12 out of contract but 4 already signed

A total of 12 senior pro's have their contracts due to expire.

GK:
Steve Mildenhall
Will Puddy

DF:
Daniel Leadbitter
Neal Trotman
Mark McChrystal
Lee Brown

MF:
Stuart Sinclair
Andy Monkhouse
Jake Gosling
Angelo Balanta
Abdulai Baggie

FW:
Matty Taylor


The Post understands that four of these (Mildenhall, Brown, McChrystal & Taylor) have already been offered new deals which were already accepted by the players in the last few weeks, before the outcome of the final at Wembley. So they had committed themselves to the club without knowing if we were going up or staying down. Fair shout to them!

Clarke will hold meetings with the remaining 8 players over the next two days and is set to reveal which of them will be offered new deals and which of them will be released when Rovers make public their full retained/released list early next week.

The Post also understands that the 1st year pro's Jamie Lucas, Danny Greenslade and Dominic Thomas are all likely to be kept on for varying lengths of time.

Chris Lines has returned to Port Vale (where he still has a year on his contract to run) at the end of his loan spell, but has already confirmed that he would be open to a permanent move back to the Memorial Stadium if Rovers are interested in doing a longer term deal, which has yet to be confirmed.

Clarke has already been inundated will calls from agents since Rovers managed to secure a return to the football league. He said:
"The first priority for me is to decide which of the players we will be retaining. If we can get everyone together we should have finalised all of those details by the early part of next week. I would imagine we will then be looking to bring in probably four or five quality players over the summer to strengthen the squad in readiness to make a realistic challenge in league 2 next season."

 

I thought Baggie was just a loan so not sure why he is on the list! Unless his parent club has released him and he is hoping to stay with us?

Also we need a slightly bigger squad next season as we will be allowed 7 subs again instead of just the 5 that we were only allowed in non league. At least now we should always be able to have a spare keeper on the bench unlike the gambles DC took in non league which backfired at Wrexham where McChrystal became the hero.

 

If we can secure Lines, along with Mildenhall, Brown, McChrystal & Taylor we have a pretty good spine to build on.

 

I thought Puddy wasn't fit enough to take his place on the bench against Wrexham. Really pleased that the above four have resigned

 

Just read that if O'Connor signs for Port Vale then we can sign lines

 

Exactley. Remember we still got Parkes and Mansell to make the spine stronger.

--------------------Mildenhall--------------------
------------McChrystal----Parkes---------------
----------------Mansell---Lines------------------

Thats a good spine.

We have Lockyer too who could cover CB and he has always looked confident and good at CB. Trotman may have to prove fitness to be rewarded a new deal. I would give him a 6 month deal to prove himself. My only doubt I have in CB is McChrystals pace.

Personally I would keep Leadbitter. He is good going forward like how full backs are suppose to be these days, like Brown is and how Smith was for us before. Lockyer at RB doesnt get forward enough down the wing to support. I think its because he is too defence minded which is not a bad thing though. Just shows he is more CB than a RB.

Back to the keepers, I would keep Puddy too as he has a good rellationship with the players and with Mildenhall. My only issue I have with him is his kicking. That takes pressure off the opposition and adds pressure on us. We need to stop this from happening. If DC is worried too about his kicking then I would try and get Andersen or someone else. But not a back up keeper but someone who can challenge Mildenhall like Puddy has done.

In the CM role we have Mansell and hopefully Line will come in as they complimented each other very well. We also have Clarke and hopefully we can keep Sinclair too as he has bags or energy and to me was 1 of our better players this season. Deserves a chance in the football league.

Wingers is an issue where we need to strengthen on. Monkhouse is worth keeping as a squad player and he has formed a good partnership with Brown and scored a fair few too. But his pace is a worry, especially as a winger! I wouldnt keep Gosling or Balanta. Balanta for me has only done 1 thing right in my eyes since he joined and that was to take the 4th penalty at Wembley. Gosling I dont think has done enough to warrant a new deal. Harsh maybe but I havent seen enough.

Up front we have Easter, Taylor, Harrison and Blissett still. Easter im expecting big things from this coming season. Im interested to see if Harrison and Taylor can do it a level up. Blissett's size and pace will cause the opposition problems. I dont think he will score many but could be worth a place on the bench to put on when needed.

Have found out that Baggie apparently was released by his club before he joined us so was with us on just a short term deal until the end of the season. James Mcnamara believes he could ge a new deal. Its hard for me to have an opinion seeing he didnt get on the pitch once!

 

Dont know, cant remember. But there was times where DC took a gamble with no spare keeper. Like when Mildenhall was injured. Sometimes he had Preston on the bench sometimes he didnt and had no keeper on the bench!

 

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/BRISTO...-depends/story-26553821-detail/story.html?889

We paid his wages in full. DC yet to tell Vale he want Lines.

 

Disley has signed a 1 year deal to stay with Grimsby.

We should find out within the next day or so of who we are letting go and who we are keeping from the above list of those out of contract!

 

Alfie Potter released by Oxford according to Grimsby forum is he worth looking at

 

He's already signed for Northampton.

 

Thought the retained list was going to be announced early this week, as it hasn't been I assume that any negotiations for new players are taking place in the back round as usual

 

DC said this week. However James Mcnamara has tweeted this today....

 

Followed by this.....

 

Noticed Mark Bunn and Luciano Becchio released Norwich

 

I think you're pushing it with those two old timer! Unrealistic targets.

 

I can dream cant I

 

Jermaine Easter, Ellis Harrison, Chris Lines is a pretty decent start on the creative / goal scoring side of things so whoever we add needs to be at that level.

They're certainly taking their time with the released / retained list - everyone will be on their hols by now?

 

I think we will be finding out tomorrow or Tuesday who out of the 8 is staying or going!

 

Mikkel Andersen released by Reading (sorry if this is old news!)