Barnet retained list

[Mem Beespod]

Aggregation of marginal gains...
Take small sections of the squad and make each one marginally better than what you have. The overall effect is massive. Doesn't require an overhaul of the squad.

Sams for tactical approach. If DB still believes in his way of playing, get better at it, but don't be afraid to develop a plan B.

Totally agree. Hardest thing in any sport is to find a winning formula. Why unravel that when it’s a simpler task tweaking from a winning position rather than dismantling and trying to start from scratch.

[becbee]

The team finished second on 86 points. The idea of needing a complete rebuild is farcical.

[Tuesds]

Let’s bear in mind we’ve just come second with 86 points, as many as Paul Fairclough achieved when we won this league! Let’s not throw the baby out with the Bath water! Some people are talking like we finished midtable.

DB has put the foundations in place for a points gathering machine so now he needs to find the extra 10% to get this team up. Getting fresh legs in 2 or 3 positions might be difference plus reducing the deadwood and bringing in players that can give us more options

Same points in 4 fewer games, which would by definition be 4 easier games.

Yeah I agree with the sentiment of Mem’s post, but the Paul Fairclough 04/05 comparison does not stand up at all. Arguably it wasn’t just four fewer games but 7 - we won the league comfortably after 39 games and, like Chesterfield this year, were on the beach for the run-in and we didn’t win again. If you want to win the league as a rule of thumb you need at least 2 points per game - it’s very rarely won with fewer. We got impressively close this season but it doesn’t begin to compare with our dominance of the league in 04/05.

[11bee717]

Message from Moussa, presume he will remain at Eastbourne

[john dockers shorts]

The team finished second on 86 points. The idea of needing a complete rebuild is farcical.

Agreed. Cut the fat and improve key positions

[beew]

The first thing we need to do is convince Hartigan to sign a permanent deal. With Mansfields promotion he won't have much chance of game time in L1 so we need to offer him a good deal to stay.

[DSM]

Hartigan staying would be a great start but feel we need a box to box midfielder to complement his lack of pace, we looked pedestrian at times in midfield, this was very obvious on Saturday

[antbfc]

Agree we need to retain the core but the challenge is a number of the squad were not good enough meaning DB needed to supplement us with loans.

If we can't retain the key loans then we may have a bigger rebuild than you would expect.

Acknowledging some may be under contract and ignoring youth players and assuming all loans return to parent club, i would go:

Retained:

Brunt - clearly a quality footballer, lots to learn but sure he will just get better and better.
Stead - crisp packet chaser, what a man.
Kabamba - goals.
Gorman - gives us that bite in midfield
Freeman - has quality, would work well rotating with Brunt.
Collinge - quality CB, issues with injuries this season but played enough games to stay.
Kanu - one of the few players who can create a moment of magic. Surely better playing further forward next season?
Okimo (coach) - good to have around and could still do a job in an injury crisis i'm sure.

Released:

Wynter - not in DBs plans.
RHJ - got worse as the season went on, struggles to stay fit.
Cropper - we can do better.
Senior - not in DBs plans.
Diarra - not in DBs plans.
Hooper - assume already left.
Walker- not in DBs plans.
Stevens - we can do better.

Undecided:
Oluwo - clearly a quality CB but major injury issues before we signed him and they have resurfaced. If we can keep him fit he is clearly good enough, but can we?
Pritchard - not the player he was, struggled with back injury and not played at the same level as previously.
Coker - I actually like Ben, but he was really exposed against any pace this season so would cause a weak link if a regular starter. Could be retained as a squad player if budget allows.

What we need -

Goalkeeper - new number 1.
Centre Back X2 - need more pace and need players that can do 40 games a season.
Wing backs X2 - desperately need some pace and energy here.
Centre Mid X2 (hoping one could be Hartigan), box to box midfielder needed.
Striker X1 - backup to Kabamba.

