The clear-out: easier said than done

I would suggest little change. A back up goalkeeper for sure. Williams and Rooney gone, our loanees back and two quality signings. A massive turnover of players would mean starting again. Allardyce out, that will do. Also who is going to take these contracted players? For example, Sell MCarthy because he is crocked, sell him to who?

You are talking about people here, Damian, not a computer game with players you can fuck off at a whim. Do you actually believe that half the squad can be booted out, replaced and all will be well? Delude? Yeah, you are.

Robles
Martina
Williams
Schneiderlin
Klaassen
Besic
Funes-Mori
Mirallas
Bolasie
(If Rooney leaves, I expect either of Klaassen/Besic to stay)

So, 8/9 out.

Ins would be:
A back-up keeper (on loan?)
A left back (Shaw/Tierney/etc)
A centre back (Mawson, I would like)
A mid-field player (Wilshere/Madisson)
A forward (break-the-bank type player like Zaha)

So, 4/5 in.

The squad for the new season:

GK: Pickford, Stek, New GK
LB: Baines, New (Shaw)
CB: Keane, Jags, Holgate, New (Mawson), Pennington
RB: Coleman, Kenny
Midfield: Siggy, Gueye, McCarthy, Baningime, Davies, Vlasic, NewFella
Forwards: Lookman, Rooney, New (Zaha), Walcott, Tosun, Calvert-Lewin, Niasse

This starting XI under a good manager would be pretty decent:

Pickford
Coleman Keane Mawson Shaw
Gueye Siggy Wilshere
Zaha Walcott Lookman

His diagnosis was not much removed from that of Fran in the piece above although 'Teardrops' Kenwright had to deny we needed a clear out.

With almost as many players fit only to go as to stay, I reckon Sam's our man. None of these softie foreigner managers will be up for it so let the big man earn his inflated salary whilst clearing the decks for us !

Desperate times .

In the last 6/7 games, we have had a settled back 4 and goalkeeper, so no desperate need for a signing here. I would probably let Robles go and keep Stek as understudy. I would also let Martina and Williams go, and bring in a left sided defender who could eventually success Baines.

In midfield, we do have some players who aren't good enough to let go. Besic, Schneiderlin, Klaassen and maybe Bolasie. I would try to get Aaron Ramsey, and maybe a left sided attacker with pace.

I'd like us to sign a top striker with pace if possible, to complement the strikers we have currently. So by my reckoning, that's 4 players we need. I would also send Davies and Calvert-Lewin on loan to the Championship for the season. They need a season to learn their trade elsewhere. The pair of them could be important players for us if they can master their trade elsewhere.

The last thing we need is a big influx of players again. It didn't exactly have the desired effect last season, after all!

Williams, Bolasie, Martina and Besic just aren't good enough so they should definitely go. Jags is getting on so he should be replaced and the same applies to Baines. A creative attacking midfielder is a must as well as a top class striker.

Above all else the new manager should be the number one priority.

2-3 high quality signings, clear the deadwood and give youth a chance under a progressive and positive manager.

The difficulty we have is our best quality players are all getting a bit old now so we don't have much to build on.

I agree with Andy Crooks though we don't want wholesale change just gradual change and improved coaching and tactics.

Along with the new "quality" brought in we need to have that winning mentality and a bit of devilment. Look at how Chelsea have fallen away just because Costa has gone.

We have become too nice for the current Premiership.

Bringing back our loan players, Dowell and Lookman, to play on both wings gives us pace and skill with the element of surprise and with Walcott supporting Tosun up front we would have the necessary firepower to get us the goals.

The back four kind of picks itself, perm four from eight and with Pickford between the sticks we're good to go for me to easily achieve 40+ points, but more importantly a League Cup win. Then it really begins Blues, success by the fastest means possible next season. Oh the joy!

“Should balance the squad somewhat” WHAT A JOKE!

- This level of change, will only lead to another year of lack of confidence & instability.

The only players that need to leave, are those that have a poor attitude, or would like to leave, or are not good enough. I'm sure there will be many loans too - which need to be better analysed to benefit the players.

