Eleven Players Out of Contract

[admin]

There are 11 players out of contract at the season's end with 2 other loan deals due to expire. 

Who would you want to keep? 

 

[elevenone]

Sadly not that many.  Would say Booth and if fit Bannigan.  Sammon if available too.  I think regardless of what league next season brings we need a lot of freshening up.

[sandy]

Booth, Fraser, Scully & Nisbet.

[MonehJags]

19 minutes ago, sandy said:

Booth, Fraser, Scully & Nisbet.

Calm down Gary, Jim Duffy will see ye OK down Greenock

[Big Col]

Booth and Sammon. The rest are either injury prone or sadly not good enough.

[kevin energy]

Depends on what league we are in ?  Could we afford to keep anybody if we go down ?

Edited March 28, 2018 by kevin energy

[Sivad]

From the club's financial point of view, perhaps the greater concern is the eleven players who are NOT out of contract, as they will probably be expecting to be paid the same wages next season, regardless of what league we are in. Relegation would mean a huge drop in income, so top league wages would account for a large proportion of the parachute payment. Players who are out of contract would either be shown the door or offered a cut in wages, which only those with little hope of finding a job elsewhere might be inclined to accept. The big clearout would be at the end of next season, so it might be a case of now or never for promotion next season.

There's a lot at stake over the next 8 games.

[Mr Bunny]

Considering the parachute payment we probably could (and it also depends on contracts, whether or no the wages drop a wee bit on relegation) but probably not all - but then guys out of contract probably won't won't to re-sign for a relegated side so that's a number of guys gone right away.  We should try to keep (assuming relegation)  a core of our best still contracted players (Booth, Elliot,  Erskine, Doolan, Spittal, spring to mind), make much more use of youngsters like Penrice, McCarthy, McLaughlin (and blood more youngsters).  This shows up where we are likely to lose key players - centre back and defensive midfield with likes of Osman, Woods, Bannigan, Devine and Cargill likely to move on and apart from McCarthy no youngsters looking ready to take on one of these positions.  In fact we're likely to need to replace most of the players mentioned even if we don't get relegated.  

One thing we shouldn't do is throw all our eggs in one basket and spend all our parachute money plus ST money on trying to keep a 'premiership' team  - it's a tough league to get out of and promotion  not guaranteed even with 'premiership' players (as Hibs, DU and the Rangers  proved.  Better to go with a small core of 'premier' players, some good 'championship' players and youngsters, blooding new youngsters over the season.  That way, even if we fail to go up in one, we will have good young players - with good experience - for the following seasons. 

[kevin energy]

Maybe right there, for instance before we came in for Woods he was struggling to get a club, not sure what standard he was looking for at the time though, but if your Woods where do you go next ? take your chance and try and get a better pay else where or take the reduced terms at Firhill ?

[Norgethistle]

Booth and maybe Woods, none of the rest, I’d also be looking to move on a few others who are under contract and try to sign Sammon

[Auld Jag]

2 hours ago, Norgethistle said:

Booth and maybe Woods, none of the rest, I’d also be looking to move on a few others who are under contract and try to sign Sammon

Would like to see Booth and Woods sign.If we are still in the Premier we might have a chance of getting Sammon although his form for us will have alerted other clubs.

[Garscube Road End]

30 minutes ago, Norgethistle said:

Booth and maybe Woods, none of the rest, I’d also be looking to move on a few others who are under contract and try to sign Sammon

Tthinking the same.Booth has been one of the better performers since he came back. If we stay up we should try and get Sammon. If we go down, then I wouldn't see him dropping down with us.

[Fearchar]

I find it difficult to see what others seem to see in Booth. He doesn't have pace or persistence, his crosses are woeful and he is not a sound defender.

At any rate, and this is, of course, just opinion, I would prefer to see the following allowed to go:

Scully - not sufficiently safe, e.g. against Hibs. Devine - bombscare, not just making mistakes but also persistently fouling, including in the penalty box. Booth - see above, but also a consistent loser. (Can be replaced by Elliott, Dumbuya or Penrice.) Cargill may be worth adopting permanently, if he's willing to stay. Bannigan - persistent injuries and little likelihood of coming back on form. Osman - lack of commitment and pace, getting slower with every game, and fouling unnecessarily. Lawless - too easily pushed off the ball, too predictable and unwilling to go back and recover if he gives the ball away. Erskine - time has caught up: lack of pace. Fraser may be worth another season, if the report from his loan is adequate. Doolan can probably play another season as second fiddle, but his best days are over. Nisbet has not made the grade, even on loan at a lower level. Sammon has done enough to make it worth the club's time trying to retain him.

McGinn and Woods have steadied the ship a bit, and Dumbuya is worth a punt for another season.

A rebuild is needed, and I would question whether the current management team is capable of that, as both signings and the reluctance or inability to promote from the development squad seem to indicate otherwise.

The problem that has consistently plagued this team is the lack of a natural leader on the park, as the guidance is not coming from the dugout. Could that be Christie Elliott's future role?

[lady-isobel-barnett]

9 hours ago, Fearchar said:

The problem that has consistently plagued this team is the lack of a natural leader on the park, as the guidance is not coming from the dugout. Could that be Christie Elliott's future role?

Christie is undoubtedly captain material off the park (as of course is Dools). Elliott is everything you want of a player to represent Thistle. On the pitch apart from his strength and overall fitness his other great attribute is how he quietly gets on with whatever role he's been given (the orders of the day if you like). Doesn't always work out but he gives his all. That said I just feel (with little knowledge whatsoever) you could put emphasis on the "quietly" and so he may not be what I at least believe a "leader on the park" should be. Lead by example, yes, but he already does that.

If every other player on the pitch had a similar mindset to Christie and showed the same determination we wouldn't even need a leader on the park.

[sandy]

I think Christie should be our captain next season, he would be an excellent choice.

[The Legend Blows]

Let the lot of them go and let the new manager start from scratch so we can try and consolidate with a mid table Championship finish next year.

[Fearchar]

On 02/04/2018 at 10:44 AM, lady-isobel-barnett said:

Christie is undoubtedly captain material off the park (as of course is Dools). Elliott is everything you want of a player to represent Thistle. On the pitch apart from his strength and overall fitness his other great attribute is how he quietly gets on with whatever role he's been given (the orders of the day if you like). Doesn't always work out but he gives his all. That said I just feel (with little knowledge whatsoever) you could put emphasis on the "quietly" and so he may not be what I at least believe a "leader on the park" should be. Lead by example, yes, but he already does that.

If every other player on the pitch had a similar mindset to Christie and showed the same determination we wouldn't even need a leader on the park.

On the park, Christie is developing what we might call a controlled measure of aggression: he has been prepared to push his chest out and almost invite opposing players to act foolishly in plain view while he stands there and stares them out. The nice boys Archie prefers in his teams don't do that. (BTW, McCarthy also deserves some praise for adding much needed grit.)

Edited April 3, 2018 by Fearchar