So, Players for the Championship rebuild, who do you want?

[Wasyls Pec Deck]

I’d offer Mendy a new contract. Him, KDH and Choudhury will be a decent selection for the non-creative midfield players. 
 

Hopefully we’ll keep the basis of a decent defence (Souttar, Thomas, who will want Ricardo?, JJ?, Faes?). One asset I’d keep is Iheanacho but after his reaction going off I think he’s going. Terrified about who to bring in to replace Barnes and Maddison.

[KFS]

Get The Yak on the phone with Kel to convince him a year smashing them in Championship style isn’t all that bad 

[Tommy Fresh]

1 hour ago, Tuna said:

Thought those relegation wage cuts were a rumour?

 

That's one bit of good news I guess, we won't be crippled by a huge wage bill!

We're a bit of a mess but even we'll have wage decrease clauses if relegated in contracts

[Aroberts123]

Given our recruitment record of late - the fact these muppets may be in the market for 15 odd players is frightening. 

[Aroberts123]

49 minutes ago, Wasyls Pec Deck said:

I’d offer Mendy a new contract. Him, KDH and Choudhury will be a decent selection for the non-creative midfield players. 
 

Hopefully we’ll keep the basis of a decent defence (Souttar, Thomas, who will want Ricardo?, JJ?, Faes?). One asset I’d keep is Iheanacho but after his reaction going off I think he’s going. Terrified about who to bring in to replace Barnes and Maddison.

If we can keep those four in the mid that would be great. Can't see Mendy hanging around though. He'll go abroad, and could arguably do a job in the prem. 

 

Can see Luton knocking on JJ's and/or KDH's door....

[Aroberts123]

2 hours ago, chris2208 said:

I think we have to try our hardest to keep Barnes and Iheanacho. I know its a tough ask, but these two would be unstoppable in the Championship. 

 

As for players to leave, Tielemans, Cags and Maddison well all know will leave. Castange will probably leave and Mendy out of contract (although I would give him another year as well as Evans). I'd try and keep Praet as well, he could be the player to make things tick for us. I would get rid of Vestergaard, Betrand, Amartey and Perez.

 

Players I'd like us to bring in if possible would be Kent from Rangers, Brereton Diaz (if we could), Alex Scott from Bristol, Jack Clarke from Sunderland, a CB, two CMs, and another LW and RW. I'd also be tempted with Langstaff from Notts County - think he would fit into our team really well.

 

My Team would be

 

Iverson

 

Ricardo/Justin

Souttar

Faes

Thomas/Kristensen

 

Ndidi

New CM

New CAM

 

Barnes (obvs if we can keep him)

Iheanacho/Vardy/Daka

New RW

 

I would also bring some youth team players in like Brunt, McAteer, Maswanhise, Madivdua, Braybrooke and Alves.

 

It will be tough, but I think we will do it and come back up!

There's just no way we can keep Barnes, he's gone - no doubt about it. Ndidi probably goes too, although that isn't as big of a loss as we would have considered it two years ago. He's been hopeless.

 

I reckon that defence is about right, though we might lose one or two of those.

If we can keep Kels....

[jonathan_ross]

Is Gary Tailor Fletcher available on a free transfer still?

[lcfcben76]

I actually think Mendy is probably the most obvious Luton signing of all.

 

Nakamba has done a brilliant job for them on loan from villa but would command a fee. Mendy going there as a like-for-like replacement makes a lot of sense.

[hackenbacker]

McGovern in midfield.
Mackay at the back. O'Hare up front.
 
It's the skewer, ..... In the shish kebab.

[LCFCJohn]

10 hours ago, FoxOnWheels said:

What?! He’s found his level in the premier league? Got like what 20 goals and assist from left wing there would be loads of takers in the top half

Some people on this forum 

[FoxOnWheels]

4 minutes ago, LCFCJohn said:

Some people on this forum 

Ay?

