Who will we have left?

[Monts]

Once all the loan players go back and the out of contract players leave, who does that leave us with?

[Mikeystewart]

Stack
Kujabi
hanlon
ohanlon
booth
wotherspoon
doyle
stevenson
osbource
claros(6months)
sproule
galbraith
scott
stephens
antell
welsh
horner
taggart
brown
stanton
smith
monaghan
forster
handling
grant

[Monts]

I thought I had read that stack was out of contract?

[CMac1988]

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I thought I had read that stack was out of contract?

[Judas Iscariot]

We're in a bad way..

[Monts]

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Stack
Kujabi
hanlon
ohanlon
booth
wotherspoon
doyle Squad player
stevenson Squad player
osbource
claros(6months)
sproule
galbraith
scott
stephens
antell
welsh Worth keeping as highly rated
horner
taggart
brown
stanton Same as welsh
smith Looked very promising in his debut last year
monaghan
forster
handling
grant

I would keep the players in bold. The rest can leave imho.

[Monts]

I believe taggart has been let go too.

[BEEJ]

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I thought I had read that stack was out of contract?

He is.

As are Brown, Welsh and Taggart. Possibly Horner as well.

PF has already said to Scott that he has no future at ER.

[happiehibbie]

Hopefully None of them

[Monts]

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He is.

As are Brown, Welsh and Taggart. Possibly Horner as well.

PF has already said to Scott that he has no future at ER.

Was welsh not given a new contract recently?

[Prawn Sandwich]

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Was welsh not given a new contract recently?

Yes a two year contract ....... With Pertick Thistle.

[Monts]

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Yes a two year contract ....... With Pertick Thistle.

Ah ok

[Monts]

So its:

Kujabi
hanlon
ohanlon
booth
wotherspoon
doyle
stevenson
osbourne
claros(6months)
sproule
galbraith
stephens
antell
stanton
smith
monaghan
forster
handling
grant

[Monts]

So its a 7 player minimum to be signed to just make up a 26 man squad, and thats before we look at punting a lot of those players.

[cad]

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Once all the loan players go back and the out of contract players leave, who does that leave us with?

I always thought signing McPake before The Final would have been a major boost didnt happen.
Then the £3k per week win bonuses length of contract all came into the equation so it looks like its the contracts , the only ones Ive seen doing a bit and give a toss are McPake ,Sparky, Doyle ,and Stevenson the money aspect kicks in for the first 2, Doyle I think will be a fitter better player with a
pre season under him , Lewis is a squad player ,even Sparky is he worth the grief talented yes ,but if its no going his way .
You definately need to change the attitude at Hibs the first step as many have pointed out is to show them the door and the quicker the better ..

[number9dream]

Smith, Booth, Welsh and Wotherspoon have potential but have lost their way for a variety of reasons.
Doyle, Hanlon, Stevenson, Osbourne are useful squad players.
The rest are kids or rubbish.
The bottom line is that we have nothing anywhere near star quality.

McPake has to be priority signing but that pathetic final display will have sickened him.
Griffiths could shine in a team high on confidence but how likely is that?

That leaves at least six more glaring vacancies:

keeper
right-back
central midfield
wide right & left
striker

Of the names mentioned, I'd take Shiels and Hayes but for those suggesting the likes of Russell & Murphy (who are both under contract) remember we could not entice Jim Goodwin to ER.
Free agents will leave it late to make decisions, so it could be a long, frustrating summer.

[Kenny1875]

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So its:

hanlon
booth
doyle
stanton
smith
monaghan
forster
handling
grant

Only ones I'd keep, and even then they'd only be squad player except maybe Doyle. The only reason I wouldn't get rid of the youngsters is because I've never seen them play apart from Forster and that was about 5 years ago.

[Topographic Hibby]

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Once all the loan players go back and the out of contract players leave, who does that leave us with?

Perhaps the bigger worry is the team coming up from SFL. Complete with a former Asst Manager who will do doubt be looking to put us down to where his team came from. Without a wholesale clearout and capital injection from STF (cause the fans ain't gonna commit much £££), then I fear another tough season ahead.

TH

[Danderhall Hibs]

I'd empty anyone with less than 18 months on their contract - pay them off now. Keep anyone on a long-term deal (unless we can sell them) and start from scratch.

We need 5 or 6 hardened, experienced guys that we can marry up with promising youngsters (if there are any?). The 5 or 6 guys need to be leaders who the rest will follow - we need a fresh culture at the club, one that doesn't take any **** from anyone.

[Since90+2]

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Why was Danny Galbraith given another contract? I was amazed to find out he has another year!

We have Claros until Xmas and I doubt we could send him back so I would keep him. He has shown he could be a decent player but was completely overawed in the cup final. I would also give O'Hanlon another chance. I think the support were too quick to brand him the next Colin Murdock and turn on him. He is nothing special but he is a big strong centre half sitting on the bench for a team that desperately need a bit of height and presence. I would keep all the youngsters for the bench and maybe try to blood a few rather than rely on loanees or free transfers. I believe the Hibs support would be more tolerant of a team of youngsters and triers if they could see some signs of progression rather than rebuilding job after rebuilding job. If we had a game on Saturday this would be my starting XI:

GK Grant
RB Wotherspoon
CB O'Hanlon
CD Hanlon
LB Kujabi
CM Osbourne
CM Claros
CM Stevenson
RW Sproule
LW Booth
ST Doyle

Hopefully this is not the case come the start of the season...

That team is absolute pony and would get relegated I am certain of that.

We need about 7 or 8 guys who can come in and make an impression in the first team.

[007 Mickey Weir]

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Why was Danny Galbraith given another contract? I was amazed to find out he has another year!

We have Claros until Xmas and I doubt we could send him back so I would keep him. He has shown he could be a decent player but was completely overawed in the cup final. I would also give O'Hanlon another chance. I think the support were too quick to brand him the next Colin Murdock and turn on him. He is nothing special but he is a big strong centre half sitting on the bench for a team that desperately need a bit of height and presence. I would keep all the youngsters for the bench and maybe try to blood a few rather than rely on loanees or free transfers. I believe the Hibs support would be more tolerant of a team of youngsters and triers if they could see some signs of progression rather than rebuilding job after rebuilding job. If we had a game on Saturday this would be my starting XI:

GK Grant
RB Wotherspoon
CB O'Hanlon
CD Hanlon
LB Kujabi
CM Osbourne
CM Claros
CM Stevenson
RW Sproule
LW Booth
ST Doyle

Hopefully this is not the case come the start of the season...

Antell will be first choice keeper..... :-)

[PeterboroHibee]

Going by the list of available players, youd assume at least 1 of the keepers is going to be released with Antell making the step up, leaving a first team squad of 14 and the rest youth players, who have either never played for the club or have minimum appearances. Even then, as has been pointed out, quite a few of them could easily be released before next season (and with so many of them in their last year it would cost us a lot less to pay them off).

Really highlights the enormity of the task facing Fenlon and the club, and they really need to get it right. Next season we could be in exactly the same position if the signings arent spot on and there wont be a Dunfermline to save us.