So what does Sheridan need to do or change to create a REAL promotion winning team for next season?

John Sheridan is in the press today talking of having to make some big decisions re which players he will retain or release for the next campaign, assuming of course that Argyle don't make the play offs this time (looking unlikely) and leaving aside all the Brent political crap.
Purely in footballing terms what does Sheridan need to do to get us promotion out of this godamm league?

Win more games!

Get given a magic wand to wave around and make all tickety-boo.

Reid should be signed asap when the season ends. He has his critics, but he has scored goals this season. I would also like to see Gurrieri given another chance.

Stop signing journeymen.

I played a game the other day of 'keep or release'. A bit of what I would do & a bit of what I might expect him to do.

Release:
Berry
Blanchard (especially if we go up)
Boco
Blizzard (especially if we go up)
Banton
Morgan
Vassell

Agreed, on his scoring form this year, we ought to sign Reid yesterday.

I'll be interested if Wotton carries on. I'll be interested if Cole doesn't hand in a transfer request or if McCormick or Hourihane isn't snapped up by someone.

So that means keep:
McCormick
Cole
Trotman
Nelson
Richards
Purrington
Parsons
Hourihane
Young
Thomas
Gurrieri
Allesandra
Lecointe
Harvey

This is based almost completely on reading & radio. But it will be interesting how far that differs from what happens.

Gurrieri is far too weak for me knecht. Other teams in our league have better players than him. That says it all for me. Parsons isn't a very good defender and he plays as part of a back four so, I'd disagree with you there. The others you've listed, I'd agree with.

As far as release, Banton has next season so he's under contract. With a good pre-season, I think he'll come good. The others, except for Berry, I'd agree with.

1) Sign Reid permanently.
2) Scrap the deadwood.
3) Stop signing desperate, inept players.
4) Bring in a leader, or a dominant CM.. Cox basically.
5) A new right side of defence.
6) A new winger for either side.
7) Sign another striker, maybe a target man but one that has technical ability at least.
Develop some back up plans.

hairy j wrote:

Gurrieri is far too weak for me knecht. Other teams in our league have better players than him. That says it all for me. Parsons isn't a very good defender and he plays as part of a back four so, I'd disagree with you there.  The others you've listed, I'd agree with.

As far as release, Banton has next season so he's under contract. With a good pre-season, I think he'll come good. The others, except for Berry, I'd agree with.

But Sheridan seems to like Gurrieri. I thought Parsons had been playing as a wing-back with three "centre-halves" behind him. Berry seems to have fallen out of favour. I did hesitate over Banton - after the excitement of his performances last season he clearly has something going but he's managed little this season but he is young.

To repeat, This is based almost completely on reading & radio. But it will be interesting how far that differs from what happens.

It's all very well declaiming 'scrap the deadwood' but essentially that means nothing. Undercover, what you are basically saying with your list is we need almost a complete new team.

The only players under contract for next season are Lewis Alessandra, Jason Banton, Dominic Blizzard, Conor Hourihane, Marvin Morgan and Ben Purrington.

So that's 3 forwards, 2 central midfielders and a left back.

Having 2 goalies might be a luxury but this season has shown how important it is to have them so both Cole and McCormick should get at least an offer.

I'm very happy with Nelson and Trotman so they can stay but we'll need 2 more CB options as cover.

Purrington is a LB so he'll need competition. Parsons hasn't played much so it's hard to assess him but if he's not too expensive then keep him. We need 2 right back options. Maybe Richards and one other although we've seen precious little of Richards. I'd give him a go and he covers CB too.

In midfield we'd be daft to let Young go so he gets an offer. The same goes for Thomas, Harvey and Lecointe (who also offer competition up front). That'd leave midfield a bit lightweight so we need a couple of seasoned pros in there too.

We have to try to keep Reid and there's always room for a goal scorer so one other.

So that's a 23 of:

GK: Cole, McCormick
DEF: Richards, new RB, Nelson, Trotman, new CB x2, Purrington, Parsons
MID: Young, Hourihane, Blizzard, Harvey, Lecointe, Thomas, new CM x 2
FOR: Banton, Alessandra, Morgan, Reid, new CF

And thanks and good luck in the future to Wotton, Boco, Blanchard, Berry, Vassell, Guerrieri and Showunmi.

