The donkeys have all almost gone!

[BigGibbo]

At the start of the season we had this amazing talented bunch to see us through (bold players have gone already, Red, I`d sell and Blue I dont know whether to keep them, it all depends on who we bring in).....

Back Row (l-r): Darren Kenton, Mark de Vries, Louis Dodds, Gareth McAuley, Conrad Logan, Rab Douglas, Paul Henderson, Richard Stearman, Josh Low, Momo Sylla, Chris O'Grady.

Middle Row (l-r) Paul McAndrew (Kit Manager), Dave Rennie (Head Physio), Joe Hamill, Alan Sheehan, Levi Porter, Iain Hume, Matty Fryatt, Patrik Gerrbrand, James Wesolowski, Elvis Hammond, Tom Freeman (Physio), John Cross (Strength and Conditioning Coach), Donald Barron (Video Analyst).

Front Row (l-r): Stephen Hughes, Nils-Eric Johansson, Danny Tiatto, Andy Johnson, Ian Miller (First Team Coach), Robert Kelly (Manager), Mike Stowell (Assistant Manager), John Marshall (Chief Scout), Patrick McCarthy, Alan Maybury, Gareth Williams, Patrick Kisnorbo. (add Danny Cadamateri!)

In my opinion, we have managed to get most of the rubbish away from the club despite having such a terrible season. There is still a bit to remove and I would like to get rid of the players listed above in Red. I am undecided on the ones in blue for one reason or another! That will leave us with a sound base to add some good players too. The loanees havent done anywhere near enough to earn a contract so forget them also. Which players from whats left would you keep??

Right o.k just been rudely awoken & aint gettin back sleep so . . . .

de vries, douglas, cadermarteri, dodds, kenton & all the players you said to drop we should get rid of none of them are good enough for the playoff chasing team MM wants 2 put together! and quite frankly i don,t know if any of the coaching staff are at premiership level im open 2 debate there?! we want a bare best 16 players from our current squad then add 8 or 9 new players of higher quality im thinkin along the lines of Lee Hendrie frm villa (scum) David Healy from Leeds that sort of ball park some one get mandaric on there case hmm who 4 defense Linvoy Primus from Portsmouth he's hard ha ha come on keep the suggestions coming what do you think of mine leicester should employ me as a scout

[l444ry]

I've stated many times that this squad is the worst I have had the misfortune to witness in 45 years of supporting this club. Just because an average caretaker manager has sqeaked a couple of results doesn't alter this fact. The self delusionists can carry on fantasising that promotion can be attained with this lot and this manager, but outside of the two or three obvious players who should be kept the rest are simply not up to it.

[Thracian]

I've stated many times that this squad is the worst I have had the misfortune to witness in 45 years of supporting this club. Just because an average caretaker manager has sqeaked a couple of results doesn't alter this fact. The self delusionists can carry on fantasising that promotion can be attained with this lot and this manager, but outside of the two or three obvious players who should be kept the rest are simply not up to it.

I think the team/players being listed now that most of the "donkeys" have been dumped is much more capable and respectable - as results at Preston and Barnsley suggest.

Unlike against Burnley where only the result served as a minor antidote for the embarrassment of the performance, we were fairly convincing at Preston/Barnsley - clubs who have themselves taken some top Championship scalps this season.

The team can be vastly improved no question but the options we now have present a perfectly reasonable basis for going forward.

To me a team with pass & move players such as Stearman, Mattock, Wesolowski, King (to come), Newton (plus Porter when fit) is sure to be more effective than the likes of Maybury, Johnson, Jarrett, Horsfield, Yeates and the departed Josh Low.

Speed, stamina, skill and accuracy are the key elements of a modern footballer. Getting all four in a player is not easy. But at their best my first six named would tick a reasonable number of boxes but the second six very few.

[Chocolate Teapot]

I think the team/players being listed now that most of the "donkeys" have been dumped is much more capable and respectable - as results at Preston and Barnsley suggest.

Unlike against Burnley where only the result served as a minor antidote for the embarrassment of the performance, we were fairly convincing at Preston/Barnsley - clubs who have themselves taken some top Championship scalps this season.

The team can be vastly improved no question but the options we now have present a perfectly reasonable basis for going forward.

To me a team with pass & move players such as Stearman, Mattock, Wesolowski, Hughes (central), Newton (plus Porter when fit) is sure to be more effective than the likes of Maybury, Johnson, Jarrett, Horsfield, Yeates and the departed Josh Low.

