Keith Burt said in his I-player interview that there are 14 players under contract at City so who are they? Working backwards from those with longest contracts; 2016; Cunningham / Kelly 2015; Davies / Baldock / Moloney 2014; Pearson / Fontaine / Adomah / Kilkenny / Anderson / Taylor / Foster That is a total of twelve - 12 2013 really needs clarification Nyatanga, Louis Carey & Heaton out of contract but offered new ones; Skuse, Stead, Gerken, M Wilson, Bates, Howard leaving club Elliott and James Wilson? Are they the other two still in contract? Are they out of contract this summer or not? No mention of Joe Bryan. Wes Burns, Bobbie Reid, Toby Ajala. What is their situation? Does anyone in Bristol City have any clue about PR? We, the supporters want some facts but the whole thing seems shrouded in mystery!
Public relations and clarity are rare things indeed at our club and regardless as to who is and who isn't under contract I think we all know that some still on the books will leave for various reasons. Money and lack of Championship football will be some of the lame excuses used as to why they feel the grass will be greener on the other side. I think the biggest factor in the mix will certainly be reducing the wages and it will never happen that players will take lower wages due to their lack of effort in the just ended season. As long as we offload all of the underperformers from the last 3-4 seasons then I think we have a chance of competing again. They had more than their fair share of chances to show us their wares and now it's time for them to move on.
Yes Mike you are correct. What I'm concerned about is that if Carey and Nyatanga decide to sign again, we're left with most of the dross from the last four years. So how does a fresh start figure in that scenario?
To be fair to the club I though "All other players in the first team squad remain in contract for season 2013/14 and beyond" was fairly straightforward?
On the face of it, it is straightforward. But we were told a few weeks back that 12 players were out of contract, but only NINE are mentioned in yesterday's press release. Three of these have been offered new contracts. Bates, Mark Wilson and Howard were very short term signings. Thus were are only releasing THREE of the current squad. Hardly a radical clean sweep is it?
Perhaps the clean sweep will not be quite what we expect in that perhaps certain players who are on the cusp may be reduced to only a back up role. Sometimes you need to be a bit underhanded to get rid of players who have not performed up to their salaries, and if that is the intention of Sean then bless his cotton socks - show them you're the boss. I just hope he has the balls to send the players in question down the road with a swift kick in the backside.
How about season long loans for Fonts, Kilkenny and a few others in Division One of the Bristol Downs League. Or play them only as the over age players in City's Under 21's?
Fonts and Killa to go on season long loans to the gas? no sorry under Ward they not only survived they did quite well didn't they. So they are not in the downs league next season.
Jeez, how many more times.. Here is next seasons first team squad plus, apparently Marv although no details of his new contract were issued when it expired in 2012 -presumably, he got a 2 year extension http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/bristol-city/kader-zunkunft/verein_698.html Interesting new addition in goal... p.s. and before anyoone says it, this is a very well respected and usually accurate site
