If we fall short and don't go up, I presume that in any case this summer we'll be trying to tie Conor and SSW on to longer contracts. One of the big questions is whether, if they don't sign we cash in, or let them run their contracts down next season and risk losing them for free if we don't go up. Personally, I think we have to take the risk, as if this side is in League 1 next season, it's reasonable to think they could have a very serious crack at winning the title.
Best case scenario is they accept contracts with release clauses should we not get promoted, and a guaranteed wage hike should we go up. Maybe some of them will be on board for the challenge given that (in Flicker's words) it's a special group of players, though you wouldn't hold it against them if they left for Championship wages this summer.
As PC said last week: Champioship average wage = 9K per week; League One wage = 1.8K per week. No brainer. The only question will be whether there are Champioship clubs who think one or more of ours will hack it in that league. If they do - ours will go. No worries though. 'The system' will ensure replacements are brought in who will be just as good.
Promotion this season and we'd easily tie down our best players including Brownhill, Hammill & White. Don't get promoted and we won't keep those 3 plus we'd struggle to keep hold of Hourihane, Winnall, Mawson, Watkins & Bree. Basically promotion will decide whether we have another huge turnover of players or not.
And yet the pricing structure will be such as to encourage us to renew before we know the makeup of the squad.
Cryne on Peterbro's transfer profits = they'd rather have the money and sacrifice promotion. I think he'll be going all out to tie down Hourihane, Winnall, Hammill and Long.
I dunno. We're unlikely to be financially pushed into dismantling the whole team, and I'd like to think that if we don't go up, the management can convince players that we're building something special, and it's something they should want to be part of, for the good of both their immediate and future careers. I hope that most of them would buy into that. You come to us, and we'll help you shine in a big way.
I think we'll keep most of our best players. Besides all is not lost even if we can't keep hold of them. A move for Stones looks more likely than it did last summer and we have a strong underbelly with very promising youngsters such as H.White, Tuton, Templeton and Ash who I reckon could all do a G.Williams and step up. Plus with our growing reputation of developing young players we should have the cream of the crop when it comes to talent from the Premiership and Championship.
