[WBAinDEVON]

HRK will be our star striker in the championship

[timdon]

Whatever happens there is a fairly big rebuild job next season regardless of which division we are in the only thing that is strictly triggered by relegation is the release clauses in 4 players contracts (Evans plus maybe Chadli,Gibbs,Rondon or Rodriguez?)

Overlay those on loan or out of contract the aging squad and the turnover gets massive.

Keepers

Foster - I think we keep him wants to stay in the Midlands is fairly loyal only left Blues because they literally could not afford to pay him. Will not move to Wolves because Mendes does not earn from the deal.

Myhill Out of contract gone

Defenders

Dawson will stay contracted to 2020 way better than average Champ level
Nyom stays okay at Championship level
Evans Gone almost regardless of Division
Hegazi Stays unless he has a stellar world cup wages not a problem
Gabir On loan with option to buy no idea about this one whatever we end up paying him will still be a lot more than he would earn in Eygypt so could keep him
Gibbs Guessing release clause gone
McAuley Out of contract probably gone we might squeeze one last season out of him at Champ level but we shouldn't

Midfield

Yacob out of contract with option but time to let him go regardless
Livermore contracted to 2021 sorry but he stays
Barry Out of contract with option in the clubs favour even on half pay no
Krychowiak Gone
Brunt Out of contract but with option which triggers automatically based on appearances given his length of service if he had an offer from elsewhere think the club would let him leave but on balance stays
Morrison Out of contract with option given injuries and age we shouldn't
Field Contract to 2021 stays
Chadli Likely to have a release clause gone
Phillips contracted to 2020 should crush the Championship but didn't at QPR he stays
McClean Going into the last year of his contract won't be picked up by anyone else although at half wages could be priced in for a move to MLS or Celtic, no he won't he stays
Burke Stays not going to get a move elsewhere at Champ level could be a major contributor

Attackers
Sturridge Gone
Robson-Kanu Stays sigh
Rondon Release clause gone
Rodriguez If he has release clause gone but can't have one if Chadli,Rondon & Gibbs have them so suspect he stays.

Going through the squad a lot of the changes happen regardless of the Division a relegation might extend 1 or 2 Albion careers for players but by and large it shouldn't

On the one hand we don't have a lot of players on big wages that we can't unload we don't have a Jack Rodwell but neither do we have a ready made squad which would obviously bounce straight back. We have a nucleus which if we could add the right players to we would be in a good position to tackle the Championship. Unfortunately I don't have a lot of faith in the club hierarchy to manage that.

Very good analysis, can't really argue with any of it, except I doubt if Rondon has a release clause, more likely to be Rodriguez I reckon.

[wbatillidie]

Foster
Dawson Hegazi Gabr ----
Field ---- Brunt
Leko Rodriguez Burke

Could possibly roll with something like this which wouldn't be a bad start. Like others have said I can't see Foster moving on at his age and seem to recall him saying he wants to finish his career here (might be wrong). Hegazi and Gabr I would assume are on low wages and would stay providing Gabr is up to it. Phillips I would love to keep hold of but surely a bottom half/newly promoted side would be interested.

[Standaman]

Very good analysis, can't really argue with any of it, except I doubt if Rondon has a release clause, more likely to be Rodriguez I reckon.

We know that 4 have release clauses if Rodriguez does then Rondon doesn't both can't unless one of Gibbs or Chadli don't. So we might keep one Rodriguez or Rondon both are way better than average in the Championship.

[seteefeet]

HRK will be our star striker in the championship

League 1 here we come then! 

[FallOutBoy]

Keepers -

Foster - settled in the area, his family are happy, and he's no spring chicken. Feel like he's a lifer now.

Myhill - Please let him go. He is the epitome of too comfortable.

Palmer - Is this going to be another Jack Rose / Luke Daniels, where he makes the bench a lot but ends up released? Might be worth a look.

Defenders -

Dawson - keep him, play him at centre half. He'll be fine in the championship.

Nyom - Not good enough at any level. Get shot.

McAuley - Unfortunately looks like he's been on the receiving end of a two-footer from Father Time. Good servant, time to part ways.

Evans - he'll go, and I won't be sad.

Hegazi - might be decent as Dawson's partner, unless we can double our money from some moron.

Gabr - reserve judgement until he's actually be able to play

Gibbs - he won't hang around, he still has ambitions to play for England

Midfield -

Phillips - many more performances like Saturday and we need to get rid. If he's going to turn up, keep him.

Burke - did well in the Championship a couple of years ago. New Dorrans / Koumas maybe?

Leko - did well at the start for Bristol, but faded. Backup for Burke / Phillips?

Barry - Can't manage as many premier league games as we're playing, let alone the extra 8. Let him go.

Yacob - been a good servant, but only really fits a 5 man midfield. Time to go.

