Views from the Sieve

Surprised that Ling has been offered a new deal and that we've allowed Curtley to leave, otherwise mostly at expected?

Players contracted to the Club for the 2017/18 season:
Elliot Justham
Scott Doe
Craig Robson
Matt Robinson
Luke Howell
Elliot Romain
Fejiri Okenabirhie
Oliver Hawkins
Andre Boucaud
Tyrique Hyde
Scott Heard
Corey Whitely
Jake Howells
Mark Cousins
Mason Bloomfield
Joe White

Players released by the Club:
Frankie Raymond
Luke Guttridge
Shomari Barnwell
Jakob Berkowicz
Curtley Williams
Paul Benson
Leo Donnellan

Players offered new contracts by the Club:
Luke Pennell
Sam Ling
Josh Staunton
Joe Widdowson

Youth Players offered professional contracts:
Jordi Mongoy
Liam Gordon

Scott Mitchell has also left the club after not being offered a professional contract.

Very confused about Curtley Williams going. Said on Twitter that he wants to stay, so it must be Still not wanting to keep him which is hard to understand why. He has been great when playing. Obviously Ling singing a new contract shows where Still sees the future of the club but I'm not sure if I agree with that.
Sad to see Guttridge and Raymond go but I think to a certain extent it does make sense. Assuming that Benno going means that he's retiring, hopefully if that's the case we might soon see him back in a coaching role.

I'm sad about Curtley going but not surprised. If it's believed his injuries are going to ones that resurface regularly, we don't want another Zavon Hines at the club. We can't win promotion in my opinion, if we're changing positions around every week. If he's not going to be fit, then as sad as it is, he has to go.

Not many surprises really, all we need to do now is wait and see who he brings in.

Jake Howells, really ?

We've got a good spine to build around, at least we're in better shape going into the summer than 12 months ago. I'm confident Still can find the right recruitments to give us a chance next season.

When you see the size of the squad already and if the players offered deals stay then I don't see a mass influx of players. Maybe 5 maximum.

10 appearances in 3 full seasons as a pro for Williams. Such a shame as he is no doubt very good.

Oxhead wrote:Jake Howells, really ?

He's under contract after signing for 18 months. Whether we like it or not, he's here to stay. It's either that or his contract is cancelled, which would mean paying him off in one lump.

Williams would undoubtedly stay if his injury was totally done with but we know it isn't.

No surprises at all really. Ling has good potential and they feel his injuries have been niggles not career threatening. He will become a good player for us.

Most upset to lose Benson but only because I honestly think he is a better option than Hawkins. We need serious centre forward recruitment or we'll not challenge imo.

Can we give Howells a chance. He's played a few games unfit. If he doesn't get himself properly fit and ready during pre-season, then he'll be dumped by mid November/December anyway. Let's at least give him the opportunity to get fit and impress. He's obviously got something as Still used him regularly during Luton's promotion year.

leewilson wrote:Can we give Howells a chance. He's played a few games unfit. If he doesn't get himself properly fit and ready during pre-season, then he'll be dumped by mid November/December anyway. Let's at least give him the opportunity to get fit and impress. He's obviously got something as Still used him regularly during Luton's promotion year.

The truth is Lee,he's supposed to be a professional footballer.His only job is footballer,so he shouldn't have to get fit,he should already be fit.If he didn't care enough to keep off the café breakfasts and pie and chip dinners to make an impact/good impression this season what makes you think he has the right temperament to do it for next season ? He obviously thought signing for us and turning up marginally skinnier than me was ok to play for Dagenham and Redbridge.It wouldn't have been so bad if he hadn't been so ****** useless as well,showed no sign of being any good.

I miss Gutteridge already............................................NOT !!!!!!!!!!

I've no doubt a fit Williams would have been offered a contract, for he is undoubtedly a decent player, but sadly the injury problems are too much of a risk for us. Benno leaves with our blessings and one can only hope that Hawkins has picked up a few tips on how to be a proper striker. I'd like to see Pennell sign as well as Widdowson who I think had a decent year last year considering the amount of matches he played, and Staunton deserves another spell, but I'm not so sure about Ling, but time will tell on that one. As for Guttridge, I'm delighted he's left and good riddance to him. His sulky attitude stunk, not only was he made of glass and very injury prone, he also went missing a lot in the matches he eventually did play in.
There was a time when I thought Frankie Raymond was going to push on but unfortunately that never really materialised and if anything he went backwards.
All in all with three or four decent signings from the hierarchy, we should be in with a decent chance again this year.
Onward and upward.

We only ever looked really good when Gutteridge was in the team this season. He will be a terrible miss on the pitch forget the misrable sod bit. A huge hole to fill along with JMD and that is without losing Whiteley who could be sold if an offer is too good to turn down.

Defensively we look set for the season but look very light now in atracking options. Heard there is another striker who scored a shed load from leagues below on the way in but no name given.

Seems Still was concerned about his injuries. On WIlliam's twitter he has released a statement saying he was offered a short deal but wanted a longer because of his family, then when he reconsidered Still had withdrawn the offer. If I remember rightly didn't someone like Gavin Hoyte go for pretty similar reasons. Shame because he was outstanding on the pitch, only trouble was needing 3 games off to recover after.

As for the others. Benno going is sad but the moment he becomes a coach we should be the first to sign him up, the change in Hawkins shows that he knows how to advise people and help their development. Guttridge, well I will miss some aspects of his game, the odd great pass and some of his match winning goals but not others like being another glass footballer and games where he seem to almost be aiming to avoid the ball. Raymond I think had to go to help himself, he isn't a bad player but he will never get in the team ahead of Bouchard, Robinson or Robson. He is at his level I think and I would say we can expect him in something like a Bromley, mid conference side probably scoring one of his belters against us. The rest I don't know well enough to comment but the spare wage money will be handy.

I think our midfield is where we will struggle most if we don't get some heavyweight replacements in.
Losing Guttridge, JMD, and to an extent, Donnellan, leaves the remainder with an awful lot to do.

Robson is the only one who looks strong enough for this league, but even he has cost us a few goals. Boucard looked good in the main, but he fiddles and farts about on the ball too much for my liking. Robinson probably spent as much, if not more, time injured than Guttridge.

I'm also quite surprised that he has retained both keepers. I don't feel either of them are good enough for League 2 and yes, we do need an experienced proven goalscorer, with the guile of Benno. I'm concerned they didn't offer a player/coach contract to him.