Retained list

[bicesterox]

Sam Long and Ricardinho offered a year.
Taking up options on Nelson and Hall.
Rothwell offered new deal, Shearer stays. Hemmings and Raglan back.

Out go Ago, Wes, Gino, Ivo, Ashby, Roberts, Dwight, Williamson

 

[MJB]

Oxford United’s rebuilding for next season has started already with decisions being made this week on players’ futures.

Manager Karl Robinson has met with all of his players over the last week or so to discuss his plans and talk to the players face to face, and as a result the club will be taking up options to extend the contracts of Curtis Nelson and Rob Hall while left back Ricardinho and defender Sam Long have both been offered new one year deals and midfielder Joe Rothwell will also be offered a new contact with the U’s.

Goalkeeper Scott Shearer had a clause in his existing contract which has been activated to earn him a new one year contract while both Charlie Raglan and Kane Hemmings will return to the club this summer from their loans at Port Vale and Mansfield Town.

A number of players have been told that they will not be offered a new contract when theirs expire in the summer: Agon Mehmeti, Wes Thomas, Aaron Martin, Dwight Tiendalli, Mike Williamson, James Roberts and Josh Ashby, while Gino van Kessel has been told the club will not be taking up an option to turn his loan at United into a permanent deal and midfielder Ivo Pekalski has been told that he is free to find another club over the summer.

Karl told us:

“We are delighted to have made offers to the players we want to keep and who we see as part of the rebuilding but obviously there were some difficult decisions to be made and some tough conversations.

"They have worked so hard and I can honestly say that everything was done with respect and done the right way and we wish every one of the players leaving all the best for the future.

"The aim is to build a strong new team for what I am sure will be a very exciting season."

 

[RATC]

https://www.oufc.co.uk/news/2018/may/retained-list/

Interesting about Sam Long. Robinson must see something in him. Really hope Rothwell takes up his contract think we've seen recently how highly Robinson thinks of Joe.

As for Ricardinho i read somewhere that Ricardinho will be back in Oxford on 7th June to start Training can only assume he wants to stay on.

 

[holdsteady]

Hemmings and Raglan coming back by the sounds of it.

 

[RATC]

Hemmings and Raglan coming back by the sounds of it.

Is it our decision on Hemmings though? I was under the impression that Mansfield had the clause and they could buy him without us being able to negotiate or say otherwise.

Glad he'll be back definitely better then Wes and more well rounded.

 

[werthersoriginal]

I think Wes is a better player than Hemmings but I’m not surprised he’s off, age and fitness are against him. Hopefully we’ll sign a couple of strikers who are better than them both

 

[bashamwonderland]

Finally we can cleanse the club of Pep's pitiful tenure, once and for all.

I no longer have to think about that man's incompetence.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

Just because Raglan and Hemmings are coming back, that doesn't necessarily mean they are going feature - just that their loans have finished and they are still under contract. The only announced departures are those whose contracts have finished (apart from Pekalski who has long gone anyway). I can't imagine anyone thought we were going to keep any of those going, with the possible exception of Thomas - but obviously KR thinks he can do better than a journeyman striker who is past his peak!

 

[Craig]

No real surprises. The biggest is perhaps Long, but then we don't know how much he was offered and if Robinson views him simply as second or third choice. Might be a case of balancing the budget a little. Hemmings and Raglan are recalled because they are still our players, but they could just as easily be sold during the summer.

Robinson showing signs of intent already. He clearly has a plan in his mind and wants to execute it as soon as possible. Very welcome in my opinion. Looking forward to a very exciting summer.

Side note: Can you imagine just how different things might have been if Kluivert and his ego decided to board that plane?!

 

[LondonRoader]

So 9 leave out of a squad of 37, there must be more leaving or being sold

 

[Deleted member 222]

At a guess Obika and Mous could be paid off/transfer listed. Buckley Ricketts, Marsh Brown And Mowatt to return to their clubs.

This would leave:
Eastwood
Sherear
Stevens
Agboola

Long
Nelson
Dickie
Raglan
Kelleher
Carroll
Silva

Ledson
Rothwell
Brannagan
Ruffles
Baptiste
Hall
Napa

Henry
Hemmings

I’d loan out Stevens, Agbooola, long, Baptiste, Kelleher, and Napa.

That leaves 14 1st team players.

 

[werthersoriginal]

35 on the official site inc some kids and four loan players who will be going back, though we might try to sign Kane

 

[MarkG]

So 9 leave out of a squad of 37, there must be more leaving or being sold

Offered new deals = offered poor deals ? I’d guess Rici offered a one year deal but will end up at Sunderland on double the wages on a two year contract.

 

[uptheus]

At a guess Obika and Mous could be paid off/transfer listed. Buckley Ricketts, Marsh Brown And Mowatt to return to their clubs.

This would leave:
Eastwood
Sherear
Stevens
Agboola

Long
Nelson
Dickie
Raglan
Kelleher
Carroll
Silva

Ledson
Rothwell
Brannagan
Ruffles
Baptiste
Hall
Napa

Henry
Hemmings

I’d loan out Stevens, Agbooola, long, Baptiste, Kelleher, and Napa.

That leaves 14 1st team players.

I’d keep Mousinho, but would offload Obika and definitely return Mowatt etc to their respective clubs.

 

[uptheus]

I wonder if Wes will play Saturday?

 

[RATC]

Now the retained list has been released anyone reckon KR could leave some of the players out who are leaving i.e Martin and Thomas and hand places to some of the scholars on the bench to help prepare them for next season.

 

[McXal]

Interesting calls on Shearer, Raglan and Hemmings (although as others have said, perhaps the return of the two loanees is a formality rather than an indication of their being part of long-term plans). I also suspect there will be more of a cull of the contracted talent to follow as even with the batch of players going the squad is still a little bloated.

In all honesty I don’t know either way on Rothwell. I think his head may have been turned and he’ll go...but could he realistically step up to the Championship and expect to play every week? Neat, tidy and joyful to watch with the ball at his feet as he is, has ever really ran a game, won a match or delivered a truly decisive contribution often enough at League 1 level? Part of me thinks he has more to achieve here if he really wants a proper ‘big move’ and that working under KR, who clearly rates him, might suit him

Having slated him as often as anyone, I hope Wes gets a decent reception if he plays at Blackburn at the weekend. He’s been unendingly frustrating to watch - but his goals earlier in the season have been crucial, and to praise him, since his incredibly lethargic display at Portsmouth (for which he was rightly dropped) he has visibly run himself into the ground for the cause even if he has looked totally toothless. The right decision to let him go, but nonetheless I hope he gets a respectful exit

 

[battman]

I think with Raglan and Hemmings it's a case of KR having to watch them in action first. If he thinks they have a role to play, then it's much easier to keep them on than trying to get rid of two players who are still under contract whilst trying to get in two replacements who are equally as good.

 

[Upthecowboys]

Thomas won't play v Blackburn. Understandably he won't want to risk getting injured for a club who is letting him go.

 

[uptheus]

I think with Raglan and Hemmings it's a case of KR having to watch them in action first. If he thinks they have a role to play, then it's much easier to keep them on than trying to get rid of two players who are still under contract whilst trying to get in two replacements who are equally as good.

I’d offload Hemmings, but keep Raglan. One of Faz’s poorer decisions.