Which Players Should Pompey Build Around Next Season?

[Jack_Tinn]

Given that Mousinho and Hughes are destined to have a busy summer which players that are under contract for next season do you think Pompey should look to retain and build the 2024 season around.

My list is quite short:

Bishop, Rafferty, Oglivie, Towler, Lane, Swanson, Lowery, Thompson, Oluwayemi (as back up Keeper)

That is not to say that they are not players that could be kept such as Pack and Raggett next season but I don't see them as absolutely necessary if Mousinho and Hughes prefer another player in their position.

what do you think?

[Pompey55]

Given that Mousinho and Hughes are destined to have a busy summer which players that are under contract for next season do you think Pompey should look to retain and build the 2024 season around.

My list is quite short:

Bishop, Rafferty, Oglivie, Towler, Lane, Swanson, Lowery, Thompson, Oluwayemi (as back up Keeper)

That is not to say that they are not players that could be kept such as Pack and Raggett next season but I don't see them as absolutely necessary if Mousinho and Hughes prefer another player in their position.

what do you think?

Think Oluwayemi is out of contract but maybe it’s time to let Toby Steward to cover an experienced keeper
I’d keep Pack and Raggett and concentrate any major resources to improving our attacking options
I am assuming Morrell is just an omission

[Betelgeuse]

I'd add Curtis and Morrell to that group.

[Pompey1984+1]

I think we have the basis of a fairly good team. If we can add a bit of quality on the flanks I don't think we will be too far off it next season.

We need to be able to keep Lowery on the pitch though - hopefully a proper preseason will help him get over the niggles he's been picking up.

Of those out of contract:
I'd like to see us keep Raggs. Thompson. Ogilvie. Robertson. Tunnicliffe.
I'd let Jacobs, Reeco, Mingi go. Think there are others out of contract too but I can't recall which probably says it all.

Oluwayemi if he is cheap enough, but id probably send him out on loan to get the games he needs. Curtis we should see if we can keep him but on a 12 month contract with a club option or a number of games played trigger.

Of those under contract I'd listen to offers for Pack of they came in. I don't think he has done enough to warrant what I suspect his wages are this season. I think Morrell, Thompson and Lowery are all equally capable in a midfield 2 and Tunnicliffe is more than good enough to cover a few of those positions.

I'd also listen to any tood good to turn down offers for Morrell or Bishop that would be in the region of £1.5m plus in my mind.

We need a first team keeper. A couple of wider players. A centre forward or two as back up to bishop. The unicorn that is a number 10.

[PeteM]

Posted this on another thread a few weeks back - seemed relevant here too:

For reference, out of contract in the summer of 2023:

Bernard, Scarlett, Macey, Pigott and Dale's loans all end.
Curtis, Oluwayemi, Jacobs, Tunnicliffe, Ogilvie, Robertson, Freeman, Thompson, Mingi and Reid are also out of contract.

Pack, Morrell, Raggett, Rafferty, Hume, Hackett and Swanson are all contracted until summer 2024.

Bishop and Lowery are contracted until summer 2025.

Lane and Towler are contracted until summer 2026.

[Jack_Tinn]

Posted this on another thread a few weeks back - seemed relevant here too:

For reference, out of contract in the summer of 2023:

Bernard, Scarlett, Macey, Pigott and Dale's loans all end.
Curtis, Oluwayemi, Jacobs, Tunnicliffe, Ogilvie, Robertson, Freeman, Thompson, Mingi and Reid are also out of contract.

Pack, Morrell, Raggett, Rafferty, Hume, Hackett and Swanson are all contracted until summer 2024.

Bishop and Lowery are contracted until summer 2025.

Lane and Towler are contracted until summer 2026.

really helpful thanks

[Jack_Tinn]

Given that Mousinho and Hughes are destined to have a busy summer which players that are under contract for next season do you think Pompey should look to retain and build the 2024 season around.

My list is quite short:

Bishop, Rafferty, Oglivie, Towler, Lane, Swanson, Lowery, Thompson, Oluwayemi (as back up Keeper)

That is not to say that they are not players that could be kept such as Pack and Raggett next season but I don't see them as absolutely necessary if Mousinho and Hughes prefer another player in their position.

what do you think?

Think Oluwayemi is out of contract but maybe it’s time to let Toby Steward to cover an experienced keeper
I’d keep Pack and Raggett and concentrate any major resources to improving our attacking options
I am assuming Morrell is just an omission

Yes, Morrell was a glaring omission on my behalf! Its just that given his recent sending off and that I still have not managed to see a game when he has played (through injury and suspension (more his than mine!)) when he has played.

I was counting Oluwayemi as being a player the club would easily pick up their option on.

[Jack_Tinn]

I think we can probably agree that the club has the foundation in terms of defensive midfielders (centrally) and defenders but needs a first choice GK and then just keep signing forward/attacking players all summer.

What are the chances though given that this is Pompey that the first off-season signing is a defender or defensive midfielder?

