Retained List 2022/23

[smw89]

I think this is the pond that we are fishing in ...

[UnitedinDevon]

From a family member on the facebook page - Louie Slough - Released

[SBP]

These lads who come through from the U18 never get given the opportunity. Over the last few seasons two boys get signed and never get any chances. It happens time and time again. We are shocking at the development of these lads. The club couldn't give a stuff if the truth be known. It just feels like its a yearly deal that gets done with the college.
I hope Louie goes off and proves them all wrong. Its plain to see that he has huge potential. There were several times during this season that Olaf and Louie could have been given a chance to make an impact.
So wait for the next two lads to come through and the same will happen again. Its piss poor imo . I want to see us develop our local talent and give them the opportunity.

[culmstockgull]

You make valid points SBP. Personally, for a club in non league football having an academy is a debateable asset, someone may have to remind me who since the academy was reformed has actually made it as a pro footballer, each year we hand out first year contracts to the least worst academy players knowing we will have to farm them out to a southern league team, if they are lucky, because they are not ready for national league football.
I think Slough had enough about him , he was tall and probably still growing,certainly needed some muscle growth but I do recall in pre season he had a good turn of speed, Olaf , what is wrong with him , attitude possibly but seen enough of him to realise he hasnt got the discpline or seemingly the interest to make a pro footballer.
I would scrap the academy and all that it costs and just pick up other league clubs cast offs, we could not do any worse.

[MellowYellow]

I see Dave Thomas in the Torbay weekly is suggesting we are chasing Tony lee from Poole, 36 goals in 37 games, ...hope that this is not what Johnson calls a marque signing.

We could try for Wealdstone's top scorer Josh Umerah - scored more than our top goal scorer Little. I'm not really sure what marque signings mean in the National League. I could be wrong but I think I remember the word 'marque' being bounced around with last seasons signings.

[Gull in black]

I think we’d all like to see local talent developed into first team players and maybe even generate some transfer income. With our youth scheme being a lower status than our neighbours you have to wonder if we can actually attract sufficiently talented player when our neighbours have first pick.
Like others, I’m disappointed that Slough appears to have been released - he looked a good prospect in PSF … but it is a big step up to National League standard.

[Taelee73]

Academy is a must. Exeter have generated huge money from theirs.
Maybe we just don't have the personnel or time to run it correctly?
Certainly Johnson doesn't trust the players it's produced, maybe he's worried about his brothers job?!

[Guildford Gull]

We could try for Wealdstone's top scorer Josh Umerah - scored more than our top goal scorer Little. I'm not really sure what marque signings mean in the National League. I could be wrong but I think I remember the word 'marque' being bounced around with last seasons signings.
[/quote]

Interesting you should mention Umerah. Umerah, Waters and Boden scored 46 goals between them this season, which makes it all the more surprising that Johnson couldn't get a tune out of any of them when we desperately needed a goalscorer towards the end of last season. Wright scored 5 goals in 33 appearances this season. Let's hope he is not on the retained list.

[smw89]

I hope we do keep Wright, just think he has to be managed better due to his age/injuries. Not saying Johnson hasn't managed him well but in particular going into next season he's not going to be our go to striker, so maybe lighter training for him and then just coming on for the last 20 minutes either when we're chasing a game or just want someone to hold it up... This is assuming we have two good strikers who are ahead of him of course....

Wouldn't take Boden, waters or umerah back, sometimes it just works at a particular club ... They wasn't for us and we wasn't for them, let's move on

[Plainmoor78]

I hope we do keep Wright

The trouble is, even if we have two fit for purpose strikers available, having a player like Wright is still a drain on resources when our budget is probably very tight.
Much better to have a young rookie on the bench who can possibly prosper in future.
BTW Wright actually played in most of our fixtures this season but the return of 5 goals is poor.

[Willowgull]

You make valid points SBP. Personally, for a club in non league football having an academy is a debateable asset, someone may have to remind me who since the academy was reformed has actually made it as a pro footballer, each year we hand out first year contracts to the least worst academy players knowing we will have to farm them out to a southern league team, if they are lucky, because they are not ready for national league football.
I think Slough had enough about him , he was tall and probably still growing,certainly needed some muscle growth but I do recall in pre season he had a good turn of speed, Olaf , what is wrong with him , attitude possibly but seen enough of him to realise he hasnt got the discpline or seemingly the interest to make a pro footballer.
I would scrap the academy and all that it costs and just pick up other league clubs cast offs, we could not do any worse.

Culmstock. I don't think you can call our current youth set up an Academy. Parents pay for the privilege of their sons being involved and it isn't cheap either. The level of coaching is very substandard and certainly not to academy level. It's no wonder we are not producing players. An Academy is unlikely until we are back in the football league as the club can't afford it.

[culmstockgull]

Willowgull, you are spot on, I was just going to reply to Taelee 73, I spent some time at Exeter's academy a month ago, the facilities are outstanding, the coaching probably second to none, we are light years away from that, we cannot attract the best for that reason and also having plymouth down the road doesnt help, I have said it before if your child had the makings and opportunity to sign for a youth set up where would you be steering them. As for Johnson not trusting the product of our youth academy, then get rid of those running it and start again, he does it with the first team every year.

[thebigp1]

The whole youth set up is an interesting thing. 20 years ago we had the Centre of Excellence. Back then youth teams payed against Exeter, Plymouth, Bristol Rovers, Cardiff, Swansea, Oxford, Cheltenham, Bournemouth etc. It was pretty simple really, scouts would be out watching local kids teams in the local area and the best would be picked up. Back then at least the youth teams were playing the best in the other areas.

The problem now is that it takes serious investment to build it back up again. Yes the U18’s have done well this year but they are basically playing other college teams not the best youth teams in the South West. The jump to the 1st team is then huge. Every club wants to produce youth players to either make a profit in or play for the 1st team but this is unlikely in the current set up.

[Nick Potkins]

What has happened with the retained, released and going announcement

[MellowYellow]

What has happened with the retained, released and going announcement

Its been retained!