Time For Complete Clear Out!

[Lordofthesouth]

After today's defeat it is league one football next season. These players have been involved in two relegation battles two years running which indicates they are nowhere near good enough. All players whose contracts are up should not be renewed and SOD should be allowed to build a completely new team which should include the best of our u21 players. It's common knowledge that our academy is one of the best around and long term will start producing but next season a whole new team is required! Depressing but time for a complete clear out! Onwards and upwards!

[marmite]

We wont raise enough cash selling this bunch to buy a new team, and with the new rules re finance coming in, we may have to depend on our younger players, thank God.

[old_eastender]

Well with Elliot, Bates, Nyatanga, J.Wilson, M.Wilson, Carey, Skuse, Howard, Heaton & Gerken all out of contract that's 10 we can do without.

Fonts, Kilkenny & Pearson need to be shown the door too.

Albert will be sold, might get 2m if we are lucky. Baldock/Davies might have to go too.

Should be largely a whole new side next year, thank goodness!

[Rocky]

Same posts different week.

[bristolcitysweden]

Every tenth player should be kept including the 18 year olds.

[marshy]

Every tenth player should be kept including the 18 year olds.

Back in Roman times the squad would have been decimated long before now. Lined up and every tenth one 'removed' as it were. Pour encourager les autres.

[Carey 6]

If we don't offer anyone out of contract a new one, it leaves us with a squad of 15

0 Goalkeepers

2 Right Backs (Foster, Moloney)

1 Centre Back (Fontaine)

2 Left Backs (Bryan, Cunningham)

2 Right Mids (Anderson, Adomah)

3 Centre Mids (Kilkenny, Kelly, Reid)

1 Left Mid (Pearson)

4 Strikers (Taylor, Baldock, Davies, Burns)

Oh also Krans, Dobie and Batten if they count..

[Carey 6]

Also add to that: Albert, Cunningham, Davies will probably be sold, Foster to be on his way back to Scotland for a small fee also.

Leaves us with a very thin squad.

[Robbored]

Depressing but time for a complete clear out! Onwards and upwards!

Do want to spend another 8 seasons in Div 1? Thats likely to be the case if O'Driscoll doesn't have a decent core of players to start next season with.

[Guest]

Do want to spend another 8 seasons in Div 1? Thats likely to be the case if O'Driscoll doesn't have a decent core of players to start next season with.

Or the alternative is keep these shisters who are too comfortable and not good enough for the Championship - we are after 40 games the worst team in the Championship so why assume they will batter league one???

Ridiculous to keep these players who will be on a pretty penny and will no doubt say 'keep me and I'll get you up' only to show little to no fight when the ball is rolling.

Get rid and rebuild. If we keep them our hands are tied.

[Robbored]

Or the alternative is keep these shisters who are too comfortable and not good enough for the Championship - we are after 40 games the worst team in the Championship so why assume they will batter league one???

Ridiculous to keep these players who will be on a pretty penny and will no doubt say 'keep me and I'll get you up' only to show little to no fight when the ball is rolling.

Get rid and rebuild. If we keep them our hands are tied.

The OP was talking about a 'complete clear out'. I don't agree with that but several players will leave this summer because they want Championship football, don't want a drop in wages or their contracts are up. Albert, Skuse, Stead,Heaton and probably Davies to name just 6. You could add Cunningham and Moloney to that list.

Imo O'Driscoll will want to keep a 'core' of his current players. Baldock will be terrific in Div 1. So would Kelly and Kilkenny. Pearson if he stays would also be above average in Div 1 as would Anderson.

Very few clubs bounce straight back when starting from scratch.

[BCAGFC]

Well with Elliot, Bates, Nyatanga, J.Wilson, M.Wilson, Carey, Skuse, Howard, Heaton & Gerken all out of contract that's 10 we can do without.

Fonts, Kilkenny & Pearson need to be shown the door too.

Albert will be sold, might get 2m if we are lucky. Baldock/Davies might have to go too.

Should be largely a whole new side next year, thank goodness!

It worked for Charlton, they released/sold the complete squad and brought in a whole new bunch of players.