[Selsey Bill]

I'd also listen to any tood good to turn down offers for Morrell or Bishop that would be in the region of £1.5m plus in my mind.

Personally, think the team should be built around Bishop, but if we were to let him go, £1.5m seems far too cheap. Maybe I'm in cloud cuckoo land, but I was thinking a minimum of £3m??

[Portchesterblue2]

I'd also listen to any tood good to turn down offers for Morrell or Bishop that would be in the region of £1.5m plus in my mind.

Personally, think the team should be built around Bishop, but if we were to let him go, £1.5m seems far too cheap. Maybe I'm in cloud cuckoo land, but I was thinking a minimum of £3m??

not sure would get £3m, but then theres nothing to stop us asking for that, but like you say £1.5 seems too low.
Especially when you consider that we are such a poor team and he has scored 23 for the season, imagine what he could do in a good team

[Pompey1984+1]

I'd also listen to any tood good to turn down offers for Morrell or Bishop that would be in the region of £1.5m plus in my mind.

Personally, think the team should be built around Bishop, but if we were to let him go, £1.5m seems far too cheap. Maybe I'm in cloud cuckoo land, but I was thinking a minimum of £3m??

I ummed and arred about what figure to put here but you don't sell too many league one players for big money, especially those of Bishops age. He scores but he doesn't ooze the characteristics of a championship striker to me. I suspect he will still be with us this time next season as I don't believe we will be under any pressure what so ever to sell him and he has two years left on his contract unlike Harness last season... Who I'd have kept but he got plenty of stick.

[Jack_Tinn]

Re: Bishop.

I wonder if a Championship club came in for him during the off-season whether Pompey could learn from the experience when they sold Webster to Ipswich. They took a large-ish sum up front (750k), a sell on clause for the profit and got a young player they rated (Clarke) back in return. Clarke was sold later for what £3.5m or so to Brighton after Pompey got two further seasons from him.

Say Bishop netted £1m up front with a 25% sell on clause on the profit and one or two young players for the first team that the club wanted in return. Almost a hybrid of a UK football transfer with a US sports type trade for prospects that Pompey covert.

Just a suggestion... It worked out wonderfully with Webster and I think this is a better model than perhaps the way the money from selling Clarke was invested into Harrison and Marquis.

PS. I don't want Pompey to sell Bishop in the summer. We have waited a long time to have a regular goal scorer who can also lead the line and it would be folly to let him go after just a year ....unless the deal was too good to turn down.

[Pompey1984+1]

Re: Bishop.

I wonder if a Championship club came in for him during the off-season whether Pompey could learn from the experience when they sold Webster to Ipswich. They took a large-ish sum up front (750k), a sell on clause for the profit and got a young player they rated (Clarke) back in return. Clarke was sold later for what £3.5m or so to Brighton after Pompey got two further seasons from him.

Say Bishop netted £1m up front with a 25% sell on clause on the profit and one or two young players for the first team that the club wanted in return. Almost a hybrid of a UK football transfer with a US sports type trade for prospects that Pompey covert.

Just a suggestion... It worked out wonderfully with Webster and I think this is a better model than perhaps the way the money from selling Clarke was invested into Harrison and Marquis.

PS. I don't want Pompey to sell Bishop in the summer. We have waited a long time to have a regular goal scorer who can also lead the line and it would be folly to let him go after just a year ....unless the deal was too good to turn down.

It's a funny old game... For the last few years we have bemoaned the lack of a 20 goal a season striker to get us out this league... And ironically we have come closer to promotion without a 20 goal a season striker.

[Mickemo]

Re: Bishop.

I wonder if a Championship club came in for him during the off-season whether Pompey could learn from the experience when they sold Webster to Ipswich. They took a large-ish sum up front (750k), a sell on clause for the profit and got a young player they rated (Clarke) back in return. Clarke was sold later for what £3.5m or so to Brighton after Pompey got two further seasons from him.

Say Bishop netted £1m up front with a 25% sell on clause on the profit and one or two young players for the first team that the club wanted in return. Almost a hybrid of a UK football transfer with a US sports type trade for prospects that Pompey covert.

Just a suggestion... It worked out wonderfully with Webster and I think this is a better model than perhaps the way the money from selling Clarke was invested into Harrison and Marquis.

PS. I don't want Pompey to sell Bishop in the summer. We have waited a long time to have a regular goal scorer who can also lead the line and it would be folly to let him go after just a year ....unless the deal was too good to turn down.

It's a funny old game... For the last few years we have bemoaned the lack of a 20 goal a season striker to get us out this league... And ironically we have come closer to promotion without a 20 goal a season striker.

This is so true, last season we created a decent number of chances but only had JM as our CF. This is why I keep on bring up the Harness sale and why we should have kept him AND purchased Bishop. I’m convinced we’d be top 6 now. Poor decision to sell him to one of our main rivals.

Apparently the Ipswich fans don’t rate Harness too much so he clearly divides opinion as I rated him highly.

[Betelgeuse]

Same as selling Jamal Lowe, should have just offered him more money.