Out of contract players - What should we do with each?

[SelbyBlade]

Leon Clarke, Kieron Freeman, Ricky Holmes, Phil Jagielka, Jack Rodwell, Mark Duffy, Jake Eastwood, Ben Heneghan, Ravel Morrison and Nathan Thomas are all out of contract this summer.
I was thinking about each one and what we should do.
Leon Clarke - Thanks Leon, he leave with thanks and some brilliant memories and will easily get another club.
Kieron Feeman- Will easily get another club thanks for some amazing memories, not least of all at the Town Hall Balcony and seeing his twin daughters running to him on the last day of league 1 season.
Ricky Holmes - All the best for the future I'm sure an EFL club will snap you up.
Jack Rodwell - Unless we get cover for Bash and Baldock, I would like to see him stay another season at least.
Phil Jags - My heart says stay, my head says become a part time coach / player if needed, do your badges and become part of the backroom team with a view to a long term coach / assistant manager - eventual manager.
Mark Duffy - Sad to see him leave after his journey with us. But he should find the right club.
Jake Eastwood - Really difficult but I think we have to keep him we have a phenomenal Keeper coach who he can learn loads from but will need to go out on loan.
Ben Heneghan - Getting rave reviews at Blackpool so maybe they should sign him. I don't think he has a future at the Lane so there's no point carrying on with us we have out grown him unfortunately.
Nathan Thomas - A player who will have to go elsewhere to get a career we have out grown him also.
Ravel Morrison - I'm in the keep him camp. Talent of that magnitude is difficult to turn away especially for free. Give him some more loan time and get him fit.

Would be delighted to hear everyone else's views (Or else I wouldn't have put it on a forum really)

 

[Ricky]

Let them all go.

Very easy.

 

[SelbyBlade]

Let them all go.

Very easy.

Succinct I guess.

 

[Deadbat]

Yes, none of them will be back. Jags might get a deal as a coach but the rest will be gone.

I think with Verrips and Moore under contact and Henderson/or another keeper to be 1st choice and we still have Dewhurst dont we (on loan at Carlisle)- then Eastwood at 23 who was not even a regular at Scunny will depart.

Not sure the loan lads will come back either - the aborted season has meant they never got a chance - apart from Henderson I hope of course.

 

[Tynemouth Blade]

How did Ravel do on his short loan spell?
I can't remember seeing anything about him!

 

[Ricky]

I think the challenges in terms of keep/let go will be L.Freeman and Osborn. Lundstram too if he keeps stalling on the contract offer.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

I think the challenges in terms of keep/let go will be L.Freeman and Osborn. Lundstram too if he keeps stalling on the contract offer.

Unless we’re planning to replace each of them with better players, I think the decision from the club’s point of view will be fairly simple.

 

[BladeTillIDie]

All to go... championship/league one players.

Besic, Zivkovic, Retsos, and Henderson are loans to go back too. So potentially 14 players gone.

 

[Harry's Game]

I think we will have a year to replace them, I can’t see us playing again before the 21 / 22 season.

 

[8lade]

From the original squad of 25 (although many teams started with 20) we'll lose:
Besic (unless we sign him)
Bryan (a guess this one, that he won't be in the squad next year)
Clarke
Freeman
Jagielka
Morrison
Stearman

Berge and Robinson in giving us a nice round 20; no issues with numbers!

 

[BladeTillIDie]

From the original squad of 25 (although many teams started with 20) we'll lose:
Besic (unless we sign him)
Bryan (a guess this one, that he won't be in the squad next year)
Clarke
Freeman
Jagielka
Morrison
Stearman

Berge and Robinson in giving us a nice round 20; no issues with numbers!

Lol. Henderson on loan. Stearman has left. Rodwell will go.

 

[8lade]

Yes I missed Henderson Stears was covered and Rodwell wasn't in the 25 so no need to mention him.

 

[Wards]

Suspect Rodwell may get another year but I’d release the rest.

I’d also sign Retsos from what we’ve heard about him. No idea about Zivkovic.

 

[Sheff de party]

I can’t see why anyone would want to keep Morrison. He’s done nothing.

I assume we got him because he was cheap and we may have needed a flair player if we were completely unable to score goals, but he’s not been needed. Get rid surely.

 

[Kev Gee]

I suspect the only one we may retain could be Rodwell.
Retsos and Zivkovic may get a permanent if we finish the season and they do well in training and off the bench.

 

[Dimyan93]

Get rid of all apart from Jags if he accepts a Player/Coach role. Would not be surprised if Clarke retires, hasn't set the world alight for Wigan and don't see him wanting to drop down to league one after fighting his way back up (might be wrong).

Freeman might get a 6 months extension if this season overruns (Not sure what the contract situation would be)

 

[Bladezz]

I think most will go. Jags may have another year built into his contract upon staying up. I would imagine he would do!

The rest have been good servants but with the contracts maybe tripling in recent years a 5k a week player now on 15k is a lot! With 14 of those it’s £10m on the wage budget. Yes the figures may not be right but get the general idea that there is some substantial room on the wage bill.

This I feel is the year we remove players like Rodwell and buy our own younger models that are our players. To really build us a squad, the progress at SUFC has been so quick we are carrying some players as mentioned above. Now we will be able to really build a squad ready to try and establish ourselves.

In terms of Freeman / Osborn / Robinson etc. It seems clear CW likes Osborn and has no issues in bringing him on at LCM or LWB. I think Freeman and Robinson were brought in to play the 3412 formation which we seem to have dropped this season so may move on and probably recoup money back maybe with profit. Robinson is lived down at WBA we bought him with 12 months to go so cheaper so maybe we can get profit there same with Freeman.

I think CW would like each position to have 2 players. EG Osborn should only play LWB so it allows him to make that position his own. We do this around the squad and gives us some real competition!

 

[SelbyBlade]

I agree that 2 per position is good as it pushes both players, however with the likes of Berge he can be utilised in more than one position which also covers for injury to 2 players that play in the same position and keeps up competition for the players whose oppo is injured.

 

[mattbianco1]

Freeman & Clarke - go with our gratitude. Played a major part in the title season and the following one.

Coach role for Jags.

Rodwell - may be a good backup but we've not seen enough of him to say so.

Morrison - decision to be made following how successful he is at Boro.

Rest can all go.

 

[adebo]

Freeman for me is the most interesting we don't have RWB cover. We have no youngsters pushing through and to buy a premiership ready wing back would cost a fortune to sit on the bench behind Baldock if he would have a 1 year extension I'd offer him one. The only other keep or release questions would be retsos and Zivkovic and who knows apart from Chris if these guys can cut it. The final question is do you sell C Robinson for 10m plus?

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Freeman for me is the most interesting we don't have RWB cover. We have no youngsters pushing through and to buy a premiership ready wing back would cost a fortune to sit on the bench behind Baldock if he would have a 1 year extension I'd offer him one.

Wilder will be looking to I’m sure upgrade the squad players from what they are currently to offering more of a challenge to the first-teamers. Freeman was very much in a battle with Baldock, and ahead for much of the first 18 months of them competing against each other. But particularly this season Baldock’s really raised his game beyond what I think Freeman is capable of. It will be a big shame to see him go – he performed so well in League 1 for us, and played an important part of the promotion for the Prem, but ultimately he is one that we will have to accept is a casualty of the club’s rise.