Mark Pedlar":twrqch9g said:
So we had Carey and Sawyer on a one year (plus extension) contract - we offered them a second year and they accepted it. We had Simpson on a one year (plus extension) contract, we didn't offer him the extra year.
Nelson, Reid, Hartley and McHugh were offered similar contracts for this year and they didn't want them. From hearsay Nelson wanted to leave this year anyway so no additional years would have helped. McHugh wanted to move for personal reasons - again no extra years would have made a difference. Did Adams want Reid and/or Hartley - they allegedly were offered poor deals so there was no great desire to hold on to them.
I think this whole one-year business is overblown and I can't stand Starnes!!
Length of contract offer could play just as much a part in a players decision as finance though. Hartley signed a two year deal for Bristol Rovers right? Nelson I'm guessing is two minimum with Oxford, McHugh I think was a two year deal? So they turned down our one year offer and took up an offer with the security of two.
It seems short sighted to me. Fans want to come to Home Park to see their favourite players, especially young fans. At the moment that's Carey. He's the type of player that young fans put the name of on the back of their shirt. It's a shame to have lost a player like Nelson, who represent the club well.
This year I'm sure most of us are still trying to figure out whether it's Donaldson or Smith on the ball, Goodwillie or Spencer. Over the season hopefully we'll find success and identify with these players, but right now I don't feel much connection to them. They don't represent Argyle to me. They're just players wearing our crest for the moment.
If this happens every year, 14 new players in, I think some fans will get a bit fed up and struggle to identify with the club.