Gibberish Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 Who do we think is in, and who's out when we stay up at the end of the season? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoda-jag Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 craigen and elliott to sign 5 year contract extensions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garscube Road End Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 craigen and elliott to sign 5 year contract extensions Only 5?? poor way to reward their sterling service to the club. After all their goals (v Morton and v Airdrie) won the league for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allyo Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 It's an interesting question. Of last year's team only one is currently in the starting line up and signed up for next season, yet most of the others will still be under contract. So are Fox, O'Donnell, Balatoni, Muirhead, Welsh, Craigen and Doolan better equipped as premier league players for next season, or will we again be looking to effectively replace them in the first team, as we have in the latter part of this season? I know I'm being a bit unfair, as injuries and form play their part. I don't think any of these players have looked out of place. But for a variety of reasons last season's time has been deconstructed, and I'll be interested to see if and how it comes together again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garscube Road End Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 I would release, O'Donnell, Balatoni, Welsh and Elliott to start with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allyo Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 I think we should get behind the team through to the end of the season. Kind of regretting my first post already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lady-isobel-barnett Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 I would release the occupants of P76 and Q76 and the anti Chris Erskine pair. I'd also consider releasing anyone who started an ill timed thread. I wouldn't release Adam Strachan. Btw I'd sign the pandas. It's clearly not working out in Embra and I sense they'd settle in quickly to a new home in the Bing. We'd receive considerable publicity in their homeland and I'm sure we all know the benefits of the TAG scheme reaching the Chinese market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebiglemon Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 I wouldn't release Adam Strachan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armand2 Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 (edited) I'd be paying quite close attention to Nigel Hasselbaink, Paul Cairney, Keith Lasley and Stevie Hammell, all of whom are out of contract in the summer. Doubtful whether the first two will be staying at their respective clubs due to a lack of playing time. Both Lasley and Hammell are getting on a bit and might only be offered a year with Motherwell; might be able to tempt them with a two-year deal but all will depend on whether they qualify for Europe. Edited April 2, 2014 by Armand2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Bunny Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 No point really until we know what league we're going to be in - though saying that I do feel reasonable confident we'll stay up even if it's by the play-offs. I'm more inclined to keep guys who've done OK for us this season even if they're not in the team at present: Balatoni, Muirhead, Craigen, etc have all done a decent job for us and since they're young they can still improve. Don't forget if we stay up we'll need a bigger squad and if we don't these guys are more than good enough for the 2nd level. Of course when judging this none of us sees them in training the way the manager does and he's best placed to see which of the old league winning team is coping comfortably with the step up and is improving all the time and which ones are just about doing it and may struggle in future. There are some areas one can easily point to though based on this years experience (so far). We need a good left back as Taylor-Sinclair seems bound to leave. We also need another central defender, possibly one who can cover at left back. Depending on how O'Donnell progresses we may need a new right back. Midfield, well Bannigan, Fraser and Craigen are all good, young players and all will be with us next season. Welsh's contract expires this summer but given his injury problems I'd imagine we won't be trying to keep him. We need to sign at least one more - Osbourne or another equally good player - to complete that area. But Archie has shown he can find good players you wouldn't have expected we could get. Frontline. I'd let Lawless go as he seems too lightweight for this league: but the management may think differently. He's talented and maybe they can build him up. HIgginbotham and Doolan are both signed for next year but we need two more and if Lawless goes three more for the attacking part of the team. SO adding up we need a minimum of 6 and possible as many as 9 players in next season (though some might be re-signing of guys whose contracts are up or are loan players at present: e.g. Osbourne, Erskine, Taylor). