SUFC/Thurrock
Winger
Absolutely agree.
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SUFC: The Future Next season
- Thread starter Shrimper95
- Start date
TrevorFitzpatrickHattrick
Prolific Striker⭐🦐
One of our main downfalls this season is that we're too nice. Perfect example yesterday was Keenan's penalty appeal; he stayed on his feet and we were penalised as a result. We need to be better at the dark arts if we want to get out of this dreadful league.
I'm not convinced that LWB is the position for LCP to do most damage. Let him play more centrally and give him some freedom to roam as he's easily the best ballplayer we have in the team.
As I said on the post-match thread, Fondop didn't have his best game yesterday but was an absolute menace throughout and keeps CB's occupied all the time. A player of a similar stature and skillset would allow us to go more direct if/when we need to. Throw in a player like Danny Cashman, who's both able to pick up the ball and run from deep or drift and find space behind defenders without the ball, and we'd have the perfect one-two punch (I also think Kendall could do a similar job). Whilst Hopper is physical, he's just not a regular goalscorer. Bonne's performance yesterday was a microcosm of his SUFC career so far; lots of effort but absolutely no end-product.
I'm surprised about the split in opinion regarding Oli Coker. He's one of our better technical players and is able to deliver a deadball. Also, given his age, I'd suggest there's some upside to his game as well.
I'd take Golding back on loan in a heartbeat along with another no-nonsense CB, perhaps with a little more experience. I like Goodliffe but feel far more comfortable when he's in the opposition box than our own.
If we can keep the likes of LCP, KAF, GSM, Taylor and Ralph, I'd suggest we're about 4/5 players away from having a squad that can compete for the top 3 next year. For a full on title charge, I'd suggest that maybe we need a player or two more on top.
I'm not convinced that LWB is the position for LCP to do most damage. Let him play more centrally and give him some freedom to roam as he's easily the best ballplayer we have in the team.
As I said on the post-match thread, Fondop didn't have his best game yesterday but was an absolute menace throughout and keeps CB's occupied all the time. A player of a similar stature and skillset would allow us to go more direct if/when we need to. Throw in a player like Danny Cashman, who's both able to pick up the ball and run from deep or drift and find space behind defenders without the ball, and we'd have the perfect one-two punch (I also think Kendall could do a similar job). Whilst Hopper is physical, he's just not a regular goalscorer. Bonne's performance yesterday was a microcosm of his SUFC career so far; lots of effort but absolutely no end-product.
I'm surprised about the split in opinion regarding Oli Coker. He's one of our better technical players and is able to deliver a deadball. Also, given his age, I'd suggest there's some upside to his game as well.
I'd take Golding back on loan in a heartbeat along with another no-nonsense CB, perhaps with a little more experience. I like Goodliffe but feel far more comfortable when he's in the opposition box than our own.
If we can keep the likes of LCP, KAF, GSM, Taylor and Ralph, I'd suggest we're about 4/5 players away from having a squad that can compete for the top 3 next year. For a full on title charge, I'd suggest that maybe we need a player or two more on top.
SeldomSeenShrimper
Youth Team
An open letter from Julie-Anne Uggla addressed to the National League & the EFL. | York City Football Club
Re: Unjust Promotion Rules – A Call for Immediate Reform Dear National League and Mr. Birch, I am writing to express my deep concern and disappointment at the current promotion system between the National League and League Two, following a season where York City FC, despite finishing 28 points...
yorkcityfootballclub.co.uk
BEERMONSTER
Saga Lout⭐🦐
Yes certainly agree no need to panic, COSU haven't let us down yet and I don't expect them to either. Not forgetting how much debt they have been paying off there may be some extra funding this term that was needed elsewhere last season. Also on a different note your not by chance the Phil that used to sit front row of the West Stand with a mate call Mick back in the day?
Sensei Phil
🦐 Host of Talking Shrimpers Podcast
100% this. Adding that he's continuing to grow and mature as a player and leader within the group. Those that left at the full-time whistle would have missed that he was the player to be putting his arm around the other players, clearing showing his importance in the squad. He's also a player that will pick up positions and score goals. We don't many of those, IMO.
Yesterday at 2-1, if Walker looks up instead of trying from a difficult near post angle and lays it to Coker in a better position, we go 3-1. We win, Oli is suddenly the hero. Instead, we know what happened. Football is decided by moments, and sometimes the decisions of others determine your game. If we add 2-3 players that make better decisions in games, Coker shines and doubles his goal tally. That I'm certain of.
