Contracts: the summer juggle

[Peter Thompson]

That's a good post, Staffs, and I agree with a lot of what you said. For me, the players I want most in our squad next year are Bogdan or Lonergan, Ream, Mills, Dervite, Baptiste, Vela, Danns, Pratley, Mark Davies, Spearing, Feeney, Bannan, Rochinha, Craig Davies, Eidur, Clough, Le Fondre and Clayton. If we have most of them next season, I'll be happy with the core group of players in our squad.

If Danns & Feeney are anywhere near the starting XI next season we will struggle to improve - both dropped for Cardiff and we get a result, enough said.

Mills can also go for me....replace him with Baptiste at Centre Half

Didn't he play in Cardiff, and we got a result? Err, enough said??

Read the post again, I clearly didn't mention Mills being dropped for Cardiff that was about Danns & Feeney.

Mills isn't that bad TBH, but I personally think that we need more consistent performers and a leader at Centre Half if we are to improve enough to get into the play offs - which is surely what its all about not another season in the bottom half of the table

[TANGODANCER]

Mills can also go for me....replace him with Baptiste at Centre Half

Didn't he play in Cardiff, and we got a result? Err, enough said??

I made the point during the game that Mills seemed to be winning an awful lot of clearance headers according to the commentary. Why is he so bad all of a sudden? I ask?

[Prufrock]

That's a good post, Staffs, and I agree with a lot of what you said. For me, the players I want most in our squad next year are Bogdan or Lonergan, Ream, Mills, Dervite, Baptiste, Vela, Danns, Pratley, Mark Davies, Spearing, Feeney, Bannan, Rochinha, Craig Davies, Eidur, Clough, Le Fondre and Clayton. If we have most of them next season, I'll be happy with the core group of players in our squad.

If Danns & Feeney are anywhere near the starting XI next season we will struggle to improve - both dropped for Cardiff and we get a result, enough said.

Mills can also go for me....replace him with Baptiste at Centre Half

Didn't he play in Cardiff, and we got a result? Err, enough said??

Read the post again, I clearly didn't mention Mills being dropped for Cardiff that was about Danns & Feeney.

Mills isn't that bad TBH, but I personally think that we need more consistent performers and a leader at Centre Half if we are to improve enough to get into the play offs - which is surely what its all about not another season in the bottom half of the table

I did read it and, apparently: whether or not you played in Cardiff is definitive as to whether you should sty next year.

You can't have it that Danns and Feeney need binning because they didn't play and we won, and not also have it that Mills is mint because he played and we won.

As it happens he's not my favourite, but he's OK. Burnley went up with Mike Duff as one of their CBs; Leicester with Wes Morgan. Mills, Dervite, Wheater and one more is fine. It's full-backs we're short of. Whilst I get we should always be improving, you also can't change half a squad and it not have an effect.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I'm not a Mills fan because I suspect he lacks leadership when the going is tough. In the aftermath of goals conceded (and there's been a lot: more than WIgan, for example) he has been known to berate junior team-mates who would be better off without the bollocking.

I also suspect he's on a big wage: he signed for Leicester (turning down Premiership offers) during the Svennis spend-spend-spend era, then signed for us in the same summer that Laurel & Hardy, having declared they wanted to get 92 points in what they saw as our only Championship season, handed preposterous contracts to unemployed thirtysomethings Knight, Ricketts and Andrews. At the time of his mooted move to Leeds last season he was said to be on £25,000 per week, which is presumably way above our level now.

I will grant you that he's probably a better player than Wheater, and we do need somebody rough-and-ready at the back: he's quite handy considering his middle name's Claude.

[StaffsTrotter]

I'm not a Mills fan because I suspect he lacks leadership when the going is tough. In the aftermath of goals conceded (and there's been a lot: more than WIgan, for example) he has been known to berate junior team-mates who would be better off without the bollocking.

I also suspect he's on a big wage: he signed for Leicester (turning down Premiership offers) during the Svennis spend-spend-spend era, then signed for us in the same summer that Laurel & Hardy, having declared they wanted to get 92 points in what they saw as our only Championship season, handed preposterous contracts to unemployed thirtysomethings Knight, Ricketts and Andrews. At the time of his mooted move to Leeds last season he was said to be on £25,000 per week, which is presumably way above our level now.

I will grant you that he's probably a better player than Wheater, and we do need somebody rough-and-ready at the back: he's quite handy considering his middle name's Claude.

Think he's alright as a competitive defender and occasional goalscorer, just not really ball playing CH (I thought Dervite was supposed to be but not seen much sign). Not sure I agree with your leadership comment DSB, wasn't he captain at Reading and Leicester as well as ours, so he obviously has something and always seems to be the one doing the gee up in the pre match huddle. Agree with your wages comment, so suspect keeping him will be reliant on Lenny sweet talking a reduced deal, otherwise it will be cheerio.

[TANGODANCER]

B.N has Neil Lennon saying he really wants to keep Bogdan. Looks like Lonnergan may go then?