[fkas]

What's left after the big sale is likely to be something like;

 

Iverson, Ward, Smithies

JJ, Kristiansen, Thomas, Ricardo

Souttar, Faes, Vestegaard, Evans

KDH, Braybrooke, Ndidi, Choudhury

Albrighton

Vardy, Daka

 

As long as Evans stays the defensive options look ok for the Championship. Creative midfielders and wide men will need to be on the shopping list.

 

Issues will be if Evans opts for retirement and we have to offload Ricardo and Vestegaard to save wages. Will suddenly leave us with a large shopping list.

 

JJ and Ndidi's recent injury issues should limit others interest in them this summer.

[Sly]

Choudhury has a £6,000,000 fee for a future transfer in his loan contract with Watford. They won’t be taking it, tells you more than enough on how his season has been. Great ball winner, gives it straight back to the opposition. Pretty much sums him up I think? 
 

 

[LCFCJohn]

13 minutes ago, FoxOnWheels said:

Ay?

I was agreeing with your reply about Barnes. Being described as finding his level in the Championship!

[Quorndon_Fox]

What really worries me is we have so many player able to walk away for free (nearly £100m worth of talent), we’ve invested heavily in the academy but nothing to show for it. If we had 5/6 lads with solid champ experience ready to build a team around I’d have some hope, if we get this wrong we’ll be filling the squad with journey men and bang average champ players.

[Tim1974]

51 minutes ago, LCFCJohn said:

I was agreeing with your reply about Barnes. Being described as finding his level in the Championship!

I meant level of consistency, just to be clear. I'm not arguing that he can't perform at premier league level.

 

[Quorndon_Fox]

There is of course the option with Barnes that we loan him out for a season with a sell on clause if god for bid we do t get promotion. Gives him a life line to play in the premier league or possibly some champions league/ uefa cup with a European side.

[Devonfox1884]

Genuinely don’t believe we’re that far away from having a team that can compete very well at that level. The squad will need a fair few in to cope with the relentlessness of the league though.

 

Iversen/Smithies

 

Ricardo/New RB

Souttar/New CB

Faes/New CB

Thomas/Kristansen

 

New DM/Choudhury

KDH/New CM

New AM/New AM

 

New winger/Albrighton

New winger/new winger 

 

Daka/New ST

 

11 new players with the squad bulked out by the likes of Alves, Braybrooke, Maswanhise, Wanya etc.

[AjcW]

4 minutes ago, Quorndon_Fox said:

There is of course the option with Barnes that we loan him out for a season with a sell on clause if god for bid we do t get promotion. Gives him a life line to play in the premier league or possibly some champions league/ uefa cup with a European side.

I think we well do this with a few. Fulham often do it. 

[whoareyaaa]

We are good to go.  

 

                    Iversen

  Justin Souttar Faes Thomas

 

               KDH  Nididi 

  New                              Barnes

 

            Daka  Nacho

Edited 29 May 2023 by whoareyaaa

[Tielemans63]

It's our recruitment that largely got us in to this mess, and now the same clowns have the responsibility of replacing the 15-odd players who will leave. 8 of whom were valuable assets, who we will receive the grand total of £0 for.

 

You'll have to forgive me for fearing the worst. Glover can't do it all himself.

Edited 29 May 2023 by Tielemans63

[LCCFox96]

Now we’re relieved of our misery and confirmed as relegated, having so many players out of contract and a couple of undeniably valuable sellable assets gives us some vital flexibility to address our slump. Add in the relegation wage drop clauses reported by Percy, and we have a golden opportunity to make things right over the first season or so that isn’t afforded to all newly relegated clubs. The other bonus is that a number of squad will have suitors in the international markets (unlike clubs like Burnley, Sheff Utd etc who have gone down recently with largely homegrown squads). We can take advantage of that and get players off the books for reduced fees here or there. The club need to pull their finger out their arse and get a new manager in place, and godwilling a new DoF, and begin to tackle a mammoth summer.

 

With the out of contract players we can immediately wave goodbye to Tielemans, Soyuncu, Bertrand, Amartey, and Tete (loan). Perez will also be off after his Betis loan ends. That’s a great start in terms of finances.

