Name six ''must keeps'' for the summer

[Nameless]

I thought it was pretty obvious that when I said over the season I meant his time with us and what we've seen of him this season. He's played 16 games for us, in some of those I've thought he was excellent. In some he's looked a bit disinterested, sloppy and looks like he's coasting. That might just be his style of course, and I do think he's a very talented player, but I just think he needs to show a bit more consistency, and perhaps intensity, to justify him getting in that list of six.

I was thinking about what players would offer next season, and over a SEASON (46 games, common football term !!) I suspect Chalobah would settle into a very consistent and influential player. If you think he looks laid back then stand by Tishbolah who plays in sunglasses and flipflops....

[Ian Royal]

I thought it was pretty obvious that when I said over the season I meant his time with us and what we've seen of him this season. He's played 16 games for us, in some of those I've thought he was excellent. In some he's looked a bit disinterested, sloppy and looks like he's coasting. That might just be his style of course, and I do think he's a very talented player, but I just think he needs to show a bit more consistency, and perhaps intensity, to justify him getting in that list of six.

I was thinking about what players would offer next season, and over a SEASON (46 games, common football term !!) I suspect Chalobah would settle into a very consistent and influential player. If you think he looks laid back then stand by Tishbolah who plays in sunglasses and flipflops....

I agree with Hoop that there's a question mark over whether he thinks he's better than the Championship and would coast sloppily too much, as we've seen from his first few games here.

Also, for me at least, 'must keeps' should be players with a potential long term future at the club and I can't see Chalobah signing for us permanently.

[Nameless]

I agree with Hoop that there's a question mark over whether he thinks he's better than the Championship and would coast sloppily too much, as we've seen from his first few games here..

Not sure where that comes from. Agree he was not great early on but if he thought he was too good for us he'd hardly have improved the way he has.
Clark will have seen enough of him to know how he would react.

Also, for me at least, 'must keeps' should be players with a potential long term future at the club and I can't see Chalobah signing for us permanently.

Agree.

[Ian Royal]

I agree with Hoop that there's a question mark over whether he thinks he's better than the Championship and would coast sloppily too much, as we've seen from his first few games here..

Not sure where that comes from. Agree he was not great early on but if he thought he was too good for us he'd hardly have improved the way he has.
Clark will have seen enough of him to know how he would react.

Also, for me at least, 'must keeps' should be players with a potential long term future at the club and I can't see Chalobah signing for us permanently.

Agree.

Just going by what I saw (and heard) early on, in that he made casual, sloppy mistakes. Given he's clearly a very good player, that suggests a possibility that his motivation wasn't high, or that he thought he could coast without affecting his performance. Not saying it's what the case was, just a possibility. He's improved, but I'm not convinced that isn't at least as much about some more high profile games, like the two against Bradford and the Arsenal semi, than about him getting over whatever the problem was before.

[Victor Meldrew]

Can't stretch to 6 but 4 if we include Chalobah and Ake.
The 2 for me are Hector and McCleary.
Would like Norwood as well but it does look as though the manager doesn't rate him.
Too many question marks about all the others for varying reasons and having thought of Mackie as a must I have been swayed against by those posters who feel that his goals return isn't good enough if you assess him as a striker and the same goes for Pog.

20 years ago I was gutted when Simon Osborn left in the summer-this time I would be delighted if Kanu and Blackman were to go as being here I think they just confuse the issue in that they show glimmers of being good but generally just flatter to deceive
Obviously also Ferdinand who should never have been here in the first place along with Zat Knight should be looking for another club..

[Dick Habbin's hairdo]

Hector - young, still learning, but was outstanding on Saturday and the man to build the defence around

Williams - Can be an excellent box to box midfielder. good tackler, gets forward well and can run all day.

McCleary - Hopefully free of injury now and we all know what he is capable of

This is, of course, the right answer. Not including the loanees, we MUST hold on to Hector, Struggle Pig and GMac. I'd add Pearce if pushed, and it would be lovely to have Chalobah, Ake and Mackie on season long loans.

The others that I would want to see locked in are Tanner, Kuhl and Cardwell - who is, one day, going to be world class.

No room for sentimentality.