Relegation (especially in the manner we are going down - without a fight) will live with the players for a very long time (as regards playing form - not emotionally), we need to fire them out ASAP and build around a new spine aided by our youngsters.

[Kenn Loyal]

This board could not organize a clear out from there own arse.

[Fiale]

The OP was talking about a 'complete clear out'. I don't agree with that but several players will leave this summer because they want Championship football, don't want a drop in wages or their contracts are up. Albert, Skuse, Stead,Heaton and probably Davies to name just 6. You could add Cunningham and Moloney to that list.

Imo O'Driscoll will want to keep a 'core' of his current players. Baldock will be terrific in Div 1. So would Kelly and Kilkenny. Pearson if he stays would also be above average in Div 1 as would Anderson.

Very few clubs bounce straight back when starting from scratch.

Cunningham and Maloney are under contract - so I hope they stay, we certainly don't need to sell.

If we let the 11 players whos contracts are up go, we will still have Maloney, Cunningham, Fontaine, Kelly, Anderson, Pearson, Kilkenny, Baldock as a core of 1st team players - with Foster, Bryan, Taylor, Burns, Reid also in the squad. So with a few signings we should be ok - even have a decent team.

The problem is we try to give contracts to those 11 players who run out is simply, they will want 3 year deals, but have not really covered themselves in glory, proven they cannot compete in the Championship and have lost a lot of respect from the fans - surely better to let them go than offer them new contracts.

[Briz]

If we do get rid of Adomah, Davies, Cunningham and Fontaine(if anyone wants him), and somehow keep Baldock and Anderson, we could be with

--------------------------new GK

---Maloney -----new cb--------new Cb----------Bryan

---Anderson----Reid-----------Kelly----------New lm

--------------------Baldock---------Burns

Subs:Carey(GK),Jones,Battersby,Ajala,Dobie,Krans,Taylor

[GrenadaRed]

We need to be realistic about wages here. For example, whilst Baldock would undoubtedly be excellent in league one, he is on very big money. Way too much for us to be able to pay in League one, so unless we have a huge reduction built into his contract and remarkably he fancies a go in L1 I can't see him, or any other of our high earners staying on. At least Baldock would command a fee, unlike most of our squad, which tells a story in itself.

[Andy Horsman]

This board could not organize a clear out from there own arse.

Hear hear!!!

[Fiale]

We need to be realistic about wages here. For example, whilst Baldock would undoubtedly be excellent in league one, he is on very big money. Way too much for us to be able to pay in League one, so unless we have a huge reduction built into his contract and remarkably he fancies a go in L1 I can't see him, or any other of our high earners staying on. At least Baldock would command a fee, unlike most of our squad, which tells a story in itself.

Well SL said all the players had agreements in their contracts that change depending on Prem/Champ/L1 status - you can only assume the club would make sure that those changes for relegation/promotion would fall into the scope of what the club can afford, otherwise it would be a pointless exercise

[bristolcitysweden]

Well SL said all the players had agreements in their contracts that change depending on Prem/Champ/L1 status - you can only assume the club would make sure that those changes for relegation/promotion would fall into the scope of what the club can afford, otherwise it would be a pointless exercise

Problem is that they will still be around holding us back for years

[Taylor10]

Will there be a clear out though?

Or will the likes of Pearson, Foster, Kilkenny, Fontaine and all the other players that continue to fail us be given yet another chance?

I rate SoD, and I really want him to be given a long run at turning things around. I just hope he doesn't go the way of other managers by giving rubbish players chance after chance.

[bristolcitysweden]

Will there be a clear out though?

Or will the likes of Pearson, Foster, Kilkenny, Fontaine and all the other players that continue to fail us be given yet another chance?

I rate SoD, and I really want him to be given a long run at turning things around. I just hope he doesn't go the way of other managers by giving rubbish players chance after chance.

We will carry them for years. Should anyone leave like for example Woolford we are likely to pay a good part of the sallary for the remaining time of the contract, Will take years to get out of this mess.

[Mendip City]

We should already have a list of decent available players from league 1 (you can bet your life we don't).