[Peter Thompson]

That's a good post, Staffs, and I agree with a lot of what you said. For me, the players I want most in our squad next year are Bogdan or Lonergan, Ream, Mills, Dervite, Baptiste, Vela, Danns, Pratley, Mark Davies, Spearing, Feeney, Bannan, Rochinha, Craig Davies, Eidur, Clough, Le Fondre and Clayton. If we have most of them next season, I'll be happy with the core group of players in our squad.

If Danns & Feeney are anywhere near the starting XI next season we will struggle to improve - both dropped for Cardiff and we get a result, enough said.

Mills can also go for me....replace him with Baptiste at Centre Half

Didn't he play in Cardiff, and we got a result? Err, enough said??

Read the post again, I clearly didn't mention Mills being dropped for Cardiff that was about Danns & Feeney.

Mills isn't that bad TBH, but I personally think that we need more consistent performers and a leader at Centre Half if we are to improve enough to get into the play offs - which is surely what its all about not another season in the bottom half of the table

I did read it and, apparently: whether or not you played in Cardiff is definitive as to whether you should sty next year.

You can't have it that Danns and Feeney need binning because they didn't play and we won, and not also have it that Mills is mint because he played and we won.

As it happens he's not my favourite, but he's OK. Burnley went up with Mike Duff as one of their CBs; Leicester with Wes Morgan. Mills, Dervite, Wheater and one more is fine. It's full-backs we're short of. Whilst I get we should always be improving, you also can't change half a squad and it not have an effect.

I was just pointing out that Danns & Feeney had been dropped for the Cardiff game, and we got a win away - I have actually been saying for months now that both are very average players and simply not good enough or consistent enough if we are to have any chance of challenging at the top next season.

Tango re Mills, he's ok but similar to the above he's simply not consistent enough and he's no leader on the pitch IMO, if he will accept much lower wages then I've no issue with keeping him as a squad player, but on his current salary we could do much better I'm sure.

[StaffsTrotter]

I was just pointing out that Danns & Feeney had been dropped for the Cardiff game, and we got a win away - I have actually been saying for months now that both are very average players and simply not good enough or consistent enough if we are to have any chance of challenging at the top next season.

So what do you do with them PT - both under contract - wasn't Danns recently extended ?

[Peter Thompson]

I was just pointing out that Danns & Feeney had been dropped for the Cardiff game, and we got a win away - I have actually been saying for months now that both are very average players and simply not good enough or consistent enough if we are to have any chance of challenging at the top next season.

So what do you do with them PT - both under contract - wasn't Danns recently extended ?

IMO it was bloody daft to extend Danns contract at the time, granted he tries his best and puts in the effort but he's a limited, journeyman midfielder at best - but if they are both under contract then either give them free transfers (I can't recall what or if we paid anything for them) or if not try and get them season long loans to League 1 teams, because that again IMO is their level. The teams coming up from league 1 to the championship may be interested them.

We need better quality, more consistent players if we are to mount any sort of challenge not players who have one good game in every 3 or 4.

[Peter Thompson]

Whilst we are at it, NL needs to find someone to take Trotter off our hands because he's far worse than Danns & Feeney.

[TKIZ!]

Bear in mind that we have already pre-signed a CB (can't remember his name but he's a monster at 6ft 4in and possibly Eastern European) and a CF in Daniel Hughes from Norn Iron

[Bruce Rioja]

Bear in mind that we have already pre-signed a CB (can't remember his name but he's a monster at 6ft 4in and possibly Eastern European)

We've signed Ivan Drago?

[LeverEnd]

Bear in mind that we have already pre-signed a CB (can't remember his name but he's a monster at 6ft 4in and possibly Eastern European)

We've signed Ivan Drago?

I like that idea. I'd like to see him wipe out a Wolves player then stare coldly at his prostrate form and declare 'If he dies, he dies.'
However I think he's called Nick Kuipers, and that's all I know of him.

[TKIZ!]

Aye, that's the one Nick 'Ivan Drago' Kuipers, a Portuguese RB called Paulinho and Daniel Hughes have already been 'tapped' up to sign by Lenny

[jonnybwfc]

Kuipers plays as a centre back for MVV Maastricht in the Dutch 2nd Division.

They're mid-table, but conceded the 3rd most goals in the division.

He'll fit right in here.

[Nicko58]

I was just pointing out that Danns & Feeney had been dropped for the Cardiff game, and we got a win away - I have actually been saying for months now that both are very average players and simply not good enough or consistent enough if we are to have any chance of challenging at the top next season.

So what do you do with them PT - both under contract - wasn't Danns recently extended ?

IMO it was bloody daft to extend Danns contract at the time, granted he tries his best and puts in the effort but he's a limited, journeyman midfielder at best - but if they are both under contract then either give them free transfers (I can't recall what or if we paid anything for them) or if not try and get them season long loans to League 1 teams, because that again IMO is their level. The teams coming up from league 1 to the championship may be interested them.

We need better quality, more consistent players if we are to mount any sort of challenge not players who have one good game in every 3 or 4.

