It’s that time of year again – the post-season cull is upon us.
We always know when it happens, yet it always manages to be a surprise when it does. And no matter whether your favourites leave or not, it always seems so final.
So, as is traditional on SW19, we go through the list of those gone. Or to put it into a way following recent events, which ones have a viable future and which ones are Lib Dems?
– Ross Worner.
When NA signed James Shea last summer, there was always that writing on the wall even then. Especially when he ended up at Woking (aka the AFCW Graveyard).
True, he made a few more appearances when Shea got injured, but he wasn’t first choice even then as well. It was only because McDonnell wasn’t quite ready that we saw him again.
One suspects his card was marked when he was late for the Coventry FAC game in 13/14, and nothing that has happened since has disproven that.
Will we miss him? Probably not, to be honest. Though if Shea manages to injure himself in pre-season…
– Jack Smith.
Disappointingly, the “whistling” nickname never took off for him, though maybe trying to get a nickname from a 1960s one-hit wonder was a bit of an ask.
Signed last year, but one wonders if he would have if Kennedy hadn’t suddenly re-appeared. Nobody seemed to have too many bad words against him, but questions over his fitness obviously infuenced – remember, it was last year he set up an estate agent.
– Mark Phillips
Always a strange signing, considering fans of at least one of his previous clubs openly wondered why we did so.
Like Worner, the fact he was never guaranteed to start when expected pretty much sealed his fate. Goodman and Deji always were ahead of him, for instance.
We thought he was starting to have an Indian summer, until he got sent off at Burton, and we ended up needing Dave Winfield to replace him. Presumably he was never forgiven for that alone.
– Alfie Potter
The one that seems to be a genuine surprise, if various comments made since this announcement are anything to go by. Though “lightweight” is a term getting bandied about.
Bit of a Chris Hussey type, namely he came back to us and underwhelmed a bit. Though obviously not enough to fail and raise eyebrows on his departure.
– Chace Jaquart.
Left the club “weeks ago”, and proof that not all of our youngsters are going to make it. If he’s who I thought he was in the last pre-season campaign, having the build of a 12-year old didn’t help matters.
– Sammy Moore.
There’s always the one that tugs at the emotional heartstrings, and this is the 2015 version of that.
IIRC, our last link to the Conference campaign, although he was playing ever more of a bit-part with us. Obviously his mum dying soon after Daggers really couldn’t have helped matters as well.
That it was a “joint decision” and NA mentioning about “fresh starts” pretty much made it an inevitable decision, though one that will leave many saddened.
If nothing else, we now have to sign a player who uses “yer know” in interviews almost as much as he breathes.
So, that was those released. Not as many as previous campaigns, and with the exception of Potter, nobody remotely surprising. Although some might be upset that Azeez is still under contract 😉
There does seem a question mark over Akinfenwa though, and this is going to un-nerve people until he either a) puts pen to paper, or b) goes elsewhere.
And I wouldn’t rule the latter out, especially as he does have a habit of not staying on too long at a club (especially one that underachieved and in some ways diddled him out of a decent strike partner after Tubbs left).
What that would do for the psyche of some fans I don’t know, but we would really have to focus on our front line – and spend some decent money – if he decides on a new market for his BMO shirts.
One thing though, when he was injured in December we only lost one game and were the most effective we’ve been up front all season. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a disaster if he moved on after all? Though it obviously depends on who we get in.
And not Craig fucking Tanner either.
Still, we’re keeping Francomb, and hopefully Kennedy puts pen to paper himself. Remember he was on the scrapheap this time last year, so hopefully he appreciates the second chance he received.
Other than that, we now wait. Not only for those yet to sign to do so, but for some more players to run through Wikipedia. The rumour mill has been refulled with diesel, cranked up, and will no doubt attract the WUMs, the smug in-the-know types and the outright liars.
You can’t beat close season. Hell, one or two rumours may even turn out to be correct…