Town boss Paul Cook says the player contract situation will now probably stay as it is until the end of the season.

Twenty-six players, many of them senior pros, have deals which are up at the end of the campaign.

Having previously said last week that he was ready to offer terms to players who have done enough to persuade him to hang on to them, he now says that the position will be assessed at the end of the campaign with his focus on getting results from the next 10 matches.

Asked whether there has been any progress on contracts, Cook said: “Again, I fully understand the job you have to do and the questions you have to ask, I get it.

“For me, we’ve got 10 games to try and get in these play-offs and if you look around the play-offs, every team’s stuttering, aren’t they?

“Every team struggles to get those wins. I saw Gillingham have jumped into the play-offs last night with a good win at home and congratulations to Steve Evans on that.

“We’ve got three games in hand [on the Gills], Portsmouth have won back-to-back games, so they’ve jumped up.

“At the minute, the contractual issues will always be a good debate and I don’t like players being out of contract, I’ve got to tell you that.

“But the brutal reality is, probably what we’ve served up, including myself now, over six games has not been good enough for this club. The contractual situation will probably stay as it is until the end of the season.”

Photo: TWTD

raycrawfordswig added 11:25 - Apr 1 April Fool
1

jas0999 added 11:47 - Apr 1 Cook is quite right. Six very poor games so far. The players need to take responsibility they have under performed - arguably for years. They shouldn't be rewarded with new comfy deals.
4

RobITFC added 12:04 - Apr 1 Good, make the players think they have to earn the contracts and have the uncertainty of knowing if they are safe or not.
5

WhoisJimmyJuan added 12:05 - Apr 1 But is that his decision, Evans' being carp again or to do with imminent takeover? The thick plottens......
0

Radlett_blue added 12:15 - Apr 1 "Congratulations to Steve Evans". Not a phrase I wish to hear too often.
3

Edmundo added 12:16 - Apr 1 I have a feeling the mass clear out may actually happen this year. This time I have confidence that PC, if his hands aren't tied, can do a lot better than the Hurst clear off of 2018.
0

Europablue added 13:23 - Apr 1 The Hurst clear out was just him getting rid of all the decent players and replacing them with expensive lower league players. He was basically jack with his magic beans that turned out to just be beans.
0

therein61 added 17:18 - Apr 1 4&8 out first then go from there
1

OwainG1992 added 19:01 - Apr 1 Gillingham are in the play offs? Jesus christ this is a weak league.
0

bluesince76 added 20:36 - Apr 1 Can't think of one player worth keeping.
1

madmouse1959 added 23:54 - Apr 1 The contract decisions will decide if Paul Cook is a success or not. If the wrong decisions are made and poor players are retained then supporters will inevitably start to vote with their non - attendance. The apathy just can,t carry on.
0

Blogs 298 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls