Payers out of contract in the summer

According to the Chronicle, as well as the management trio, the following are out of contract in the summer. I've listed them in a specific order!

Luke Steele
Kelvin Etuhu
Jason Scotland
Bobby Hassell
Martin Crainie
Tom Kennedy
Tomasz Cywka
Steve Foster
Marlon Harewood
Matt Done
Jimmy McNulty
Rob Edwards

We've already heard that Bobby is being offered a one year deal, but the club are apparently waiting until the end of the season before opening talks with any of the others or, most worryingly, the management team. I can see their argument, in that we need to be concentrating on the job at hand and not distracting them when we have so many important games to go, but I personally would be distracted if I didn't know whether I was going to be employed after July. It's also reasonable for them to argue that we don't know what our budget is going to be next season, as we don't know which division we will be in.

However, I would expect that this would be true every season at this stage, as very few clubs in our division are currently sure of which division they will be in come next season. Anybody in the bottom half could still go down, whilst anybody in the top half will still feel they have a chance of the play offs.

Hopefully, whilst not discussing the finer details of any potential new contract, the club have been able to make promises to the key people out of contract, and here I am talking about the management trio and the top half dozen or so in the list of players, whereby if we stay up they will be offered a contract at least equal to the one they are currently on. In the case of the management trio I would hope that any new contract would improve on their current one. This would give them a further incentive to keep up the good work. It would be a terrible blow if we were to lose some of our better players (particularly Luke Steele) or, and I don't really want to think about this, the management trio, just because we have left it too late to give them the security of a new contract offer.

There's a very good chance that three 'massive' Yorkshire clubs will be looking for new managers at the end of the season for starters. Now there's a worrying thought!

 

Currently i'd say the top 9 all deserve a new contract if we stay up. Some might add Marlon to the list but i'd look for someone similar but younger who can play more games. I can't see Leeds wanting him to replace Colin.

 

Top 7 likely plus mcnulty but hope not

 

I'm not too worried. If you'd asked me at Christmas who on the list I'd like to keep then I'd definitely have said Luke Steele, but apart from that... I would have added Bobby Hassell and Steve Foster, but that's for sentimental reasons as much as anything. They're players who have been here a long time who I like a lot, but they're not irreplaceable.

Since then quite a number of those listed have put in some very good performances and I would like to see them sign contracts, but if they don't it won't be the end of the world. I think we've seen such good performances from those players because of the management team. If they can get our rag, tag and bobtail squad performing like they have done then they'll be able to do it again with new recruits in the summer.

Getting the management team signed up is the important job. Once we've done that, if the players like Flitcroft as much as they say they do they'll all follow suit. For those that don't we'll find some other misfits from somewhere and Flitcroft will mold them in to a spirited team.

 

We've got a 12 month option on Ar Kelv.

 

Surely the club can put two offers on the table to the management team dependent upon which division we are in next season. Is it really more complicated than that? The management team is key, as Flicker has done a worldy on this club since he took over, despite the fact that he sometimes spouts Hillesque tosh and picks players that I think aren't good enough (how dare he). Top man that Flicker. Not faultless, but who is.

 

Id Keep,

Luke Steele
Kelvin Etuhu
Jason Scotland
Bobby Hassell
Martin Crainie
Tom Kennedy
Tomasz Cywka
Steve Foster

 

I've been saying that for weeks!!

We do have 4 million quid in the kitty too, don't we? Again it comes down to getting the crowds in or that will go on the lecky bill and other basics.

 

We've banked £4 million since the new year and we are in no debt whatsoever, yet we are still under financial pressure? Where does all this money go? We got £1m for Jason Shackell, a compensation package for Butterfield, a decent fee for Vaz, £300k for Davies and £3m for Stones! Where does it all go?!

 

Pretend for a moment your not a Barnsley fan and re-look at that list. Who's heard of any of them apart from Scotland and possibly Harwood. They're hardly going to be the top signings for anyone in the Championship and we can out pay most of the rest of league 1 and 2. I reckon Steele might be the one who won't be here next year which is the biggest worry as our reserve keeper is dog w*nk. The others - keep Etuhu and Crainie possibly Scotland, Foster and Plywood. The rest....meh.

 

I'd expect Done and Edwards to go. Wouldn't mind if McNulty left too. All the rest we should be looking to retain, Steele and Cranie in particular.