Retained List 2022/23

[SuperNickyWroe]

Lets face it - none of the players that went on to "better things" last season pulled any trees up....
Ben Whitfield - In and out of the side and has had further injuries....
Cameron - Think Joe Lewis is better than him and he had a long run as CB with someone else. Didnt exactly cut it v Grimsby either.....
Nemane - Has hardly played for Notts.....
As for this season....
CLE - Im not sure hes L2 level and a bit inconsistant - the chance he missed at Alty, Mrs SNW would have buried that - but would love to be proved wrong about him in L2
Joe Lewis - Possibly a better bet, but he would have to be bought from us, so that may put some off....
Armani Little - Great season, but may struggle with the rigors of League football - seeing as hes been injured too.
Would they perhaps go to another NL club???
Could only really see Hollywood FC, Notts or Grimsby if they don't get promoted.
Cant see them at Scunny or Oldham either...........

[happytorq]

Too often do you hear ‘he should be playing in league one/two’. The reality is playing EFL football is a big jump, I’d say only CLE and Lewis could cut it in the football league. All mentioned are big losses, perhaps with the exception of Wright. Gary’s done this many times before and I’m sure he’ll build a competitive side. Lapslie signing a big plus, Mox too

Think I disagree with you here. it's been shown in the past few years that the gap between the top end of the National League and League 2 is not dissimilar. There hasn't really been a team that's struggled to stay in League 2 having got promoted. I have no doubt that had we got promoted instead of Sutton, we'd have challenged for the playoffs as well.

League 1 is obviously a further step up and I don't know of too many players who were in NL this season who could immediately start in that division, but think Lewis, CLE and Little can all do a good job in League 2. MacDonald is a slightly different case perhaps, but I can see why he might feel that he's 'earned' a move to the league, having been our player of the season. Although for him, I get the sense that geography plays as much of a role in his decision as anything else.

Lapslie and Moxey staying are both big positives. Loved Lapslie last season, think he adds some bit in midfield that can sometimes be lacking, and Moxey will be an excellent role model for whichever defenders we bring in, as well as helping Omar kick on further (hopefully)

[exilegull]

My main question with CLE playing at a higher level is where he would play. He really has played with us as a classic number 10 with a very free role behind Wright who was a focal point. Both him and Wright have been good enough at this level for Johnson to build the style around those two. Are there many clubs in league 2 playing that style and is he good enough at that level for a system to be built around that. Otherwise he's not an out and out striker and not a classic central midfielder.

He definitely has talent and a great work ethic and I wish him well.

[culmstockgull]

For what its worth I believe CLE is the most technically gifted of those that are leaving, he arrived as a right sided midfielder, with his mate Andrews on the left, for what ever reason, possibly borne out of necessity or that Little became the playmaker he ended up as a No 10 but his whole development was about providing for a goal scorer as opposed to being one, I agree on Little , madly frustrating at times when he was skying crosses into the stands but a joy to watch when he was on song. Lewis came from a very good academy where only the best make it, he certainly improved hugely this season with Moxey alongside him . As for Mcdonald I cannot see a league outfit taking a chance on him considering what is out there to choose from. Wynter , Mr reliable, and a good acquisition for any NL team.

[MellowYellow]

My main question with CLE playing at a higher level is where he would play. He really has played with us as a classic number 10 with a very free role behind Wright who was a focal point. Both him and Wright have been good enough at this level for Johnson to build the style around those two. Are there many clubs in league 2 playing that style and is he good enough at that level for a system to be built around that. Otherwise he's not an out and out striker and not a classic central midfielder.

He definitely has talent and a great work ethic and I wish him well.

You make a great point. In any clubs recruitment or scouting campaign the essential piece to the puzzle is in finding players to fit the team’s style of play, rather than just recruit the so-called very best players. Solihull Moors are the perfect example rather than the likes of high spending Notts and Wrexham.

In the quest to find new players, fitting all of these pieces into the same puzzle is for many a manager a near impossible task. Hence, why many of our players who move on to other clubs find themselves warming the bench.

So how have we been fairly successful over the last couple of seasons with such a small squad of players. Well there lays the magic of Gary 'Magic" Johnson who accepts only players that will more than likely match our team's play and game model. Those 'dream' players must fit the mould of our manager’s desired characteristics of how he wants the players to function in each phase of the game.

This method allows GJ to transform the team to achieve new heights, within budget, rather than 'spend the cash' on so called best players in an attempt to buy one's way out of the league.

In Gary we Trust!

[JimNichol'sdog]

I've no wish to criticise Gary Johnson, who has done more than an admirable job in pulling up this club from its nadir.

