only means we'd lose Bouazza and Heaton, Bouazza's 'versatility' would need to be replaced by the aforementioned experienced goalscorer and a pacey right-winger who can cross the ball and Heaton needs to be replaced by a half-decent goalkeeper.

However a lot of this all depends on players staying fit and injury free, the first choice players remaining in good form and hopefully a flesh-eating virus won't manifest itself in the changing rooms and decimate our squad, management and backroom staff.

That makes sense, but as you've said its very bare, it will be a struggle when injuries and suspensions kick in.

Whalley and Roberts have hardly played this season. Smith went off injured today

Jamie Cureton could well hand in a transfer request and we havent seen much of Nicolau