Schu me the way to Amarillo - Summer 2025 Transfer Thread

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

For those on long term contracts such as Lolos, Collins, Sheehan and McAtee, we surely can get some money for them. Collins and Sheehan are not yet damaged goods, so someone may be willing to give us at least 750k for them. For the other 2, we take anything we can get. Schuey needs funds for the rebuild.

Some money, aye, but we may have to make an accounting loss if we lose an asset (to whom we contractually owe a lot of money). Which is fine - I believe the phrase is "cutting your losses" - but will take some bean-counting. Not saying it's not worth doing, just that it's never as easy as folk imagine to simply "get shut".

I agree though that there will be clubs who would be willing to take Collins and Sheehan, and possibly Lolos and McAtee - but only if we give them a bargain, and as contracted players they won't have to leave unless it's worth their while financially.

I note you didn't dare include Randall. Still got three years paying his wages....

EDIT I see that while I was making a cup of tea, my boy BWFCi made the same points much more pithily.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I'm sure that the manager can invite offers (loan or transfer) for all the players and see how much (if any) interest comes about.

I’m sure he will but I think it’s unlikely you get many biters unless you offer discounts. Which means we have less to play with. Also can’t force players to leave if the money on the table is less elsewhere.

Aye. Nobody makes a lot of money at a fire sale. Word quickly gets around, prices are suppressed, and you find yourself attracting offers for those you want to keep (although right now that's not exactly a bustling queue).

[Worthy4England]

I'm sure that the manager can invite offers (loan or transfer) for all the players and see how much (if any) interest comes about.

I’m sure he will but I think it’s unlikely you get many biters unless you offer discounts. Which means we have less to play with. Also can’t force players to leave if the money on the table is less elsewhere.

Weren't half of this lot "Champo" quality...they should be able to improve their salary.... (snigger)

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I'm sure that the manager can invite offers (loan or transfer) for all the players and see how much (if any) interest comes about.

I’m sure he will but I think it’s unlikely you get many biters unless you offer discounts. Which means we have less to play with. Also can’t force players to leave if the money on the table is less elsewhere.

Weren't half of this lot "Champo" quality...they should be able to improve their salary.... (snigger)

As I say, I hope Evatt gets a good job just so we can see how much he really likes this bunch of players he assembled. I'm sure we can do a job-lot deal for cash. Please see my other auction items.

[Harry Genshaw]

He can get rid of anyone for me. The one signing we absolutely need is a coach (not at Schumacher level) who undertsands "defence."

Agreed. This is my worry with SS. After the new manager bounce, he's hardly made us hard to beat, stronger on set pieces etc. I expect to see us look a lot lot better defensively next August.

[Mar]

JUNE 2025
Nathan Baxter RELEASE (lot of highs, too many lows)
Joel Coleman RELEASE (surprised hes not gone already)
Gethin Jones RELEASE (thanks for the memories)
Ricardo Santos RELEASE (thanks for the memories)
Alex Murphy KEEP (we've had youngsters who have gone on to star for other clubs, its about time we persisted with one or two)
Jay Matete KEEP (physically tough and has some technical ability)
Kion Etete RELEASE (there's a player in there someone, maybe held hostage in Etete's basement?)
Luke Hutchinson KEEP (providing hes under age and doesnt take a squad spot)
Luke Matheson RELEASE (efforts been good for the most part)
Max Conway *club has +1yr option KEEP (providing hes under age and doesnt take a squad spot)

JUNE 2026
Luke Southwood *club has +1yr option KEEP (good backup, but not for main keeper)
Will Forrester KEEP (progressed this season, injury doubts)
George Johnston KEEP (plays well with Toal, had a trouble season, but I think he does care)
Josh Dacres-Cogley KEEP (standout season for him, well done)
Jordi Osei-Tutu KEEP (moments player, good quality, we need more of that)
Kyle Dempsey KEEP (actually fights for the shirt, we need that at the club)
Carlos Mendes Gomes RELEASE (sadly, good player, too injury prone)
Victor Adeboyejo RELEASE (goes missing too much)
Dan Nlundulu RELEASE (Etete makes him look good)

JUNE 2027
Eoin Toal KEEP (game changer when he plays)
Chris Forino KEEP (played well for the most part)
Josh Sheehan KEEP/RELEASE (torn on this one)
George Thomason KEEP (kept going and going)
Aaron Morley KEEP (exceptional season)
Szabolcs Schön *club has +1yr option KEEP
Aaron Collins RELEASE (lack of effort is unacceptable)
Klaidi Lolos RELEASE (not contributing enough, had some moments)
John McAtee RELEASE (lack of effort is unacceptable)

JUNE 2028
Joel Randall RELEASE (dont get the impression he wants to be here)


So far...

GK: Southwood
Defence: Toal, Forino, Johnston, JDC, Schon, Forrester, Murphy
Midfield: Thomason, Morley, Dempsey
Attackers:


Pretty poor reflection on the forwards as a whole, given we've generally scored a lot and conceded a load.

I'm not happy with the effort levels of any of the forwards at this moment in time. Service into them hasn't been great, but the fact we see them ambling around on the pitch is just horrific to watch.

