Much of the talk with the retained list has been around the three players released and the decisions behind that, but I spent this afternoon thinking and I have picked out three retained players that have interesting futures at Lincoln City. Before we start, I have to admit that I struggled to pick a title for this article that would sum up what it was about, obviously, I don’t think all three players I’m talking about today will leave the club, but I do think they all have intriguing futures and may not be first eleven players next season and having to work themselves back into that team.
TJ Eyoma
TJ Eyoma is my first player on this list. First off, I want to say that I don’t think TJ will leave Lincoln City but there is a possibility that he might and we may have seen some hints of that towards the end of the season that he needs to work his way back into things if he wants to stay. TJ was eligible for the last six games of the season and only made one appearance and that was against Wycombe when he was the only recognized first-team player on the bench. I thought TJ might have got a start on Sunday or even time off the bench, but he was left out with Sean Roughan being preferred in the substitution at half-time. I’ve heard a few people talking about TJ’s future and I think with his lack of game time towards the end of the season (even from the bench), I think it’s justified.
However, I think we shouldn’t read too much into it. Someone actually asked me on Sunday if TJ was on his way out and I wasn’t sure but when you think about it, with Regan Poole and Joe Walsh leaving and Lewis Montsma basically out for the whole of next season, I think TJ has a really good chance to work his way back in.
I don’t think it’s worth the time and effort of the recruitment team to find another centre-half on top of other potential defensive targets they are looking at, because TJ hasn’t had the greatest of seasons (not form, more injury). TJ is, for me, a ready-made replacement for Regan in that right-sided centre-half role and I think he could really shine there. He was actually good in that position before his injury, so we know he has the quality to play there. I think out of all the contracted defenders, there could be question marks over his future but I don’t think we will find much better. Remember, TJ knows the club and if we bring in a player to replace them, we lose that continuity because we’ve replaced a player that is extremely capable of doing a job at this level.
Charles Vernam
Charles Vernam is another really interesting name to keep an eye on this summer. He was really unlucky last season with injuries in general but also the timing of them. He was looking really impressive in pre-season, but on the eve of the start of the season, he picks up an injury, which keeps him out of action. By the time he returns, he is playing catchup to the likes of Jack Diamond and Jordon Garrick, who at the time were in half-decent form. He looked good in brief spells, he was our best player against Southampton, but you always felt he was on the periphery.
He was linked with a move away this January on loan by TheRealEFL, who I trust to be a reliable source, but nothing materialised because it was in a chain of moves and I think if he had have got that move it would have been either the end of the road or the start of a brighter start to his Imps career, no in between. I think now he is in a difficult situation. We already have Danny Mandroiu and Dylan Duffy, both are probably better than Charles, and you can imagine we’d bring in two wingers. It’s going to be tough for Charles because let’s say we get Shodipo back, would you be happy with Mandroiu, Duffy, Shodipo and Vernam next season? Probably not, and Charles is the one for me that would make room for someone else.
I understand if you disagree because I know plenty of people that really rate Vernam, but I think 20 League One games with no goals or assists isn’t good enough for where we want to go. I think he’d probably go back to League Two or a recently promoted League One side and do well, but we have to cut-throat to get to where we want to go. I like Charles, he’s a local lad and looks to affect things but I just think a combination of things may see him fall out of favour over the summer and at his age he needs regular football, something he might not get here.
Charley Kendall
I’ve finally picked someone who has no chance of leaving permanently this summer and it’s Charley Kendall. Charley has endured a really difficult year, and he’s been helpless to some of it. He started really well with us, scored for us against Doncaster in the cup and made a few cameos in the league but had to get regular football to develop and progress.
Coming off the back of a successful play-off campaign and scoring over 20 goals in the previous season with Eastbourne, many expected him to score goals and have success out on loan but the young striker has faced challenges in the 22/23 campaign with two loan spells away from his club. He joined Sutton United on loan in August, but his stint at Gander Green Lane was not a success, as he was primarily used as a substitute and struggled to make an impact scoring no goals in his ten appearances for the club. In January, City recalled him, but he was unable to join another football league club on loan due to the loan rules. As a result, he dropped to the National League to join playoff contenders Bromley, but he struggled to find success there either, scoring just one goal in nine games. He also experienced other setbacks in that spell, such as being sent off for Bromley in a recent game and facing injury concerns that hindered his chances of playing.
I can’t see Charley affecting the first eleven next season, especially after failing to do that in two levels below League One but I think the key is a successful loan move for Kendall that will aid his development, rather than hinder it.
I could have probably listed a few more on this list, but I think the three I have listed are interesting players to watch going into the summer, whereas if I had included Hakeeb Adelakun for example it’s sort of a foregone conclusion that he won’t be here next season while these three all have a position to fight for with Lincoln City. I don’t approve (let them become public) the comments on the site, but please feel free to comment with your opinion as I do read them and use some of the opinions as references in my future articles.