It all sounds so simple in theory but we can't just rip up their contracts without their consent, and I doubt either of them would agree to drop a divison when they've both been practically ever presents in our first team.

[TKIZ!]

Kuipers plays as a centre back for MVV Maastricht in the Dutch 2nd Division.

They're mid-table, but conceded the 3rd most goals in the division.

He'll fit right in here.

Good to see you giving the fella a chance

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

According to WhoScored.com's analysis of the Bolton players, Feeney's got the most assists this season. He also provides 1.4 key passes per game, topped only by Chungy (gone), Spearing (going), Clayton (small sample) and, interestingly the clear leader, Bannan. By most non-quantitative reports he's also hard-working, will happily play in different positions and allows us to switch between a back four and back three. He's far from the greatest player in Britain but he's also far from the worst in Bolton.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Well, here goes... Red for dead, green for keep, blue for ooh it depends.

........GKs
1...Adam Bogdan........2015 - Release unless he'll take £10kpw
2...Andy Lonergan......2015 - Only if we can't afford Amos (or he wants buttons)
3...Ben Amos..............2015 - Attempt to keep as first-choice
4...Ross Fitzsimmons..2016 - Third choice behind an old hand a la Kevin Poole / Paddy Kenny

.....Defenders
5...Kevin McNaughton.2015 - Thanks but bye
6...Paddy McCarthy.....2015 - Thanks but bye
7...Quade Taylor.........2015 - Thanks but bye
8...Matt Mills..............2015 - Thanks but bye, unless he'll take a very significant wage drop
9...Alex Baptiste.........2016 - Might be useful, unless he's on wages so big we need to loan him out again
10.Hayden White........2016 - Young, fast, adaptable; see if it works, if not loan/flog with sell-on clause
11.David Wheater.......2016 - If someone wants him, sell; if not, loan out if he's on big wages
12.Marc Tierney.........2016 - Allegedly medically dead
13.Tim Ream..............2017 - Questionable but flexible
14.Dorian Dervite.......2017 - Not our worst defender
15.Dean Moxey ..........2017 - Flexible; hopefully NL can revive him

......Midfielders
16.Rochinha...............2015 - We'll never afford him; blood our own instead
17.Saidy Janko............2015 - Tidy in possession, flexible and fast
18.Barry Bannan.........2015 - Very creative - try to get him back
19.Giles Coke.............2015 - Thanks but bye
20.Jordan Lussey........2015 - Worth a longer look next season
21.Simeon Slavchev....2015 - Thanks but bye
22.Chris Lester...........2015 - One more year to break through, otherwise loan/sell-on clause
23.Luke Woodland......2015 - Promising, might break through next year
24.Andy Hughes.........2015 - Thanks but bye
25.Keith Andrews.......2015 - Thanks but bye
26.Darren Pratley.......2015 - Flexible and hard-working. Renew, as long as he doesn't want millions
27.Liam Feeney ..........2016 - Flexible and hard-working. Likely to be around a while yet
28.Medo Kamara........2016 - Never did much wrong but hey-ho
29.Neil Danns............2016 - Flexible and hard-working. Shouldn't be an automatic pick though
30.Rob Hall................2016 - One more year to break through, otherwise loan/sell-on clause
31.Josh Vela...............2017 - The Future
32.Filip Twardzik.......2017 - Lennon's only buy; seems flexible; hopefully will settle
33.Jay Spearing ..........2017 - Probably well-paid, so best off gone
34.Liam Trotter ..........2017 - What chance of finding a buyer? Season loan back to Millwall?
35.Mark Davies ..........2017 - Man of glass, which is a pity

......Forwards
36.Adam Le Fondre.....2015 - A finisher, which we need, if Cardiff will let us have him
37.Jermaine Beckford..2015 - Thanks but bye
38.Craig Davies...........2015 - Renew. Hardworking link/target-man, worth having around
39.Eidur Gudjohnsen...2015 - Thanks oh so much but bye, unless he's on buttons
40.Emile Heskey..........2015 - Thanks but bye
41.Georg Iliev..............2015 - Renew: One more year to break through, otherwise loan/sell-on clause
42.Tom Eaves..............2016 - One more year to break through, otherwise loan/sell-on clause
43.Sanmi Odelusi.........2016 - One more year to break through, otherwise loan/sell-on clause
44.Max Clayton ............2017 - Promising; big hopes for next year
45.Zach Clough............2017 - Very very promising indeed
46.Conor Wilkinson......2018 - One more year to break through, otherwise loan/sell-on clause

I'm aware that leaves us short of defenders, but frankly I think new blood is needed there anyway... there are a lot of midfielders in green but it includes wingers/wingbacks and four or five are kids looking to break through; similarly, the eight attackers are half first-team-ready and half hopefuls. As Staffs said, we can't really afford an enormous squad of two established players per position, nor should we want it if we're going to try to groom the successors to Vela, Clough and - someone not on this list (blame Staffs) - Walker...

[bobo the clown]

What happened to Oscar Threlkeld ? 12 months ago he sort of threatened to break through.... & there was another similarly who I can't recall.