Robles & Rooney are already on the way out.

Keep all your so called “not good enough” players - Bolasie, McCarthy, Schneiderlin, etc... They have a lot to offer. The chance needs to be in policy - if players aren't performing - then the back up players get a chance.

OUT:

Rooney
Robles
Mirallas
Williams
Garbutt
Besic (best of luck - great attitude)
Pennington (buy back clause)

LOANS:

Holgate (I think he would grow a lot by having a full season in the championship)
Baningime (same scenario as Holgate)
Robinson (one more season to grow)
Dowell (one more season on loan to grow)
Hewelt
(All of the above with a call-back option, if injuries occur)

Sambou
Connolly
J Williams
Evans
Feeney

INS:

CB: Lascelles & Mawson

LB: Bertrand / Tierney

FINAL SQUAD: 2018/19
25 Players

GK: Pickford / Stek

RB: Coleman / Kenny / Cuco

RCB: Keane / Mawson / Jagielka

LCB: Lascelles / Funes Mori

LB: Bertrand / Baines

CDM: Gueye / Schneiderlin / McCarthy

RCM: Klaassen / Davies

LCM: Sigurdsson / Vlasic

RW: Walcott / Bolasie

LW: Onyekuru / Lookman / Sandro

ST: Tosun / Calvert-Lewin / Niasse

We'll see who leaves. This "Get rid." stuff is pure Football Fantasy League. Players are under contract.

McCarthy has two years left on contract. No team will take a flyer on a crock. God bless him, but that's who he is now.

Garbutt has three years left. Three! A complete failure. Who will take him?

Besic has three years left at 㿞k per week. Let's all pull for Boro in the playoff. And pull for Besic's hamstrings to hold up.

Mirallas couldn't wait to go back to his old club. A complete disaster. Two years left on his contract. Who will have him?

Williams is washed-up at 33 with one year to go contracted at 㿲k per week. Who's going to sign him? Christ, why would he leave?

Stek has one year left. Robles is out of contract and likely will leave for playing time. Who would take Stek, except to have sit on the bench just like he's doing now? Why leave?

Jags and Baines have one year left, too. But they can actually still play. Just not regularly. Their legs won't have it.

My guess, is that some of the kids will sign elsewhere or go out on loan. We DO have an array of young talent. That's the simplest way to cut down the roster and wages.

It's fun TW conversation with the window opening soon. Beyond that, it amounts to nothing.

Except, we DO need a new CB and LB. And a new manager to make something of the rest of the squad.

Schneiderlin has been awful, just awful, and will go back to France.
Rooney has already backed his bags.
Martina... need to say?
Klaassen, why keep him?
Funes Mori, really? Maybe keep him, but think he'll push for a move.

But do any/will any of these players contribute to either squad harmony or improvement in performance?

Saying that, some players (and management) are just so dire that their place in the squad is beyond laughable at this point.

It sounds like Rooney is basically gone and there will be others who will leave - Sandro, Mirallas, Robles, Williams (surely), Martina (hopefully) and Schneiderlin (please); but we will have a new DoF, a new CEO, possibly a whole new scouting structure and hopefully a new coach to blood in - it is alot of transition for the existing players to handle already, we don't need 5 or 6 new first team players to add to the problems.

We have plenty of midfielders and another season of development for Calvert-Lewin, plus Tosun and Walcott means we are okay up front (for now). Holgate, Mori (never been well coached at Everton) and Keane are 3 of the 4 long-term options at CB. We will need 1 more eventually, but we have Jags for now and Pennington to come back from loan, so we can leave this for another 6 months if need be. We have RBs.

This summer I would only want to see a LB and we may need a back-up keeper, too.

Less squad upheaval, more focus on structure and coaching. That's the answer for now. We need a clearer understanding of what we have.

We may be stuck with some shite for next season, but that does not mean we have to play them if they're showing a lack of commitment - this should be expressed to those players concerned - buck up or tell your agents make arrangements to leave or get use to not playing!

