With nothing to play for in League One but with two games remaining this season, attention inevitably turns to the future and nitty-gritty of contract extensions.
On Friday in a controversial report of Aidy Boothroyd`s weekend press conference in the East Anglian Daily Times asked if indecision over the future of some squad members had in fact contributed to the team`s recent poor form of one win in twelve games.
Whatever your view, most of the six recently revealed to have their futures instantly in the balance are nevertheless on the fringe of the first team. Logic and known facts means that only one of those names remains a mystery to most U`s fans, with the other five all-but sorted, reading behind the headlines.
Right-back Alan Maybury, who has not played for the club since placing a goal-conceding backpass at the start of the season, ought to have played his last game for the side and is just seeing out the end a one year deal penned last summer. Hasn`t featured under Boothroyd.
An expensive signing when he arrived in 2008, former Tottenham, Southampton and Millwall player Phil Ifil expects to have his contract renewed, hwoever, after appealing for an extension over Christmas. The 24-year-old has played in less than half of the U`s fixtures over that period but impressed this season since earning a recall under Boothroyd.
David Prutton signed on a permanent but short-term contract from Leeds earlier this season, but nothing public can either confirm or deny his possible whereabouts next term. Scorer of two goals since joining, Prutton is liked by his manager to the extent that he kept John-Joe O`Toole, another Boothroyd favourite, out of the team unit the youngster suffered injury.
Former Layton Orient and Nottingham Forest full-back Matt Lockwood, however, is one of the only confirmed deportees and his currently playing for League Two struggles Barnett. Former boss Paul Lambert, now at Norwich, infamously made him available as a free agent last summer but the club were unable to find a buyer.
Striker Scott Vernon is the fifth known player yet to sort his future with the Essex club and much of the season has seen the 26-year-old former Blackpool forwarded loaned out, initially to Gillingham and then Southend United.
So what do you think?
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Maybury, Lockwood and Vernon don’t have a chance of a new deal. I’d say Ifill probably has a 25% chance but reckon it will be unlikely as he hasn’t featured much in the run-in. Prutton possibly has a good chance given O’Toole’s injury so may get another year although I suspect he is on a fair old wedge.
Who’s the 6th? There are only 5 listed
A report last week quoted Aidy saying it was six; I coulud find only five and the other one could be a number of players, maybe even one of the younger first-teamers. It’s not Paul Reid, whose got another year and it isn’t Tierney, or Izzet, or Beast. Let the guessing game begin!
Sam Corcoran and Russell Malton got one year deals last summer but I wouldn’t call them first-teamers.
I would have hoped that Henderson was only given a contract until the end of the season and/or Matt Heath?
It could be Corcoran, but if he’s managed to get an extension then I’d say Malton is a goner. Time could be up for Heath IMO and have no clue about Hendo… good possibles, though!
Well, agree with the three that wil leave what OJJ said, however, pretty sure Ifil will stay. I hear he’s agreed a new, reduced, contract. Could be the youngsters, think Aidy is keen to keep hold of Corcocan for next season at least. Think Hendo was given an 18 month deal in Jan, could have been six though – cant remember…! Didn’t Heath sign a three year deal, so he would have another year to run surely?!
Aidy did say six, for sure… so there’s another deal to work out! Seems like Ifil is set to stay according to a few people who seem to know much more about it than I do. Could easily be Perkins…