Field - Keep, obviously.

Krychowiak - no way we're keeping him.

Morrison - time to thank him for his service and send him on his way

Chadli - he won't stay if we go down.

Brunt - lifer. Will do well in the Championship

McClean - people know my thoughts about him. A liability, get shot.

Forwards -

Rondon - keep if he'll stay, think he could do well a league below

Rodriguez - might be useful if he stays, but he still has England ambitions (not that you'd know it, Liverpool game apart)

Sturridge - no way he stays if we go down

Robson-Kanu - who is going to be stupid enough to buy him from us? Nobody wanted him for free. We're stuck with him.

[Adder]

Of all the people in our squad you'd keep Barry? I personally think he's as much of a waste of space as any, literally have barely noticed any contribution of his into our team other than sloppy play since he joined. Maybe it's just me but he'd be amongst my first to be shown the door

It may well be just you. Barry has been one of our best players...the only times he's struggled is with playing 3 games in a week (which had an impact Saturday as well as his early booking). No brainer to keep him for another year whichever league we are in. Krychowiak will be gone, Yacob should now move on at the end of his contract and surely Mozza will go.

[TheJacko2000]

It may well be just you. Barry has been one of our best players...the only times he's struggled is with playing 3 games in a week (which had an impact Saturday as well as his early booking). No brainer to keep him for another year whichever league we are in. Krychowiak will be gone, Yacob should now move on at the end of his contract and surely Mozza will go.

So every week if we go down. I'd be looking to get him off the wage bill. He'll be on a wedge.

[Adder]

So every week if we go down. I'd be looking to get him off the wage bill. He'll be on a wedge.

Well the wage bill may be an issue, obviously depends on what he hopes to earn and what we are looking to pay. It's more like one in 3 weeks there's a midweek league game so we could just leave him out of those and play him in Saturday league games. We have to have some stability...him alongside Sam Field would sound fine to me in the Championship.

[webral]

Whatever happens there is a fairly big rebuild job next season regardless of which division we are in the only thing that is strictly triggered by relegation is the release clauses in 4 players contracts (Evans plus maybe Chadli,Gibbs,Rondon or Rodriguez?)

Overlay those on loan or out of contract the aging squad and the turnover gets massive.

Keepers

Foster - I think we keep him wants to stay in the Midlands is fairly loyal only left Blues because they literally could not afford to pay him. Will not move to Wolves because Mendes does not earn from the deal.

Myhill Out of contract gone

Defenders

Dawson will stay contracted to 2020 way better than average Champ level
Nyom stays okay at Championship level
Evans Gone almost regardless of Division
Hegazi Stays unless he has a stellar world cup wages not a problem
Gabir On loan with option to buy no idea about this one whatever we end up paying him will still be a lot more than he would earn in Eygypt so could keep him
Gibbs Guessing release clause gone
McAuley Out of contract probably gone we might squeeze one last season out of him at Champ level but we shouldn't

Midfield

Yacob out of contract with option but time to let him go regardless
Livermore contracted to 2021 sorry but he stays
Barry Out of contract with option in the clubs favour even on half pay no
Krychowiak Gone
Brunt Out of contract but with option which triggers automatically based on appearances given his length of service if he had an offer from elsewhere think the club would let him leave but on balance stays
Morrison Out of contract with option given injuries and age we shouldn't
Field Contract to 2021 stays
Chadli Likely to have a release clause gone
Phillips contracted to 2020 should crush the Championship but didn't at QPR he stays
McClean Going into the last year of his contract won't be picked up by anyone else although at half wages could be priced in for a move to MLS or Celtic, no he won't he stays
Burke Stays not going to get a move elsewhere at Champ level could be a major contributor

Attackers
Sturridge Gone
Robson-Kanu Stays sigh
Rondon Release clause gone
Rodriguez If he has release clause gone but can't have one if Chadli,Rondon & Gibbs have them so suspect he stays.

Going through the squad a lot of the changes happen regardless of the Division a relegation might extend 1 or 2 Albion careers for players but by and large it shouldn't

On the one hand we don't have a lot of players on big wages that we can't unload we don't have a Jack Rodwell but neither do we have a ready made squad which would obviously bounce straight back. We have a nucleus which if we could add the right players to we would be in a good position to tackle the Championship. Unfortunately I don't have a lot of faith in the club hierarchy to manage that.

Would probably keep Yacob for another season if losing Barry, Krych and Morrison. Get rid of Chadli regardless injury prone, lazy. Hopefully keep either Jrod or Rondon, not lose both.
Also rid of Williams, Hammond, Garlick, Pardew but would the Chinese owners have any idea who to replace them with?

