2023/24 ins & outs discussion

[David]

10 hours ago, thewelllfan said:

Need to be looking to move on contracted players aswell Josh Morris should go as should Maguire, Mugabi, Mcginley and if a suitable offer comes in for Kelly id let him go.

Not for me on that last part. Good goalkeepers aren't just worth their weight in gold, but are incredibly hard to find. Even the top team in the country have the likes of Siegrist and Bain as their backups, which tells you something.

Kelly is one of the best shot stoppers in the league, and has earned us his fair share of points. As much as Van Veen's goals kept us up, so did his saves throughout the season. A good keeper can make the difference between relegation and surivial.

[MJC]

Kelly is one we should definitely be keeping. A solid and reliable goalkeeper who has bailed us out on numerous occasions. I would though be taking the captaincy off him and giving it to Butcher or Casey if we manage to keep one or both of them.

[mothman]

With the 2022/23 season at an end, we can provide the following update on players’ contracts.

Under Contract for 2023/24 season

• Liam Kelly
• Aston Oxborough
• Kyle Aitken
• Josh Bogan
• Stephen O’Donnell
• Nathan McGinley
• Paul McGinn
• Ricki Lamie
• Bevis Mugabi
• Shane Blaney
• Calum Butcher
• Callum Slattery
• Lennon Miller
• Riku Danzaki
• Blair Spittal
• Ross Tierney
• Kevin Van Veen
• Joe Efford
• Mark Ferrie
• Luca Ross
• Dylan Wells

Players returning to club following loan and under contract for next season

• Barry Maguire
• Connor Shields
• Robbie Mahon

Players returning to parent club following loan expiry

• James Furlong
• Stuart McKinstry
• Jon Obika
• Olly Crankshaw

Players out of contract- Negotiations with a number of players are still taking place

• Jake Carroll
• Logan Dunachie
• Daniel Hunter
• Kian Speirs
• Jack Aitchison
• Matty Connelly
• Max Johnston
• Ewan Wilson
• Dan Casey
• Dean Cornelius
• Sean Goss
• Mikael Mandron
• David Devine
• Corey O’Donnell

Released

• Josh Morris

“I want to personally thank each individual player for their efforts since I arrived at the club,” manager Stuart Kettlewell said.

“Everyone has made an impact at this club in their tenure and helped steer the club to not only another season in the Premiership, but to a strong finish that will only benefit this club at the start of next season.

“We are still speaking with a number of players at this very early stage of the summer and hope to get clarity on each situation very soon.

“For the players departing the club, I wish them all the very best in the future.”

[weeyin]

31st May - end of contract day, start of moving day.

On the "out of contract" list, Goss and Casey would be my priority.

Johnston too, of course, but he's likely gone.

[pretzel]

I think Scott McDonald has in the past (then regretted soon there after) but I think it's rare for a player who is with us to agree a new contract after it expires. I would love to see Casey and Johnston sign up again but you can't help but feel their will be other potential suitors now. Hopefully we can offload the likes of Shields and Maguire, interesting summer ahead.

[David]

4 hours ago, MJC said:

I would though be taking the captaincy off him and giving it to Butcher or Casey if we manage to keep one or both of them.

Why do that? Can't Butcher or Casey shout and point and do captain-y type things without the armband? All you'd do there is risk upsetting and causing issues with the very goalkeeper that we want to keep at the club. And for what? 

[texanwellfan]

KVV is still under contract but do we wait to see if he gets an offer and then propose counter offer (if it’s even worth it) or do we make him an offer of a new contract now? Or regardless, we are in the situation of having to wait and see if he even gets any decent offers? Don’t want to loose him at the last moment before new season or is that what manager is saying, that once we reach a certain date player has to make commitment one way or the other? 

[MJC]

1 hour ago, David said:

Why do that? Can't Butcher or Casey shout and point and do captain-y type things without the armband? All you'd do there is risk upsetting and causing issues with the very goalkeeper that we want to keep at the club. And for what? 

Maybe it's just me, but I'm not a fan of a goalkeeper being the captain. Plus I don't really see Liam Kelly as a leader on the pitch like Butcher or Casey would be. That's not a slight on Kelly as I still see him as a key part of the team, just not a leader/captain.

