Just caught the back end of MOTD after seeing to my neighbours wife. Long time since I've watched premier league football, but just a few minutes of that really brings it home to what we're lacking in abundance - Passion, desire and a willingness to go the extra bit further to win matches.
I'm not suggesting that players at our level will be particularly good, but I do expect them to look like they give a fuck, even if they don't.
Too many of our current crop seem to think that they are too good to play for us. Too many of them threw in the towel months ago when we flogged Austin etc.
Off the top of my head, I'd fuck off the following, NOW:
Smith: Fucking loser. Bad attitude and makes too many mistakes.
Lucas: Whining, Northern twat. Always injured and prone to schoolboy errors.
Cuthbert: Thinks he's too good for us. Doesn't communicate and goes missing too often when not accompanied by an experienced defender..
Caddis: Sometimes effective going forward, but goes missing.
JPM: Throws his arms around a lot. Innefective in a side desperate for more effective workrate in midfield.
Prutton: Big Time Charlie who does just enough to get through games. Had long enough to prove himself and cost 2 managers their job this season alone.
Rose: Thinks he's better than he is. Willing to bet that he rarely, if ever, breaks into a sweat. The sweet left foot is an expensive luxury we can no longer afford.
Douglas: Sulky fucker who thinks he's better than he is. I hate saying that as he was immense for us last season. Gone missing this season though and is a shite skipper.
Sheehan: Bodin's already fucked him off.
Pericard: Enough said.
I'd build the side for next season around Ferry, LJF, Flint, Timlin, Manks and Richie. That gives us a competent centre back pairing, an attacking full back, plenty of inventive, attacking workrate in the middle, and fuck all up front - a bit like this season
Misun sounds like he might be useful as well, but we haven't seen him play. Benyon and Pavett may or may not turn out regularly, but I wouldn't rely on either of them if we want to get promoted.
A few of the younsters might well step up to the plate as well, but again, I wouldn't rely on any of them from what I've seen so far.
That's a buying list of 7 or 8 hungry players, plus a couple of loans between now and August.
Not easy, but it's doable if the right manager comes in and knows where to look, how to buy / persuade / cajole in the transfer market.
I'd imagine we'd save one hell of a lot of money on wages by culling the wasters on the above list as well.