I know we're not going to get rid of them all, but we need to defend from the front and solidify midfield. We're not going to do that without players that will do that consistently. We know the squad is capable as shown against Birmingham, but since then, there's been nothing.

WE should be able to complain about lack of quality, but not lack of effort. At the minute, the effort needs to be sorted and no-one in that front line strikes me as people that want to compete.

The defenders have had waves after waves of pressure against them this season. They're bound to make mistakes, but you breach the midfield and then the defence have to scramble. There's no outball and thats primarily due to the lack of effort up top. Collins is technically great, but we need those effort levels. Little flicks only go so far.

[BWFC_Insane]

Not sure we can keep so many defenders after two seasons of a horrific goals against column. Clearly aren’t it. I think Toal is a good player unlucky with injuries. Forrester I think might have something. The rest I don’t see as being good enough often enough though Johnston on his day can be excellent he just then has awful days.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

He can get rid of anyone for me. The one signing we absolutely need is a coach (not at Schumacher level) who undertsands "defence."

Agreed. This is my worry with SS. After the new manager bounce, he's hardly made us hard to beat, stronger on set pieces etc. I expect to see us look a lot lot better defensively next August.

Yep. Still hopeful that the internal monologue among the coaches is something like "Right, defensive set-piece, this is where we've told them where to WHAT THE F*** WAS THAT?!!!!"

I mean I've heard it said many times that both goalkeepers and strikers are very much dependent on form and confidence, but it feels like so is almost every defender we've signed. (I say almost because JDC, while in some ways limited, is also very good at just doing the next thing rather than spinning into an existential crisis when his puppy doesn't fart rainbows.)

[Harry Genshaw]

Much as I've lost trust in most of this current lot, conversely, you could see any of them thriving in another side or with different players alongside them. Sheehan, Collins, McAtee, even Lolos & Randall.

[DJBlu]

Pretty hard to argue against most of that Mar although I would say Collins with 19 goals is a keep.

[Bertie Wooster]

My thought process is not to spend anything on transfer fee's in the summer that the club may have had planned (possibly £1M- £2M or so ?), and use whatever funds they had to fund loans or sweeten transfers to create more squad places for new signings.

I'm sure that there will be plenty of decent out of contract experienced players that will fit SS requirements, plus 2 or 3 decent young prem loans (I'm sure SS may be able to get a few from Everton). All of our players will be on decent wages so any that we can free up should be enough to fund numerous free transfer wages. Baxter, Santos & Jones must free up £20k a week ?

[BWFC_Insane]

He can get rid of anyone for me. The one signing we absolutely need is a coach (not at Schumacher level) who undertsands "defence."

Agreed. This is my worry with SS. After the new manager bounce, he's hardly made us hard to beat, stronger on set pieces etc. I expect to see us look a lot lot better defensively next August.

If there is a concern with Schumacher and personally I don’t think there is much, but if there is it’s that his management at Plymouth was very much about scoring a lot and being relatively open at times. Which worked because they had Hardie and Mumba and goal scoring mids all over the show. They were very good but he didn’t build it on a maybe more repeatable solid base - not like they were dreadful defensively but he’s not a Warnock who would build a defence every time and then find the little bits of quality to unlock teams. That way is more repeatable and less reliant on the quality of what you’ve got and then staying fit.

[BWFC_Insane]

My thought process is not to spend anything on transfer fee's in the summer that the club may have had planned (possibly £1M- £2M or so ?), and use whatever funds they had to fund loans or sweeten transfers to create more squad places for new signings.

I'm sure that there will be plenty of decent out of contract experienced players that will fit SS requirements, plus 2 or 3 decent young prem loans (I'm sure SS may be able to get a few from Everton). All of our players will be on decent wages so any that we can free up should be enough to fund numerous free transfer wages. Baxter, Santos & Jones must free up £20k a week ?

Whether you are paying £20K per week extra in wages or a £1M transfer fee the outlay is the same. So I’m afraid the budgets don’t work like this. If they have £XM to spend and spend it on paying players off or loan wages or whatever the money has still gone.

[Worthy4England]

For me, it's as much the "bag of bits," conversation. Can Randall, Collins and McAtee work in a side. Probably. Can they all work in our side at the same time. Self evidently not very well. Our "strategy," has failed at a team level.

Combine that with any combo if MF that can't stop a sneeze from the HW to our box and a defence that picks up space rather than players/ball and even when they manage to pick up a player often come second, and it's horrendous.

We just need plan B to be better plan A. Fck me.

[irie Cee Bee]

Randal stays for me. Somehow I believe we need an attacking touch player like him in the squad. A full pre-season with Schuey should be benificial to him and the team.

Both McAtee and Collins have been failures under Schuey. Cant see them playing for him next season. He has probably told them that they are not as good as they think they are, and they dont like it, hence their recent performances. Cant see that changing next season.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

@Mar - thanks, fascinating to read that list. Some answers and thoughts.

• Hutchinson is already overage but doesn't take a squad space because keepers don't count.

• Conway is finishing his final underage season so he would take a squad slot - but personally I wouldn't mind that.