[paulosull]

 

HRK will be our star striker in the championship

we will crash through divisions

[Albionic]

So every week if we go down. I'd be looking to get him off the wage bill. He'll be on a wedge.

needs to be moved on to free up wages, was a ludicrous signing in the first place IMO.
yes he has been one of the better DMF's but the bar hasn't been set that high.

[WBArgo]

I don't think many of our players will leave unless it's on our terms. I remember Peace saying a while back that it was surprising how many players would willingly stay at the club if relegated, even with a pay cut.

Personally I think it may be Chadli, Sturridge, Evans, Gibbs - possibly Phillips.

That's not a massive squad re-build at all considering the first 2 have barely played this season at all.

[The Joust]

Heard from someone on the inside today that said the atmosphere is quite poor at the moment and a lot at the club have accepted that relegation is now highly likely. The mood around the club is awful, a memo went round today saying that 25-30% of redundancies will be made should we get relegated.
Apparently Foster, Livermore and a few other senior players have said today that they will not honour the 50% pay cut and will leave the club.
Everyone seems quite depressed apparently.

[TheJacko2000]

Heard from someone on the inside today that said the atmosphere is quite poor at the moment and a lot at the club have accepted that relegation is now highly likely. The mood around the club is awful, a memo went round today saying that 25-30% of redundancies will be made should we get relegated.
Apparently Foster, Livermore and a few other senior players have said today that they will not honour the 50% pay cut and will leave the club.
Everyone seems quite depressed apparently.

While this is clearly hearsay at this stage, it does bear out what I've been saying. Foster has been relegated twice and has forced loan moves back to the Premier League both times. It's just a job to these guys, Foster in particular has no particular allegiance to any Midlands club having played for Us and Blues. I wouldn't take a 50% pay cut if I could get my current terms elsewhere.

[mulliganstired]

We'll need Brunt and a fit Morrison, they've done it before and could do a last hurrah for us by leading us back up again.  Field can make his name next season too.  Dawson will probably go to Burnley or a promoted club.  Maybe Burke will tear up trees in the Championship?  And two Egyptian CHs, who'da thought it?

So we'll need about eight decent players, I'd rather we went for young and eager, like Field, rather than old stagers.

[Adder]

needs to be moved on to free up wages, was a ludicrous signing in the first place IMO.
yes he has been one of the better DMF's but the bar hasn't been set that high.

He's been the best DMF so how does that make it a ludicrous signing ?

[iwastherein68]

We do not NEED Morrison next season. For goodness sake whichever division we are in we need to release Mozza,  Why would we need anyone who is almost never fit. 

[hardtobeat]

Heard from someone on the inside today that said the atmosphere is quite poor at the moment and a lot at the club have accepted that relegation is now highly likely. The mood around the club is awful, a memo went round today saying that 25-30% of redundancies will be made should we get relegated.
Apparently Foster, Livermore and a few other senior players have said today that they will not honour the 50% pay cut and will leave the club.
Everyone seems quite depressed apparently.

if its in there contract they dont have much choice but to honour it if the club insist.Having said that if they feel like that am not sure i'd want them to stay

[Adder]

Heard from someone on the inside today that said the atmosphere is quite poor at the moment and a lot at the club have accepted that relegation is now highly likely. The mood around the club is awful, a memo went round today saying that 25-30% of redundancies will be made should we get relegated.
Apparently Foster, Livermore and a few other senior players have said today that they will not honour the 50% pay cut and will leave the club.
Everyone seems quite depressed apparently.

Doesn't sound like Foster to me....he's not playing like he's resigned to anything. Who on the inside is going to have heard what sounds like several senior players making clear statements at this stage ? You may have a trusty source but sounds a bit iffy to me I'm afraid.

[mulliganstired]

We do not NEED Morrison next season. For goodness sake whichever division we are in we need to release Mozza,  Why would we need anyone who is almost never fit.

We would need him fit is what I meant

[iwastherein68]

We would need him fit is what I meant

Sorry mate, I do know what you meant, but we are in such a situation now where sentiment must cease and practicality take it's place so reluctantly its farewell to Mozza and G-Mac.

[TheJacko2000]

Sorry mate, I do know what you meant, but we are in such a situation now where sentiment must cease and practicality take it's place so reluctantly its farewell to Mozza and G-Mac.

It's not sentiment though is it? If fit Morrison would be the best midfielder in the Championship, well except for Brunt.

[iwastherein68]

At the peak of his fitness Jacko, maybe. But it has been a long time since he played in the Championship , and he is a lightweight and players rarely retain fitness better as they get older.
 

[mulliganstired]

Sorry mate, I do know what you meant, but we are in such a situation now where sentiment must cease and practicality take it's place so reluctantly its farewell to Mozza and G-Mac.

G-Mac and Olsson both went a bridge too far, which is shame as it might tarnish the memory of one of our best CH combinations since the 70s