The Annual, who stays and who goes thread

This time of year, many of us like to go through who should stay and who should be punted, look towards where we need to strengthen (or sometimes get rid of deadwood) and how we would like to see the team setup for the following season.

So, here is a list (according to the official club site) of all players we currently have attributed to the first team:

Goalkeepers

• Kasper
• Sinisalo
• Bain
• Tobi*

Right Back

• Johnston
• Ralston

CenterBack

• CCV
• Nawrocki
• Trusty
• Scales
• Welsh*
• Lagerbeilke*
• Agbaire*

Left Back

• Taylor
• Schlupp*
• Anderson*
• Montgomery*

Central Midfield

• McCowan
• Engels
• Bernardo
• Hatate
• McGregor
• Kwon*
• Summers*
• Holm*

Right Wing

• Kuhn
• Forrest
• Tilio*

Left Wing

• Jota
• Yang
• Palma*

Striker

• Maeda
• Idah
• kenny

*denotes loaned out/in (Schlupp the only in)

With Murray and McArdle as the only two that stand out from the B team who may step up. Tierney is also due to return this summer on a pre-contract.
Taylor is the only contract due to run out and for the purpose of this thread, will assume for the time of posting, he isn't signing a new deal.
(also to note that the club site doesn't list McCarthy, however his contract in any state would come to an end this month as well)

Consider we will likely stick to a 433 (or variation of) for next season, using only the above players, this is a 25 man squad (UEFA registration), I would look to go with for the next season:

Kasper
Johnston, CCV, Trusty, Tierney
Engels, McGregor, Hatate
Kuhn, Maeda, Jota

Sinisalo
Ralston, Nawrocki, Scales, Anderson
McCowan, Bernardo, Holm
Forrest, Idah, Yang

Bain, Murray, Kenny
​

I believe that would also meet the infamous quota of home grown talent.

Would leave the all loaned players free to find new clubs - in fact Anderson likely as well, but we have no other left backs on the books due for next season, so yeah.

Personally I would be moving Bain on - bring the next youth talent up who takes the 3rd spot and counts towards the quota.
Left backup would need invested in. Ideally we would see Taylor sign a new deal, but if not then we need to source someone. Penrice is a name often brought up, wouldn't know enough about him to comment, but as a competent backup to a world class Tierney, could be looked at. Would also keep the quota in good health for other positions to be improved without that concern.
Scales/Trusty could both be sold for me, but I doubt both would be (or either), but that left sided position needs looked at big time. Marton Dardai is a 23 year old left footed CB who can step forward in to midfield. Would be worth scouting properly.
Midfield, I'd punt Holm, just isn't going to work out. He doesn't count to the quota in the above squad list, so that position is free to be added to with whoever we can get that would actually improve the starting 11. Plenty of us want to see a DM, but an out and out number 10 wouldn't go a miss either.
Front three I am actually content enough with the first picks and the second string I have listed. Albeit I think Idah has been a poor signing at the price point, we can't dismiss his goal returns. I do not believe he has it in him to kick up a gear and think the player is what we see and we won't see better from him. So happy enough as it is, but if I could sell Idah and bring in a Kvistgaarden, I * well would!

So clear the loaned out players is pretty much the "deadwood" then it is adding to the squad as above for me.

Left back backup
Left sided CB
DM
Striker

4 positions we need to look at, probably in that order.

 

Sell


Daizen

Reo


Khun

Callum


AJ

Kasper

CCV

Keep everyone else

 

You would expect a majority of the players on loan to leave and I feel Bain and Nawrocki might look to get minutes.

Expected Hatate to leave but depending on severity of injury he might have to stay.

Daizen is at optimal sale value to its either sign a new deal or punted.

Expect CCV to maybe move on given brendan 4 year cycle comment.

Khun 100% has a move lined up.

