A quick thought on strikers

One slightly surprising and not entirely healthy statistic from this season concerns our strikers and goals. Or lack of them. Of the ten strikers (eleven if you include Ben Watson) we've used this season gone, between them they managed to muster 23 goals. Or, if you like, an average of 2.3 goals per striker this season.

Adam Stansfield, who missed the run-in in terrible circumstances (get well soon Stanno) was our highest scoring striker with seven goals, plus one in the cup. Barry Corr, who missed 12 games through suspension, was one behind with six. Ryan Harley, a midfielder, was our top scorer with ten goals. Central defender Matt Taylor netted five (plus two in the cup).

In some respects, having a 20-goal striker for a season isn't necessarily a must for a good season. In the Conference, Exeter reached the playoffs when Billy Jones, a left-back, was top scorer with ten goals. If the whole team chips in, then this shouldn't be a problem.

Yet it's probably the only area of the pitch currently where Exeter City desperately need to strengthen this summer. At the back, an extra player wouldn't go amiss, yet a back four of Tully, Taylor, Duffy and Goldborne is solid for this level.

In the middle, Harley pulls the strings, while Dunne and Sercombe battle and there's still David Noble and youth prospect Elliot Frear to come into contention. Another wide player might be nice, but again there's a decent core here.

Which just leaves the strikers, most of whom, with the exception of Stanno, have been found wanting.

Stuart Fleetwood has been the biggest disappointment. Last season, he arrived on a short end-of-season loan and netted three goals in nine starts. This season he managed four in 27 appearances, 11 of which were from the bench.

Fleetwood's reputation was still high at the start of this season, following that extraordinary season in the Conference with Forest Green Rovers, where he scored 28 and earned himself a move to Charlton.

But the Addicks clearly didn't fancy him that much and successive loans failed to yield much. This season, then, was one where he had to prove he could cut it at League One level or, probably, fall back to non-league. He has failed, although his four goals have all been important.

So much was promised, but an inability to fit in with the system Exeter played plus spurning several decent opportunities led him to be demoted to the bench behind fellow loanee Ryan Taylor. He should have been our main striker.

Taylor, R, actually acquitted himself pretty well during his short-spell in the Westcountry - witness his glorious hold-up work and cut back for James Dunne's goal at Swindon - but failed to find the net. I wouldn't be averse to see him return and try to develop as there's raw talent there, but can we really afford another non-scoring striker.

Of the rest, Corr never got a good run of games going due to an inability to stay on the pitch, and only seemed to fancy scoring against MK: Dons (never a bad thing, mind).

Richard Logan, meanwhile, has largely been used as an impact sub, James Norwood is too young and inexperienced, Marcus Stewart is too old and can only be used sparingly, Ben Watson is forever injured, Craig McAllister has spent much of the season out on loan before being released and Marcus Haber was largely anonymous during his short loan spell with his.

Which just leaves Adam Stansfield as our only genuine starting striker currently. Last season, he was magnificent, leading the line and harrying defenders into mistakes, along with some well-taken goals, but then his season was cruelly cut short by bowel cancer.

Stanno has now had the operation but there's no telling when, if at all, we'll see him in an Exeter shirt again or if he'll be the same player. We can only hope he comes back even stronger than before. Adam is at the heartbeat of everything Exeter do well.

So, with McAllister and Corr released and Haber, Fleetwood and Ryan Taylor back at their parent clubs, and question marks over whether Marcus Stewart will play another season (and surely he can't start as many games as he has this season), currently our fit and available strikers reads as the following:

Logan
Norwood
Watson (assuming he's fit again and hasn't tripped over his own shoelaces)

Watson and Norwood are both unknown quantities still and have the potential to come good (and there's certainly potential in there).

Logan, meanwhile, is one of the most technically gifted players at the club and deserves the chance to stake a claim for a starting spot or, at the very least, revel in the role of impact sub.

But we definitely need another striker or two. At least one big, strong player who can win headers and hold the ball up with be ideal. Other than that, a player who can at least reach double figures for the season, even if that double figure is ten. Anything more is a bonus.

Who these strikers will be is another matter. I'd quite fancy a look at Darlington's Purcell, who is available. Pipe dreams would be Paul Benson from the Daggers and Simeon Jackson from Gillingham, but we definitely can't afford these, alas.

It's not too much to ask for, just a small request. Although if France can win a World Cup with misfiring strikers, perhaps there's hope yet.

