Exeter set for 'drastic' squad cuts after relegation

Exeter City will face a "drastic" cut to their squad following the club's relegation from League One, according to interim manager Matt Taylor.

The financially-troubled fan-owned club's four-season stay in the third tier ended after a 2-1 loss at home to Bradford City.

A run of one win in their final 20 games saw the Grecians drop from 10th place in January to the relegation zone in May.

Many of the club's experienced players, such as Pierce Sweeney, Josh Magennis, Ilmari Niskanen, Jack McMillan, Danny Andrew and Reece Cole, are out of contract this summer.

Off the field, the club needed loans of around £600,000 from the Exeter City Supporter's Trust and also made off-field redundancies after an overspend in the 2024-25 season.

"I think it's the most simple retained list because we can't afford to offer the contracts needed to get these players to commit to Exeter City," Taylor told BBC Radio Devon.

"That's no reflection on anyone else, especially not the players - that needs to be said and needs to be put on record.

"It will look quite drastic in terms of the numbers who are leaving us, but that is just circumstance and that is where we are right now in terms of committed costs.

"The six loans go back naturally, and we wish them all the best and thank them for their service, but there are players who will unfortunately leave us who, in a different moment in time, we would have liked to keep."

Relegation to the fourth tier will see a drop in broadcast income and other revenues for the club next season.

Exeter also need to find a new permanent manager, with Taylor in temporary charge since March after Gary Caldwell left to take over at Wigan Athletic.

The search will be made harder with the club playing in the fourth tier, although Taylor has not ruled out putting himself forward for consideration for the role.

He led Exeter to promotion four years ago before going on to have stints at Rotherham United and Bristol City.

Taylor said his overriding emotion was one of sadness at being unable to keep City in the third tier for a fifth successive year.

"I'm devastated. It's gutting, every emotion you expect. That's what comes with relegation and the run of form we've been on for too long a period of time.

"We were short today against a very well-drilled, very strong, experienced opposition and it felt like we were chasing that from the first 10 minutes of the game," he added.

"The whole week and the whole prep has been about a certain type of feeling, a certain type of start to the game - we never once got them on the back foot.

"It was ourselves on the back foot and maybe that played a part in our use of the ball which was as worse as it's been.

"Pressure does things to you as a player, as a human being and I think we certainly felt that."