So that's a new RB, 2 CBs, 2 CMs and a striker that Sheridan needs to get hold of and they all need to be genuine 1st XI contenders. Ideally at least half of the new players would be captains at their current club because we almost need players that can communicate, lead and organise on the pitch more than we need skillful ones!

I'm in the camp that says we don't need that many changes.

Obviously there have been a lot of ups and downs since then, but the primary reason for us missing out this year will be our first 15 games of the season- after which we were hovering on the precipice of the relegation zone.

We've got nobody but ourselves to blame for that but if the table were only based from the end of October onwards then we'd not only be a top seven side. We wouldn't be a million miles off a top three side. It was mostly that period over the first 10 weeks or so of the season of failing to gel that's cost us a top seven spot. Not the form since.

The way I see it Sheridan would be far better of keeping the core basis of that team (if budget allows so) and hoping we pick up where we left off with our post-October form than completely uprooting the team again and risk writing off another start of season where we fail to gel. I'm not saying keep ALL the players. There's some obvious deadwood that needs getting rid of. But I'd keep most of them and try to get significant upgrades in the positions where we're weakest. If we could maintain the form we've had for the latter two thirds of a season over a whole season (or even slightly improve it) then our odds of going up would be reasonable. It's tempting to sweep a new broom once more but I think it'd ultimately do more harm than good. This team, as frustrating as missing out is, is still developing nicely. It needs continued evolution as opposed to revolution.

Release: Boco, Trotman, Vassell.

Try and get rid of (from those who are already under contract): Blizzard, Morgan, Banton.

The rest is the basis of a good team for me. I don't think we could get a better squad player utility option than Wotton for the low wages he's probably on. Gurrieri who I didn't previously rate has added more to his game this season, as has Berry. Blanchard's just on a bit of a dodgy run of form and even now he's underrated in his actual defensive ability imho. He may not be any good at keeping possession but 9 times out of 10 he lets very little past him and his ability to perceive what the man he's marking will do (Saturday's fiasco an exception) is often as good as I've seen from this league. I'm in the minority that'd keep him and as a regular starter too. Parsons? Well he can't defend but the potential for him to play a big part as a left-winger/midfielder is obvious to me.

My feeling is that Sheridan has a game plan for promotion, he did say very clearly this season that he would get us in the top half of the table which he will achieve. I think he knows what he wants to change and it is likely the squad will be quite different next season. With what budget - we will never know given the lack of transparency that surrounds H.P.
Ruben being here next season? I don't think so, at 20 goals this season he will be on the hit list for several league 1 clubs with a higher wage on offer - he is only human.
Obvious now, but yes our earlier form and recent lapses have cost us a possible automatic place.
  

We need to raise the bar of ambition from where mid table of league 2 is seen as acceptable, it isn't, get rid of league 2 players, sign league 1 standard players, move n, simples.

UndercoverGreen wrote:

1) Sign Reid permanently.
2) Scrap the deadwood.
3) Stop signing desperate, inept players.
4) Bring in a leader, or a dominant CM.. Cox basically.
5) A new right side of defence.
6) A new winger for either side.
7) Sign another striker, maybe a target man but one that has technical ability at least.
Develop some back up plans.

Most of this really.

Reid is a must, I know he has his critics but he delivers goals.
Deadwood?, again yes. Not as many as Fletch surrounded himself with but there are still too many 'squad fillers' and/or 'lightweights'. I'd far sooner run a smaller squad with a touch more quality.
Leaders?, f**k yeah. We don't shout or encourage ourselves nearly enough, we often go a bit flat at times as a consequence. I don't think it was any coincidence we got a lift from Wotts coming back in but he can't play more than a bit part now and we need a Wotts or Cocko v2.0.

[quote="Iggy"]We need to raise the bar of ambition from where mid table of league 2 is seen as acceptable, it isn't, get rid of league 2 players, sign league 1 standard players, move n, simples.[/quote



Spot on!
But then of course there is the Brent factor and the question of ££££££££

If Sheridan signed players of the quality of say Kitson, who tore us a new one the other day, the fans would really get behind the team. Hit the ground running and we would piss this league but any player that hasn't shone this season won't shine next. Banton being the exception I can't believe that he has nothing to add to this squad.
Reid, Hourihane, Allesandra, Banon, Purrington, Nelson, Young, Harvey, Thomas, Cole, Mcormick and maybe Parsons, get rid of rest.

knecht wrote:

I played a game the other day of 'keep or release'. A bit of what I would do & a bit of what I might expect him to do.

