please log in to view this image The Bristol Post understands that ALL 8 out of contract players have been made offers to stay at the club. Stuart Sinclair has signed his new deal on Monday, so there are 7 left to go. DC has confirmed the players have all gone away to make their decisions over whether to take the terms on offer and assess their options available to them. Im guessing some may have been given 6 month contract (Trotman) to prove their fitness or a 1 year deal. Obviously the players need to see if they can get a better deal elsewhere as they may not want a short contract for example. Hopefully they all make a decision quickly so DC can then assess what squad he has left and can then start building again. James Mcnamara from the Bristol Post has said his opinion today on who he feels will stay and who will go. ABDULAI BAGGIE: Hard to make an assessment on a player who was brought in as cover for the final few weeks of a season in which he played no part on the pitch. Has worked with Darrell Clarke before at Salisbury, however, and you do feel that the short-term deal may have been brokered with a view to assessing him in training over a few weeks with eyes on next season. A few Tranmere supporters were surprised when Micky Adams decided to bring an end to his contract early before Christmas and has experience of playing in League Two. Will he be at the Memorial Stadium at the start of next season? Possibly. Baggie's arrival and subsequent lack of involvement suggest manager Darrell Clarke was taking a longer-term view on this deal. ANGELO BALANTA: Appearances: 3 (15) Lee Brown says Balanta was probably the best player in the QPR youth team they were both brought up in – yet Rovers supporters have only seen fleeting glimpses of that sort of quality. Tipped to be a star of the future when coming through the ranks at Loftus Road, Balanta arrived at Rovers looking anything but after a series of trials elsewhere had led to nothing in the way of contract offers. Balanta, however, was injured in training soon after being signed at the start of September and didn't make his debut until he came off the bench to score the winning goal against Barnet at the end of November. He has flattered to deceive on the rare occasions that he was offered a start, but is a player who clearly possesses bags of ability. A fully-fit and firing Balanta would be playing further up the pyramid – perhaps a good pre-season and the continued guidance of master man-manager Clarke could help return him to somewhere towards his best. Will he be at the Memorial Stadium at the start of next season? A lot will probably depend on whether any new offer is an improvement on the pretty basic contract he signed when he first arrived. He is also yet to settle in Bristol and has a young family in London. JAKE GOSLING: Appearances: 20 (9) Gosling can be pleased with his contribution across the entirety of the campaign. Initially signed with a view to being a squad player, Gosling managed close to 30 appearances and started the promotion final at Wembley. Found form in fits and starts, but probably enjoyed his best spell over the Christmas period and also scored a few important goals. Will he still be at the Memorial Stadium at the start of the season? Likely. Says he is keen to stay and his performances this season suggest there is more to come from him. May not be a regular starter, but certainly a player worth having around and about the squad. DANIEL LEADBITTER: Appearances: 20 (4) Struggled to come to terms with life at the Memorial Stadium in the first few weeks after being brought in with a view to stepping into Michael Smith's shoes following his departure to Peterborough United. Started the season as first-choice right-back, but lost his place to Tom Lockyer. Improved significantly when he was used sparingly by Clarke as the season unfolded. He enjoyed his best spell during a run of games throughout February and March. Will he still be at the Memorial Stadium at the start of the season? Yes. Could probably score a deal with another Conference club, but will relish the opportunity to make a return to the Football League. Seems to be over any confidence issues that affected his early-season form and is another young player who you would expect there is more to come from. ANDY MONKHOUSE: Appearances: 40 (3) Along with Matty Taylor and Lee Mansell, Monkhouse has probably been one of Darrell Clarke's best signings. Some concerns were aired over how many games Monkhouse would get through at the age of 34 – but a staggering total of 42 is testament to how well the winger keeps himself in shape. Struck up a good understanding with Lee Brown down the left-hand side and was a key figure in Rovers' promotion charge. Will he still be at the Memorial Stadium at the start of the season? 50/50. Spent a lot of the season commuting up and down from Leeds and had long spells away from his family. Clarke will be keen to keep a player of his experience who is good in and around the changing room, but a similar offer from a club closer to his family home could be tempting. WILL PUDDY: Appearances: 18 (1) Worked under Darrell Clarke before and was expected to be no more than cover for Steve Mildenhall when he arrived just before the start of the season. Served that purpose for the majority of the season, but made the number one spot his own with a number of assured displays for the final two months of the campaign. Lacks inches and had a couple of moments he'd rather forget (Dover; the first 25 minutes at Wembley), but showed himself to be a competent goalkeeper. Will he be at the Memorial Stadium next season? Yes. Has worked with Darrell Clarke before and the Rovers boss clearly trusts him. Is another one who could get sorted at a Conference club, but is confident enough to back himself to become Rovers' number one and to do well in the Football League. NEAL TROTMAN: Appearances: 17 (2) Signed on a short-term deal last summer, but was quickly handed a chance to stay for the remainder of the season after making a good impression when skipper Mark McChrystal was in poor form early on. An ankle injury in November hampered progress and a problem with his knee required end-of-season surgery. Will he be at the Memorial Stadium next season? Touch and go. Hasn't featured since New Year's Day and any offers he has been made could reflect that. Trotman has plenty of lower-league experience and has shown than he would be more than capable of holding his own at League Two level. Ultimately his future probably hangs on whether his injury problems are full behind him. http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/BRISTO...tory-26630380-detail/story.html#ixzz3c5KaHyCD
The way DC has been strict that summer with contract lengths (he doesnt really like handing out 3 year deals) I will be very surprised if Trotman was handed anything more than a 6 month deal to prove his fitness. Now Trotman and lets be honest here, wont like the 6 month only deal as would want more security. If he end up getting released in Dec/Jan time after failing to prove his fitness then who will pick him up? Obviously its a gamble for him take and trust he can prove himself but McChrystal and Parkes will in my opinion be the 1st choice CB's. So I doubt he will get enough game time to prove himself. So he has to weigh all that up and if a club now offers him a 1 year or 2 year deal then he will jump at the chance im sure of it. Does he bet on himself and take the gamble taking a short term deal or take the security of a longer term deal elsewhere? Of course, this may not be the case as he may have been offered a longer deal with us of course.
Personally I think he is possibly better than both Parkes and Macca when fully fit - deserves a chance. He isn't too old either so I doubt its the end for him