[Beesting]

Walker - Leave, out of favour and cant see a way back for him.
Gillmore - Keep, signed a 15 year deal so hes here to stay

RHJ - Get Rid, I would say keep as backup but I think hes on a fair wage
Wynter - Get Rid, Never fit and hasnt performed consistently when he is.
Coker - Get Rid, Father time catches us all, hes too slow to defend or attack.
Oluwo - Keep, play him in a no thrills back four and he'll flourish
Collinge - Keep/Sell, if we can get some money for him then sell, but i believe we need to ditch the three at the back so he'd have to play right back.
Okimo - Keep, but only as a coach and the odd appearance, been great for us but we need better if we're to progress.
Stevens - Get Rid
Cropper - Keep, as a backup

Pritchard - Get Rid, Output has seriously diminished, when he's not offering goals he doesnt offer much else.
Gorman - Keep, but only as a backup, like at Orient he was a bit part in their promotion, he might be good round the training ground.
Senior - Get rid
Freeman - Get rid, would love to say keep but I cant see where he fits in.
Hartigan - Keep, but can see a few league two clubs taking a punt
Brunt - Sell, probably in our top three highest earners and is a luxury player, would keep if he wasnt on a big wage.

Kanu - Sell, although i would like to keep him he does frustrate me with his diving, keeping the ball too long and running into blind alleys.
Stead - Keep, become a key member in the team and I think could get 20+ goals next season
Kabamba - Keep, signed a three year deal and you dont get much better/reliable at this level, need legs with him now though.
Hooper - Get rid

[Mem Beespod]

Walker - Leave, out of favour and cant see a way back for him.
Gillmore - Keep, signed a 15 year deal so hes here to stay

RHJ - Get Rid, I would say keep as backup but I think hes on a fair wage
Wynter - Get Rid, Never fit and hasnt performed consistently when he is.
Coker - Get Rid, Father time catches us all, hes too slow to defend or attack.
Oluwo - Keep, play him in a no thrills back four and he'll flourish
Collinge - Keep/Sell, if we can get some money for him then sell, but i believe we need to ditch the three at the back so he'd have to play right back.
Okimo - Keep, but only as a coach and the odd appearance, been great for us but we need better if we're to progress.
Stevens - Get Rid
Cropper - Keep, as a backup

Pritchard - Get Rid, Output has seriously diminished, when he's not offering goals he doesnt offer much else.
Gorman - Keep, but only as a backup, like at Orient he was a bit part in their promotion, he might be good round the training ground.
Senior - Get rid
Freeman - Get rid, would love to say keep but I cant see where he fits in.
Hartigan - Keep, but can see a few league two clubs taking a punt
Brunt - Sell, probably in our top three highest earners and is a luxury player, would keep if he wasnt on a big wage.

Kanu - Sell, although i would like to keep him he does frustrate me with his diving, keeping the ball too long and running into blind alleys.
Stead - Keep, become a key member in the team and I think could get 20+ goals next season
Kabamba - Keep, signed a three year deal and you dont get much better/reliable at this level, need legs with him now though.
Hooper - Get rid

That would leave a pretty hefty rebuild!

[thebeekeeper]

Agree we need to retain the core but the challenge is a number of the squad were not good enough meaning DB needed to supplement us with loans.

If we can't retain the key loans then we may have a bigger rebuild than you would expect.

Acknowledging some may be under contract and ignoring youth players and assuming all loans return to parent club, i would go:

Retained:

Brunt - clearly a quality footballer, lots to learn but sure he will just get better and better.
Stead - crisp packet chaser, what a man.
Kabamba - goals.
Gorman - gives us that bite in midfield
Freeman - has quality, would work well rotating with Brunt.
Collinge - quality CB, issues with injuries this season but played enough games to stay.
Kanu - one of the few players who can create a moment of magic. Surely better playing further forward next season?
Okimo (coach) - good to have around and could still do a job in an injury crisis i'm sure.

Released:

Wynter - not in DBs plans.
RHJ - got worse as the season went on, struggles to stay fit.
Cropper - we can do better.
Senior - not in DBs plans.
Diarra - not in DBs plans.
Hooper - assume already left.
Walker- not in DBs plans.
Stevens - we can do better.

Undecided:
Oluwo - clearly a quality CB but major injury issues before we signed him and they have resurfaced. If we can keep him fit he is clearly good enough, but can we?
Pritchard - not the player he was, struggled with back injury and not played at the same level as previously.
Coker - I actually like Ben, but he was really exposed against any pace this season so would cause a weak link if a regular starter. Could be retained as a squad player if budget allows.

What we need -

Goalkeeper - new number 1.
Centre Back X2 - need more pace and need players that can do 40 games a season.
Wing backs X2 - desperately need some pace and energy here.
Centre Mid X2 (hoping one could be Hartigan), box to box midfielder needed.
Striker X1 - backup to Kabamba.

