[Revived Red]

Originally Posted by JEFF

John and Jimmy have been eleven years without written contracts and have had verbal rolling contracts so why would they suddenly start to demad written contracts.

There are three answers to this. Firstly, their talents seem to have been in demand elsewhere. Secondly, in view of their achievements, I would have thought that they were entitled to a more formal arrangement. Thirdly, maybe the idea of anything "verbal" with David O'Neill does not appeal to them. It certainly would not appeal to me.

Originally Posted by JEFF

It is close season and the papers have nothing to report so they print anything.

I think I am correct in saying that the report started in mid-April, before the close season.

Originally Posted by JEFF

We go through this every close season with players leaving and us signing replacements at the last minute

Agreed, but in view of the potential that we saw last season, I think we are justified in expressing the hope that something more positive and tangible would be happening during this close season.