Bilic’s long list of exit door players

A stray comment within a long conversation last night got me thinking about the lack of stability we have seen enter our playing squad over the last two and a bit years.

Stability is usually the key to good practices in any walk of life – without it things can go wrong in a heartbeat and it may be that which is at the bottom of many of our issues.

I simply do not have the time to work out how many different formations we have used this season in the League or indeed how many players. If there’s a budding stats man out there – MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN – WE CAN ALWAYS USE ONE!

But by my reckoning since he became manager and Slaven fielded his first team in the 2015-16 season, a total of 25 players (it may be more so feel free to correct me if I’m wrong) have left the club.

Some have been loans of course and injury may have accounted for the likes of Carl Jenkinson and we had best ignore the reasons around Payet.

But by and large they have exited as a result of other preferences coming into the frame.

Whatever the reasons for their departures it’s a long list for two and a bit years in charge – and shows an underlying issue about the problems of staff turnover:

GOALKEEPERS:

Sam Howes, Raphael Speigel, Darren Randolph

DEFENDERS

Stephen Hendrie, James Tomkins, Joey O’Brien, Carl Jenkinson, Alvaro Arbeloa

MIDFIELDERS

Dimitri Payet, Diego Poyet, Havard Nortveidt, Mauro Zarate, Morgan Amalfitino, Sofiane Feghouli, Gokhan Tore, Kevin Nolan, Robert Snodgrass (on loan – not expected to return)

STRIKERS

Enner Valencia, Ashley Fletcher, Jonathon Callieri, Simone Zaza, Nikica Jelavic,  Mobido Maiga, Elliott Lee