Players Contract Positions At End Of Season | Vital Football

Players Contract Positions At End Of Season

SeasideEssexXile

Vital Football Legend
As the season ends following yet another winless home game, mathematically we can't be relegated and promotion via the playoffs has drifted with recent results, we need some new blood in some key positions and here is the status of our full current squad, with players in red can leave, those in amber have a contract option and finally those in green are already signed up for next season at least:

Goal Keepers
Mark Howard - Contracted to end of 19-20 no option
Miles Bony Contract ends 1yr option
Christopher Mufambi – Contract ends 1yr option

Jack Sims Contract ends no option

Defenders
Michael Nottingham Contracted to end of 19-20 + 1yr option
Nick Anderton Contract ends 1yr option
Mark Bola Contract ends 1yr option
Curtis Tilt Contract ends 1yr option
Ollie Turton Contract ends 1yr option

Donervan Daniels Contract ends no option

Midfielders
Yusifu Ceesay Contracted to end of 19-20 + 1yr option
Liam Feeney Contracted to end of 19-20 + 1yr option
Callum Guy Contracted to end of 19-20 + 1yr option
Harry Pritchard Contracted to end of 19-20 no option
Jay Spearing Contracted to end of 19-20 no option

Jordan Thompson Contracted to end of 19-20 + 1yr option
Matty Virtue Contracted to end of 20-21 no option

John O’Sullivan Contract ends 1yr option
Chris Taylor Contract ends 1yr option

Jimmy Ryan Contract ends no option

Attackers
Mark Cullen Contract ends 1yr option
Max Clayton Contract ends 1yr option
Armand Gnanduillet Contract ends 1yr option
Scott Quigley - Contract ends 1yr option
Rowan Roache Contract ends 1yr option
Finn Sinclair-Smith Contract ends 1yr option
Nathan Delfouneso Contract ends no option

Chris Long Contract ends no option


As it stands that leaves us with a starting position for next season with:
Howard (more than likely out with injury for at least the first half of next season)
Nottingham in defence
Spearing, Virtue, Feeney, Guy, Pritchard & Thompson in midfield
and not a striker signed up on the books.

Players with options I would activate immediately:
GK: Mafumbi
Defence: Bola, Tilt, Turton and Anderton
Midfield: Taylor
Attack: Gnanduillet and Roache

Players who can walk away I would try to resign:
Them all (bar Daniels).
GK: Sims (young and made a difference to Lancaster City this season)
Ryan - we have missed him this season and the pressure on Spearing is now showing
Delf - Has improved as the season progressed, IMO our best player at going past a defender and Long - has shown some promise and is a lively one upfront.

Players who I feel we will be better off letting go:
Boney - not going to make it after all these years and the pressure showed at Burton.
O'Sullivan + Turton - both have made first team appearances this season but are not good enough.
Cullen - not the same player after his injury, Clayton, not a player we have seen due to injury, Quigley not a player before or after injury that is good enough for league football and Sinclair- Smith would be better off trying to get a contract where he plays some games.

All of that that leaves us weak in GK with Howards' long-term injury,
a CH to cover Heneghan (I would try to sign him from Sheff Utd) and some cover in there. Tilt will miss half a dozen games with injury at least we are weak in the middle.
Midfield - I think Guy is a creative midfielder but he seems to have more injuries and lacks match sharpness / fitness than Clayton. Ryan / Spearing are holding midfielders we are desperately short of creativity in there.
We need 2 wingers with real pace - Viv showed what a difference he made to the team last season.
Attack - Frenchie shows why Vassell always started ahead of him. We either need a poacher to feed off him. or a strong forward who can hold the ball up (I would even try to sign Vassell back) and has an eye for goal. Our lack of goals is clear for all to see this season.

Add to the mix a new pitch and I think the managerial team needs a seperate thread.
 
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Hard to disagree with any of that. The elephant in the room is what will new owners offer a manager in terms of wages and fees for players. I'd like to think that we can do better than Anderton in terms of who'd you keep, and I think you meant to say release Taylor which I'd agree with.