Release:
Berry
Blanchard (especially if we go up)
Boco
Blizzard (especially if we go up)
Banton
Morgan
Vassell

Agreed, on his scoring form this year, we ought to sign Reid yesterday.

I'll be interested if Wotton carries on. I'll be interested if Cole doesn't hand in a transfer request or if McCormick or Hourihane isn't snapped up by someone.

So that means keep:
McCormick
Cole
Trotman
Nelson
Richards
Purrington
Parsons
Hourihane
Young
Thomas
Gurrieri
Allesandra
Lecointe
Harvey

This is based almost completely on reading & radio. But it will be interesting how far that differs from what happens.

Good list, although I would definitely keep Berry. He's our best 4-4-2 right back IMO, and a more than capable RWB.

Gurrieri is touch and go, wouldn't be devastated if he left, but he is a handy squad player.

Jamie Richards - someone needs to sort out the plan for him. We signed him in the Championship when he was pretty hot property, so his wages won't be as low as our other teenagers. We have kept with him for years but give him next to no football whatsoever. Richards must look at Nelson and wince at the opportunities Nelson gets over him, when they were both young CBs of the same pedigree at one stage. One is in the running for Player of the Season, the other is on loan at Weymouth buried way down at non league standard.

If funds are lacking then theres only defeat to look forward too.
6 players not good enough blanchard the biggest waste of space he should have been sacked after rochdale last season.

After much deliberation, Sheridan needs to find a new club.

We're Plimuff Gargoyle and weem doin arrrr best ! Anyone for an auction ?

Iggy wrote:

If Sheridan signed players of the quality of say Kitson, who tore us a new one the other day, the fans would really get behind the team. Hit the ground running and we would piss this league but any player that hasn't shone this season won't shine next. Banton being the exception I can't believe that he has nothing to add to this squad.
Reid, Hourihane, Allesandra, Banon, Purrington, Nelson, Young, Harvey, Thomas, Cole, Mcormick and maybe Parsons, get rid of rest.

It would cost to get rid of Banton.....remember he has a contract for next season.......surely he wasn't just a flash in the pan.

Coxside_Green wrote:

After much deliberation, Sheridan needs to find a new club.

Must admit he has never floated my boat - a poor communicator upfront leads me to think he's almost certainly the same in front of his players!!

Bandwagon wrote:

Coxside_Green wrote:

After much deliberation, Sheridan needs to find a new club.

Must admit he has never floated my boat - a poor communicator upfront leads me to think he's almost certainly the same in front of his players!!

Thar's what I meant to say , before I went off on one.   

Well the man himself has come out after his team was outplayed by the mighty Bury. Sheridan said (somewhat frustrated) "the season is over", well ok John that is obvious, but he made a pledge that he would build a promotion chasing team next season and WILL bring in new players and make some hard decisions.
Ok John go for it, but I would'nt hold your breath that the reluctant bidder and a board that places footballing ambition behind retail development will empty their pockets for you.
Just one point, Sheridan has now got the tactics and team wrong for the last two games,so it's all well and good blaming the players for bottling it since we hit 7th place, but you did'nt own it either for yesterdays drubbing.  

Ee's going to fink of the future and work ees socks off !   

Don't think it's the major issue what his perceived faults in communication are,the most uncommunicative manager in history was the one who actually won the world cup for England.The fact is that Sheridan has had a hitherto reasonably successful management career which includes winning this division with Chesterfield as well as the JPT and consistently challenging for the play offs in a higher division with Oldham.He did get relegated at Chesterfield as well but that would be about the only real blot on his record so far-Warnock has been relegated three times, a bad season or two is almost inevitable in any lengthy career.On the face of it,Sheridan's record at Argyle isn't that bad either-bottom of the league when he arrived 13 months ago,9th position at the moment.Not bad but not good enough and yesterdays collapse together with the insipid performances over the previous half a dozen games surely confirm that the squad has neither the bottle or quality to take the club forward.There was a tipping point in Sturrock's first spell- a 4-1 hiding at Kidderminster which finally convinced him that major changes had to occur and big decisions made-from what the manager has been saying in the press today,a similar sea change in thinking has taken place.Overall i think he deserves a chance to build something which is truly his own creation [9 of the players in yesterdays squad were on the books when he arrived] and that he is given the tools to do the job.Could be a very cataclysmic summer.