 

Aye to add, any of the names mentioned in reply, should any of them leave for whatever reasoning, they need replaced with at least a minimum of the same calibre/ability. No more projects for this coming season in regards to the 25 man squad above.
If we want to make actual in roads to Europe now, we need to build on what we have, replace what may leave properly, and not keep going back two steps.

 

Always love these threads, but maybe starting a bit early, we do have a cup to win and I may change my mind on who stays after that


Realistically though, I'd say the following will leave

Bain
Lagerbielke
Nawrocki
Welsh
Murray
Schlupp (We won't resign him)
Taylor
Montgomery
Hatate
Kwon
Palma
Tilio
Kenny (Loan or sold)
Kuhn
I also think we'll lose one of CCV/Johnston/Maeda, but only one, more likely Maeda.

I'd also be selling Bernardo but I think we'll keep him until January at least. Would be selling/loaning Holm when he's back as well.

Big summer ahead

 

Agree with most but no way should we be letting Reo walk without doing everything we can to keep him.

 

Everyone leaves, that midfield that won us the league is awful. Need more from the forwards that scored double the goals of our nearest rivals. Defence is woeful, look at the stats. We let in goals now and again. Sick of this pish

 

Want - centre half, left back to step in when KT gets injured, centre mid with a bit of fight and a winger to replace Kuhn.

Might need a creative midfielder as well if Hatate goes.

All the guys out on loan can be let go. Maybe Tilio could do with a loan to a higher level to see how he gets on.

 

I would like Kwon to be given a chance. Most thought Yang was irredeemably bad, but he has fought to change that opinion.

 

don’t think Kwon is our level mate

 

Not going to comment on loanees because I haven't checked how they're doing.

I think we need to improve our centre-halves as we're conceding too many goals due to errors there. That would probably mean moving on Nawrocki or Scales, and Nawrocki has featured far less.

We known the midfield still isn't quite working for a myriad of reasons. Bernardo clearly hasn't contributed enough and Hatate blows too hot and cold. However, I would caveat that with the need for an established midfielder to replace Hatate if he goes.

Khun clearly wants away and he isn't half as good as he thinks he is. If he doesn't leave, I wouldn't cry if Yang leaves to give us a new option there but I think he's earned his place as backup in that position also.

If we can come close to breaking even on Idah, then he needs to be sold to recoup those funds. Assuming we have sorted a replacement or there is time to do so, just focus on getting the money back and reinvesting.

 

Goalkeepers - easiest part keep Schmeichel and Sinasalo, if Bain wants to go play bringing in Doohan means for a year or two we have 6 club trained players for European squads, add McCowan and we are only one short of what we need for the 8 coefficient places, possibly Dane Murray could fill that. A Bain got Doohan swap would be pretty cost neutral in terms of fee and wages.

Defence

Keep - CCV and Johnston if we can, Ralston is fine as back up right back, Tierney coming back is good. Dane Murray I would like to see more of or the boy Agbaire as 4th or 5th choice and Scales as back up left centre back.

Sell/ let go - Taylor, Trusty, Lagerbielke, Nawrocki and Welsh say you could bring in £10m for the 4 centre backs.

Midfield

Keep - McGregor, Engels, McCowan, and Hatate if we could. Bernardo will likely still be here but I wouldn’t be adverse to him going.

Sell/ Let go - Kwon, Holm (will still be on loan), so say £0.5m in.

Wings

Keep - Jota, Yang and Forrest

Sell/ Move on - Kuhn, Tilio and Palma, say that brings in £17.5m - 20m. I know Kuhn’s form dipped but I can’t see us be happy to sell him for less than £15m. Palma say £2.5m, Tilio £0.5m

Strikers

Keep - Idah, Maeda if we can and loan out Kenny to an Premiership team.

Sell/Let go - Daniel Cummings for £0.25m

Obviously this is all hypothetical but if we done close to the above but managed to keep CCV, Hatate, and Maeda you would still be looking at bringing in £28.25m in sales plus at least the £5.5m from Frimpong so £33.75m in.

