No guarantees on new contracts at Wanderers, says Phillips

Jimmy Phillips cannot offer any guarantees to Wanderers’ out-of-contract players for next season.

More than a dozen first teamers could become free agents this summer but just two – David Wheater and Stephen Dobbie – were named in the side beaten 1-0 by Reading on Saturday.

Phillips handed a debut to defender Niall Maher and has vowed to continue blooding youth over the remaining seven games.

But he admits the choice on who stays and who goes in the longer term will come down to the club’s owners.

“That will be a club decision, not a Jimmy Phillips decision,” he said. “Dean Holdsworth will know what budgets we are taking into next season.

“I am taking the role to the end of the season and if I’m asked my opinion by the powers that be, I’ll gladly give it.

“We had six players under the age of 23 so that’s a sign for how we are going to have to prepare in the future.

“We need that bit of youth and then the likes of David Wheater to create a good blend in the team.”

Another academy graduate, Alex Samizadeh, was named on the bench for the first time against Reading and the young striker only missed out on a debut because of a tactical decision late in the game.

“I was going to give young Alex the last 10 minutes but Peter Reid – quite rightly as well – said that Reading were looking to put more balls into the box, particularly at set plays and big Emile (Heskey) was a real asset in defending them.

“It was just ironic that as soon as we got him on the pitch we concede to a great strike.”

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karlypants wrote:Jimmy Phillips cannot offer any guarantees to Wanderers’ out-of-contract players for next season.

More than a dozen first teamers could become free agents this summer but just two – David Wheater and Stephen Dobbie – were named in the side beaten 1-0 by Reading on Saturday.

Phillips handed a debut to defender Niall Maher and has vowed to continue blooding youth over the remaining seven games.

But he admits the choice on who stays and who goes in the longer term will come down to the club’s owners.


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Iles seems to be suffering from the same delusion about "rebuilding with kids" that is sweeping the forum and he clearly hasn't got his figures right.

Of the squad selected v Reading, EIGHT are leaving at the end of the season including Niall Maher who has finally been given a debut.

Holding
Wheater
Dobbie
Maher
Woolery
Danns 
Rachubka
Heskey


All on the list of players leaving in summer 2016.

I don't get this. Why is an interim manager being asked for his opinion on long term decisions such as new contracts to begin with? I'm beginning to think he's already been told he's got the permanent job. If that's the case then why not simply come out and say so? And the guff about bringing Emile Heskey on as a defender? Jimmy Philips as the leader of the 'Kiss Reidy's butt club'? What on earth was that about? Either he's the man making the decisions about substitutes or he isn't the manager interim or otherwise. 

Like lusty I believe we cannot be truly competitive with nothing but the kids we have because they're simply not that brilliant. We're not Man Utd and we won't be seeing a white shirted version of the class of '92 any time soon, especially since we downgraded the academy and therefore don't coach them as much anyway. Given how many players we're likely to lose from the ones we'd most likely want to keep I can't see anything but another struggle next season unless someone with a fat wallet comes in and I can't see that happening.