• When you say "release" players who are contracted to 2026, 2027 or 2028 - we can't just release them, they're contracted to us and it works both ways. It means we can demand a transfer fee (I can hear Stadler and Waldorf bellowing "Good luck with that") but it also means if we cancel their contract we have to pay it in full. If we take £5,000 per week as a sample wage that would mean we'd have to pay CMG, Vic and Dan (each contracted till 2026) £250,000 each to go away. Collins, McAtee and Lolos £500,000 each. Randall £750,000. And some of those might (but might not) be on more than £5kpw. Yikes.

• Fascinating that you end up 'saving' so many defenders when only 7 teams (4 of them probably relegated, none above 12th) have conceded more. And no attackers when we've scored more than Wrexham and Charlton (and Reading and Huddersfield), and only literally 1 or 2 less than Stockport and Orient. Flaccid as it has often been of late, broadly speaking the front end's been OK - it's the back end that's been acting like a relegation-haunted team. And yet, and yet... man by man, I agree with many of the defenders you mention keeping, and wouldn't weep at some of the forwards going....

[Bertie Wooster]

My thought process is not to spend anything on transfer fee's in the summer that the club may have had planned (possibly £1M- £2M or so ?), and use whatever funds they had to fund loans or sweeten transfers to create more squad places for new signings.

I'm sure that there will be plenty of decent out of contract experienced players that will fit SS requirements, plus 2 or 3 decent young prem loans (I'm sure SS may be able to get a few from Everton). All of our players will be on decent wages so any that we can free up should be enough to fund numerous free transfer wages. Baxter, Santos & Jones must free up £20k a week ?

Whether you are paying £20K per week extra in wages or a £1M transfer fee the outlay is the same. So I’m afraid the budgets don’t work like this. If they have £XM to spend and spend it on paying players off or loan wages or whatever the money has still gone.

I understand the finances and the way it works, I know that £1M or £20k a week is the same - my point was to not waste any money on transfer fee's for new players and instead use that money to get more players off the books to free up places for free transfers & loans.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

For me, it's as much the "bag of bits," conversation. Can Randall, Collins and McAtee work in a side. Probably. Can they all work in our side at the same time. Self evidently not very well. Our "strategy," has failed at a team level.

Combine that with any combo if MF that can't stop a sneeze from the HW to our box and a defence that picks up space rather than players/ball and even when they manage to pick up a player often come second, and it's horrendous.

Yep to all that. I think there's a world in which Collins (leftish) and Randall (at 10) can both play off a central striker with pace and/or power; personally I think it's a 4-2-3-1 world and one of the 2 has to be far more of an MJ than any of our current options. I do worry that Schumacher seems to want to play "two 10s" (and usually a back three) and that our bags of bits don't fit. What they do fit, god only knows.

I think we also have to have a squad with players coming in and out, so they don't all have to fit in the same XI, but I know it's not easy to carry "first team" players' wages and egos. That balance is the manager's job.

[BWFC_Insane]

My thought process is not to spend anything on transfer fee's in the summer that the club may have had planned (possibly £1M- £2M or so ?), and use whatever funds they had to fund loans or sweeten transfers to create more squad places for new signings.

I'm sure that there will be plenty of decent out of contract experienced players that will fit SS requirements, plus 2 or 3 decent young prem loans (I'm sure SS may be able to get a few from Everton). All of our players will be on decent wages so any that we can free up should be enough to fund numerous free transfer wages. Baxter, Santos & Jones must free up £20k a week ?

Whether you are paying £20K per week extra in wages or a £1M transfer fee the outlay is the same. So I’m afraid the budgets don’t work like this. If they have £XM to spend and spend it on paying players off or loan wages or whatever the money has still gone.

I understand the finances and the way it works, I know that £1M or £20k a week is the same - my point was to not waste any money on transfer fee's for new players and instead use that money to get more players off the books to free up places for free transfers & loans.

I doubt we have any money for fees regardless but yes. A far more pragmatic approach needed.

[TonyDomingos]

My thought process is not to spend anything on transfer fee's in the summer that the club may have had planned (possibly £1M- £2M or so ?), and use whatever funds they had to fund loans or sweeten transfers to create more squad places for new signings.

I'm sure that there will be plenty of decent out of contract experienced players that will fit SS requirements, plus 2 or 3 decent young prem loans (I'm sure SS may be able to get a few from Everton). All of our players will be on decent wages so any that we can free up should be enough to fund numerous free transfer wages. Baxter, Santos & Jones must free up £20k a week ?

Whether you are paying £20K per week extra in wages or a £1M transfer fee the outlay is the same. So I’m afraid the budgets don’t work like this. If they have £XM to spend and spend it on paying players off or loan wages or whatever the money has still gone.

I understand the finances and the way it works, I know that £1M or £20k a week is the same - my point was to not waste any money on transfer fee's for new players and instead use that money to get more players off the books to free up places for free transfers & loans.

I doubt we have any money for fees regardless but yes. A far more pragmatic approach needed.

Nothing to support this, but I hope the Harkin fella took the job because there will be some resources to play with (though God knows where from). It would seem odd to recruit someone to lead on strategy, recruitment etc and not have a few quid to facilitate development.