Summer of Interest as Little Re-Groups His Squad

By Deadly Submarine
May 19 2005

Now that the season has drawn to a close and we know that Rovers will once again be playing in League One next season, Total Tranmere takes a follow-up look at how the Rovers squad could take shape over the summer months with eight players out of contract and also a need for a few new faces as well.

As the dust begins to settle on Tranmere’s play-off disappointment, the rumours will begin to surface and questions will be asked by fans about who will stay and who will leave Prenton Park during the summer months in preparation for next seasons hoped for promotion push.

 

Who’s Out of Contract this Summer?

 

Those who we know are definitely put of contract this summer are:

 

Goalkeeper Russell Howarth who will have taken notice of John Achterberg’s decision to extend his contract at the club until 2007 as this is sure to affect his decision over his future at Prenton Park.  It seems likely that Rovers will not want to go into the market for another goalkeeper and are therefore likely to offer Howarth a new deal.  Whether or not he will take up the offer depends on whether he is prepared to stay and fight John Achterberg for the number one place.

 

Verdict – Think he should be kept and think he will stay at Tranmere.

 

Jamaican International midfielder Ian Goodison is coming to the end of his current contract at Prenton Park and despite most fans agreeing that he has been nothing short of inconsistent this season in an admittedly unfamiliar left back position most of the time, he has remained an automatic first choice for manager Brian Little.  It would seem likely therefore that his services may well be retained by the club even if this may prove unpopular with some of the fans.

 

Verdict – Not convinced he should stay on but think he will be offered a new contract and will stay.

 

Arguably Tranmere’s player of the season, Mark Rankine is also out of contract having only signed a one-year deal when he joined Rovers last summer.  Approaching his 38^th birthday in September of this year, if Rankine decides to continue playing he is sure to want the security of a contract that Tranmere will surely offer him following this seasons outstanding performances.

 

Verdict – Think he will stay, probably on a one-year deal due to his age.

 

Another of Tranmere’s Jamaican contingent is out of contract this summer following a one-year deal last season.  Theo Whitmore has only made starts on rare occasions for Rovers this season often depending on the formation utilised by Brian Little, and it has to be said that he has not really impressed for the majority of the time.  Having said that he a useful player to have in the squad and may earn another deal.

 

Verdict – If Little is looking to bring in new faces over the summer, Theo may be one who leaves.

 

Another out of contract midfielder is Paul Hall, recently voted by Total Tranmere readers as Brian Little’s best signing.  There can be no doubt that he should stay and I’m almost certain he will be offered a new contract by the club.  He may have offers from elsewhere but he would surely be up for having another shot at promotion with Rovers.

 

Verdict – Think he will definitely be offered a new contract and will stay.

 

Last week, most fans would have said that David Beresford should leave in the summer but after an excellent performance on Tuesday in the play-off semi-final a few may have changed their minds.  In my view he has been admittedly short of chances in the first team but when they have come, he has not performed on a regular basis.  With the emergence of youngster Carl Tremarco, as well as Gareth Roberts on the left-side Beresford may still struggle for a place.

 

Verdict – Despite his revival, I think he will leave.

 

The final player who is definitely out of contract is youngster Paul Brown who has been excellent in the reserves this season and despite struggling in his home debut for the first team, he is still an excellent prospect.

Verdict – Should be offered a new contract and will stay.

 

The Contracted Players

 

Until 2006:

 

There are nine Rovers players who have one more year remaining on their current contracts that will therefore expire in the summer of 2006.  They are:

 

Eugene Dadi                 

Chris Dagnall            

Mike Jackson            

Jason McAteer

Gareth Roberts             

Ged Scott                

Ian Sharps             

Carl Tremarco

Calvin Zola

 

Are any of these likely to move to other clubs this summer?  The only one whose future at Rovers in serious doubt is striker Calvin Zola as the club and the players representatives continue to pursue all available options to get Calvin back playing for Rovers following his lengthy spell out with widely known residency issues.

 

Captain Jason McAteer has had a few injury problems this season but is likely to feature next season for Rovers when he can.  The only other player who might attract attention form this list is Welsh International Gareth Roberts but it is highly likely he will still be a Rovers player next season.

 

Until 2007:

 

Long serving goalkeeper John Achterberg has only last week signed a new two year deal to stay at Tranmere after turning down interest from a Premier League Club in his native Netherlands.  He joined two of the clubs younger stars, Danny Harrison and Iain Hume who both signed extended contracts until 2007 at the end of 2004.

 

Of the three, there is always the danger that Hume will move on to a bigger club but after turning down a move to Preston North End this season, Rovers fans will be hopeful he will stay on.

 

Until 2008:

 

The Tranmere star who seems to be attracting the most interest from elsewhere is also the player who holds the longest contract at the club.  Midway through this season, Ryan Taylor signed a contract extension that will keep him at the club until 2008.

 

However if any Tranmere fan was asked to pick the player who they thought was most likely to leave this summer, the majority might say Taylor.  He has recently been linked with both of Rovers Merseyside neighbours Liverpool and Everton as well as other clubs and if a decent enough offer was put in, Tranmere may just have to accept it.  David Moyes has watched Rovers on a number of occasions this season including Tuesday nights play-off semi-final second leg against Hartlepool.

 

The Uncertainties

 

There are a number of players, mainly youngsters who Total Tranmere are unsure about in terms of the lengths of their contracts:

 

Paul Linwood                 

Steven Jennings                                   

Neil Ashton             

Oliver James

Paul Martin                   

Phil Palethorpe                                

James Vaughan

 

Neil Ashton has spent most of the season on loan at Shrewsbury and it seems the Shrews are keen to sign the youngster permanently.  Brian Little may be happy to let him leave.

 

Paul Linwood and Steven Jennings have been fringe first-teamers this season and are sure to be part of Rovers future plans.

 

 

New Faces?

 

So now we’ve looked at who will leave, we ask will there be any new faces at the club this summer?  If Rovers are to mount a second successive promotion push to try to get out of League One then the answer to this question must most definitely YES!

 

A Striker must be the main priority as Rovers are in real need of a 25 goals a season striker who would be key to any promotion campaign.  Before the season was over, Rovers have already been linked with such Strikers as Francis Jeffers and Julian Joachim.

 

It has been announced in the national press today that Charlton are prepared to let Jeffers leave for virtually nothing but surely a drop of two divisions would not suit the former Everton star.  Julian Joachim spent the end of the season on loan at Walsall and was a player at Aston Villa under the management of Brian Little so there could be some logic in that link.  Of course there is also the Robbie Fowler link that also seems highly unlikely.

 

It is probable that Tranmere may need to also strengthen their defence and midfield.  The defence would depend on whether Ryan Taylor was to move on and the midfield currently consists of two ageing professionals in Mark Rankine and Jason McAteer. Youngsters Steven Jennings and Danny Harrison seem to be capable replacements but perhaps further midfield cover would be an idea.

 

Further links with Rovers are bound to surface in the next few weeks and during the course of the summer, some will almost laughable, some more realistic and some just may well happen.  But laughable or not we must remember last year!  When the ‘McAteer for Tranmere’ rumour surfaced, few believed it could happen but just two days later Jason was a Rovers player and the rest as they say is history.

 

Watch this Space!!!

 

What do you think of my views?  Whether you agree or disagree, why not discuss it on the Message Board?