Somerset Ex-TTB
Members
Coker and Walker changed the game yesterday, if only Bonne had a similar impact, we would be in League 2 now. Bonne had the touch of a brick wall when put through by Coker in the first half of extra time.
Coker is young, and technically a very good player. Getting rid would be utter insanity.
I would personally keep Bonne if we can. He has had a good impact in general off the bench this year, and may benefit from a proper pre-season, and you never know is one of those players that may grab you a few goals in a purple patch a couple of times a season.
He also seems to love it here as well, but it depends on the overall squad depth we want and other recruitment.
Coker is young, and technically a very good player. Getting rid would be utter insanity.
I would personally keep Bonne if we can. He has had a good impact in general off the bench this year, and may benefit from a proper pre-season, and you never know is one of those players that may grab you a few goals in a purple patch a couple of times a season.
He also seems to love it here as well, but it depends on the overall squad depth we want and other recruitment.
fredheim_holm
Where art thou Tes 🦐
Totally agree. I'm biased as a Greensward boy myself, but Coker has class. I really wouldn't be surprised to see him playing regularly in League One in a few years time, hopefully that's with us.
amsemp
Director⭐🦐
Absolutely this. I feel like Coker is seriously underrated by many because he’s not all action. He’s absolutely not someone I’d be even close to wanting to offload in the summer. At the very minimum he’s an excellent squad player at this level and still has room to grow.
Interestingly I said the same about Walker’s shot after watching the highlights back when I got home. Walker had done so much good work up to that point and part of me doesn’t blame him for wanting to have a pop at what would’ve been an incredible Wembley goal. But the pass was the better option.
BriggBlue
Schoolboy
One thing that needs to change next season is that we need to turn the page on our underdog narrative and now present ourselves as the biggest team in this league.
We have been through a tough time but now we need to push on and any new signing has to want to come here to be a winner not an overachieving underdog
We have been through a tough time but now we need to push on and any new signing has to want to come here to be a winner not an overachieving underdog
Sensei Phil
🦐 Host of Talking Shrimpers Podcast
Fully agree with this. That label will bring pressure and at this stage, it should. Having come close, we should be expecting to take that extra step further next season. That is the expectation and any player coming in needs to understand and cope with that.
I am not expecting wholesale changes to the squad this summer. Most of the squad are under contract anyway, so if we're going to keep the same size squad then we don't have much to play with. I believe the only out of contract players are Wood, Waldron, Ralph and Bonne (I believe Bridge has already triggered a 1-year contract extension).
Wood and Waldron will be gone, no doubt. I would hope we could agree something with Ralph - I'm in two minds about Bonne but think on balance we can probably do better and suspect he's on a decent wage so we might need that to bolster other areas of the squad.
Interesting to hear that Steve Arnold was at the squad party last night. I'd have him back in a heartbeat as I think he's an upgrade on both Hayes and Collin, but have we room for 3 'keepers in the squad? Probably not.
Goodliffe will return to Colchester and I'm not sure I'd have him back, even if we could negotiate a fee.
I reckon we'll be looking to bring in a CB, at least one striker and a left wing back.
Wood and Waldron will be gone, no doubt. I would hope we could agree something with Ralph - I'm in two minds about Bonne but think on balance we can probably do better and suspect he's on a decent wage so we might need that to bolster other areas of the squad.
Interesting to hear that Steve Arnold was at the squad party last night. I'd have him back in a heartbeat as I think he's an upgrade on both Hayes and Collin, but have we room for 3 'keepers in the squad? Probably not.
Goodliffe will return to Colchester and I'm not sure I'd have him back, even if we could negotiate a fee.
I reckon we'll be looking to bring in a CB, at least one striker and a left wing back.
ForeverBlue
Striker
Fans thinking that the money made from the play offs will suddenly mean a big cash injection into the playing squad need a little dose of reality.
Whilst the money from the play offs is no doubt very welcome and much needed, in reality, this will probably only cover the wages, overheads etc for the next 3 months whilst the club won’t be receiving any gate money (A very nice bonus of course)
COSU have had to spend many more millions than they originally anticipated on debts that the Martins had hidden from them during the sale of the club.
On top of this, they have paid out for the new training ground facilities, and are now going to need to try and find millions of pounds of their own money for a new East stand on top of other ground improvements.
In short, we simply won’t be able to compete financially on transfers and budgets with the likes of FGR, York and possibly Carlisle. Our recruitment is going to need to be very clever and shrewd. Luckily for us, we have one of the best guys in the lower leagues to help achieve this goal in John Still.