However, a week or so ago the new signings were going to be 'marquee' players. Now we are told that they will become 'marquee' signings once they are playing for the club.

If Peter Johnson's scouting record is anything to go by I would, humbly, suggest that the majority will more likely be boy scout tent signings before and during playing for Torquay.

The fact that Mark Halstead and Gabby Rogers are on next season's playing - and I use that term advisedly in the case of Halstead - staff hardly fills me with confidence that automatic promotion is anywhere near likely.

Hopefully, I will be proved wrong.

[portugull]

I completely agree with happytorq that the Top 8 teams in the NL are as good as most League 2 teams and Sutton United had a very good season following promotion.
I do hope Gary and his brother recruit big physical players because on balance last year we had too many "little guys" who could not match the strength of the opposition.
Centre backs have to be big and mobile. I often looked at our opponents last season and they would have 7 or 8 guys who were 6 feet plus.
NL is very physical and it is not going to change. In pro football you have to be a real athlete now but I fully accept guys like Tom Lapslie and Stephen Duke McKenna are small but both are a joy to watch for different reasons.
On the subject of Mark Halstead I know he had a shocking start last season but remember he had one start in the Premier League with Blackpool
and pulled off a few amazing saves at Stockport so lets not write him off yet.
Only 36 days to our first PSF!

[happytorq]

I'm prepared to give Halstead a chance at the beginning of next season, but we will still need a competent #2 in the event that it still doesn't work for him. He was admittedly terrible at the beginning of the season, and perceived wisdom seems to have been that it was this that gave the defence so little confidence. But I think it's equally possible that the defence and goalkeeper were both suspect, leading to diminished confidence all the way through the team. If the rehabilitation of Ali Omar is underway now, there's no reason that Halstead cannot similarly return to some sort of good graces.

[knightmaregull]

I wish people would get over this marquee signing concept. It was clearly misinterpreted and strikes me as embarrassing that GJ continues to have to explain what he meant. On what level is it realistic to expect proven household names to join us? Even I wouldn't expect Clarke to fund them. Would we really want to blow the budget on one / two names we know?

A far better bet is to seek out the future marquee players, as was done with all those now departing.

Equally tiresome is the continued references to those recruits who have not worked out. When hunting for cheap gems clubs of our size will always pick up pebbles!! Gabby Rogers and Mark Halstead have another year. Who cares? Why not show them some support and see if they come good. There are countless examples over the years of those who started slow!

[dawlishmatt]

Reading the comments concerning Mark Halstead and the start to last season reminds me of a great big fat lump we paid a then record fee for. The player was about 25 stone and one of the worst players ever to play for the club. After a few months, this fat lump lost weight and moved from midfield to centre Half. This individual went on to become in my opinion the best centre Half we ever had. His name is Wes Saunders.

[culmstockgull]

The various comments on acquisitions both past and future make perfect sense especially for our club, there are those and we all know them that still cannot come to terms with the fact that we are only a mid sized national league team with the crowd and budget to match and supported from the deep pockets of our normally villified chairman. Our ace in the hole which allows us to continually over achieve is GJ.
By definition any players we attract must be of the developing variety and with such a business model mistakes and errors will be made.
Yet again this coming season we will rely on class and excitment from championship loans, these youngsters 17 and 18 year olds who rarely disappoint can more than hold there own in our league but we seem incapable of producing and more inportantly developing any of our own but that as they say is another story.

[Plainmoor78]

On the subject of Mark Halstead I know he had a shocking start last season but remember he had one start in the Premier League with Blackpool
and pulled off a few amazing saves at Stockport so lets not write him off yet.
Only 36 days to our first PSF!

No he didn't. He came on as a 66th minute sub against Chelsea and never played a Premier League game again.

[rivieratouch]

He was a,20 y/o kid keeper ffs. Can't think of many that age starting in the Prem, especially keepers.
Try a bit harder and hound him out, or back him if selected.

[Plainmoor78]

He was a,20 y/o kid keeper ffs. Can't think of many that age starting in the Prem, especially keepers.
Try a bit harder and hound him out, or back him if selected.

The fact is in a twelve year professional career Halstead has failed to establish himself as number one choice at any of his clubs. God knows why the Johnson brothers thought he would be a suitable number One for us.

[MellowYellow]

The fact is in a twelve year professional career Halstead has failed to establish himself as number one choice at any of his clubs. God knows why the Johnson brothers thought he would be a suitable number One for us.

Maybe to do with us losing both our goal-keepers after the play-off final. Halstead was brought in at pretty short notice with a CV that read fairly decent all round goalkeeper. This journeyman unfortunately had a mare at the start of the seasons campaign but did redeem himself with some fine displays in the final few games which may have provided him the opportunity to resurrect his career next season.