Hourihane Winnall Watkins Scowen Any others? I think we can safely assume Connor will be off unless we manage to get promoted. Of the others, I genuinely think that Scowen is the most essential to get signed up again, followed by Marley. Much as I love Sam, I think he's the easiest to replace, though I'd love him to stay. Other teams may offer them more money, so it's really a matter of whether Hecky can convince them that their best chance of playing in the Premier League is staying with BFC.
Number of strikers I've seen score 20 goals or more in a season in what is now getting on for 40 years of watching Barnsley: one - Sam Winnall. I don't think he's all that easy to replace.
Hourihane is going to be a massive loss. Can't not see him getting a move to the premier league. His all round play has improved so much over the last 18 months that even if you take away his set pieces he'd probably still be our best player.
I suppose I should have worded that as "least difficult". My line of thinking is that our start to the season without Sam has been excellent. We have been scoring goals without him, and they have been spread around the team, which is fantastic. That is coupled with the fact that we now have other options up front in Bradshaw and Payne. Obviously there is a bit of hopeful speculation here on my part, as it is too early to say for sure whether Bradshaw and Payne will go on to become regular starters and indeed goalscorers for us, but I think we have cause to be cautiously optimistic here. Superb as Sam is, I feel that Watkins and Scowen are absolutely unique players. They bring an extra dimension to our play, which is why I think they will be so hard to replace. Having said that, you could argue that we waltzed through the second half of last season with Marley injured and with Scowen on the bench or at right back. It's testament to the quality we have in the side at the minute that we're discussing this, and long may it continue. So disappointed that my summer visit this year didn't coincide with any home matches.
I would say that as long as we manage to stay up we've got a chance of keeping all of them. Even if Hourihane doesn't want to say, hopefully he'd sign a new contract at least to get us a transfer fee (like Macdonald did at Torquay this year). Scowen and Watkins have been phenomenal this season so far and I haven't seen anything saying they don't want to sign a new deal so hopefully they will sign up this season with any luck!
Prem. teams seem to be more interested in wasting tens of millions on third rate overseas players rather than looking closer to home. I for one was delighted that Conor was ignored again by Martin O'Neill...keeps him further off the radar.
Adam Davies too..... http://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/news/article/adam-davies-signs-for-barnsley-fc-13062014-1641418.aspx Fair enough if Winnall and Hourihane don't want to talk contracts, but I hope plans are in place to get the other three sorted sooner rather than later.
I had a feeling Davies might be one of them. Absolutely vital we get him signed up for three more years.
I don't think Hourihane has anything to lose by signing a new contract. As proven with Vaz Te, Stones and now Mawson, given the right price we'll sell, we're not in the business of keeping players that want to go. If he signs a new deal he'd probably earn more this year and still leave next summer.
I think Conor's line of thinking was not to sign another contract to give himself options next summer and secure the best personal terms for himself. Which is fair enough. But how much of that was based on his League one circumstances, rather than being currently the best player outside the premier league? In theory, he could sign a new contract with a get out clause and help secure us an Alfie type transfer fee when the time comes, without compromising his own personal earnings... Let me talk to the lad...
If I was Sam, I'd sign a new contract with us. Given the injury problems and yet unproven champ quality, I'd want to know I'd have a wage coming in next summer.. Let me talk to the lad...
I've looked this up the players that are out of contract this summer are Adam Davies James Bree Aidy White Callum Evans Lewin Nyatanga Josh Scowen Conor Hourihane Marley Watkins Sam Winnall That's just from the 1st team there's loads from the development team as well
Adam Davies will stay so will James Bree unless he has a great season and others want him . I think Scowen will stay and Aidan white. Hourihane will leave and we will release nyatanga. I'm don't know what we will do with Evans.
It'll be Davies, Bree, White, Scowen and Watkins will resign Nyatanga and Evans will be released Hourihane will depend on where we finish
Give Evans a chance. If he gets a chance this year. Which given Bree and Whites injury record only leaves us with Yiadom and potentially this new lad, then he will be needed. Hope he grabs it. Clearly has potential, same as Kebbie in reserves. Both will be slow burners like Williams when he came in.
Add Ryan Williams to the list. Davies (and Williams) have an extra year option the club can trigger. I'd be pushing very heavily to get them onto better contracts, or at worst, just a one year extension. All of these players were signed on league one wages. I don't think anyone would begrudge paying them closer to championship parity for the value they have brought and could bring going forward.
Not slagging him off mate he seems decent in his brief cameos but we released Williams last year who I think was the best defensive full back at the club and I doubt Evans will be better than him and being at United his contract won't be cheap