1 hour ago, texanwellfan said:

KVV is still under contract but do we wait to see if he gets an offer and then propose counter offer (if it’s even worth it) or do we make him an offer of a new contract now? Or regardless, we are in the situation of having to wait and see if he even gets any decent offers? Don’t want to loose him at the last moment before new season or is that what manager is saying, that once we reach a certain date player has to make commitment one way or the other? 

If KvV is going then it would be better for us if he goes sooner rather than later and before pre-season or the season itself starts. We lost Cedric Kipre on the eve of the season in 2018 which was a massive blow for the team as it will be if/when Kevin van Veen goes. At least if he moves on in the close season we will have the chance to prepare for life without him and get a replacement lined up.

[grizzlyg]

Looks like McGinn signed new deal? I thought he was only on 1 ye deal. And Morris finally away, maybe MK Dons bound

[weeyin]

36 minutes ago, MJC said:

Maybe it's just me, but I'm not a fan of a goalkeeper being the captain. Plus I don't really see Liam Kelly as a leader on the pitch like Butcher or Casey would be. That's not a slight on Kelly as I still see him as a key part of the team, just not a leader/captain.

Also not a fan of the keeper being the captain, but it's probably not worth it to take it away from Kelly now.

Ideally, I prefer the captain to be a boss in midfield so they can easily bark at strikers and defenders, but defenders are a close second for me - Joe Wark being a classic example of that.

[David]

44 minutes ago, MJC said:

Maybe it's just me, but I'm not a fan of a goalkeeper being the captain. Plus I don't really see Liam Kelly as a leader on the pitch like Butcher or Casey would be. That's not a slight on Kelly as I still see him as a key part of the team, just not a leader/captain.

Again though, can't Butcher or Casey do the same shouting, organising and encouraging from defence without the armband that they'd do with it? I don't know if a rather public showing of non-confidence in one of our better players is the way to go. 

As for how we see him, it's more important how the players see him, and all signs would point to him being a good captain. 

[MJC]

2 minutes ago, David said:

Again though, can't Butcher or Casey do the same shouting, organising and encouraging from defence without the armband that they'd do with it? I don't know if a rather public showing of non-confidence in one of our better players is the way to go. 

As for how we see him, it's more important how the players see him, and all signs would point to him being a good captain. 

Yes of course they could do that without the armband, but that would make the man who actually has the armband captain in name only? 

Like I said earlier, maybe it is just the way I see it but the goalkeeper being captain just doesn't seem right. The captain should be a focal point of the team, heavily involved in the play and where necessary talk to teammates and officials. Can a goalkeeper really do this if something occurs up the other end of the park? 

Obviously I take your point about other players also being vocal and leading on the pitch and it's always good when you have more than one leader in the team, but I just think there should be that man who is the focal point and he should, imo, be an outfield player. 

[steelboy]

18 hours ago, thewelllfan said:

Id be keeping Cornelius instead of Goss and O'Donnell hes been decent at Rwb and theres not really better out there on our budget. Need to keep Casey our defence looked shambloic without him and Butcher

We have had two far better wingbacks than Stephen O'Donnell playing for us this season so clearly there is better out there on our budget.

You've got to wonder what kind of negotiations we are having with Harry Paton. He's an injury prone dud who was unemployed for 10 months if he doesn't take our first offer get him to fuck.

Releasing Morris is obviously great but given the amount of duds we have in the squad it's criminal he's the only one. Burrows did a proper number on us his last 12 months.

[Ya Bezzer!]

Having to put up with O'Donnell for another season is disappointing.

We went up about three gears when Johnston came on Sunday and that's pretty much been the pattern depending on whether SoD is in the team or not.

Some of his performances this season were absolutely deplorable. and he'd be the first out the door for me.

Goss on the other hand is an important player for us. Hope we can keep him.

Casey is a good age and with Butcher and McGinn getting another year older I think we really need a younger player in there. 

I don't think Cornelius is much of a footballer but he has his attributes and I think you can 'blend' him into an effective midfield as long as you have ball players in there (like Goss).  

Would absolutely love it Johnston signed up.  Don't stop believing, I say!

[wellsince75]

I don’t mind SOD, think he’s ok in the new format but over 3 years he’s not been worthy of a first team start . Like many I don’t know when or how he got an extension .

we have a ridiculous squad size. I’d much prefer we only re-sign regular starters. 
 

fringe players unless young and just coming through should leave . 