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Third Lanark Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 No point really until we know what league we're going to be in - though saying that I do feel reasonable confident we'll stay up even if it's by the play-offs. I'm more inclined to keep guys who've done OK for us this season even if they're not in the team at present: Balatoni, Muirhead, Craigen, etc have all done a decent job for us and since they're young they can still improve. Don't forget if we stay up we'll need a bigger squad and if we don't these guys are more than good enough for the 2nd level. Of course when judging this none of us sees them in training the way the manager does and he's best placed to see which of the old league winning team is coping comfortably with the step up and is improving all the time and which ones are just about doing it and may struggle in future. There are some areas one can easily point to though based on this years experience (so far). We need a good left back as Taylor-Sinclair seems bound to leave. We also need another central defender, possibly one who can cover at left back. Depending on how O'Donnell progresses we may need a new right back. Midfield, well Bannigan, Fraser and Craigen are all good, young players and all will be with us next season. Welsh's contract expires this summer but given his injury problems I'd imagine we won't be trying to keep him. We need to sign at least one more - Osbourne or another equally good player - to complete that area. But Archie has shown he can find good players you wouldn't have expected we could get. Frontline. I'd let Lawless go as he seems too lightweight for this league: but the management may think differently. He's talented and maybe they can build him up. HIgginbotham and Doolan are both signed for next year but we need two more and if Lawless goes three more for the attacking part of the team. SO adding up we need a minimum of 6 and possible as many as 9 players in next season (though some might be re-signing of guys whose contracts are up or are loan players at present: e.g. Osbourne, Erskine, Taylor). Not to sure I agree with your thinking here - You make the point that Muirhead, Craigen are all young enough to improve but Lawless is too lightweight. Were Muirhead and Craigen not born in 1991 exactly the same year as Lawless, also like the other 2 can Lawless therefore not improve? Furthermore while it is the other 2's first year in the SPL it is also Lawless as well and 5 goals is not a bad return for someone does not always feature regularly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 John Lambie Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 (edited) I wouldn't be rushing to keep Lawless. I'd offer Mair, O'Donnell, Gallacher & Elliott new deals. Osbourne obviously too if he'd stay. Everyone else is under contract I think. Even though they're under contract I'd be offering new contracts to Bannigan, Fraser, Doolan & Higgy. Edited April 2, 2014 by 1 John Lambie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Murray Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 Think we may go for Stevenson and Hamill from Hearts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThickAsThieves Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 (edited) Welsh's contract expires this summer but given his injury problems I'd imagine we won't be trying to keep him. Welsh is signed up for next season. Those running out of contract are: Gallacher (option for a one-year extension is in place), Mair, Taylor-Sinclair, Osbourne, Lawless, Elliott. With loans ending for: Moncur, Buaben, Erskine & Taylor. I'd definitely want to keep Gallacher, Taylor-Sinclair (although highly unlikely), Erskine & Taylor. I'd maybe want to keep Mair, Osbourne & Buaben. I'd let Lawless, Elliott & Moncur go. And I'd maybe see about coming to some sort of agreement with McMillan, Piccolo OR Muirhead & Welsh to go. Edited April 2, 2014 by ThickAsThieves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lambies Lost Doo Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 One thing is for sure. We need to strengthen if we are still in the Premiership next season. We got caught out after our early promising start. Defence needs strengthened. Mair has helped us no end. Welsh is a good player but if he can only play less than 50% of games then we may have to let him go via an agreement as we are a small club and can't afford to have a player like that on the books. Gallacher and Mair are musts. Osbourne is a good player but we play differently when is not there. He was MOTM many times when he played but now he is not there have we got past a sticky spell or play differently? I'd keep him though. Taylor-Sinclair yes but he is probably away. Erskine and Taylor. Yes please x2 but very difficult to keep them. Lawless. He can go, Elliott. I like him for no reason other than he tries hard, is honest and fast. I am blinded by my loyalty. Moncur will go. Bauben. Jury still out on him for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Bunny Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 According to OS Welsh's contract ends this May: http://ptfc.co.uk/teams/senior/seasons/2013-2014/players/sean_welsh But maybe I missed something and they didn't update. