Pottering around, as I do, I came across these comments by Danny Murphy (off on his hols). They were made in August 2010 but how true they are still today - # Fulham captain Danny Murphy has urged new boss Mark Hughes to secure the long-term futures of his existing players. The first-team squad Hughes inherited from Roy Hodgson this summer includes up to seven players who have less than a year remaining on their deals. "Strangely enough, and I don't know why the club has let it happen, but seven or eight of the squad are into the last year of their contracts," Murphy told the Daily Mirror. "I don't think that's particularly healthy, and not many clubs allow that to happen. I think it's important that we get it sorted as a club because it is difficult for players to be having a year left on their contracts. "It's different for me because I'm a bit older and, when you reach my age, you start doing it year by year, but for a lot of the other lads it's an unsettling time - you have other clubs coming in for them and you worry about getting injured with only a year left on your contract. "New additions are all very well and good, but I think we need to get the players with a year left tied down and keep as many of the squad together as possible. "Obviously when players do well they can move on to bigger and better things - I know Arsenal are chasing Schwarzer and Liverpool are after Konchesky - and I don't know whether we will be able to keep them, it's out of my hands. "But you can't buy experience and you don't want to be losing key members of your squad." #
Yup, very true but with the recent revolving door of managers it was always going to be difficult. And players like Dempsey and Dembele probably wouldn't want to discuss it until the end of the season.
I agree C58 but there's no smoke without fire. Some of the players will undoubtedly be after more money and better terms etc. It is surprising that things are being left late, as Bidders points out the change in Gaffers doesn't help. I love the word Gaffer! I think agents don't help when they advise players to play the waiting game.
So do I. Besides sounding a bit like something that belongs in an engine "watch out, don't catch your fingers on that Gaffer wheel" it reminds me of the sit-com from the early 80's (I think) starring Bill Maynard as The Gaffer - had quite a good theme tune too.
Showing your age, Fulhaman. There are some on this board who don't believe that the 80s ever really existed. The think it's just a strange dayglo era that your parents frighten you with to make you eat up your greens.
I could go back to Oh No! It's Selwyn Froggatt, and beyond that as well I'm afraid. I liked the 80"s. I'm quite fond of pastel shades in knitwear.
