Leger Ritson wrote: Sat Jun 06, 2026 10:16 am
Given those names above, out of choice, not necessity, who would you start.
I would suggest,
Forrester
Morris
EL Miz
Connelly
Ballard.
Assuming the last two are still here.
This rebuild puts last seasons in the shade.
It really doesn't. As above, we've got five Championship-ready starters right now.
By January, we only had Clare, O'Neill, Happe, Phillips and Abdulai left from the play-off final - none of whom I would consider Championship-ready (with possible exception of O'Neill).
Josh Keeley – Gone summer 2025
Ethan Galbraith – Gone summer 2025
Omar Beckles – Gone January 2026
Rarmani Edmonds-Green – Injured whole season
Jack Currie – Gone summer 2025
Jordan Brown – Gone summer 2025
Sean Clare Daniel Agyei – Gone summer 2025
Jamie Donley – Gone summer 2025
Ollie O'Neill Charlie Kelman – Gone summer 2025
E10quence wrote: Sat Jun 06, 2026 8:43 am
I reckon by November we'll have a new thread on here bemoaning his departure, a la Jordan Brown last season.
Think the opposite. Well realise whoever’s signed to replace him is better and plays less games. Happe didn’t play for us enough over the last few years to really miss him. Jordan Brown is one of those players you can pretty much guarantee about 40 games a season from
Bergen wrote: Fri Jun 05, 2026 7:57 pm
A solid League One defender when he was fit and I think he and Forrester could have formed a good partnership next season.
It was not be and I wish him all the best. He has had a good career at our club but he should have scored against Citeh .
Reckon they’d have played 10 games max together. Need a replacement that can play 40 games a season. And do the nasty stuff.
Happe did play 40 times last season. Ballard was the only player who played more
Checked and you’re correct.
However a lot of those were as sub, a lot of those he was subbed, he was constantly having to be managed to get him to that number.
Leger Ritson wrote: Sat Jun 06, 2026 10:16 am
Given those names above, out of choice, not necessity, who would you start.
I would suggest,
Forrester
Morris
EL Miz
Connelly
Ballard.
Assuming the last two are still here.
This rebuild puts last seasons in the shade.
And 3 of those didn’t even manage half the games last season. Dom will be gone. So it’s basically a whole new team we need.
I’m happy with the front six listed in that formation above. They obviously need support, we could do with a CDM to release Iddy, but it’s more than competitive at L1.
We need a keeper, CB, RB, CDM to go into the first team.
Leger Ritson wrote: Sat Jun 06, 2026 10:16 am
Given those names above, out of choice, not necessity, who would you start.
I would suggest,
Forrester
Morris
EL Miz
Connelly
Ballard.
Assuming the last two are still here.
This rebuild puts last seasons in the shade.
And 3 of those didn’t even manage half the games last season. Dom will be gone. So it’s basically a whole new team we need.
I’m happy with the front six listed in that formation above. They obviously need support, we could do with a CDM to release Iddy, but it’s more than competitive at L1.
We need a keeper, CB, RB, CDM to go into the first team.
As we saw last season however you can't expect a handful of decent quality players to carry a squad full of underperformers and dross
The signings that come in this summer need to be high quality or we'll be bang in trouble again
The Reverend wrote: Fri Jun 05, 2026 4:45 pm
Does moving to the SPL ever really work out for these L1 players?
Marvin Ekpiteta did it and ended up playing L2 football with MK Dons (and soon to be back in L1).
Remember that Harry McKirdy bloke also went up to Hibs and properly fell off. Just been released by L2 Crawley.
Noah Chilvers I always thought was a decent Colchester United prospect. Been wasting away his best years at Ross County.
I think it’s far more likely that someone like Happe will spend a couple of seasons up there and end up back down in English L2 than getting a move to Rangers or Celtic - which is absurdly optimistic.
Can’t be fun having to relocate so far away too. Presumably these SPL clubs offer decent wages to entice players up there.
It helped Sam Dalby he scored 15 goals for Dundee and then got a move to Bolton last year from Wrexham where he wasn't a regular.
I think Dalby and Happe are friends, so Dalby probably has given him low down on what to expect.
The Reverend wrote: Fri Jun 05, 2026 4:45 pm
Does moving to the SPL ever really work out for these L1 players?
Marvin Ekpiteta did it and ended up playing L2 football with MK Dons (and soon to be back in L1).
Remember that Harry McKirdy bloke also went up to Hibs and properly fell off. Just been released by L2 Crawley.
Noah Chilvers I always thought was a decent Colchester United prospect. Been wasting away his best years at Ross County.
I think it’s far more likely that someone like Happe will spend a couple of seasons up there and end up back down in English L2 than getting a move to Rangers or Celtic - which is absurdly optimistic.
Can’t be fun having to relocate so far away too. Presumably these SPL clubs offer decent wages to entice players up there.
It helped Sam Dalby he scored 15 goals for Dundee and then got a move to Bolton last year from Wrexham where he wasn't a regular.
I think Dalby and Happe are friends, so Dalby probably has given him low down on what to expect.
I think he meant as in the SPL being a stepping stone to a higher level. Dalby just went back to L1 after his loan spell (arguable that *is* a higher level, but he didn't go any higher, just back where he was with a new side)
And 3 of those didn’t even manage half the games last season. Dom will be gone. So it’s basically a whole new team we need.
I’m happy with the front six listed in that formation above. They obviously need support, we could do with a CDM to release Iddy, but it’s more than competitive at L1.
We need a keeper, CB, RB, CDM to go into the first team.
As we saw last season however you can't expect a handful of decent quality players to carry a squad full of underperformers and dross
The signings that come in this summer need to be high quality or we'll be bang in trouble again
Potential High quality, Ballard was nothing special when he signed, nor was Alan Cannellie (no one else seems arsed about spelling his name correctly) was also a massive risk. We can't afford High Quality under new rules across the squad ! Only potential High quality.
And 3 of those didn’t even manage half the games last season. Dom will be gone. So it’s basically a whole new team we need.
I’m happy with the front six listed in that formation above. They obviously need support, we could do with a CDM to release Iddy, but it’s more than competitive at L1.
We need a keeper, CB, RB, CDM to go into the first team.
As we saw last season however you can't expect a handful of decent quality players to carry a squad full of underperformers and dross
The signings that come in this summer need to be high quality or we'll be bang in trouble again
Yes, I agree, it’s a good idea to sign some quality players rather than rubbish ones. Let’s hope the club read this and take our advice.
.
