With the right appointment, 7 or 8 of last seasons players staying to right the wrongs of last year,a few astute signings and a bit of luck/rub of green unlike last season, we would have a real chance of challenging for the title in my opinion,we'd have every right to be bullish if the key players do stay at the club.
Who would you class as being "the key players" though?
Personally (and on the assumption that James Smith is heading to Stockport), I would only retain the following:
Coburn (if fit);
Densmore (but he does need to rediscover his form);
Clee;
Johnson;
Reeves (even though his misses do tend to overshadow his actual goals!).
Denham would also have to prove his fitness, as he is simply absent from too many games.
As for the rest, I honestly couldn't care less if I never saw any of them in an Alty shirt again...!
Coburn
Smith
Danylyk
Clee
Denham
Johnson
Reeves
Lawton
The thing I would say, is that if james smith was to stay,who I think is one of our best players, obvious flaws aside, he would have to learn to play where told i.e right back or centre back or centre mid. We cannot set up with 5 at the back next year, and to me its obvious that williams and joesph cannot play as a centre pairing at the back.Id keep both robbie lawton, for his efforts and heart, and danylyk as they will be well suited to bsn football.All the others will make up the spine of a decent bsn side.And theres not a chance densmore will still be here
........................COBURN
SMITH............?............?..............BROWN
DENHAM......DANYLYK...............?...........CLEE
..............JOHNSON......REEVES...............
would agree with some of this,if that was the team sheet with a few head the balls as well i would take that now, but even though the players have said they would stay i fully expect no less than 4 to move on, its going to be a tough effort for the new manager so whoever wants the job better know which players will come with him and fast otherwise...well i know what most of our knee jerk fans lot are like!