Here's one possibility: the lad Edwards at Yeovil is pretty good.....

[Harry]

Absolutely the clear out MUST happen this year.

For the past few years we've had opportunities to get rid of overpaid and underperforming players but haven't done so.

This time it's a must.

I will be unhappy if ANY of the out of contract players are offered new deals.

The wage bill MUST be cut to fall in line with the wage/turnover regulations. At least 10-15 players must leave, and be replaced by 10-15 new players on no more than £3k per week max.

We just need to make sure these new players are of the talented, young and hungry variety we always talk about. Gonna be difficult, but they are out there. New Chief Scout has a real job on his hands!!!! He's gonna have to try to pick up the best young players from lower end L1 clubs and L2, BSQ clubs (even look at League of Ireland). Players who'll be out of contract at clubs lower down the league than us, but who are young and gifted - we WILL be a step up in their careers, lets not slam ourselves too much - we will be a good club to join for an 18-24 year old coming from lower down the leagues.

Some might cost a small fee, others we can get on a free - but don't get too excited people, the rebuild will have to be made up of this type of player - we're not gonna be picking up Prem or Champ rejects as the wages will simply be too high - so it's lower league players whom we can identify as being good prospects.

The likes of Pack at Cheltenham, Bennett & Sercombe at Exeter, Lathrope & Bodin at Torquay, Ayling & Upson at Yeovil (if they don't go up), Turley at Forest Green, Dunkly at Kidderminster. This is where we'll need to be looking.

[Fiale]

Will there be a clear out though?

Or will the likes of Pearson, Foster, Kilkenny, Fontaine and all the other players that continue to fail us be given yet another chance?

I rate SoD, and I really want him to be given a long run at turning things around. I just hope he doesn't go the way of other managers by giving rubbish players chance after chance.

I hope that he's told we want you to build a new team, of your players and those at the club for more than a year are let go when their contracts run out (10/11 this season, and i'd let 6 go next season) this should give him ample scope, and free up wages for him. The club need to let him know that the old guard need to go, as they have failed to perform for 2-4 seasons now and we are not willing to chance another 3 years with them.

[AshtonGreat]

The OP was talking about a 'complete clear out'. I don't agree with that but several players will leave this summer because they want Championship football, don't want a drop in wages or their contracts are up. Albert, Skuse, Stead,Heaton and probably Davies to name just 6. You could add Cunningham and Moloney to that list.

Imo O'Driscoll will want to keep a 'core' of his current players. Baldock will be terrific in Div 1. So would Kelly and Kilkenny. Pearson if he stays would also be above average in Div 1 as would Anderson.

Very few clubs bounce straight back when starting from scratch.

Pearson wouldn't be above average in the Downs League

[Mendip City]

I hope that he's told we want you to build a new team, of your players and those at the club for more than a year are let go when their contracts run out (10/11 this season, and i'd let 6 go next season) this should give him ample scope, and free up wages for him. The club need to let him know that the old guard need to go, as they have failed to perform for 2-4 seasons now and we are not willing to chance another 3 years with them.

Trouble is we all said this last year and loads of players have left..... But no improvement.

[HoldenBall]

we HAVE to get rid of players like fontaine, nyatanga, kilkenny, foster, pearson not because they are not good enough, but because of their losing mentality. We need fresh faces, fresh ideas and a new impetus heading into league 1, not the same people who got us there in the first place.

[TRL]

we HAVE to get rid of players like fontaine, nyatanga, kilkenny, foster, pearson not because they are not good enough, but because of their losing mentality. We need fresh faces, fresh ideas and a new impetus heading into league 1, not the same people who got us there in the first place.

And if no one wants them?

That is the major problem as I see it.

Same goes for baldock, davies cunningham et al. If we cannot afford to keep them, yet no one wants them.... interesting times

[HoldenBall]

And if no one wants them?

That is the major problem as I see it.

Same goes for baldock, davies cunningham et al. If we cannot afford to keep them, yet no one wants them.... interesting times

Just glad some of them are at the end of their contract.

[TRL]

Just glad some of them are at the end of their contract.

Tango is the only one in your list and my list that is out this year isn't he?