The Blog we have to have.

Who should in the Jets squad next season? You choose.

OK, so the Jets season wound down in a less than glorious manner and whether you liked the players and the coach, or whether you think they were great or awful, the knives still have to come out. There are a large number of players due to come off contract in June, whilst others will be with us until the end of next season.

Who should stay, who should go, and why? If you're the coach, it's time for some tough decisions. You can't keep everyone, change nothing and expect results to improve. If you've already lost players to injuries, other clubs / girlfriends or to "overseas", you have to make choices.

These are the players about to come off contract: Zhang Shuo, Wheelhouse, Petrovski, Rooney, Fiorentini, Jesic, Abbas, Young, Mooy, Patafta.

D'Apuzzo has been "released" to go to Sydney to smooch with his girlfriend. Or try to sign with Sydney. What's Branko doing there? Replacing him with Simic?

I believe Fiorentini has been released.

These players are with us until the end of next season (at least): Kennedy, Regan, Topor-Stanley, Kantarovski, Wehrman,Bridges, Zadkovich, Elrich, Haliti, Brockie, Griffiths, Payne, Galloway and Virgili. I'm not sure about Simic, nor how the overlap between the NYL team and the senior team works with players like Virgili and Galloway.

It's a bit of a lottery isn't it? There are players coming off contract who I would keep, and then there are some still with us for another season that I would jettison, or at least only retain them as squad players. But things aren't always that simple.

So who would YOU let go, out of those coming off contract?

Who do we have at left back? We've lost D'Appuzo. But look at Behich for the Heart. Or Cassio in Adelaide. Both fast down the left with wicked left boots. And Cassio has inflicted plenty of pain on the Jets. We need that sort of player.

Do we need another, experienced central defender? I reckon so. Regan is good but quite young and a more experienced defender would bolster the defence.

Kennedy. Would you keep him? Would he be your reserve and Nash your No. 1? Or Young? Kennedy's had some great games and also some pretty average ones. If only he was more consistently great, I'd keep him.

Zhang Shuo. Branko signed him, then hardly played him. No reason to keep him then.

Wheelhouse. I think keep him. Solid, aggressive, good passing range, very useful prospect if a defender is out or suspended. Maybe better on the bench.

Petrovski. I'd keep him on a minimum contract, mainly because he can actually score goals, one of the main aims in football. Branko may disagree. Sasho is getting older, so maybe that boots him out of the squad.

Rooney. It's a shame, but I just don't think we should hold on to him. Injury and lack of time on the pitch hasn't allowed him to grow as a player, and you can't employ someone based on sympathy.

Jesic. This is contentious. I would release him. He's a talented footballer, but I just don't think he's delivered this season as he should have. Whether it's injury concerns after his knee reconstructions, or lack of confidence, or just the wrong system and position he's played in. I'd replace him with a creative midfielder.

Abbas. Re-sign him. Easy.

Young. I don't know how far from playing he is, but unfortunately for Young, Nash had played well when called upon and may be a nose in front.

Patafta: What is it with Kaz Patafta? Coaches buy him, then refuse to play him. What's he doing wrong? Whatever it is, you can't keep someone in the squad who you never play.

Mooy: As for Rooney.

Now for the speculative players.

Jason Culina. This might work very well, as Culina always works extremely hard on the pitch. However, on his entry to the A-League he said he would play more as a No. 10 and score more goals and this hasn't happened. He's more effective as a defensive mid. So wouldn't he replace Wehrman? How would you fit him in?

Shane Smeltz. We'd take him, of course. Newcastle has a history of primadonna goal scorers. Ryan Griffiths would almost feel like he was playing alongside Joel.

The Jets are very much in need of strikers who can score consistently. Joel too would be welcome back.

Big Name Marquee. Rumours were that Michael Owen was very very close to signing but now that's all gone in the wind. There is still plenty of time to find another marquee, and it should be a talented No. 10.

Branko Culina. Oh yes, that's right, the coach. There's a saying that every coach is in the last year of his contract, he just doesn't know it. Tinkler could afford to pay him out and get a foreign coach. Would you keep Culina? Is the deal with Tinkler too long?

Tomorrow Branko will be talking to players to release or keep them. Let's see how close to the money we can get.