Boyyou

Doubt we would get fees for either. Think they are decent players but in the wrong team at the wrong time. Scamp04 in the above post makes some great observations. Chesterfield had already recruited the basis of a good, balanced squad and narrowly missed out in the play-offs. They added Grigg and Naylor and Berry as the final pieces of the jigsaw. For Grigg and Naylor read Norwood and Conlon. Added to an already established squad they would be viewed differently. Chesterfield didn't recruit 5 cente backs and no full backs, they already had a midfield with goal potential which could pass to each other and had one good goalscoring winger (Colclough) so added a second in Berry, giving them pace and width. We signed willing runners. We simply didn't address the basics before putting cherries on the top.

Agreed, PeteG. We may need to shift some high earners. If we can get the right 5 or 6 in it could make a big difference. For all our troubles at the start and finish of the season we didn't end a million miles from the play-offs- and they have to be the aim. A more comprehensive rejig of the squad can only really come when contracts are up the following summer.

Think I'm right in saying we will be about £400,000 worse off for next season now that parachute payments end. The club went balls deep on backing DU's recruitment of players on 2/3 year contracts and it has backfired spectacularly.

Trouble is the budget will probably be reduced. EFL funding now ended and MM hinting that those under contract already make up the entirety of the budget. Still think we will have to sell/swop/move on a fair few - particularly higher earners - to create some wriggle room.

Genuinely feel for Gateshead. Good footballing side there on merit, but it shows the perils of not owning your own ground - as with Halifax and the Council owned shit tip of a pitch.

Might be coincidence that they were the three looking for new contracts while the rest were dreaming of lying "knackered " on the beach.

Wouldn't put it quite like that but, with the benefit of hindsight, mistakes have been made. Decisions have undoubtedly been made with the best of intentions but recruitment has been bizarrely unbalanced. We've let a novice manager run riot in the sweet shop and it will take a strong-willed, experienced character to tidy up.

Very much so, Glossop. I've said the same before. We can't undo the damage in one window due to the contracts situation and budget constraints

Marc White has said the same about us - and no doubt most other managers.

Seriously wondering if one of the options is to sell or swap the likes of Hobson, Norwood, Conlon (among the top earners), on top of trying to shift so some of the contracted acted also-rans. By the sounds of it, the 18 under contract already take up the vast majority of next season's budget so some drastic/creative effort is required to dig us out of this self- inflicted mess.

Or if he goes. Dreadful recruitment has dumped us in the mire and it will take some creative wheeling and dealing to improve the situation

And Murray is already coaching the first team

Not slagging your opinion BP, but Couto is 21 in September

However, very revealing was 'it's still a long term project' which might suggest relatively limited changes this summer and more the following summer when contracts expire.

1500 refunds for Fax to think about. How sad

And he is still in midfield, not a defender!

Don't think he is the answer as a starter, but at least he gives a shit

Still think he might get 12 months as a handy squad player

With Kitching injured and Fondop banned there aren't too many obvious alternatives.

Yep. And that's just for a reasonable starting line-up, never mind decent back-ups!

With 2 proper full backs, a proper DM and younger/better versions of Garner and Gardner it wouldn't look like a bad 4-3-3 !

On a reduced budget I can't see us having , or needing, more than 3 keepers (one out on loan with recall clause) and 22 outfield players. If we get rid of the 10 out of contract we still have 18 under contract ( 2 keepers). Don't think that leaves a lot of wriggle room so we'll need to shift a fair few somehow to create space for quality. I'd be looking at Shelton, Ward, Willoughby, Nuttall and Reid for sure. And I'd still have doubts over Lundstram, Sheron and Kitch.

Glossop, you're a cock eyed optimist. I'm getting one in the hope that Oldhamer Brian Cox can persuade the club to change the player entrance tune to "Things can only get better"

Object all you like but if the league have the final say you have to get on with it.

Hobson might be worth a small fee, even Sutton,.