[Kmcalpin]

David Devine is interesting Alloa. Presumably he's one who hasn't been offered a new deal? 

[mfc]

I hope we're looking at moving the likes of maguire and shields on,the thought of them picking up another year worth of wages is grim.i know we like to stick by players that have been out injured but there's no way we can go back to having mcginley and carroll as our left back options,ideally they both move on but I don't see it happening.sadly I think max will be gone but if we could keep casey and furlong that would be huge for us.

[FirParkCornerExile]

9 hours ago, Great Balls of Shire said:

Goss is a much better footballer than Cornelius or O'Donnell...agree re Casey tho

agreed

[joewarkfanclub]

Newspaper gossip that Torino are interested in Max Johnston. That would be some move for him. Given the increasing number of Scots going over there, it seems to be a bit of a trend!

[joewarkfanclub]

Re the club statement, it really doesnt tell us anything we didnt know other than Morris has been freed.

Who will stay and who will go still seems subject to conjecture.

Hopefully the picture will become clearer soon.

[fizoxy]

Maguire had a good spell when Alexander had him doing all the donkey work, but I don't think that position exists in our current system. I could see him being a backup/bench option if he diesnt move on, which is also something we need to be fair.

I can't see Shields staying, it could be another loan if we can't find a permanent move for him.

I thought Mahon was only a 2 year deal, so surprised to see him still around.

I have to assume that Efford, SOD and McGinn were extended based on clauses of some kind, as it's unusual to extend them without mentioning it.

[Kmcalpin]

It's odd that the list doesn't differentiate between those who have been offered new contracts and those who haven't. 

[fizoxy]

Yeah, normally we're clear about who we're trying to keep and who have been let go. We'll have offered Cornelius and Max deals to protect our training compensation, and SK mentioned trying to keep as much of this team together as possible, so have to assume Goss and Casey are under offer too, but who knows.

[Onthefringes]

4 hours ago, FirParkCornerExile said:

agreed

Comparing apples with oranges. 

[joewarkfanclub]

21 hours ago, mothman said:

With the 2022/23 season at an end, we can provide the following update on players’ contracts.

Under Contract for 2023/24 season

• Liam Kelly
• Aston Oxborough
• Kyle Aitken
• Josh Bogan
• Stephen O’Donnell
• Nathan McGinley
• Paul McGinn
• Ricki Lamie
• Bevis Mugabi
• Shane Blaney
• Calum Butcher
• Callum Slattery
• Lennon Miller
• Riku Danzaki
• Blair Spittal
• Ross Tierney
• Kevin Van Veen
• Joe Efford
• Mark Ferrie
• Luca Ross
• Dylan Wells

Players returning to club following loan and under contract for next season

• Barry Maguire
• Connor Shields
• Robbie Mahon

Players returning to parent club following loan expiry

• James Furlong
• Stuart McKinstry
• Jon Obika
• Olly Crankshaw

Players out of contract- Negotiations with a number of players are still taking place

• Jake Carroll
• Logan Dunachie
• Daniel Hunter
• Kian Speirs
• Jack Aitchison
• Matty Connelly
• Max Johnston
• Ewan Wilson
• Dan Casey
• Dean Cornelius
• Sean Goss
• Mikael Mandron
• David Devine
• Corey O’Donnell

Released

• Josh Morris

“I want to personally thank each individual player for their efforts since I arrived at the club,” manager Stuart Kettlewell said.

“Everyone has made an impact at this club in their tenure and helped steer the club to not only another season in the Premiership, but to a strong finish that will only benefit this club at the start of next season.

“We are still speaking with a number of players at this very early stage of the summer and hope to get clarity on each situation very soon.

“For the players departing the club, I wish them all the very best in the future.”

Of the players out of contract I would only be offering new contracts to Max, Casey, Deano and Goss.

Id also be trying very hard to get Furlong back and potentially Obika depending on what happens with KVV or whoever his replacement is going to be.

After that its seeing if there is any interest from other clubs for players that have been told they are likely to be squad players, so if you want regular games get your agent busy. Players like McGinley, Lamie, Mugabi and Sheilds probably fit into that category.

Be interesting to see what happens to Tierney, Danzaki and Efford. All potentially have something to offer, but not in a 3-5-2 if thats what we stick to.

Kettlewell has been excellent so far. His next big test starts now.......