You would have Tierney and Doohan in to fill first choice left back and 3rd choice keeper.

We would still need as a minimum.

- First choice centre back
- Possibly another back up centre back
- back up left back
- box to box centre midfielder who is physically robust.
- Two wingers and preferably one who could play centre forward if required.

So you are talking about having £33m+ to bring in four starting players and 1 or 2 promising or dependable back up players before even having to consider touching what is likely to be north of £80m in the bank now given domestic and European performance, matchday income, merchandise and sponsorship deals and the sales of Kyogo and Bernabei whilst only bringing in Jota.

Alternatively - we lose one of CCV (£15m), Hatate (£12.5-15m) or Maeda (£20-25m) then they will need to be replaced Maeda in particular would perhaps require two players to be brought in as I wouldn’t want to go in to the season with Idah as our only centre forward option and I wouldn’t fancy having only Yang and Forrest as back up wingers.

 

I would like to see Larger and Trusty sold and a quality left sided CH brought in as a partner for CCV, keep Narocki as back up for CCV and keep Scales also as back up.

 

I think Nawrocki is better than Scales, need to see more of him to confirm but it doesn't look that way.

 

Not certain on Nawrocki but Scales is definitely a Rodgers blind spot. You’ve got to hand it to Scales, he came in out of desperation last season and put together a commendable run of form with some really top displays playing well beyond himself.
It was actually shades of Lennon the first time a round of Strachan where we had average players playing well above themselves at the top level
Of European football.

However, from the end of last season where he was at fault for a good few sloppy goals to large chunks of this season, Scales has definitely shown to be limited. If it wasn’t for the fact I think this summer we could probably get a decent wedge of what we paid for Trusty back on his CL campaign to a Bundesliga, MLs or Serie A side then I would be for selling Scales.

Our centre half position is a total bin fire just now. We have CCV who goes through parts of the season held together by duck tape as we are far poorer without him, Scales and Trusty chopping and changing with their limitations, Nawrocki and Lagerbielke unfancied and Welsh having hung around far longer than he should have before going out to play games.

If it wasn’t for the volume of work needing done throughout the team I would happily sell all of them bar CCV.

Ironically, it wouldn’t shock me if CCV decided he fancied a new challenge this summer.

 

It will likely take a few transfer windows to sort out the CB position. I wouldnt be adverse to getting in a more experienced type in there even short term to shore things up while we can clear out some of the deadwood. We have missed on quite a few project type CBs now.

Somebody like Ben Mee who is out of contract at Brentford could come in for a season or two and bring plenty of experience. Hes plenty of Premier League experience and left footed. Would cost nothing and might fancy finsihing up his career experiencing a club like Celtic.

 

I think we can be fairly sure these players will be here next season first team wise:

Schmeichel

Johnston
Scales
KT

McGregor
Engels

Maeda
Idah

I pray CCV stays but it feels like if we get a good bid he could be away. Trusty hasn't convinced although I like him. Hatate will be gone if the injury clears up. Kuhn it feels like he hasn't played at the level he can recently, maybe a move lined up. So there could definitely be some movement depending on bids etc.

But if we are asking who would we like to punt then the usual, Nawrocki, Lagerbielke etc will obviously come up.

 

I think we’ll have a very different looking squad come the end of the window. I can see a few moving on and Rodgers being quite strict with his decisions.

Sell
Hatate
Trusty
Kühn
Nawrocki
Lagerbielke
Welsh
Kwon
Tilio
Palma

Release
Taylor
Schlupp

Loan
Kenny
Yang
Murray

Unlike a few others, I can’t see CCV moving on. He is so good for us and I feel the level of clubs that will be interested won’t force him to make a move, I think he’s here for his prime.

Maeda, I think it’ll be hard to get a club to pay what we value him at because of his age. I hope he signs a new deal but can see him also as a potential sale.

I think with all the names I’ve put above, we should make £40m or so. Every single penny of that should be reinvested in a few quality additions to the team.