Schu me the way to Amarillo - Summer 2025 Transfer Thread

[Prufrock]

Last time I did one of these it went pretty well. Feels like we need another good one. Sorry in advance if it turns out transfer market success is in fact uncorrelated with who starts the thread.

Who do we need, who would you like to see come in?

Who wouldn't you hate to see stay (that's the best I can do)?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

@Pru a thought on the latter point: you could add a poll asking which players folk would like to see here next season... well, sort of.

If I recall, polls can have up to 20 options. By my reckoning we have 26 in the current squad - including the absent Nlundulu - but you could exclude the three loanees (Murphy, Matete, Etete) plus Coleman, then it's just picking two other names to drop. Could be Jones and Santos, widely expected to leave.

[TonyDomingos]

Great title and I'm sure thread starter / success of the window is causal.

I see Amarillo is the Helium Capitol the World, so I guess we're looking for some high-fliers from the Gasheads, but without the transfer budget ballooning?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Great title and I'm sure thread starter / success of the window is causal.

I see Amarillo is the Helium Capitol the World, so I guess we're looking for some high-fliers from the Gasheads, but without the transfer budget ballooning?

I see the hot air has begun in earnest.

Speaking of which, copy-pasting the post (copy-posting?) about his Plymouth pals who may be available....


Seems increasingly clear Schuey has looked into the bag of bits and not liked what he's found. A big summer ahead, perhaps. But who might he target from his hugely successful 101-point Plymouth side of 2022/23? While the juggle might be difficult (we have a large and expensive squad), the following names seem the likeliest to me. Listed in decreasing order of appearances that season...

Jordan Houghton (DM) - the six-foot defensive midfielder is out of contract in summer after four years at Plymouth. He was signed by Ryan Lowe but was a key player under Schumacher - nobody topped his 43 league appearances in the promotion season and he was standby skipper when Joe Edwards didn't play. Chelsea-schooled, he turns 30 in November so it will be his last big contract. There's a question over whether he's as good a passer as some defensive midfielders – Rooney preferred Adam Forshaw - but some would say that's the opposite problem to what Schumacher's facing now. Whether he'll be able to persuade Houghton and his young family to uproot is another question.

Ryan Hardie (CF) - Top scorer in the promotion season, the 6ft 2in Scottish striker would be hard to get. Just turned 28 and contracted until 2026, he's also their highest scorer this season, so they may be in no mood to sell.

Matt Butcher (DM) - 6ft2in midfielder we were linked with in summer 2022 when he was leaving Accy. He went to Schuey's Plymouth instead and made 40 league appearances as they went up. Schuey's slapstick successor Ian Foster released him in January 2024 and he went to Wycombe, then a year later was loaned to Bristol Rovers for the rest of the season. Wycombe play their contract cards close to their chest so nobody's sure if he is free this summer, but the loan suggests Wycombe might not want him anyway. Despite the Accy link he's a southerner. Turns 28 in May.

Niall Ennis (CF) - Second-top scorer in the promotion season. Schuey signed him again for Stoke in Jan 2024 on a 2.5yr contract but they don't seem to want him and he's bagged 6 in 15 for Blackpool on loan. Turns 26 in May.

Sam Cosgrove (CF) - not our favourite human but dontcha all want a physical striker? He's 6ft 4, 28 and out of contract in summer. In the promotion season he made 34 appearances, 20 from the bench - he was Schumacher's most-used sub - and scored 8. He's not got near that goal rate since - 3 in 32 and 1 in 19 for Barnsley, followed by 0 in 7 so far for Stockport - but if you want a third-tier battering ram and you can't afford Matt Smith, he's yer boy.

Nigel Lonwijk (CB) - 6ft 5in Dutch centre-back made 34 appearances in the promotion season on loan from Wolves, who still hold his contract. Since then he's been lent to Grasshopper, Wycombe and Huddersfield. His contract is up this summer but Wolves have a year's option; even so, Schuey might fancy a repeat borrow.

[HMX]

I’d expect Schuey to be interested in reuniting with Niall Ennis, but we’d have competition from Ryan Lowe’s Wigan and Ennis’ current loan club Blackpool.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I’d expect Schuey to be interested in reuniting with Niall Ennis, but we’d have competition from Ryan Lowe’s Wigan and Ennis’ current loan club Blackpool.

Quite possibly, but I'd hope we could win that "race". Might depend who pays Stoke a higher slice of his remaining year's salary, buit if it's down to club and manager you'd hope to win that.