I don't think you're too far off here. Personally I'd definitely look to keep Oluwo and Pritchard though, while I'm 50/50 about Freeman, Coker and Cropper. I would be very interested to see Freeman after a full pre-season, and Cropper's throw is a valuable skill for the correct fixtures. On balance I think I may release Coker.

I'd love us to sign Hartigan on a permanent basis, but I do wonder if his performances will have caught the eye of some League Two clubs. Similarly, I think another loan for O'Donkor could benefit all parties, but I have no idea if Oxford would be keen or not. Thompson is too injury-prone to sign permanently, I think.

Assuming you want to have a squad of 22 players with two players in each position, I could envisage us being in the following situation after the retained list is revealed (without knowing if any players are currently on two year deals):

GK: Gillmore
CB: Oluwo, Collinge, Okimo
RWB: Cropper
LWB: Kanu
CM: Gorman, Pritchard, Freeman, Brunt, Stead (I've put Stead here, assuming he'll continue as more of a support striker in a 3-4-2-1)
ST: Kabamba

That would leave us needing to recruit: A first choice goalkeeper, multiple centre-backs, a right wing-back, a left wing-back, a couple of midfielders and a centre-forward to cover for Kabamba.

That allows for a lot of improvement, while also keeping the core of a good squad together.

[Beesting]

Walker - Leave, out of favour and cant see a way back for him.
Gillmore - Keep, signed a 15 year deal so hes here to stay

RHJ - Get Rid, I would say keep as backup but I think hes on a fair wage
Wynter - Get Rid, Never fit and hasnt performed consistently when he is.
Coker - Get Rid, Father time catches us all, hes too slow to defend or attack.
Oluwo - Keep, play him in a no thrills back four and he'll flourish
Collinge - Keep/Sell, if we can get some money for him then sell, but i believe we need to ditch the three at the back so he'd have to play right back.
Okimo - Keep, but only as a coach and the odd appearance, been great for us but we need better if we're to progress.
Stevens - Get Rid
Cropper - Keep, as a backup

Pritchard - Get Rid, Output has seriously diminished, when he's not offering goals he doesnt offer much else.
Gorman - Keep, but only as a backup, like at Orient he was a bit part in their promotion, he might be good round the training ground.
Senior - Get rid
Freeman - Get rid, would love to say keep but I cant see where he fits in.
Hartigan - Keep, but can see a few league two clubs taking a punt
Brunt - Sell, probably in our top three highest earners and is a luxury player, would keep if he wasnt on a big wage.

Kanu - Sell, although i would like to keep him he does frustrate me with his diving, keeping the ball too long and running into blind alleys.
Stead - Keep, become a key member in the team and I think could get 20+ goals next season
Kabamba - Keep, signed a three year deal and you dont get much better/reliable at this level, need legs with him now though.
Hooper - Get rid

That would leave a pretty hefty rebuild!

Luke Garrard suffered relegation this year from being in the playoff semi final last year because he was too loyal with his ageing squad, their comes a point where you need to freshen things up.

[beew]

https://x.com/tomhwilliams23/status/1784671972657352822

Interesting article from Tom Williams on X

[becbee]

Luke Garrard suffered relegation this year from being in the playoff semi final last year because he was too loyal with his ageing squad, their comes a point where you need to freshen things up.

Freshen up yes but Luke Gerrard had kept his ageing squad for much longer than the 1/2 seasons that Dean Brennan has had his.

Also, based on the BW matches I've seen, he changed the style of play to a far more pleasant on the eye style which seemingly didn't suit his hoof ball specialists.

[hoofer2]

One of the things that has to be addressed is the core fitness / stamina of each player.

Too many are 60 minute players who flag considerably if play for longer. The difference in stamina compared to Bromley and Solihull Moors is noticeable. Would bringing in a fitness coach get the extra 10% from players we do have and help improve our perpetual seasonal injury cycle to key players?

Does the high press for 90 mins every match zap the energy more? Should all players follow the Okimo diet?

This is not just down to players returning from injury, though it was obvious before the Solihull game Oluwu and Pritchard were no-way near match fit, so why start them against a fit Solihull side?

Out of all the players signed last season Hall-Johnson has been the biggest disappointment for me. Went missing for too many games.