 

I’d offer Mendy fresh terms but I think he’ll leave as he’ll have suitors abroad. The French and Turkish clubs he’s been linked with will be all over him like a fly on shit now he’s on a free. Evans I’m indifferent to staying or going but can see the club the pushing a new 1 year deal.

 

Maddison and Barnes have to be sold. I’d want £40m-£45m+ for each, although I think due to his contract length we’ll end up getting more Barnes than Maddison. For me our other sellable assets between £8m-£15m are Castagne, Ndidi, and Soumare. They’ll all be on the move. I’m also hopeful we can fetch £2m or so from Ipswich for Hirst to top up.

 

Praet, Vestergaard, and Ward should be moved on in any available deal that’s - hopefully - of no cost to us. I’d be offering free transfers there in the hope we don’t cop for any wages. If we get offered a fee, snap off hands.

 

I think we’ll keep Wout Faes due to lack of numbers at CB but I’d listen to offers on him too. 
 

That leaves the following:

 

GK: Iversen and Smithies - I’d be content with rolling with Iversen as #1, and using a highly rated kid as #2 or bringing in a cheap elder statesmen as #3 around Smithies. It’s a solid enough pairing for EFL, Iversen has done enough to earn the chance, and we have bigger fish to fry so expect GK to be quiet.

 

LB: Thomas and Kristiansen both to stay at LB.

 

RB: I’m hopeful we can hang onto Justin for a season or two and get him fit again. Ricardo I’d listen to offers for and sell if finances require it. 
 

CB: Souttar to stay and we need to find a top partner for him. We’ll likely still have Faes and we may still have Evans imo.

 

CM: KDH is the only man I can see staying. So for that reason I think we have to keep Choudhury too. CM looks extremely patchy.

 

LW & RW: We’ll have just Albrighton left which is the end result of Rodgers’ and the club’s pathetic management of those positions. Albrighton will see his deal out with us and I’d welcome it just as you can guarantee that Marc will at least have the bollocks to front up what’s happened and fight to put it right.

 

ST: This will be the most interesting position to watch imo as, in theory, we might not need to add at all. Vardy I think will see his deal out with us on reduced terms or retire. Iheancho I’d be offering a new deal to and make him the focal point of the attack but suspect he’ll be off. Daka I’d keep but think he might be sold if an offer comes in.

 

So I can see us keeping:

 

2x GK, 2x LB, 1-2x RB, 1-3x CB, 2x CM, 1x Winger, 1-3x ST

 

So we need to bring in or find a youth player shaped solution to:

 

1x back-up GK, possibly 1x RB, 2-4x CB, 3x CM, 3x Wingers, possibly up to 2x ST.

 

I can genuinely see us bringing in about 11-13 players. It’s terrifying stuff. 
 

If we can get - on paper - an exciting managerial appointment, get Jon Rudkin out, eat into the clear out, and bring in a couple of early signings in the next few weeks I’ll start to feel a little bit better. But this is an absolute mountain of a summer and I have zero confidence in the club to nail it at present. 
 

Borderline negligence that’s it’s been allowed to come to this, but I’m looking forward to - hopefully - seeing a full squad of players proud to wear our shirt and pleased for the opportunity to be at our club. Up the City!

[Tommy Fresh]

1 hour ago, Sly said:

Choudhury has a £6,000,000 fee for a future transfer in his loan contract with Watford. They won’t be taking it, tells you more than enough on how his season has been. Great ball winner, gives it straight back to the opposition. Pretty much sums him up I think? 
 

 

Or Watford aren't willing to pay 6 million having not gone straight back up?

[LCCFox96]

Excuse the essay above haha, Christ that’s a lengthy post. Found it therapeutic so just kept writing into a thought dump!

[blue army 1988]

Im expecting a fire sale.

 

          Iverson

Kristainson  Souttar  Faes  Thomas

Albrighton  Choudhry  KDH    New left wing

       Daka    new striker