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Minute Management
Managing players' minimum contractual playing time has become a big consideration for all managers these days with two main considerations for each individual gaffer to consider. Either each of your players meet their targeted minimum minutes or at the end of the season the player is released and must then be replaced at a cost to your club. On top of this players who are of a lesser ability and carry no saleable value will now be retired from the game at an earlier age than those who do carry a saleable value, another reason that clubs are likely to find themselves below the minimum squad size of 23 players should the man in charge not monitor his playing staff carefully enough. Some managers may well deliberately prevent some of their players from meeting the required contractual minutes knowing that they will then be allowed to replace them at cost at the end of the season, which is all above board, but be aware that this strategy can carry with it hefty cost, any players who are retired will also require replacing at a cost to your club should the club fall below the minimum 23 player requirement rule. However, don't despair too much as the FFO FA have indicated that each club will receive a free squad player during the close season, a move that will certainly benefit everyone involved in the game. With all of this in mind the Aston Villa manager Ian Greaves has assessed each Premiership club's individual status regarding squad numbers and has also given each club a score out of ten dependent upon how effectively they have kept their squad numbers in check. Each club's loaned players will also be taken into account in the figures. We start off with the clubs that have most effectively managed the situation and end with those who have not been so vigilant. So the highest scorers will be listed first.
Please Note: The figures given below are in no way official, they are my own calculations for the purpose of this article and may not be 100% correct.
Arsenal
One of eleven clubs who score ten out of ten is Arsenal who are listed first only by virtue of alphabetical order. Manager Darren Humphris completed the minutes for everyone of his players all in good time, he also has zero players due for retirement.
Squad size: 23
Players loaned in: 0
Players loaned out: 0
Players retired: 0
Players released due to lack of minutes: 0
Players at EOS including free squaddie: 24
Management score out of ten : 10
Aston Villa
My club Aston Villa also score ten out of ten as we also lost zero players. We did have an issue where three players were due to retire at the end of the season but that was addressed much earlier in the campaign when it would have been cheaper to do so.
Squad size: 23
Players loaned in: 0
Players loaned out: 0
Players retired: 0
Players released due to lack of minutes: 0
Players at EOS including free squaddie: 24
Management score out of ten : 10
Blackburn Rovers
The Blackburn manager Ryan Field also scores top marks for keeping his 24 player squad size in full order and will actually end up carrying an extremely healthy 25 players.
Squad size: 24
Players loaned in: 0
Players loaned out: 0
Players retired: 0
Players released due to lack of minutes: 0
Players at EOS including free squaddie: 25
Management score out of ten : 10
Chelsea
Chelsea also a team who under the stewardship of Andy Babbs have a house in full order and score maximum points
Squad size: 23
Players loaned in: 0
Players loaned out: 0
Players retired: 0
Players released due to lack of minutes: 0
Players at EOS including free squaddie: 24
Management score out of ten : 10
Crystal Palace
Lee Clark at Crystal Palace will have three players released due to lack of minutes. However manager Lee Clark carries a large enough squad to prevent the loss of these players impacting on his minimum squad numbers so we can only assume this was planned. Lee also scores 10.
Squad size: 25
Players loaned in: 0
Players loaned out: 1
Players retired: 0
Players released due to lack of minutes: 3
Players at EOS including free squaddie: 23
Management score out of ten : 10
Liverpool
Liverpool under the stewardship of Hamza Siddiqui carry a very large squad, have one player retiring but due to carrying a large squad this single player loss is no problem whatsoever as the Reds will finish with very high squad numbers. Another maximum score.Hamza Siddiqui
Squad size: 25
Players loaned in: 1
Players loaned out: 2
Players retired: 1
Players released due to lack of minutes: 0
Players at EOS including free squaddie: 26
Management score out of ten : 10
Manchester City
The City boss Nick Lovell looks like he will lose a player through retirement but his squaddies have achieved all of their minutes. The free squad player to be introduced will keep his player numbers at 23
Squad size: 23
Players loaned in: 0
Players loaned out: 0
Players retired: 1
Players released due to lack of minutes: 0
Players at EOS including free squaddie: 23
Management score out of ten : 10
Manchester United
No issues whatsoever at Old Trafford , manager Steve Outten has one player retiring but carries a 24 player squad.
Squad size: 24
Players loaned in: 0
Players loaned out: 0
Players retired: 1
Players released due to lack of minutes: 0
Players at EOS including free squaddie: 24
Management score out of ten : 10
Newcastle United
All looks good at St James Park as well, the free player will see the club end up with 24 playing staff.
Squad size: 23
Players loaned in: 0
Players loaned out: 0
Players retired: 0
Players released due to lack of minutes: 0
Players at EOS including free squaddie: 24
Management score out of ten : 10
Sheffield United
Another maximum score at Sheffield United for manager Kelsey Barkworth with her 24 player squad.
