You have to assume we don't want any of Bowery, Halford, Maguire or White back and rightly so. On top of that Redfearn clearly doesn't fancy any of Buxton, Ledesma, Derbyshire or Thorpe. The only debatable one there for me is Thorpe. Add Collins for obvious reasons and then add Wood if he can't get on ahead of Collins. That makes ten players (seven of them signed at the start of the season and who will be our higher earners by the way) who are surplus to requirements. To me this shows what a big rebuilding job we have on and it would be a big achievement to pick up enough wins along the way to stop up while we go about it. Having said that, I think might just do it.
smiler I think Maguire and Thorpe could have been useful players, however it looks like Maguire was one of the bad attitude players but wasn't given the chance to play the D. Ward position that he likes. Thorpe is a good player and can play in multiple roles, however he has a 1 year contract so unless he plays between now and May he won't re-sign.
I think Redfearn should be allowed to rebuild but within a budget the club can afford in League 1, a well run club with little or no debt is very important
After the Reading game when he was immense in midfield it will be a shame if Thorpe doesn't cut the mustard. He has youth on his side but as you rightly say Derby he needs to start making a regular contribution. Maguire for me is another Derbyshire - you feel like you've got a good player on your hands but he threatens to deliver way more than he actually delivers and you can only put up with that for so long, especially with players who are eating into the upper reaches of your wage bill. He isn't setting League 2 on fire by the sounds of it - like us Oxford don't seem to know where to play him to get the best out of him. Perhaps he is not quite a wide man and not quite a striker. I agree with your sentiment Derby about not over stretching our finances to try and save our Championship status. With a good clear out and smart recruitment I still think we have a real chance to stay here within our constraints.
You have to assume we don't want any of Bowery, Halford, Maguire or White back and rightly so. On top of that Redfearn clearly doesn't fancy any of Buxton, Ledesma, Derbyshire or Thorpe. The only debatable one there for me is Thorpe. Add Collins for obvious reasons and then add Wood if he can't get on ahead of Collins. That makes ten players (seven of them signed at the start of the season and who will be our higher earners by the way) who are surplus to requirements. To me this shows what a big rebuilding job we have on and it would be a big achievement to pick up enough wins along the way to stop up while we go about it. Having said that, I think might just do it.
I wouldnt want to see Derbyshire go yet.
If Redfern is any good he is the kind of player a team needs.
Its up to Redfern to get the best from him. Derbyshire is not short of desire or quality.
On the subject of Derbyshire, my thoughts can be summed up like this. If we could have a last minute penalty or one on one with the keeper in the last game of the season and staying up depended on it, who would you like to see on the ball? If I am honest Derbyshire wouldn't make the top ten in my list. That is a damning indictment for a striker, but I have just seen him miss too many gilt edged chances and I have no confidence in him any more. Sorry and all but that's the nub of it for me.
JCH could be our way out. On potential he's worth I'd say at least 3 times what we paid for him. That money could get us the centre back, midfield player & striker to keep us up.
Derbyshire say what you like about him, but he puts a shift in + he came good this time last season.