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThickAsThieves Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 (edited) Osbourne is a good player but we play differently when is not there. He was MOTM many times when he played but now he is not there have we got past a sticky spell or play differently? I'd keep him though. I think this is a bit of a myth, to be honest with you. We played 5 home league matches with him, drawing 1 and losing 4. In the next 5 home league matches without him, we drew 3 and lost 2. Just an extra 2 points gained at home. He played in 7 away league matches, with 2 wins, 2 draws and 3 losses. In the next 7 away league matches, we won 1, drew 2 and lost 4. So an extra 3 points gained away. So when you look at it over the same period, without Osbourne we performed worse (by 1 point). What I'm saying is, it's not Osbourne being taken out of the team that's resulted in us picking up a few wins, it's getting the monkey off the back re: winning at home, and then following it up by beating a terrible Hibs team. Mair's addition has also helped. Edited April 2, 2014 by ThickAsThieves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThickAsThieves Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 According to OS Welsh's contract ends this May: http://ptfc.co.uk/teams/senior/seasons/2013-2014/players/sean_welsh But maybe I missed something and they didn't update. Yeah, it's not been updated. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23699511 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lambies Lost Doo Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 I would also be looking at adding an extra year on players contracts to extend them. Dools and Higginbottom were mentioned above and I would be extending them along with Bannigan. The real core who could also get some tranfer money in when they unfortunately depart must be extended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stillresigned Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 I'd like us to take a gamble on the boy Baird at Raith Rovers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney Rubble Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 One thing is for sure. We need to strengthen if we are still in the Premiership next season. Gallacher and Mair are musts. Yes we need to strengthen, for sure. Gallacher is a stick on keep on. But Mair? Not sure. We still keep losing goals from dead balls even though even though his experience was supposed to help prevent this. Or maybe he needs a partner beside him that isn't called Balatoni or Piccolo (or Muirhead who has yet to play beside him)? We need another experienced central defender, that's a certainty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Third Lanark Posted April 5, 2014 Report Share Posted April 5, 2014 While I accept the majority of posters do feel we have enough to stay up, I must admit that I tend to be a bit over dramatic and can see us going down. An interesting spin on this thread might be who stays if we go down. Doolan should be our main target to stay Mr PTFC and has got what it takes in the first. If we go down then a lot of these players are clearly good enough for the first. I also think Erskine would maybe be hear regardless of whether we are in the first or not. O Donnell, McMIllan, Craigen, Bannigan Muirhead etc are all under contract and clearly good enough for the SPL Higganbotham will be away Taylor Sinclair and Lawless are out of contract and are good enough for the first. Both (wrongly) in my book feel they will get contracts with SPL teams but I am not convinced so you never know they may be back. if we go down. While I hope we stay up, it will certainly be an interesting league if we go down thats for sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garscube Road End Posted April 5, 2014 Report Share Posted April 5, 2014 If we go down I gravely doubt the players listed above would be at Firhill next season.I think we would have a clear out along with Archie, who I think would walk. Any good money made from this season would be banked by the board and NOT spent in any great push to go back up. I think that they would think we would be good enough for a play off spot and be happy enough to budget for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney Rubble Posted April 5, 2014 Report Share Posted April 5, 2014 While I accept the majority of posters do feel we have enough to stay up, I must admit that I tend to be a bit over dramatic and can see us going down. An interesting spin on this thread might be who stays if we go down. Doolan should be our main target to stay Mr PTFC and has got what it takes in the first. If we go down then a lot of these players are clearly good enough for the first. I also think Erskine would maybe be hear regardless of whether we are in the first or not. O Donnell, McMIllan, Craigen, Bannigan Muirhead etc are all under contract and clearly good enough for the SPL Higganbotham will be away Taylor Sinclair and Lawless are out of contract and are good enough for the first. Both (wrongly) in my book feel they will get contracts with SPL teams but I am not convinced so you never know they may be back. if we go down. While I hope we stay up, it will certainly be an interesting league if we go down thats for sure Right now we should be worrying if PTFC are good enough for the top tier of the SPFL. If we go down................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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