Out of contract

[danumdon]

I would split out Andy Watson from those other lads. For a while Watson was unplayable in the conference. Like a non league George Best with his balance. He got his head turned by his agent at the time and it all went to shit. He was very good for a time though. He could play.

Alford, Jackson, Sale, Williams, Kirkwood, Newell, Campbell, we went through them all at great expense before finally landing on Paul Barnes. Must have made JR wince the wages he wasted in search of a goalscorer.

Would i be right in thinking that Watson's agent at the time was a former very prominent combative midfielder for the Rovers?

[DonnyEl]

Full list of everyone contract situation:

2024
3-James Maxwell
6-Richard Wood
7-Luke Molyneux
10-Tommy Rowe
11-Jon Taylor
14-Harrison Biggins
15-Adam Long
19-Charlie Seaman
24-Zain Westbrooke
25-Reo Griffiths❌
27-Liam Ravenhill
28-Bobby Faulkner
29-Jack Degruchy**
30-Tavonga Kuleya
31-Caolan Lavery❌
32-Ben Bottomley
33-Ben Close

2025
1-Ian Lawlor
2-Jamie Sterry
4-Tom Anderson
5-Joseph Olowu
8-George Broadbent**
9-George Miller
12-Louis Jones
17-Owen Bailey
18-Deji Sotona
21-Kyle Hurst
23-Jack Senior
35-Jack Goodman

2026
20-Joe Ironside

[Red wizard]

Thing was there was not one fan who wasn't exited when we signed Justin Jackson. The year before he was one of the best strikers in that league. Ditto Alford.

[BobG]

And we killed the pair of 'em.

Dunno how we do it tbh.

BobG

[rich1471]

I would split out Andy Watson from those other lads. For a while Watson was unplayable in the conference. Like a non league George Best with his balance. He got his head turned by his agent at the time and it all went to shit. He was very good for a time though. He could play.

Alford, Jackson, Sale, Williams, Kirkwood, Newell, Campbell, we went through them all at great expense before finally landing on Paul Barnes. Must have made JR wince the wages he wasted in search of a goalscorer.

was snodin his agent at the time his head was turned

[Bailey Vickerage]

Don't agree with the sympathy for Taylor, a complete waste of money, however he split his salary he's been paid very good money and contributed nothing to the Rovers. Should have done the decent thing and retired. Even a fit Taylor now would bring nothing to the team.

Otherwise agree with the list, I'd keep Rowe for a season, but as others have said 5yr deals are a no-go!

why would he and why should he have retired, he was one of our best players the first 2 seasons he had with us and that was at the top end of league 1 so to say he wouldn’t get into our team if he was fit and at his best is ridiculous. He’s got to have been the unluckiest player we’ve had in a long long time.

The 2 main injuries he’s had have both been impact injuries and really unlucky ones, the one at home to Pompey (Butlers first game in charge) where he went for a shot and both him and the defender connected with the ball at the same time and the Tranmere one on Boxing Day, he had been back in the squad for 2 month and probs close to full fitness and on his first start I think it was he got injured from a tackle that he wasn’t even involved in the main challenge but got caught with the follow through.

I can’t see him being given a new contract because of the constant injuries but he’s been so unlucky and I don’t think many ppl questioned the decision to give him a new contract when he got one, maybe 3 years was a bit too much with him being injured at the time but he was brilliant in the first 2 seasons with us at a much better level than we’re in playing at now.

The first season he got 6 goals and 5 assists in 28 league games (the full season until it got curtailed)

The second season 4 goals 2 assists in 25 before getting the injury against Pompey (he did miss 4 games I think through injury early on in the season but then came back and went straight back into the team after 2 games).

[Bailey Vickerage]

Seen a report that looks like we are back in same position where 13 players I think it is are out of contract. Looking at the list for me there is atleast half a dozen of them we need to tie down ASAP, let's not wait till end of season to discuss, especially with young uns.

Release:
Wood (possible coach development)
Lavery
Taylor
Griffiths
Long

Offer contracts NOW:
Rowe 1yr
Close 2yr
Molyneux 3-5yr
Westbrook 2yr
Maxwell 3-5yr
Faulkner 5yr (thought he signed 2.5yr extn)
Biggins 2yr

Bottomley - Unsure

I know we won't give out many long term 5yr contracts but we need to start getting some continuity in the squad rather than overhaul every year.

What's others thoughts on the list?

As other ppl have said no club below the prem can afford to be giving out any more than a 3 year deal. I’d go with,

Wood: see what he does for the rest of the season and make a decision in the summer, would edge towards releasing.

Lavery: wouldn’t be surprised if he left in January, won’t be getting a new deal.

Griffiths: Same as Lavery.

Taylor: Can’t see him getting a new deal, a shame because if he was fit he would be one of the best in the league imo, still only 31 aswell. Would be best for all parties tho for him to go somewhere else for a possible fresh start.

