A REBUILDING job gets underway at the County Ground this week with Andy King preparing to tell his players who's in and who's out.

Saturday's lifeless 2-1 defeat by Walsall killed the play-off dream and the manager felt uncertainty over individuals' respective futures didn't help matters.

King was scathing about the lack of spark against the Saddlers and he feels now is the time to start dishing out contracts to some and goodbyes to others. Some players are in stronger bargaining positions than others, of course, but King can at least make clear who he wants to keep.

Rhys Evans, Steve Book, David Duke, Matt Heywood, Steve Robinson, Matt Hewlett, Grant Smith, Sammy Igoe and Brian Howard are all free agents in the summer, and the next few days should go a long way to determining who will be reporting back to Wanborough for pre-season training in July.

King said: "Next week is decision time. It's time to start again, to rebuild."

'Deadwood' was the expression chosen by King to analyse Saturday's display and the individual contributions within it.

In terms of players anxiously waiting to discover their respective fates, King said: "We looked like people waiting to find out, hoping and looking over their shoulders.

"The only way to eliminate that is to start the unfortunate and difficult part of addressing the situation and starting again.

"I have to speak to the board of directors.

"It depends on what I've got available to rebuild. There's players in contract that I might let go."

Whoever stays or goes, there is no disguising the manager's frustration at the way Town's challenge has spluttered and ultimately stalled.

King said: "I'm very, very disappointed. The candle's gone out without an effort and I don't like that.

"Even if you don't play well, there's a spirit within. Show the people that you want it. The word desire comes into it. You really want to fight for what you can have."