In terms of creativity don't forget Charlie will be back !!!!!! UTvMP
 
I have always hoped Charlie would return. He single-handedly took us to the Premiership, I can see him returning.
34 in December but still capable at this level of doing a fantastic job.
 
Charlie will need energetic legs alongside him. He would never have been as effective without Gnashers to do the work of two men.
 
we have to hope the blunts go up, heneghan is a must for us but 2 steps to far at the moment. Id keep Turton as a decent utility player , and heres one to throw a spanner i think weve had the best of Spearing ( yes really ) more cautious than Wilkins and im not sure but from open play does he have an assist let alone a goal. Not sure how far young Owen Watkinson is away , must have finished his 2nd year
 
I have said previously that Spearing has suffered more than anyone with Ryans injury.
Virtue can provide the legs for Charlie and I do wonder why Guy has been out for so long?
More midfielders than you can shake a stick at but those 2, in our current top 4 of midfielders currently at the club have been missed.
Vassells departure showed that we need someone who can hold the ball up, I like Longs' pace and would like someone the size of Frenchie but with Longs' pace - then again wouldn't every club.
Retained list will be out in 3 weeks, we need owners in as soon as possible or yet again we are going to start behind the pack.
 
His selections are odd but in Kirkby and Virtue he brought in two useful players in January. Actually, he brought in 3 but, bizarrely, hardly used the Geordie Scandi lad.
 
I'm beginning to wonder how much influence the assistant had.
Since Brabin left, and it has been eerily silent on that front other than he had fallen out with T McP. Interesting term used to me the other day was the 'scouse mafia'.

I hate starting every season behind everyone else.........
 
Very useful thread SEX!

My thoughts...

Goalkeepers: Definitely take up the option on Mafoumbi who has proven to be a more than capable deputy for Howard; having two decent keepers will be a real luxury at this level. Release Boney (who you feel put a nail in his coffin at Burton) and give Sims a one year deal as third choice (apparently done ok out on loan).

Defenders: We've looked at our best with three centre halves and two wing backs, so that's shaped my thinking here. Taking up the one year options on Bola (my POTY), Turton and Tilt are no brainers. Anderton's probably not up to scratch at left wing back but apparently has looked ok at centre half so I would take his option up on that basis (playing three centre halves means that you need to have five on your books, in my opinion). At worst we should be able to flog him for a fee to Accrington, where he was a regular during his loan spell. Daniels has gone completely off the boil second half of the season, but if he's not on much (which I suspect is the case) I'd be tempted to give him another year as he looked ok when we had three at the back (less so as a two or indeed at full back). Nottingham is similar to Anderton in that he's probably better at centre half than wing back. I don't see why people are so high on Heneghan. We won't be able to afford him permanently any way.

Midfielders: Again, this is shaped by how I think we should line up tactically - with three central midfielders. Wouldn't take the options up on either O'Sullivan or Taylor; both have done jobs for us but are well down the pecking order. Jimmy Ryan's injury is incredibly serious and I'm concerned he'll struggle to return to anything like his previous level. Think he's also on a decent whack, so I'm leaning towards not offering him a new deal unless he comes back before the end of the season and impresses (know he's back in training). I'd try and find someone to take on Feeney's contract and Ceesay has been bouncing from club to club in non league so I'd try and get someone to take his contract on too. Take up the option on Sinclair-Smith and get him out on loan. Don't rate Evans, but would love Kirby back on loan. That's never going to happen though.

Forwards: Cullen has been a great servant for us but injuries look to have ravaged him so I wouldn't be inclined to take up his option. Injuries have also fucked Clayton so he's definitely gone. Quigley has wanted to leave for ages, so I'd grant him his wish. Roache was once highly rated but needs a fresh start. Definitely take up the option on Armand and offer new deals to Delf and Long. If Dodoo's available on a free I'd be tempted to take a run at him as I want to play two up top so we need options.

