Walking Down The Halbeath Road

[Stellaboz]

No confusion to most of us,contract extension as it said.

[smpar]

Now that it looks like AJ is getting started with contract renewals.. player by player, how does everyone want the squad to look come August? I'd like to see;

(Those in bold are the players I would still have in a starting XI)

Goalkeepers 

Murdoch

Gill

 

Defenders

Ashcroft

Morris

Martin

Fordyce

Talbot

 

Midfielders

Higginbotham

Geggan

Paton

Cardle

Wedderburn

McCabe

McMullan

 

Forwards

Moffat

Clark

Hopkirk

 

Non-renewals

BRE

Spence

Reilly (back to Hearts)

Herron (back to Blackpool)

Hutton (GK)

Williamson

 

I know there are a couple of players who signed for 2 years last season but I can't remember who, I'm sure Hopkirk is one of them so that's why he's made the list. A few question marks right throughout the squad, I've got 9 players in my starting XI so that leaves a right back and a striker to complete my lineup. 

Lewis Martin, being versatile and probably on one of the lowest wages in the senior squad, is a good squad player to have when he's not committing professional fouls. Fordyce makes the list for me since he can also fill in at right back and is a very good leader. 

Paton and Cardle are probably the two hardest decisions to make. The former will almost always be out of favour if Higginbotham is around and I don't think either Paton or Cardle would sign if they think they're going to be sitting on the bench all season. 

Getting McMullan on board for next season in any way possible would be great. 

Thoughts?

 

[Poet of the Macabre]

Fairly certain Cardle is already signed up for next season? Berate me all you want if I've made this up.

[Shandon Par]

 

13 minutes ago, smpar said:

 

Thoughts?

I'm pretty sure Cardle had a two year deal (unless it's a year with an option) and very sure Hopkirk is on a 2 year deal. Amazing how Herron is like the forgotten man since McCabe decided he is actually a footballer after all.

If we had the team that started against Falkirk but swap Hopkirk for Faissal El Bak we'd spank anyone.

Has to be credit again to the preseason work and fitness coach. We've cruised through this last quarter of the season and guys like McCabe, Talbot and Geggan who started the season looking like they should have been left in League One now look totally at ease at this level.

It's quality over quantity we need. Even that starting 11 from the game against Falkirk but with a really decent striker (eg El Bak) would be a team that could aim to finish about 4th or 3rd.

[Stellaboz]

Just improve on this squad and quality we have in back up, as is said. Aim for top 4,if we don't quite make it once we're there fine. Just keep improving.

[mikedafc]

Herron apparently has lots of interest from other clubs so would doubt he will stay. McCabe is actually being played in his proper position rather than having to learn on the job as cover for Wedderburn at start of the season

[dafcburty]

The reason there was confusion over Ashcroft's contract status was that the Club had announced he had signed a 2 year deal last summer which was in fact a one year deal with a one year extension. That's why people initially thought it was an extension until 2019. 

The contract status looks like this for the first team (although there's a chance some of the "2 year deals" which the Club announced last season is the same contract as Ashcroft: 1 year + a years extension)

Murdoch (2018)

Hutton (2017)

Gill (2019)

Williamson (2018)

Martin (2018)

Morris (2017)

Fordyce (2017)

Ashcroft (2018)

Richards-Everton (2017)

Morisson (2019)

Talbot (2017)

Higginbotham (2017)

McMullan (2017 - end of loan)

Paton (2017)

Cardle (2018)

Duthie (2018)

McCabe (2017)

Herron (2017 - end of loan)

Spence (2017)

Geggan (2017*)

Wedderburn (2017*)

Clark (2018)

Moffat (2017)

Reilly (2017 - end of loan)

Hopkirk (2018)

Smith (2019)

* Announced by the Club as a 1 year deal with a 1 year extension. 

Edited May 4, 2017 by dafcburty

[DA Baracus]

I think the manager has to be utterly ruthless if we want to kick on. Using Burty's list above, I would say this should mean he doesn't offer a renewal to;

Hutton

BRE

Paton

Spence

McCabe

Moffat

Edited May 4, 2017 by DA Baracus

[smpar]

Out of interest, why would you get rid of McCabe?

[Shandon Par]

45 minutes ago, smpar said:

Out of interest, why would you get rid of McCabe?

Because he's not right. A proper wrong 'un. Moff is an interesting decision for him. He only signed when the Greig Spence deal went tits up. Maybe it was coincidence but it looked to me like Moff was signed as an alternative to Spence. We could keep him and just roll him out for games against Morton.

 

Edited May 4, 2017 by Shandon Par

[Stellaboz]

Works for me. Whoever comes in has a huge responsibility of grabbing more goals though, as we'd miss his good runs from deep and general terrific play until he's attempting to score.

[parsforlife]

Get rid of and adequately replace Hutton, BRE,fordyce, spence and Reilly. We're in with a good chance. Especially if we bring in the right stiker(come back faiss)

[JamieStevenson]

Brilliant news regarding Ashcroft.

I'd be punting: Hutton, BRE, Fordyce, Martin, Spence, Paton. Reilly, Herron & McMullan will be gone anyway too. Don't even care if someone I've mentioned is still under contract for a bit, just don't want them anymore tbh.

[smpar]

Paton is good enough IMO, especially if he's just coming off the bench now and then. Whether or not he'd want to stay is another issue.

[smpar]

Just watched Ashcroft's interview; "I think next season's going to be a lot more open with the teams that are in it.. obviously you don't know who's definitely in it but.."

[D.A.F.C]

I'm not really fussed about Herron or McCabe. Both are quality but lack consistency and Herron seems to have a real problem with an ankle injury. 

I think the mananger rates Hopkirk and maybe thinks he can turn him into a Faisal type player? 

For me you could break it down like this:

players who are must keeps or replace with the same quality

Ashcroft (sorted) Morris Murdoch wedderburn mcmullan Higgy Clark Talbot 

players who have had a chance and are done or don't have it imo

martin Hutton BRE Williamson 

players who can influence games but have flaws or we could replace with better

geggan cardle Paton McCabe Herron Hopkirk Fordyce 

 

We have a good 1-11 but nothing of real quality to back it up. We really need three top strikers, three or four wingers of decent quality, defensive cover for every position, someone to come in for big nat.

You saw that from Falkirk, hipposhite and Austin coming on and (cheating) changing the game and thinking back to when we won the league we had great cover. Arguably last seasons side had more cover, we made several inadequate signings and paid for it later on with a bench of nobodies.

[Poet of the Macabre]

12 hours ago, smpar said:

Just watched Ashcroft's interview; "I think next season's going to be a lot more open with the teams that are in it.. obviously you don't know who's definitely in it but.."

Translation: Inverness are utter pish.

[Shandon Par]

Big Vetle was some boy. The Nat Wedderburn of his day. Christened "Hagar the Horrible" by Leish in recognition of the Skol cartoon character of the time.

[da_no_1]

12 hours ago, D.A.F.C said:

We have a good 1-11 but nothing of real quality to back it up. We really need three top strikers, three or four wingers of decent quality, defensive cover for every position, someone to come in for big nat.

So we have a good 1-11 but you want 11 new players? Cool.

[smpar]

Fucking hell. Here we go.