[Harry Genshaw]

Lots depends on who we can shift out and/or sell on but I'll be happy to see the bag of bits replaced with a bunch of bastards. Uncompromising centre half, centre mid and target man being the absolute bare minimum. I've not much idea of anyone else's players these days but could we tempt The Juke or similar on a 1 year contract?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

could we tempt The Juke or similar on a 1 year contract?

The Juke is 36 now, his contract's up and you imagine Birmingham will be signing Neymar this summer. He's played 24 times this season but only 5 starts; would definitely be more 'Jerome' than 'Bodvarsson'.

[irie Cee Bee]

Looking at out foward options up front, its telling that we built a squad of forwards who cannot head a football. Charles, Ade, McAtee and Collins would rather turn their backs from the ball if it came at them in the air than head it. So they nullify wingers or wing backs whose only option now is to square the ball on the ground, invariably hitting the first defender.

James Collins today showed us what we are missing when he scored that attacking header, something our fowards would never attempt against a centre half.

Schuey starts there. I would not flinch if he sold both McAtee and Collins to get some cash for 2 more agressive forwards who can jump in the 18 yard box to compliment our young foward and Ade.

[Bertie Wooster]

Get rid of all the 3 show pony forward shirkers, and that includes Collins. Did he touch the ball today ?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Contract situation reminder.

JUNE 2025
Nathan Baxter
Joel Coleman
Gethin Jones
Ricardo Santos
Alex Murphy
Jay Matete
Kion Etete
Luke Hutchinson
Luke Matheson
Max Conway *club has +1yr option

JUNE 2026
Luke Southwood *club has +1yr option
Will Forrester
George Johnston
Josh Dacres-Cogley
Jordi Osei-Tutu
Kyle Dempsey
Carlos Mendes Gomes
Victor Adeboyejo
Dan Nlundulu

JUNE 2027
Eoin Toal
Chris Forino
Josh Sheehan
George Thomason
Aaron Morley
Szabolcs Schön *club has +1yr option
Aaron Collins
Klaidi Lolos
John McAtee

JUNE 2028
Joel Randall

[Worthy4England]

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

[irie Cee Bee]

Get rid of all the 3 show pony forward shirkers, and that includes Collins. Did he touch the ball today ?

No.

[Bertie Wooster]

I wonder if the chairman will take some accountability for a shit show of a season ?

I'd settle for acknowledgment that she should have potted Evatt after the Wembley debacle.

[irie Cee Bee]

Contract situation reminder.

JUNE 2025
Nathan Baxter
Joel Coleman
Gethin Jones
Ricardo Santos
Alex Murphy
Jay Matete
Kion Etete
Luke Hutchinson
Luke Matheson
Max Conway *club has +1yr option

JUNE 2026
Luke Southwood *club has +1yr option
Will Forrester
George Johnston
Josh Dacres-Cogley
Jordi Osei-Tutu
Kyle Dempsey
Carlos Mendes Gomes
Victor Adeboyejo
Dan Nlundulu

JUNE 2027
Eoin Toal
Chris Forino
Josh Sheehan
George Thomason
Aaron Morley
Szabolcs Schön *club has +1yr option
Aaron Collins
Klaidi Lolos
John McAtee

JUNE 2028
Joel Randall

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.

[TonyDomingos]

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

This thread wants changing to "Schu 'em all the door."

[BWFC_Insane]

Contract situation reminder.

JUNE 2025
Nathan Baxter
Joel Coleman
Gethin Jones
Ricardo Santos
Alex Murphy
Jay Matete
Kion Etete
Luke Hutchinson
Luke Matheson
Max Conway *club has +1yr option

JUNE 2026
Luke Southwood *club has +1yr option
Will Forrester
George Johnston
Josh Dacres-Cogley
Jordi Osei-Tutu
Kyle Dempsey
Carlos Mendes Gomes
Victor Adeboyejo
Dan Nlundulu

JUNE 2027
Eoin Toal
Chris Forino
Josh Sheehan
George Thomason
Aaron Morley
Szabolcs Schön *club has +1yr option
Aaron Collins
Klaidi Lolos
John McAtee

JUNE 2028
Joel Randall

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.

Who would want to spend money on them and deal with their high wages?

[Bertie Wooster]

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.

[BWFC_Insane]

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.

[Worthy4England]

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

This thread wants changing to "Schu 'em all the door."

Like it. Like it a lot.