Walsall’s contract rebels set to leave
Wednesday 22nd June 2011, 9:29AM BST.
Walsall’s contract rebels were today set to leave the club after they failed to commit to the Saddlers.
The deadline for Matt Richards, Julian Gray and Emmanuel Ledesma to accept new deals passed at the weekend and manager Dean Smith will now pursue other targets.
The trio were offered new terms at the end of last season but, after the deadline expired, Smith insisted he won’t wait for them.
He said: “Their offers ran out over the weekend, so it left me knowing where I am in terms of the budget and I can start making moves on people now.
“I’ve had some dialogue with them but I want commitment to the football club and, if the commitment doesn’t come forward, then I won’t be hanging around.
“I’ve had nothing concrete from them, so they are of the understanding I won’t hang around for them.”
Gray was the Saddlers’ 10-goal top scorer last season and had a trial in the United States with Major League Soccer outfit Seattle Sounders last month, while Richards finished third in the Player of the Season awards.
Young striker George Bowerman has agreed a six-month contract and is set to join the squad for the start of pre-season training next Thursday.
Goalkeeper David Bevan is out of contract, though, and has been given permission to find a new club.
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So the deadline is not really a deadline as the door is still open. Meaning, if they do not get a contract elsewhere, they can come back to Walsall. Honestly, Richards and Gray leaving will be a good thing, both are inconsitent. Ledesma would have been a good asset for the club but did anyone really expect him to sign?
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If Gray leaves it will be the 6th consecutive season that the club has lost it’s top scorer:
2010-11: Julian Gray
2009-10: Troy Deeney
2008-09: Michael Ricketts
2007-08: Tommy Mooney
2006-07: Dean Keates
2005-06: Matty Fryatt
What a way to run a football club!
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I hope Deano stands by his words and doesn’t make the same mistake that Hutchings made and let them in through the back door at the end of July. We don’t want players there that aren’t fully committed. I agree with Wacca that Gray and Richards are inconsistent and I’m sure there are players out there that are worthy replacements at our level i.e Martin Devaney for one. I wouldn’t be surprised if Gray and Richards have had better offers though to be fair. Let’s hope now that deano can get the targets he has in mind and get a squad together over the next couple of weeks.
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To Phil,
WFC losing Gray not really a great lose he didnt set the league alight with goals and im sure Deano will have better players or even players that will gel us into a confident an goal scoring team an im sure Deano will have his targets in mind now Deano needs to use his budget wisely and spend it all so that if they do come back them we can say TOUGH!! you had your chance now go on trial and find ya self a club ha ha also i know we sacked him before but i think he has learnt a lesson bring back ishy demontanac hes better the gray and i agree with wacca and matt UTS!!!
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pepelapew10754 said “WFC losing Gray not really a great loss, he didn’t set the league alight with goals”
Phil Burton “If Gray leaves it will be the 6th consecutive season that the club has lost it’s top scorer:
2010-11: Julian Gray”
I wonder which one is right? Some people clearly don’t actually watch the match….
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these players were involved with a team nearly relegated so how good r they.. Richards no loss bye..
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same old walsall,why would anyone want to come or commit to a club with no ambition? 25 years I have been going to see them and its the same thing over and over.The odd season we have been lucky to scrape a good side together and gain promotion but following that nothing is built on.This is why gates rarely get above 4000 nowadays.People have seen through it and sick of spending hard earned money to watch rubbish.I wish Deano all the luck in the world cos he`s gonna need it! up the saddlers!!! but then again in reality maybe not ay lol :-)
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We aint got much of a squad at the moment and Deano sure has a helluva rebuilding job on. I think Gray was poor in the first part of the season but in the second half, when he was putting himself in the shop window, he was our best player, ergo, he only tries when he wants to – not exactly a team player. As for Richards, he is an average player at our level: no pace, no right foot – nothing special. Ledesma? Probably thinks he is too good for us and his temperament on the field is a bit suspect. Let’s hope Dean can get some decent players in: how about Kevin Phillips as player-coach for starters?
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pepelapew10754 – how on earth is Ishmel Demontagnac better than Julian Gray?
Julian Gray finished as top scorer, from midfield, from 43 appearances, in a poor team in League 1. He also probably finished as the top assist maker.
Statistically, he was one of our best players last season, but people dont see that.
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The contract offers should now be officially withdrawn and a line drawn under it all. If they don’t want to stay then, fine, let them go.
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same old story every season we are coming back to training and no squad then the same thing all that’s left is the rubbish
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Some of you are putting on a brave face or have been to different matches. Matt Richards was our best midfielder and consistent all season quite apart from chipping in with vital goals from set pieces – difficult to replace at this level.
Julian Grey scored goals from wide and more than our front men and worked really hard when Deano took over – will be sadly missed.
With Matt Gill in midfield and keeping our already thin squad things might have improved – better to have Richards and Grey back with some new players also than having a skeleton squad.
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Richards was one of our best players last year, but lets face that wasn’t too hard was it!
Gray may have been top scorer, but he was a lazy sod 85% of the season, bags of talent, thimble of effort. He always plays well when its shop window time. You cant afford to carry a lazy winger, a lazy forward yes, but not a wide man when you have two up front.
Two big losses for OUR squad, but would either of them be first choice in any of our squads.
Shake em up Deano.
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Richards is rumored to be tweetin he wants to stay wouldnt it be a good idea to let the club now first? Dont suppose he as any other offers…
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