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The five Bristol Rovers players who could follow James Daly out of the Mem this season
Ideally, Joey Barton wants to make double figures in terms of signings and, if the opportunity arises, could look to further trim his existing squad in north Bristol
James Daly wasn't expected to be the first player out of the door following the retained list, but the striker's move to Stevenage has certainly shown that Joey Barton won't be hanging around in making sweeping changes this summer.
Not that it either should come as a surprise given his desire for a "great reset", "Bristol Rovers 2.0" and, to paraphrase slightly, a squad of "real footballers" that conform to his sense of what a player - at least in League Two - should be.
Daly's departure, far more so than those omitted from the retained list, has raised questions about a number of other individuals in the squad who could, should available clubs be found, find themselves on their way out of BS7.
Zain Westbrooke
Talent-wise there is no question that a player of Westbrooke's calibre should remain in the Gas squad and be part of their promotion drive; an immensely skilled playmaker who did, after all, rank third overall in the entire division for key passes last term with 84 and with more efficient strikers ahead of him would have finished with far more than his six assists.
However, Westbrooke ultimately suffered by being in, and also contributed to, a losing team. The 24-year-old doesn't have the natural physique for the rough stuff of League One, let alone League Two, nor possess the necessary defensive smarts to be a two-way player.
In layman's terms, he is a bit of a luxury, and one that needs adequate protection behind him to mitigate against his flaws off the ball. With Paul Coutts and Sam Finley perhaps Rovers now have that however concerns about his physical suitability for League One are only going to be enhanced a division lower, which is even more brutal.
When you factor in that the former Coventry midfielder is also among Rovers' highest earners, moving him on could not only make strategic sense but also financial.
The Gas would do well to receive a transfer fee in a Covid-ravaged market but League One teams in need of creativity could be willing to take on his contract with perhaps add-ons then inserted.
Brandon Hanlan
Rovers are still to learn of the compensation they must pay Gillingham for signing Hanlan last summer, with the tribunal delayed to ensure it takes place in person rather than remotely.
But the outcome of that hearing could also determine where his future lies. If, as expected, Rovers have to foot a six-figure fee for the 24-year-old, with 12 months on his contract they may well have to simply bite the bullet and keep hold of him for 2021/22; with that money paid, you may as well try and extract some value out of him.
And in League Two, Hanlan should be of a level where he can exceed his mark of seven goals last season. His finishing however simply must improve as emphasised by his return of seven goals against an expected goals mark of 14.5.
But if the compensation is minimal and therefore of little overall impact, it might be time to have a clean break given his struggles last season. That does, of course, depend on who and how many are coming the other way, with Barton now down to two first-team strikers following the departure of James Daly.
In theory, moving Hanlan and potentially Jonah Ayunga on makes sense ... but then how easy would it be to sign four new strikers? Let's just say it's highly unlikely.
Josh Barrett
Rovers have waited and waited and we still don't know what Josh Barrett is which leads many to believe that for all that patience, perhaps the playmaker is precisely what was feared when he arrived from Reading - immensely talented but without the necessary application to maximise that ability.
Ben Garner had certainly had enough last summer but Barrett outlasted that manager, received few chances under Paul Tisdale and now has to try and impress Barton, who is well aware of what he can do, he just needs to see some tangible evidence.
Pre-season could well be the make-or-break scenario for the 22-year-old with continual doubts over his fitness and a boot camp-type weekend in Hereford with the Special Forces should reveal whether Barrett has addressed that aspect of his game.
Should patience where thin, though, finding a home for him this summer could be significant more difficult that for, say, Hanlan or Westbrooke who still have, whether or not you rate them or not, a body of work to reference.
What Barrett can do a field remains almost mythological with tales of being the best player in training. That's all well and good, and creates a certain sense of romance and anticipation whenever his name is on the teamsheet, but at 22, whether it be at Rovers or somewhere else he needs to produce more.
Max Ehmer
We're not exactly breaking any great secrets here but it's clear that it'd be a huge surprise if Ehmer is part of the Rovers first-team for next season. His transfer, which at the time looked a masterstroke - swapping an ageing Tony Craig for a younger model - has been a total disaster.
Ehmer's performances declined and the presence and personality he was brought to the club to display as captain either failed or simply never materialised.
His decision to undergo a shoulder operation before the season had been concluded rather than play on also raised eyebrows at the club in terms of his dedication to the cause.
That all being said, his time at Gillingham indicates there is a good centre-back in there just waiting to come out if Rovers can find the magic formula. The trouble is there may simply not be the desire.
Mark Hughes has been signed in the Craig role, and Bristol Live understands that Alfie Kilgour and Jack Baldwin's positions in the squad are safe, so Ehmer's place looks increasingly redundant.
As the club's highest earner that salary could also be put to better use and spread across the squad on reinforcements so if a club can be found to take the 29-year-old's contract on, it looks almost certain to happen.
Cian Harries
Of all the names on this list, Harries is perhaps the only true 50/50 decision because there is a lot to like in the young Welshman's game; he's good on the ball, left-sided which is an immediate appeal, is vocal on the pitch and, as we know, prone to a thundering challenge when required.
However, it increasingly looks like he's being squeezed out of the first-team set-up as, in tandem with Hughes' arrival, Nick Anderton can also operate as a left-sided centre-back and then when you factor in Kilgour, Baldwin and Pablo Martinez - who will more than likely end up specialising in defence - all of a sudden Harries is down to fifth or sixth choice.
If Barton wants to play with a back three, over the course of a relentless and brutal League Two season, maybe that's what's needed and Harries is perfect as an individual to play 10-15 games, plus unlike others on this list doesn't have the burden of a big contract.
But he's another, a bit like Westbrooke, who doesn't quite conform to the Barton idea of what he wants in a defender, in terms of his overall make-up; not dissimilar, in fact, to the recently-departed Daly - great attitude and work rate but just not quite what his manager wants.
www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/bristol-rovers-james-daly-summer-5488260
