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Monday, 18th Mar 2002 00:00

So You Think You Can Be The Manager?

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So it looks as if we will enter the 2002/2003 season with a squad of just 18 professionals as we struggle to get back onto our feet after years of mismanagement. So just who will we be losing from the current squad?

Well the scenario is that we have a squad of 25 professionals of which 12 find themselves out of contract at the end of the season. So a minimum of 7 of these will have to leave if 18 is the magic number and that is on the very basic assumption that we don't bring anyone in. But of course we expect new signings in the close season - don't we? Well, I do I would imagine that we will be looking to bring in three more players at a minimum meaning that 10 of the 25 on the books will find themselves elsewhere come next August.

The out of contract players at the Vetch this summer are as follows:

Nick Cusack

David Romo

Jason Smith

Mamady Sidibe

Chris Todd

Ryan Casey

Steve Healey

Craig Draper

Chris O'Sullivan

Andrew Mumford

Neil Sharp

Steve Brodie

Add to these names the players that we will have still with a contract at the end of the season: - Roger Freestone, Lee Jenkins, Michael Howard, Steve Watkin, Jon Coates, Gareth Phillips, Jason Jones, Kristian O'Leary, Damien Lacey, Leigh De-Vulgt, Terry Evans, Richard Duffy.

13 players in contract, 12 out of contract and seemingly only 18 players available - harsh decisions to be made make no bones about it. So what do I think? Well first off I think 'glad it's not my decision' but we will work with the names and see where we get to.

But before we start our elimination process, take a look at Nick Cusack. Currently joint caretaker manager with Roger Freestone. Nick has relegated himself to the bench in the two games in charge - is this his intention to do that for next season if they get the job permanentely? If so, that would in my mind leave room for a 19th professional - Cusack as player manager and to make my life easier I will start with that.

We all know that we are going to need two goalkeepers on the books and we have them both - Roger Freestone and Jason Jones. The squad moves up to three in number.

We now have the basis and we are going to have to start being a little more ruthless. And I'm going to start with maybe a little bit of controversy. Jason Smith can leave. Don't get me wrong, I think Smudger is a fantastic player but, if the rumours are right, he is on a big wage and I also believe that there are players in the squad who can cover for him. We've been without for a year and I believe we can cope with staying that way so Smith gets the first vote of goodbye.

On the basis that Smith goes, Andrew Mumford must have a new contract. He has been the revelation this season and is an essential part of next season's squad in my eyes. The squad is now four in number.

We'll bin three more while we are here. Steve Healey, Craig Draper and Chris O'Sullivan. Again, all good players in their own right but we are having to cull players from the current squad and these three haven't featured and on that basis they have to go. If we are having 18 players, I want them to have league experience and this is enough reason for me to say goodbye to three of the youngsters.

Moving on, Kristian O'Leary and Chris Todd. Todd is of contract in the summer but in my books worthy of a new contract. As with Mumford, O'Leary can fit into the side at the back or in midfield and Todd is a player for the future who is doing a superb job now. They both stay, the numbers are up to 6 in the squad, 4 out the door.

Let's get rid of another player now. Ryan Casey. A player that had the talent to go a long way when he came into the squad but sadly has not developed. How long can you wait for players to develop? Well if you are cutting down on squad numbers not that long so it's bye-bye Ryan as we lose player number 5.

Now we have to start asking ourselves if we can get rid of some of the players who are in contract and this is somewhere I am glad that culling the squad is not my decision. For the purposes of this feature, I will. If they are in contract but wouldn't feature in my plans I show them the door. And this is where we lose Richard Duffy and Leigh De-Vulgt. It's a hard job but again neither of them look like featuring in the first team and numbers are needing to be kept down. I'm not halfway through the squad and I have kept 6 and lost 7.

Lee Jenkins and Steve Watkin may not be two of the most popular players at the Vetch but I would keep them both. Both have played league football for quite some time and both have their uses in the team. They stay, the squad hits 8, half of what I am aiming for (16) with three blanks for new faces to come in.

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