Long: Not been given the chance to really get a run of games going and is probs our 6th choice CB so he will be released.

Rowe: review at the end of the season and would probs give him a 1 year with an option, like we did with Copps. Believe he still has a lot to give to a league 2 side and can play multiple positions. Good player to have around even if he’s not a main starter.

Close: 2 year with option, proved his quality over the last year or so but even more so this season.

Molyneux: 2 year with option, Been one of our best players this season and McCann knows how good he can be at this level. Always looks a threat going forward and looks like McCann has just told him to go and enjoy his football and do what he does best whereas Schofield had him playing a set way and think it restricted him.

Westbrooke: 2 year, compliments Close very well and just keeps things ticking in the midfield.

Maxwell: 3 year, very good attacking full back with great potential to improve with him only being 21.

Faulkner: 3 year deal maybe an option, great potential, unsure how he will be coming back from the injury but he seems strong mentally and think he will come back stronger.

Biggins: would see how he gets on this season but would probs give him a 2 year deal. Can be a good player to have with his ability to score goals from midfield, is more than capable of getting 8-10 goals a season imo.

Bottomley: 2 year with an option possibly, a good young keeper who I believe is held in high regard at the club, will be good for him being third choice being around Jones and Lawlor and hopefully will go out on loan soon.

[DD]

Selby…….
You state “If you had been around in the conference years DD”
I will inform you that Ive been around much longer than that! 1st match 1965 FA cup 1st round v Wigan.
Continuous STH since 1980.
The ONLY person to challenge Richardson at his open meetings at Lonsdale Hotel.
Part of fans group established by John Ryan / Andy Liney during Conference years.
Ive well & truly served my time

[Chris Black come back]

I would split out Andy Watson from those other lads. For a while Watson was unplayable in the conference. Like a non league George Best with his balance. He got his head turned by his agent at the time and it all went to shit. He was very good for a time though. He could play.

Alford, Jackson, Sale, Williams, Kirkwood, Newell, Campbell, we went through them all at great expense before finally landing on Paul Barnes. Must have made JR wince the wages he wasted in search of a goalscorer.

Would i be right in thinking that Watson's agent at the time was a former very prominent combative midfielder for the Rovers?

Correct. Not his finest hour.

[roversdude]

Was Jackson’s debut away at Boston when Evans was doing his best to wind up the Rovers fans

[Filo]

I agree with Adam………giving Taylor a 3 year contract represents the worst item of business in DRFC history? Minute for minute on the pitch our most expensive player ever?????

Steve Brooker?

[vaya]

Rachid Bouhenna?

[Dutch Uncle]

I agree with Adam………giving Taylor a 3 year contract represents the worst item of business in DRFC history? Minute for minute on the pitch our most expensive player ever?????

Steve Brooker?

That lad Jeffrey was out for seven years 

[TonySoprano]

The toe ?

[DonnyBazR0ver]

We just never know what options are in players current contracts so it's really difficult to guess what the both the club and the player/agent, will be looking for.

There'll be some players agents who'll want to play hard ball and some that won't. I wouldn't envy McCanns and Gavin Baldwins task, period. As said before it's a minefield. Keeping who McCann wants to keep and losing those who we don't and getting everything right is extremely difficult. Not everything will go to plan, particularly when players have their heads turned.

Things can change in football very quickly, particularly when injuries can be career ending or changing

[Sammy Chung was King]

The club can’t afford to give anything over a three contract to anyone in my opinion.
Jon Taylor had the potential to be a massive player at this level. They wanted to tie him up to a long deal thinking that if he did well we could get a decent fee plus it gave the player the security, he probably wanted to sign for us.

It hasn’t worked out, we all know that. The guy has had terrible luck with injury. Unfortunately explosive players like him are prone to more injuries than the average player.
We haven’t done well in the transfer market, a lot of money we haven’t got, has been wasted. This in turn has led to a deterioration of the club on the football side.

We need to be more savvy in when contracts are given. We have given contract extensions to players who have done nothing to deserve them over recent years. We have rewarded, mediocrity and poor performances.

Under McCann I can see an improvement in this. There is a lot of work to be done. We used to be a very well organised, smaller club that was admired for the way we did things. We need to get back to that. Be intelligent in how we use the funds we have.

[selby]

  I take a bow to you DD, the comment was only because of lack of knowledge of your age and pointing out like Sheffield Wednesday we were a nailed on sucker for being a grave yard for costly centre forwards especially, and players that had not the injury and unforeseen sickness issues  Taylor unfortunately has had, none that can be attributed to himself personally, while others have been just monumental failures.
   The club need and needed supporters like yourself, my own and fathers run in with Richardson preceded his tenure at Belle Vue and my instincts were proved correct unfortunately.