Goalkeepers:

Pickford - keep
Robles
Stek - if we can offload both Robles and Stek, then we need a new back-up goalkeeper and I'd promote from the u23's for the third choice position. If one of Robles or Stek is sold then just promote from the u23's.

Full Backs

Coleman - keep
Kenny - keep
Baines - keep
Martina
Garbutt - if we can offload both Martina and Garbutt, then we need to sign a replacement for left-back. There is a strong argument for signing one regardless, as a long-term replacement for Baines (i agree), but realistically, we do need to trim this area of sub-standard players.

Center-Backs

Jags - keep (to see out contract)
Keane - open to offers, but willing to keep
Funes Mori - open to offers, but willing to keep
Williams
Galloway
Pennington - again, if all three of Williams, Galloway and Pennington can be offloaded, then a replacement of high quality must be brought in. Unfortunately, if not then it may be a case of sticking until the next season.

Center-Midfield

Davies - keep
Gueye - keep
Baningime - keep
Klaassen - open to offers, but willing to keep
Williams - keep for u23's
Bowler - keep for u23's
Besic -
McCarthey -
Schneiderlin - if we can offload all of Besic, McCarthy and Schneiderlin then a replacement of the highest quality available is essential - this is an area where we really need to instill some guile and craft, so I'd be tempted to make this transfer regardless of outgoings (budget permitting).

Wide Midfielders

Walcott - keep
Henry - keep
Lookman - keep
Vlasic - open to offers, but willing to keep
Dowell - open to offers, but willing to keep
Bolasie -
Mirallas -
Grant - if we can offload Bolasie, Mirallas and Grant, I'd be tempted to move for a top-level target if the funds are available. If not, it may be a case of waiting until re can offload them before upgrading.

Forwards

Tosun - keep
Lewin - open to offers, but willing to keep
Rooney - open to offers, but willing to keep (as back up)
Sandro -
Niasse - if we can offload Niasse and Sandro we need to look for a speedy finisher to replace them. Again, I may be inclined to get one anyway (budget permitting).

All this does is emphasize the effects of last summers shite business and how we are potentially stuck with players going through the motions and collecting huge wages whilst doing so...

At certain points early in the season we had Pickford, Martina, Keane, Klaasen, Sigurdsson, Rooney and Vlasic playing key parts in games. That's 7 out of 14 usable players on a match day that needed to learn each others' foibles, fortes, runs and communication skills.

2, 3 or 4 1st team players as new signings is the maximum you can have without it having an adverse affect on performances, depending on the individuals' adaptability.

We need to shed some of the excess players and add 1 or 2 pieces to the team this summer, then see where we are in December and use January to add a couple more.

A left back
A centre back
Box-to-box midfielder
A goalscoring playmaker (winger or AMC depending on what formation we play)

Shocking business! Especially when you add in the two and soon to be three managerial pay offs!

We're could end up as the Toys R Us of the premier league if we're not careful!

Winston, I enjoy football manager stuff, too. However, phases, and I' m not quoting you, by the way, like,"get rid, offlload, fuck off", etc are meaningless and ignore stuff like, err.. contracts, people with kids at school, players who might like their team mates and don't actually want to be fucked off to another club. Also, I know that we have a history of buying players good clubs don't want, but it will take a mighty fool to offer anything like a decent return on Williams, Schneiderlin, Bolasie, Niasse or McCarthy.

Bolasie plus cash for Zaha?
Schneiderlin plus cash for French-based target?
Williams plus cash for Mawson?

It's not going to happen. He will stay with us. He will be in or around the side, simply because we cannot sell him and we cannot afford to write his wages off.

And this is the scenario that follows all down the long list of players that you have all proposed. We have spent a fortune on these players, both in terms of transfer fees and wages. Moshiri is an accountant. He will not just write off so much money like that.

He will hire a head coach, and he will have someone like Brands in charge of transfers. He will task Brands with selling off the crap but to be patient about doing it. He will hire the head coach on the basis that the head coach thinks he can work wonders with the present squad.

This is the reality that we need to be prepared for. However, I still think that with reduced games next season, we can utilise a settled first XI and find a good team from that. We just need to get players like Lookman back into the side.