ALL TO PLAY FOR
The victory against Burnley on Saturday may have taken City's points tally to 47 points and more or less assured Championship football for another season but for the City players, the last thing they can do is rest on their laurels. Come the last day of June and a very large number will be out of contract.
Of the current squad, we reckon that only Andy Whing, Marcus Hall, Robert Page, Dele Adebola, Gary McSheffrey, Stephen Hughes, Stern John, Isaac Osbourne, James Scowcroft, Matt Heath and Stuart Giddings are the only ones City supporters will definitely see in a two tone sky blue City shirt next season.
The loanees Marton Fulop and Richard Duffy both of whom have been popular in their spells here will return to their clubs whilst in defence, two players whose contracts are up - Richard Shaw and Andy Impey have both indicated that they may retire from the game. Player Of The Season contender Dennis Wise will probably go into management with Don Hutchison considering if his knees will carry him through another gruelling season.
The Reserve side which has had one of their most successful seasons since the times when Trevor Peake and before him Brian Roberts were in charge, will also be decimated. Many of the younger players have been affected by Academy scholarships being cut from three to two years and with the announcement that no over age players will be allowed to play for the U18 team, a good number could find themselves being surplus to requirement.
What sort of contract those whom Micky Adams and his backroom staff want around for next season are likely to get is uncertain. With Geoffrey Robinson still not announcing his plans for the club, any contracts offered seem likely not to extend past June 2008.
As those who have seen the last published club accounts will know, substantial payments on loans made by Mr Robinson and former Chairman Mike McGinnity are due on May 31st 2008. Now if City are not in the Premiership, it’s hard to see where the money will come from to pay them off unless a mega bucks buy out is in place and many players will not want to end up as creditors with little hope of getting their dosh if it all does go very badly pear-shaped.
We’ll have to wait and see what pans out for the Sky Blues and their players but in the meantime it’s all to play for.