That'd leave us with:

GK: Howard, Mafoumbi, Sims
LWB: Bola
RWB: Turton
CB: Tilt, Daniels, Nottingham, Anderton
CM: Spearing, Virtue, Guy, Thompson, Pritchard
FW: Gnanduillet, Long, Delfouneso

If Ryan does come back ok then him staying probably makes Pritchard expendable (sure we'd have takers as he's done ok). The ideal would be having Kirby for a season, but never going to happen unfortunately.

As I say, I'd be tempted by Dodoo if he's available on a free. I think we need two more strikers, even if Long and Delf stay.

Would then need cover for Bola and Turton, and a classy centre half (probably one for the loan market?). In midfield I'd like to see us bring in a ball winner in the Keith Southern mould.

Obviously if better players become available we can replace people as we go along (the likes of Nottingham would be candidates here), but I don't actually think we're that far away.
 
I personally would love to see Maffoumbi stay along with Gnanduillet, Bola, Tilt, Daniels, Ryan, and Delfounseo
 
Keep
Mark Howard - Contracted to end of 19-20 no option
Christopher Mufambi – Contract ends 1yr option
Michael Nottingham Contracted to end of 19-20 + 1yr option
Mark Bola Contract ends 1yr option
Curtis Tilt Contract ends 1yr option
Ollie Turton Contract ends 1yr option
Donervan Daniels Contract ends no option
Callum Guy Contracted to end of 19-20 + 1yr option
Harry Pritchard Contracted to end of 19-20 no option
Jay Spearing Contracted to end of 19-20 no option
Jordan Thompson Contracted to end of 19-20 + 1yr option
Matty Virtue Contracted to end of 20-21 no option
Armand Gnanduillet Contract ends 1yr option
Nathan Delfouneso
Contract ends no option
Chris Long Contract ends no option

Get Rid
Miles Bony Contract ends 1yr option
Nick Anderton Contract ends 1yr option
Yusifu Ceesay Contracted to end of 19-20 + 1yr option
Liam Feeney Contracted to end of 19-20 + 1yr option
John O’Sullivan Contract ends 1yr option
Chris Taylor Contract ends 1yr option
Jimmy Ryan Contract ends no option
Mark Cullen Contract ends 1yr option
Max Clayton Contract ends 1yr option
Scott Quigley - Contract ends 1yr option
Rowan Roache Contract ends 1yr option
Finn Sinclair-Smith Contract ends 1yr option

Priority has to be getting some pace and width in the team. Those in my get rid list have barely played (Except Feeney, whos crap) but i'd be looking to upgrade the RB, ST and ideally another midfielder to push Spearing out of the team eventually.
 
Nathan Delfouneso has revealed talks are ongoing between his “people” and Blackpool FC over a new contract.

The forward’s current deal expires at the end of the season but the 28-year-old says he is confident of putting pen to paper on a fresh contract as long as “everything is right”.

Delfouneso has made 43 appearances this season, scoring seven times, his latest strike winning three points for the Seasiders in Monday’s last-gasp 2-1 home win over Fleetwood Town.

“There are talks and we’ll see,” Delfouneso said. “I’m happy here and I’ve got a great bond with the club.

“It’s a club I’m close to and I do believe it will go places. Hopefully we can kick on for next season.

“So yes, there are talks and hopefully we can get something sorted. I’m happy and if everything is right I’m sure we can sort something out.

“It needs to be right, without doubt. That’s the most important thing.

“We’ve obviously got two weeks of the season remaining now and talks have been going on, but if everything is right I’m sure everything will go quite well and smoothly.

“I’m just concentrating on my football and I’ve left that other business to the people that look after me. That’s all I can do – keep performing out on that pitch.”

Delfouneso has recently found himself in and out of the side, starting the club’s last two games on the bench.

He added: “Anyone who knows me will know that I can’t stand not starting. It’s frustrating being taken out of the team.

“I understand it’s about the squad and I will always respect the manager’s decision, but whether I like it or not is a different story.

“I want to be in that starting 11 and I believe I should be. Obviously I’ve got to make sure when I do get a chance that I perform and do the business.

“I’m all about playing. I don’t want to do anything else other than play.”