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Bye-bye Barry and other fond farewells

The season's done and the party's over and while some are invited to the after party (and then the hotel lobby), others have been given a doggy bag and told 'thanks but no thanks' as Paul Tisdale sets about rebuilding his squad after staying up. Which, chiefly, at this stage, comes down to who to keep and who to chuck.

And now we know. Tisdale's retained list is here.

The big news is that Barry Corr is to be released after just one season with the Grecians. HaL's regular ten readers will know what we're not Bazza's biggest fan after his efforts to pick up nearly as many red cards as goals. Even so, this has come of somewhat as a surprise.

Corr, on his day, probably was our most talented striker. But equally he could be poor and anonymous and needed a run of games to get into the groove. And once he got a run of games, he'd invariably kick somebody and get sent off.

Yes, he could score goals but we'll never know how many as he's missed 12 games through suspension this season and lost his place to loanee Ryan Taylor. That is simply not good enough. And while he put himself about a bit in the final games, watching him fluff his lines on more than one occasion in front of goal in the final game against Huddersfield was the final straw.

Bye Barry. Somewhere in you there's a good player, we just never saw it. And please don't hit me.

More welcome is the news that Richard Logan's been offered a new contract. Logie may have played less than Three Reds but he's a great impact player and clearly loves the club.

Perhaps his motivation isn't as high as it is, but in terms of sheer ability he's the most talented finisher and is loved by the crowd. HaL loves Logie and we're glad he's here for another year. He's good enough and deserves it.

Other than that there's no huge surprises on the list. Alex Russell is the other big name to go, but he's about 87 and coming to the end of his career.

There's no doubt Russell was a hugely talented player but age and injuries have taken their toll on him this season and while he was better than a lot of fans gave him credit for and did a good job at temporarily plugging the Matt Gill hole in midfield, over the season he was one of City's poorer performers this season.

So, bye Alex and thanks for that wonderful free kick at Elland Road. You'll still be an asset to the right team, probably in the Conference. Good luck.

Neil Saunders, Manny Panther and Joe Burnell are all on their way as well, which isn't surprising seeing as we're overstocked in the centre of the park.

Nelly never really fulfilled his potential and was unlucky he picked up a serious knee injury just before his debut, otherwise I've no doubt he would have not only started but become a key member of our midfield.

As it was, he slipped down the pecking order and was in and out of the side. Occasionally scoring wonder goals wasn't enough to save him and, again, he'll be a useful player if a Conference side wants to take a punt on him.

A shame to see Manny go as well, not least because we can't sing "We've got ten men and a Panther" any more. Big and strong, but with a powerful first touch, he was shipped out to Morcambe on loan this season, where Sol Campbell broke his foot.

In honesty, Panther clearly didn't see eye to eye with Tis and the writing was on the wall from that moment on. Again, we occasionally missed his muscle in the centre of the park but he never properly established himself. Bit of a shame, but you can't look back.

As for Burnell, he must have made about half a dozen appearances without ever registering an impression. Essentially a less good version of Bertie Cozic. Some fans probably won't even notice he's gone.

Finally, Craig McAllister is the last of the released players today. Again, no huge surprises there. Tis didn't seem to rate him this season and while he was a great impact player for us last season and looked the business, he's not impressed with loan spells at Barnet or Rotherham.

Like others, there's definitely a talent in there and he's a very decent front man even if he hasn't got 90 minutes in the tank. The Conference probably beckons and he could definitely do a job for the right side.

Ryan Taylor and Stuart Fleetwood have also been sent back to their clubs. I'll post thoughts on those later, but Taylor I wouldn't be averse to seeing back at the park, but Charlton can happily have Fleetwood back.

Steve Tully's got a new deal, which is excellent. The right-back's ben one of our top performers this season and has proved a lot of critics, who thought he wasn't up to League One football, wrong.

Scott Goldborne and Bertie Cozic have been offered new contracts, but not signed. Bertie is Bertie and we love him for being Bertie. Yes, he's limited, but he's also a great battler to have on the pitch and will come cheap. And he owns a crepe house.

Goldborne has been quality this season and we should move the pitch (oh, wait, we are) to keep him. Whether the player himself wants to stay is another matter.

Finally, Marcus Stewart and Rob Edwards will have their futures decided at a later date. They're both on coaching contracts but the playing position is unclear and they have a combined age of 253.

