Attackers
Anthony Scully
Appearances: 3
Contract Status: Expires 30th June 2021
Verdict: Contracted through next season.
For me, Scully should be name number one on the team sheet for next season.
Zak Elbouzedi
Appearances: 5
Contract Status: Signed a ‘long term’ contract in January
Verdict: Contracted through next season.
I think Zak has decent potential and I am looking forward to seeing a lot more of him next season.
Tom Hopper
Appearances: 6
Contract Status: Expires 30th June 2023
Verdict: Contracted for next season and beyond.
I really hope he gets a few goals before the end of the year otherwise some elements of the fan base will get on his back and Hopper has the longest contract of anyone so 100% is going nowhere.
Tyreece John-Jules
Appearances: 7
Contract Status: On loan until end of the season
Verdict: Return to parent club.
I hope he bags a few more for us but either was he will return to Arsenal and probably never be seen at Sincil Bank again.
Jordan Adebayo-Smith
Appearances: 0
Contract Status: On loan at Gainsborough Trinity until the end of the season. Contact expires 30th June 2021
Verdict: Contracted through next season.
I hope next season is the season when he really gets a shot at making the first team.
Final Verdict
Goalkeepers:
All three goalkeepers are out of contract so this could be a transformed position come the start of next season. I think Vickers stays and we sign one more.
Defenders:
Bolger, Melbourne and Lewis will be here next season. I’d like to see Eardley join them and obviously Edun and Bozzie can play in defence but as with the goalkeepers we will see a handful of new defensive faces come next season.
Midfielders:
Edun and Grant are the only 2 guaranteed to be here. I’d love for Bridcutt to join and Anderson, Bostwick and Chapman to be resigned but, as with the other two groups, there will be many new faces in the summer.
Attackers:
This position will probably be the most stable with Scully, Elbouzedi, Hopper and Adebayo-Smith all here next season.
If MA wants a fresh start in terms of his squad then he has the chance to do that with only 9 players certain to return next year (only 3 of which were signed permanently to the club by the Cowley’s). Even if he wants to have a bit more continuity and resigns a few players I think will will be looking at a maximum of 15 players from this season. I think this means we could well see anywhere from 10 to 15 new faces in through the door on permanent and loan deal over the summer.
Personally I find that thought very interesting, it will give Appleton chance to make this his squad and have players who play his style, and we have already seen a couple of times this year how damaging that style can be when it all clicks.
Disagree with your verdict on Vickers, Anderson and Bolger, wait and see on that one, also is Lewis a right back ? why should he wait to replace Eardley, an attacking right midfielder or winger more like.
Eardley is the interesting one for me, all depends what MA views as the best position to play Lewis, if it is right back then maybe Eardley goes, of its right midfield then maybe Anderson is allowed to leave?
Does Payne’s contract expire at the the season?
All I could find was that it was an undisclosed deal, either way I can’t see him being here come the end of the transfer window
Payne has a contract and it is probably lucrative. He does not have to leave until the end of said contract! A disappointing signing after a bright start.
Interesting. So this review suggest that we are expecting significant new signings in the summer..
I am a little concerned that the ‘great Appleton transformation’ should not extend too far into next season. We need to see the light at the end of the tunnel quite early in the 2020-21 season. For that reason, I would like to see the players who will definitely be with us next season getting regular football over the next 2-3 months
I think there will be a huge influx of new signings, totally agree though that any of the young players that Appleton sees a starters for next season should be getting as much game time as possible before the end of this year. Players that immediately spring to mind are Edun, Scully and Lewis.
Also disagree with Vickers, think he will go and will get in someone else. Lewis as a right back I can’t see and without a goal not sure we would be talking about him staying. Biggest shock is Scully as a dead cert, not seen enough out of him from three games to say.
Thought provoking article, I like it.
Glad you enjoyed the article! It will be interesting to see what happens with Vickers bit I think Lewis and Scully will be part of the plans for next year. I’m hoping we use these remaining games this year to get them as much game time as possible to get a real idea of the ability they both offer.
Completely agree with this, now is the time for them to get some games under the belt for next season when there is little to be lost
On good authority Anderson was offered a deal at millwall in January which he turned down so wether hes here next season ? Scully Bridcutt and Edun look good acquisitions to build on
I read the same things, I just think if he wasn’t part of the longer term plans then he would have been allowed to leave in January. Really hope we make Bridcutt a permanent signing.
I agree with some of the comments, but I want to wait and see where we end up league wise first.
As long as we’re above three other teams I’ll be happy!
I think it’s a pretty fair estimate of the current squad. I wish we hadn’t got to rely so much on loans to get quality into the side e.g. Joe Morrell (who really should be in the Championship). Rich Harvey is spot on asking that the players who will definitely be with us next season get regular football over the next 2-3 months. Like it or not, they are the core of the team who will bring the “Appleton System” to fruition. Never mind “significant signings” to come, when is the present outfit going to “click” to get us a couple of decent wins to make us safe and secure in Div One? That’s bugging me!
We definitely need a big player to replace Morrell as he has been immense. We’re seeing the issues of losing a key loan player now with Walker missing, I think making sure Bridcutt remains at the club into next season would go a long way to filling that hole. I think the game at the weekend could be a turning point based on the post match comments. I’d like to see Scully, Edun, Lewis, Melbourne and Elbouzedi getting plenty of game time between now and the end of the year.
MA has said before that he doesn’t want to rely on loan signings and has accepted that we are too reliant on them at the moment. I’m hoping we can build a good 22 man squad of perm signings with maybe 2/3 max loans to fill a couple of gaps/ provide cover to give us max squad size of 25, with maybe 2-3 of these loaned out for experience at any one time. Ideally I’d like to see the norm next season being we have no more than 2 loan players in our first 11 at any time.
Largely agree with your assessment, although like a couple of others I could see Vickers being replaced – love the guy but has been exposed a few times recently.
Enjoyed the article btw!
Thanks for the positive comments! Totally agree about loan signings, whilst it is a useful tool we need to not become reliant on this players otherwise we’re in danger of recalls happening as they have this season with Walker.
Great content! Super high-quality! Keep it up! 🙂
Thanks!
I know MA has his plans for developing the team but I am surprised that he let go of O’Connor and is not interested in Pett and Frecklington. I don’t get to many games but watched a lot on I follow last year and I always found those three to be consistent performers, when fit. That’s the problem with young loanees, they sometimes lack the consistency and those few minutes when they ‘drop off’ can cost games.
不让出门，只能刷刷博客了！