Obita - good enough but not quite fulfilled the promise. Yes, I know he was POTS last year, but he's been around long enough now to start flourishing.
Feds - POTS but 30 and plenty waiting in the wings (although remember that Shaka was worth 11-12 points a season).
Jem - lots of industry but lots of head-down rather than up - (would like to see Norwood gets his workrate up.)

What we desperately need to round out a great core of the team is a pacey centre forward or two..... Cardwell/Samuel/Fosu/Tshibola/Novakovich ....plenty of talent there.

[Rollerbob]

1. Chalobah
2. Ake (please?)
3. Williams
4. Mackie
5. McCleary
6. Hector

Would also like to keep Feds, Pearce, Pog, Karacan, Kuhl, Cooper & Edwards.

[GH Royal]

What we desperately need to round out a great core of the team is a pacey centre forward or two..... Cardwell/Samuel/Fosu/Tshibola/Novakovich ....plenty of talent there.

Just to point out - Tish is a centre mid and Fosu is a winger. Unless you were just stating that we have talent in the youth..

Agree with everything else you said.

[maffff]

Hector
Obita (with a left winger that complements him like Jobi did)

Worryingly Mackie, Ake and Chalobah would be next. None of which are ours.

So.....

Williams
Karacan
Eamon Dolan
Paul Black

[Big Foot]

In order of importance:

Pearce (C)
Hector
Obita
Mackie
McCleary
Williams

[Hoop Blah]

I was thinking about what players would offer next season, and over a SEASON (46 games, common football term !!) I suspect Chalobah would settle into a very consistent and influential player. If you think he looks laid back then stand by Tishbolah who plays in sunglasses and flipflops....

If you read what I said though, I was commenting on what he's done for us and judging him on that, not what he might do in some fantasy season. I'm convinced he's a very talented and versatile player that could easily perform well at this level. I'm not convinced he's right for us though and so think there are other players more important for us next season.

As for Tishbola, I'd totally agree. Too often when I've watched him he looks like he's strolling through games and I've said so many times. It's what makes me question his chances of playing at this level.

[Dick Habbin's hairdo]

Just to point out - Tish is a centre mid and Fosu is a winger. Unless you were just stating that we have talent in the youth..
.

My bad, GH.... of course, what I should have said is pacey skillful *forwards* - plus Tish who gets forward well (EDIT: when he can be arsed!). And yes, the young'uns are cracking and we really need to develop them.

[Blakey's Chin]

Andersen
Travner
Ferdinand
Akpan
Appiah
Yakubu

[Sutekh]

Steve Clarke
That nice girl in the ticket office
Corner flags *4

[GH Royal]

Just to point out - Tish is a centre mid and Fosu is a winger. Unless you were just stating that we have talent in the youth..
.

My bad, GH.... of course, what I should have said is pacey skillful *forwards* - plus Tish who gets forward well (EDIT: when he can be arsed!). And yes, the young'uns are cracking and we really need to develop them.

'Greed, plenty to look forward to once the young lads make the step up. Think the loan deals for Tish and Tanner will have helped them alot. Especially Tish, going to a relegation threatened Hartlepool and by the sounds of it being their catalyst for their slight improvement in results and getting alot of appreciation from their fans. Character building, and will show him what can come with hard work - In a relegation dog fight every 3 points is huge, you don't need to win promotion or a cup to feel a sense of achievement or feel appreciated.

[RG7Fan]

Steve Clarke
That nice girl in the ticket office
Corner flags *4

+ Dave Royal

[Dick Habbin's hairdo]

Especially Tish, going to a relegation threatened Hartlepool and by the sounds of it being their catalyst for their slight improvement in results and getting alot of appreciation from their fans. Character building, and will show him what can come with hard work

Yup, he's done really well at Hartlepool. No nonsense, get your head down, graft hard, learn what life is like and come out all the better for it. 'Pools love him - and no pretence on his part, either.

I'm still almost bordering on homo-erotic with the talent that Cardwell has, though.

[Lower West]

Hector
Cooper
Stacey
Jem
Williams
Mackie

[marlowuk]

We are not going to be able to keep Ake or Chalobah and, probably, not Mackie although we would want all three. So, of the others, we need to do our best to retain ...

Hector
McCleary
Williams
Feds
Obita
Gunter

With Pearce as the next choice.

[Elm Park Kid]

West Berkshire Brewery
Jazz Cafe
Waitrose
Free parking at the World Turned Upside Down
Hoops going (almost) all the way round
Y26