Squad size: 24
Players loaned in: 0
Players loaned out: 0
Players retired: 0
Players released due to lack of minutes: 0
Players at EOS including free squaddie: 25
Management score out of ten : 10
Wolves
Relegated Wolves manager Ray Wallace did manage all of his players' minutes although does suffer one retirement within his squad. The free squad player to be acquired though means that Ray is another manager with full marks
Squad size: 23
Players loaned in: 1
Players loaned out: 0
Players retired: 1
Players released due to lack of minutes: 0
Players at EOS including free squaddie: 23
Management score out of ten : 10
Brighton & Hove Albion
So we now move onto the teams that will lose players this EOS. Brighton fail badly but have a strong case for leniency due to the fact they have been without a manager for a length of time. For this reason Brighton & Hove Albion have not received a score
Squad size: 23
Players loaned in: 0
Players loaned out: 0
Players retired: 2
Players released due to lack of minutes: 4
Players at EOS including free squaddie: 18
Management score out of ten : N/A
Leeds United
Last season's Champions have had a reasonable campaign but have failed to keep their squad numbers up. They do currently carry 24 players but with 1 player due to retire and 2 others released due to lack of minutes they will end up a man down. One plus is that they have a reasonable bank balance and so their score is not badly affected.
Squad size: 24
Players loaned in: 0
Players loaned out: 0
Players retired: 1
Players released due to lack of minutes: 2
Players at EOS including free squaddie: 22
Management score out of ten : 9
Tottenham
Spurs will lose 2 players to minutes so Thomas Edvardsen will need to fund the replacement of one additional player. A fairly healthy bank balance at White Hart Lane means no real dramas so again the score is not badly affected.
Squad size: 23
Players loaned in: 0
Players loaned out: 0
Players retired: 0
Players released due to lack of minutes: 2
Players at EOS including free squaddie: 22
Management score out of ten : 9
Burnley
Simon Hill loses 3 players, 2 due to retirement and another just missing his required minutes. Not a huge bank balance at Burnley so the manager faces some wheeling and dealing or purchasing 2 new squaddies, a drain on limited resources.
Squad size: 23
Players loaned in: 0
Players loaned out: 0
Players retired: 2
Players released due to lack of minutes: 1
Players at EOS including free squaddie: 21
Management score out of ten : 7
Sheffield Wednesday
The Owls lose a player through retirement and a further 2 due to lack of minutes and with a current squad size of 22 will need to find 3 new players before next season. On top of this they only have a small bank balance to work with. Scores are now plummeting
Squad size: 22
Players loaned in: 1
Players loaned out: 1
Players retired: 1
Players released due to lack of minutes: 2
Players at EOS including free squaddie: 20
Management score out of ten : 5
Barnsley
Barnsley lose a huge 5 players all who have failed to meet their required minutes, the only saving grace is that they carry 25 players currently and so only need to purchase 2 extra players. Barnsley are not exactly swimming in available cash so replacing the players will be a burden they could do without.
Squad size: 25
Players loaned in: 0
Players loaned out: 0
Players retired: 0
Players released due to lack of minutes: 5
Players at EOS including free squaddie: 21
Management score out of ten : 5
Everton
Not great news coming out of Goodison Park with 4 players due to be released all down to a lack of minutes meaning that 3 new players will need to be sourced and again not a huge bank balance available.
Squad size: 23
Players loaned in: 0
Players loaned out: 0
Players retired: 0
Players released due to lack of minutes: 4
Players at EOS including free squaddie: 20
Management score out of ten : 5
West Ham
A very good season for Todd Fortune on the pitch sees West Ham paying a high price off the pitch. The Hammers may have 2 returning loan players but also have a loan that needs returning to the parent club, another player due to retire and 2 further players due to be released due to a lack of minutes. On top of this the club is very poor financially. What price those extra League places?
Squad size: 23
Players loaned in: 1
Players loaned out: 2
Players retired: 1
Players released due to lack of minutes: 2
Players at EOS including free squaddie: 21
Management score out of ten : 4
Southampton
Bottom of the management table comes Southampton. Oddly there is to be no minute released players at St Marys but 3 players are due to retire which has the same end result as minute released players and this has failed to be managed. A huge problem for manager Jamie Smith will be an almost zero bank balance that isn't likely to be boosted greatly even after this season's prize money is dished out.
Squad size: 23
Players loaned in: 0
Players loaned out: 0
Players retired: 3
Players released due to lack of minutes: 0
Players at EOS including free squaddie: 21
Management score out of ten : 3
​May word count including match reports: 2385
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