Along with his team of scouts scattered around the country. I’m confident they will find us the right players needed.
In the mean time, we as fans are going to need to show a little bit of patience in letting the dust settle after yesterday’s big disappointment and keep faith that the management and co will assemble the squad needed for next season to hopefully take us out of this tin pot league!
Sensei Phil
🦐 Host of Talking Shrimpers Podcast
Don't read into that. He's just good friends with the club and I don't think it's too long before he calls it a day. Great to see him though.
I did try to persuade McLeish to polish his boots though.... what a player he was!!
Danshrimper
Manager
He will be 36 at the start of next season, and hasn’t really played consistently since leaving us. And hasn’t played at all since October 2024.
He was a great servant to the club when he was here. But if we are to search for an upgrade in the goalkeeping department, this isn’t the route we should be going down.
Elmsleigh shrimper
Newbie
Yes, I also thought that a way to get a third promotion place might be to include the 22nd club from league 2 into the national league play off somehow. Something similar happened when playoffs were introduced in the late 80's but very few of the "relegation" candidates from the higher division survived the ordeal and were almost always sent packing by the bouyed up challenger from below. They would need to keep the number of play off spots at least at 6 to keep the season alive for more clubs. Can't see the EFL giving up another slot as automatic, why would they? They'll take one look at our situation and decide it's best to avoid getting relegated at all costs.
They do something weird in Scotland which heavily favours the team from the higher league. We can only hope something changes , it's a real struggle as things stand.
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rlb999
We want 4 stands!
I'm almost more interested in who we manage to get out, than who we get in. We have a decent sized squad these days and most players are under contract so if we are to move a few on, we're going to need interested clubs who will pay whatever we pay, presumably.
Whilst there a a couple of players I wouldn't want to lose, I don't think we really have anyone that's irreplaceable so we should be open to approaches generally - although some would have to be at the right price.
Wood will go. Apart from him we have 3 out of contract. I'd release 2 of them and offer a year to Nathan Ralph. I rather suspect Maher will offer terms to Jack Bridge too.
I'd agree with those who have said we need a better keeper - don't quite understand why we brought Hayes in on a longer deal when he's no better than what we have already. The way to get a better keeper in this league seems to be to loan one in - but presumably we'd need to ship one out first - may not be that easy.
We also need a dominating centre half - one that does his work in both penalty boxes. Is Goodliffe this player - I'm not sure? He's a threat in the opposition box certainly, but perhaps less commanding in ours.
I also agree with those that have said we need a refresh up front. We have useful players, but they aren't going to fire a team to promotion. If you look at the playoff games, Rochdale had Rodney, FGR had Quigley, Oldham had Fondop. All really effective players at this level and the type we need to be looking at.
Whilst there a a couple of players I wouldn't want to lose, I don't think we really have anyone that's irreplaceable so we should be open to approaches generally - although some would have to be at the right price.
Wood will go. Apart from him we have 3 out of contract. I'd release 2 of them and offer a year to Nathan Ralph. I rather suspect Maher will offer terms to Jack Bridge too.
I'd agree with those who have said we need a better keeper - don't quite understand why we brought Hayes in on a longer deal when he's no better than what we have already. The way to get a better keeper in this league seems to be to loan one in - but presumably we'd need to ship one out first - may not be that easy.
We also need a dominating centre half - one that does his work in both penalty boxes. Is Goodliffe this player - I'm not sure? He's a threat in the opposition box certainly, but perhaps less commanding in ours.
I also agree with those that have said we need a refresh up front. We have useful players, but they aren't going to fire a team to promotion. If you look at the playoff games, Rochdale had Rodney, FGR had Quigley, Oldham had Fondop. All really effective players at this level and the type we need to be looking at.
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IloveShrimp
Director⭐🦐
I would keep Goodliffe, the rest I agree with you. Perhaps covert Hopper to CB as he is under contract.
in the know
Newbie⭐⭐
Super steeeeve was saying he hoped things were going better than they currently are for him. He's good friends with JD, Ralph and a few others and has a soft spot for southend.
The after party was quite a subdued affair really with players understandably not in any mood to be enjoying things in any shape or form and lots of brave faces were put on.
IloveShrimp
Director⭐🦐
The other thing to consider when signing players is KM's tactics. Yesterday I cannot remember one single pass from midfield (the sort of defence splitting pass) into the channel for any of the fowards to run on to. Tactics (most of the season) have revolved around getting the ball wide and then crossing to relatively midget target men in comparison to the defenders that they are up against.
Somerset Ex-TTB
Members
Apart from our first goal
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