Retained list to be announced tomorrow

At least 8 first team players will find out whether they will be leaving Field Mill tomorrow.

Scott Gardner, Paul Heckingbottom, Luke Jones, Craig Armstrong, Jon Challinor,  Blair Sturrock, Oliver Hotchkiss and Michael Brough are all out of contract and will be told tomorrow whether a new deal is on the table for them or not.

I expect Scott Gardner, Paul Heckingbottom and Craig Armstrong all to be released. All three of them have been out on loan for the last few months which indicates that none of them are in Holdsworths plans. Ex Leeds United youngster Scott Gardner is a quality player and would be a great signing for anybody in this league but Gary Silk has had another brilliant season and hasn’t gave him a chance to win his spot in the starting 11. Heckingbottom and Armstrong both left backs are too slow and get rinsed by any half decent winger in this league.

I’m not too sure what will happen with the rest. They have all been in and out of the squad with injuries and Holdsworth rotation policy. Although saying that we’ve not seen Ollie Hotchkiss for months now. He’s another ex Leeds United youngster who we signed but he hasn’t really featured for us even though he impressed last season on a loan spell. Not sure if he’s fell out with Holdsworth or if he’s been injured! He could be another one who gets released despite being more than good enough for our starting 11.

Michael Brough, Luke Jones, Jon Challinor and Blair Sturrock have played the most games for us out of the eight. Brough joined us from Torquay on loan originally but then signed until the end of the season in January.He was predominantly a centre mid but we have used him at centre half. He reads the game well and does a good job there and will be decent back up for us. I think Holdsworth will offer him a new deal because he chased him all last season and fought off interest from Stevenage for him and now won’t want to lose him.

Luke Jones in my eyes is the second best centre half we have (Scott Garner being the first). He puts 110% effort in every week, puts his body on the line and is great at winning headers. Although he has been sent off a few times this season which may go against him. He’s been out recently with an ankle injury but apart from that he has been in our starting 11 for the majority of the season. But I have a feeling that Luke will be on his way out. We have Foster and Garner as our starting two and I think Brough will be used as back up. We also have Matt Somner who can play there.

Jon Challinor and Blair Sturrock are both ‘luxury’ players. Their ideal position is just behind the striker but Challinor gets played centre mid and Sturrock gets played upfront. Holdsworth brought Challinor to the club hoping that he would be the goalscoring midfielder that we lack. I think he’s only managed to get 2 in about 13 games so he hasn’t really done much! I like Challinor because he’s another one who gives 110% and doesn’t shy away from a challenge but I think he will be on his way out. We have Mills, Nix, Somner, Burgess and Istead all signed on for next season so unless Holdsworth is shipping a few of them out I can’t see Challinor stopping.

Blair Sturrock was described as an ‘architect’ by Holdsworth when we signed him. By that I think he meant he wanted him to create chances for our strikers to stick in the back of the net. What I think Holdsworth failed to realise is that you actually have to play him for him to be able to create chances. Sturrock has been on the bench for the majority of the season but when he has played it’s clear for everybody to see he could easily play 1 or 2 levels higher. He’s not an out and out goalscorer but he is a very clever footballer who doesn’t fit into our system. What to do with Sturrock is probably Holdsworth’s most difficult decision. Do we change our style to fit him in and build a team around him or do we let him go and watch him get picked up by one of our promotion rivals for next season? Decisions, decisions, decisions..

Who I expect will go: Jones, Gardner, Heckingbottom, Armstrong, Hotchkiss and Challinor

Who I expect will get offered new deals: Brough and possibly Sturrock

Picture: Richard Parkes/Mansfieldtown.net