Joe Heath's also signed a deal with us. I haven't seen him play but he's rated quite highly.

Most interestingly, though, George Friend has been released by Wolves. If there's one man I'd like to see back at the park, it's that man. Sign him up, Tis!

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Exeter City: League One and proud

Exeter City wouldn't be Exeter City if they didn't leave things until late in the day. Firing in the winning goal that kept us in League One for another season with less than ten minutes to go didn't do much for the nerves, but when it arrived it was a thing of beauty.

Ironically, given that we play an attractive passing style, the winner, as you can see, was route one at it's finest. A booming kick from Jones (who says he shanks them all out of play now?), a nod down from Friend and Ryan Harley, that little ginger bearded God, on hand to volley City into a 2-1 lead and raise the roof off the stadium.

You might have noticed that this place was quiet in the run up to the game. Partly this was due to me being on holiday, but also partly because I didn't want to jinx anything. Every prediction I've made this season has usually turned out to be utterly wrong and writing "I think we'll stay up" only for the opposite to happen would have been galling.

Plus, nothing really needed to be said. Our destiny was in our own hands. Nothing less than a win would suffice, especially as Tranmere faced bottom side Stockport County who, on current form, couldn't even find a brothel, let alone score in one.

Yet City have had a habit of achieving results against better sides, with Leeds and Colchester both losing at St James' Park. And Paul Tisdale has a very good record in the big games. Survival was on. For all of about three minutes.

There was no danger when Richard Duffy played the ball across the back towards captain Matt Taylor, but the pass was overhit, Taylor misjudged it and Gary Roberts jinked past the hapless defender before sending a low drive past Paul Jones. At that point, League Two seemed depressingly real.

But the Grecians gradually started to find a way back into the game and kept the pressure up with a series of corners, and when you have corners, you have thumping Matt Taylor headers, and when Harley's ball hung invitingly in the air, the captain needed no further invitation to tower above the defence and crash home the equaliser.

Game on.

In the second half, City looked more likely to win the game but then City have also racked up 23 draws. A 24th wouldn't be out of the question and while 1-1 would be a respectable scoreline against a Huddersfield side still in with a very distant chance of automatic promotion on the last day, it also wouldn't be enough. Tranmere were beating Stockport and City were down.

Still Exeter pushed, roared on by a capacity crowd that had put any hint of moaning behind it, creating a wall of sound that will rarely be bettered at St James' this season.

Tisdale did his best Mourinho impression on the hour, sending on Barry "Three Reds" Corr for the ineffective Marcus Stewart, Richard Logan for the hard-working Ryan Taylor up front, while Bertie "Onions" Cozic was withdrawn for Sir Rob Edwards. Bold yet clever.

While this initially looked like a defensive move - replacing three attacking players with two strikers and a defensive midfielder - Sir Rob's introduction meant that George Friend, Harley and Liam Sercombe could push forward more while Corr and Logan gave City extra thrust up front, and generally put themselves about a it. Sir Rob, meanwhile, got on with what Sir Rob does best, which was to head every ball that came his way and start the attacks.

Still City pushed, still no equaliser. George Friend sent through a wonderful ball in front of ball that was begging for a touch but neither Bazza nor Logie could get the telling touch. Corr, while playing well, fluffed his lines several times in front of goal. It was looking like one of those games.

Then, with eight minutes to go, up popped the little ginger bearded midfield wizard Harley to volley home, immediately writing himself into City folklore and leading 9,000 people in the stadium, both male and female, to proclaim their undying love for him.

And that was that. With Tranmere and City winning, and Gillingham capitulating to already-relegated Wycombe, it was the Kent side who dropped back into League Two. They'll be playing Burton, Bury, Torquay and Stevenage. We'll be playing Sheffield Wednesday, Southampton and (hopefully) doing the double over Plymouth Argyle. That sounds good just writing it.

It's been a long campaign. It's been exciting. Every time we had a chance to pull away to safety, we fell back. But the team never stopped believing. The fans kept the faith. And this is out reward.

In some respects, keeping Exeter in League One might just be Paul Tisdale's greatest achievement to date. It certainly enhances his credentials as our greatest ever manager (and that's not hyperbole). He's also learner, as well as a genius. Hopefully next season relegation won't be a concern come the last day.

It's a good time to be a Grecian. WE ARE STAYING UP SAY WE ARE STAYING UP.

Ahem.

Exeter City: League One 2010/11. Nice, innit

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