Speed, stamina, skill and accuracy are the key elements of a modern footballer. Getting all four in a player is not easy. But at their best my first six named would tick a reasonable number of boxes but the second six very few.

I have to disagree, Hughes is one of the most limited players I have ever seen, in terms of the fact that he doesn't have any qualities! He has to go in the summer, and be replaced with a box to box player who runs as much as Jarrett, but can actually pass shoot tackle or alternatively do something useful occasionally!

[Daggers]

23 responses and not one of you miserable barstewards have bothered to list the players they would boot out and keep

Maybe that's because this is the seventeenth thread asking the same thing

I've stated many times that this squad is the worst I have had the misfortune to witness in 45 years of supporting this club.

...outside of the two or three obvious players who should be kept the rest are simply not up to it.

...and there's your answer in a nutshell. As good as the lot of them need to go, and will have by the end of next season.

[Thracian]

I have to disagree, Hughes is one of the most limited players I have ever seen, in terms of the fact that he doesn't have any qualities! He has to go in the summer, and be replaced with a box to box player who runs as much as Jarrett, but can actually pass shoot tackle or alternatively do something useful occasionally!

You might well be right and I did wonder when I wrote his name down - more especially having campaigned for King's inclusion these past months.

Hughes is an enigma. It depends which one turns up and my head was turned by wanting to be fair to him considering his improved performance under Worthington.

But truth is he rarely makes things happen and is not an instinctive attacker as was demonstrated again at Barnsley. I tried to limit the names used to people who'd been in the team but will replace his with King who's long been my preferred choice mostly for reasons you've mentioned about Hughes.

[Manwell Pablo]

Just because we got results against Preston and Barnsley it doesn't mean we're in a false league position.

Luton have beaten Palace and have got six points off top half Sheffield Wednesday this season. This doesn't mean they don't deserve to go go down.

[Thracian]

Just because we got results against Preston and Barnsley it doesn't mean we're in a false league position.

Luton have beaten Palace and have got six points off top half Sheffield Wednesday this season. This doesn't mean they don't deserve to go go down.

I don't think we're in a false position at all but I do think that with more positive team selection and more positive tactics we could have elevated ourselves up to mid-table even with the staff we have.

Our lack of goals/created chances was well predicted given Kelly's approach and team choices but there were alternatives if we'd had the conviction to take them and the team could have been far fitter, better balanced and more motivated.

[Manwell Pablo]

I don't think we're in a false position at all but I do think that with more positive team selection and more positive tactics we could have elevated ourselves up to mid-table even with the staff we have.

Our lack of goals/created chances was well predicted given Kelly's approach and team choices but there were alternatives if we'd had the conviction to take them and the team could have been far fitter, better balanced and more motivated.

The Highest this team is capable of is about 13th. And thats performing at it's very best.

Changes need to be made!

[Thracian]

The Highest this team is capable of is about 13th. And thats performing at it's very best.

Changes need to be made!

You may be right but I wouldn't ever be sure of a team's greatest potential - players have constantly proved they can surprise me on occcasions not least, on one occasion, in a tournament on Victoria Park!

And, in the Championship as in any other League, supreme confidence can have a remarkable effect and City never showed they ever had that.

Indeed, with the handicaps we constantly gave ourselves, it really is a job to assess how much better we might have done.

Of course changes must be made but I hope they are properly researched and ones we need for particular reasons rather than the sort of off-the-peg journeymen we've mostly brought in on loan.

[davieG]

You may be right but I wouldn't ever be sure of a team's greatest potential - players have constantly proved they can surprise me on occcasions not least, on one occasion, in a tournament on Victoria Park!

And, in the Championship as in any other League, supreme confidence can have a remarkable effect and City never showed they ever had that.

Indeed, with the handicaps we constantly gave ourselves, it really is a job to assess how much better we might have done.

Of course changes must be made but I hope they are properly researched and ones we need for particular reasons rather than the sort of off-the-peg journeymen we've mostly brought in on loan.

Not forgetting the sum of the parts when put together in the most effective and efficient way.

[Thracian]

Not forgetting the sum of the parts when put together in the most effective and efficient way.

Absolutely. Cos we were always Heath Robinson rather than Rolls-Royce.

[Geo V]

Im a little more optimistic of the way the squad is looking than I was a month or two back. It just seems alot of the dead wood has been released, sold on or given back and a couple of the academy kids are emerging and players like Logan and Weso are back in the first team.

If we can manage to add some quality experienced players to nurse the kids along we may have a great balance for next season.