Retained list

[slappy]

Plymouth deny talks with Luke McCormick.

[Out of the gloom]

Three disappointing decisions (Batt, Davis and Duberry), the rest seem sound.

Releasing Batt and Davis, plus the offer to O'Brien, could be indication of a change to more defensive full backs. Otherwise it is a strange decision. Batt could play a division higher (Stevenage?). Davis, unless his injuries persist, should be able to continue at this level.

Whilst Duberry was not a surprise. My counterintuitive thought is that his experience would have been in greater demand next season given the new emphasis on youth. I can already hear the moan in January. Each transfer window seems a reaction to the errors of the previous one.

Releasing Leven, like Duberry, was the right decision on value for money. Hope the club has a replacement already lined up (Burge?) and Leven moves to Rangers, as I don't want him against us next season.

Retaining McCormick could have been justified on uncertainty regarding Clarke's fitness or number of development games for Crocombe next season. Assuming these are known, releasing was the correct decision. Good luck to him at Plymouth or wherever.

A small part of me welcomes Smalley being given the opportunity to prove us wrong. A forward cohort of Constable, Marsh, Smalley plus one increases the pressure on recruitment. Big, physical, centre forwards who have a good scoring record at this level are few. Finding one out of contract is asking a lot.

Happy with offers to Whing, Potter and Davies. Hope they sign and wish all released success (except against us).

[Radley Rambler]

Stunned that Smalley has been offered a new deal. Cow's arse, banjo forward. One of the worst forwards that the club has ever signed based on his performances thus far. I just hope his new deal is for washing the kit rather than playing. But this is precisely why Lenagan should have sacked Wilder, Wilder doesn't have a clue when it comes to scoring goals.

Disappointed by the decisions on Liam Davis and Damien Batt. Both by far the best left and right backs we have had at the club for years, especially adding extra in attack. The only sensible reason I can think of for their departure would be if Wilder had finally decided to stop pissing about with the formation, and go with 4-4-2 and dedicated full backs, or if they were on big money and had refused a wage cut. I can't think of any other reason to justify these decisions otherwise.

Very pleased that Davies has been offered a deal.

The rest as expected and no bad thing either. All had proved themselves to be injury prone and/or not good enough or consistent enough.

Now with a bit of luck Smalley will refuse his new contract and we can get some decent strikers in.

As others have said, Wilder has a great deal of hard work to do to rebuild large parts of the squad in a short space of time.

Agree with most of that especially about Batt and Davies, best full backs I've seen at Oxford for many a year, I imagine Batt has something else lined up due to all the pissing about with Wilder - a consequence of the uncertainty. Shame to see another promotion winner let go as well, not many left now are there.

Also a shame to see Leven go, one of our best players, a class above this division when fit. I take the point he's not been fit much but we've been paying a lot of money to get him fixed and ready for next season, seems a bit daft to let someone else benefit from that.

Don't understand the Smalley decision, he will be on decent money and hasn't done enough to justify being kept on - compare the service Batt has given us over the last few seasons to what Smalley has done, yet Batt isn't offered a new deal.

Very interesting summer lies ahead, if Wilder struggles next season making a change will be expensive as another overhaul will be required, a new manager would certainly have had enough scope to bring in their own players now, not sure they will at Christmas.

I think that can be changed to 'he was on decent money' - (I've heard £2.5k per week) to 'he has been offered substanitally reduced terms and let's see if that's the best he can get'.

[JoeyBeauchamp]

Scott Davies signs up - good news

https://twitter.com/hovis1988/status/335347104455213057

[GodalmingYellow]

Oxford Mail interview with Wilder says that he would have had to offer too much money to keep Davis and Batt.