We are down. So next season who stays and who goes?

[St. Brynjar]

I like both and both are excellent goalies, so I don't mind which of them leaves - but for McCarthy's sake I hope one of them does so he can get the first team football he needs to achieve his potential.

In terms of strikers if we get a decent offer for him then ALF can go - he's a sublime finisher but we don't play to his strengths at all and he isn't good enough at the 'ugly' things to boss the Championship. I'd like to see Pog stay - at Fulham who play Adkins-style football he was fantastic and if we can find a way of preventing him from being isolated then I can see him being a terror. WCBAP of course. No problem with Hunt staying, he's a proven striker at that level and lives & breathes Reading FC. Ambivalent about Roberts - he'd be a massive asset if he's as good as he was prior to injury but I suspect his heart lies elsewhere. Blackman is something of an unknown entity.
I reckon the players leaving will be:

Pearce
Federici
Pog
Tabb
Harte
Cummings
Roberts
Kebe

[Royal91]

Hopefully Brian will end up at some championship club so we can sell him McAnuff and L,wood.

[SpaghettiHoop]

Going

Those out of contract:
Tabb
Church
Harte
Gunnarsson (gone)
B Williams
S Taylor
Pearce
Roberts
Hunt (possibly offered new contract if relegated)

Transferred:
Gorkšs

Transferred if relegated:
Pogrebnyak

If offers come in (from Brian's next club?):
Kebe
MacAnuff - both in last year of contract.

Players in:
First team Left Back
First Team Centre Back
Two First Team Central Midfielders
First Team Striker plus Reserve Striker

Remaining players to run down contracts and act as backup.
I feel it's almost certain we'll be relegated but have the basis for a top six Championship team.

[royalsteve]

Out
Pog
Ledge
Harte
Hunt
Church
Roberts
Pearce
Guthrie

maybe
Shorey
Karacan
feds or McCarthy
kebe

In
Some soton fringe players

[SPARTA]

We can probably expect one or two loanee's from Galatasaray as well.

[blythspartan]

I am hoping for a couple of quality loan signings. According to my Saints mate at work Adkins was trying to bring in Thomas Eisfeld (attacking midfielder) on loan from Arsenal before he got fired.

Not sure why BM was never keen on loanees.

[sandman]

I am hoping for a couple of quality loan signings. According to my Saints mate at work Adkins was trying to bring in Thomas Eisfeld (attacking midfielder) on loan from Arsenal before he got fired.

Not sure why BM was never keen on loanees.

Was he? Griffin, Khizanishvilli and Leigertwood were great loan signings that were a big help in transforming his first year and a half. Sure he didn't sign that many of them but he was hardly against them.

[melonhead]

I wouldn't blink if we lost Federici, Leigertwood, Karacan, Shorey, Taylor, McAnuff, Pogrebnyak, Hunt, Church.

We wont have a massive budget next season, so get rid of the deadwood like Leigertwood; over-rated heavy footers like Karacan, lumps like Pogrebnyak and Hunt, and replace them with a few decent buys and give the likes of D'Ath, Samuel and Obita a chance - players that can be coached to play how Nigel Adkins wants them to play, and more importantly, young hungry players who want to learn and prove themselves.

the old get rid of anyone proven and good and take a load of punts on our undercooked yoof tactic

i like your style

[St. Brynjar]

I am hoping for a couple of quality loan signings. According to my Saints mate at work Adkins was trying to bring in Thomas Eisfeld (attacking midfielder) on loan from Arsenal before he got fired.

Not sure why BM was never keen on loanees.

Was he? Griffin, Khizanishvilli and Leigertwood were great loan signings that were a big help in transforming his first year and a half. Sure he didn't sign that many of them but he was hardly against them.

He said he would never bring in a loan player who he thought he had no chance of permanently signing. Shame we couldn't hold on to Zurab, possibly my favourite Brian signing ever.

[melonhead]

can see why tbf

obviously you take one that doesnt fit that in an emergency.
but the loan system is usually all loaded in the loaning clubs favour.
you bring him in, get him fit, and if he does well they want him back, if he does terrible you dont want him anyway.

[winchester_royal]

Or you could get a young talented guy from one of the bigger clubs, who you'd have no chance of signing permanently, who plays a big part in your season. E.G. Romelu Lukaku.

[Colin Cheeselog]

Hopefully Brian will end up at some championship club so we can sell him McAnuff and L,wood.

Agreed. Why would we want 2 players that were instrumental in our title win 11 months ago, for our next attempt at... winning the title...?

What we really want is two of the better players in the championship, with experience of the exact thing we’re trying to achieve, competing directly against us. That’s bound to help.

[melonhead]

Or you could get a young talented guy from one of the bigger clubs, who you'd have no chance of signing permanently, who plays a big part in your season. E.G. Romelu Lukaku.

im not saying it cant work. or that i agree totally with the Mcdermotts thinking.
Lokaku would have kept us up.
just that i can understand his thinking, and dont think its totally without merit

[Wipped]

Obita's loan at Oldham cut short and says he wants a chance to impress the new manager. Good to hear. I'm hoping we see a few kids given a chance this summer.

[melonhead]

i think that will be nailed on tbf.
also think it is a good way to get decent passing mentality into the team.
i just dont think it will result in a promotion first time out

[winchester_royal]

Or you could get a young talented guy from one of the bigger clubs, who you'd have no chance of signing permanently, who plays a big part in your season. E.G. Romelu Lukaku.

im not saying it cant work. or that i agree totally with the Mcdermotts thinking.
Lokaku would have kept us up.
just that i can understand his thinking, and dont think its totally without merit

As can I, and I defended the policy a couple of months ago, just pointing out that those kind of loans do have their (albeit short-term) benefits.

[SCIAG]

Wouldn't surprise me if Pog stayed, the Zenit story is a non-starter, just need to see their forward line to see he wouldn't get a game (Hulk - €60m? Kerzhakov, keeps Pog out the Russian Squad, Danny €30m a few years back, plus a few others),

Danny and Hulk play as attacking midfielders. Pog would get a game in that Kerzhakov couldn't play for whatever reason, would make appearances off the bench, and would have the opportunity to displace Kerzhakov. Currently Zenit only really have one striker, if he gets injured then they have a cripple and then they have to play Hulk out of position.

[jellytot]

Hopefully Brian will end up at some championship club so we can sell him McAnuff and L,wood.

Please let them go Adkins. What will the transfer fee received be? £5.99 and £3.49 respectively? They have both had their day so toddle pip time for them!

[sandman]

Can we sell number 13?

[SpaghettiHoop]

It would have to be a free.