What do you make of this ------- City announce retained list 11 May 2024 City can today announce its Retained List following the conclusion of the 2023/24 Sky Bet Championship season. Matty James, Andy King and Andreas Weimann have been released following the end of their contracts while discussions with Joe Williams are ongoing. James made 115 appearances for City after signing for the club in 2021, scoring four times. Andy King departs his boyhood club, after announcing his retirement on Friday, May 3rd calling time on a 17-year professional career which saw him win the league title in each of the top three divisions of English football. Weimann spent the second half of this season on loan at West Bromwich Albion and departs the club after joining the Robins in 2018. Making 216 appearances for City and scoring 51 goals, Weimann’s name will be added to the top scorers wall at Ashton Gate. Liam Manning said: “The players departing have all been fantastic servants to this club. “They are all top professionals and have all made their mark at Bristol City. I wish them the very best for their future.” Both Dire Mebude and Scott Twine have returned to their parent clubs following the completion of their loan spells and the club would like to thank them for their service. In addition, the club can confirm that Ben Acey, Zac Bell, Mac Boyd, Marlee Francois, Callum Hutton, Duncan Idehen, Dylan Kadji, Harry Leeson and Harvey Wiles-Richards have also departed the club following the completion of their contracts. All our released players leave with the club’s best wishes and thanks for their contributions. Players Over-24 released Matty James Andy King Andreas Weimann Players Under-24 released Ben Acey Zac Bell McIntosh Boyd Marlee Francois Callum Hutton Duncan Idehen Dylan Kadji Harry Leeson Harvey Wiles-Richards Contract Discussions ongoing Joe Williams Romani Rowe Under contract in 2024/25 Players Over-24 Rob Atkinson Harry Cornick Rob Dickie Ross McCrorie Cameron Moir-Pring Kal Naismith Max O’Leary Mark Sykes George Tanner Lewis Thomas Zachary Vyner Nahki Wells Players Under-24 (*denotes first Professional Contract, starting July 1st) Zack Ali* Tim Ap Sion* Taine Anderson* Raphael Araoye Tommy Backwell Stefan Bajic Brandon Bak* Sam Bell Ayman Benarous Max Bird Joshua Campbell-Slowey Josey Casa-Grande Kai Churchley Tommy Conway Joe Duncan Taylor Gardner-Hickman Calum Hewlett* Joseph James* Jason Knight Jamie Knight-Lebel Jed Meerholz* Anis Mehmeti Elijah Morrison Adam Murphy Raekwon Nelson* Ephraim Yeboah Sebastian Palmer-Houlden Billy Phillips* Haydon Roberts Marley Rose Josh Stokes Omar Taylor-Clarke Archie Taylor* Oliver Thomas Callum Wood And Weimann•Andy King•Bristol City•Matty James•Retained list
Very disappointed. We knew Andy King was going, Weimann was also certainly off - both good players, but James will be a huge hole to fill. Twine and Mbude - no real surprise there. I really hope we hang onto Williams. Disaster if we can’t. We’ll be powder-puff in midfield once again if he goes.
Disappointed James wasn’t kept, We don’t know the reason he left though, it might have been his decision. Agree we’ve lost a lot of experienced pro’s, we need to do all we can to keep Williams imo.
Suspect he wanted to return closer to Manchester. Look at Weinmann he wanted to return closer to Brum. Players like to return to their roots later in their career.
Over on a forum ——— He didn’t want to stay. I said months ago that he 100% won’t be with us next season. His wife and children have always remained in Manchester whilst he lives down here. He wants to move back closer to them which you can’t blame him for really.
My biggest concern here is not the departing players but the replacements that will be brought in, because if they are at our usual level then we could be in serious trouble right from the start. I have often wondered whether the right hand knows what the left is doing at Bristol City due to our constant lack of finding the right players in the correct positions rather than the square pegs we generally go out and get to fill holes of every other configuration but never the one most needed to make us complete. Hoping for the right things to happen at Ashton Gate is rather like trying to use your return ticket on the Titanic because we are way too familiar with waiting for miracles to happen.
For whatever reasons losing James AND Williams is a big worry, they're proper Championship midfielders. We'll be lightweight in midfield without them, unless we manage to bring in adequate replacements. We'll ned to spend big to replace them and can't see it happening. I hope 'they' know what they're doing.
James will be playing Championship football next season against us sadly. Williams apparently going to Derby are the rumours.
Jon Lansdown has two faces, one behind the cameras when he took revenge for being told to do one by Nige , two in front of the cameras when he talks to the fan base about top 6. Have faith
