Retained list

[Fan of Big Tone]

From the website:

Our retained list has been confirmed following the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign.

Four players will sadly be leaving us, while seven have been offered the chance to stay alongside the 14 who remain under contract.

Under contract

Tiernan Brooks

Aden Baldwin

Lucien Mahovo

Geraldo Bajrami

Adam Chicksen

Richard Brindley

Tobi Adebayo-Rowling

John Bostock

Matt Palmer

Luther Munakandafa

Sam Austin

Junior Morias

Cedwyn Scott

Macaulay Langstaff

Offered new contract

Sam Slocombe

Kyle Cameron

Connell Rawlinson

Aaron Nemane

Jim O’Brien

Ruben Rodrigues

Loan players offered permanent contract

Jodi Jones

Released

Ed Francis

Frank Vincent

Kairo Mitchell

Loan deals expiring

Archie Mair

Our head coach, Luke Williams, said: “As any head coach or manager would tell you, saying goodbye to players is one of the worst parts of the job – and that’s been no different with Ed, Frank and Kairo, who are all fantastic people and professionals.

“Ed trained brilliantly with us every day but he needs to play more minutes. He’s made key contributions when he’s played and has been unfortunate not to have more time on the pitch. He showed his quality on loan at Gateshead and I’m sure he’ll become a key player for his next club.

“Vinny is someone I regard very highly for the way he works day-to-day. The matches are a small part of a long week of work and his incredible personality shines through every day. While his gametime was limited here this season, he had a very successful loan at Aldershot and I believe he’ll be a star player for somebody. I don’t think I can give him what he needs at this stage of his career but I’ll be watching with great interest to see how he progresses.

“Kairo is another terrific guy, who we shouldn’t forget scored some really important goals for us early in the season. I think any striker would have suffered in the wake of Macaulay Langstaff and he didn’t get the minutes he desired. Despite that, he played a big part in what we went on to achieve and will now become the focal point of someone’s team.

“On the players we’d like to keep, I’m delighted that we have offered new contracts to Sam, Connell and Jim – all experienced campaigners whose immeasurable contributions aren't completely visible from the stands.

“They’ve all had brilliant seasons and bring added value in their composure and words to their team-mates. Their natural leadership qualities surface in difficult moments and there have been many times this season when I have left them to share their wisdom with the group. They tow the line and show respect towards me, as I would expect, but I also want them to be able to show their own individual character and personalities. All of them do that in a really powerful way.

“We would also love to keep Kyle, Aaron, Ruben and Jodi, who have all experienced five seasons’ worth of drama in the space of one campaign. We're aiming to retain a core of players who have been through the challenges we have faced together and understand the expectations of playing for this club.

“The players, as many of our supporters will know, are now being given some well-deserved breathing space. It’s important that they decompress – and once they’ve done that, those who are considering contract offers will be in the right frame of mind to evaluate the pros and cons. They’ll also have advice from family, friends and agents, which is really helpful in ensuring they’re able to consider all sides of the argument.

“Once they’ve had the time to go through that process, probably towards the end of next week, we’ll look to meet with them and see where we are.

“If someone has something which potentially changes their life in a huge way, we know that might lead to them leaving us – but if any offers aren’t hugely significant, we feel confident of surviving them because we can offer a package which goes beyond finances.

“We have an incredibly passionate and engaged fanbase, a beautiful playing surface, an iconic stadium, brilliant training facilities and driven staff who are producing fantastic work across all departments.

“These are all things which are exciting and appealing to players, whether they’re at the club already or thinking about joining us.

“Now we know where our destiny lies, work has already begun on recruitment. New information will be coming in on a daily basis but I won’t be involved in that, nor do I want to be. There are far better people than me to deal with it because my life revolves around maximising the performance of the players already in the building.

“Of course, I will be involved in the process at the right moment. I’ll give my opinion but it won’t be final – and, again, I wouldn’t want it to be. The club is more important and bigger than me and needs to function independently from any head coach. Whatever the final decision is on any new player, I’m always happy and motivated to work with them.

“Earlier this week, after the initial celebrations had died down, I returned to the stadium having had my first thoughts about how we can make 2023-24 another brilliant campaign. Alongside those thoughts came a feeling of pressure and expectation, which naturally falls upon me as head coach.

“I was met with the incredibly reassuring and inspirational sight of our office staff still with their foot on the throttle, showing no signs of complacency.

“In football you of course have to take good moments and enjoy them – but you very quickly remember that you have to keep going because bad moments can follow if you don’t.

“I was so happy to witness this hive of activity and to see how everyone connected with the club is united in our shared ambition to drive forward from here.”

[Dripsey3]

Lads it's a sad day. Despite my show of support at Wembley, I have not made the retained list. I shall be looking for a new club. I had an offer from Mansfield but I'm not that desperate. I always had a soft spot for Kidderminster so hopefully I'll end up there. 

Sorry, I'm in a mischievous mood this morning

[PON_News]

The Pride of Nottingham has written a news story in relation to the retained list released by Notts County today!

[Chris]

I'm genuinely surprised to hear that Frank Vincent has been released from Notts County. I reckon he did a decent job upon returning from his loan spell, but perhaps the team has already got alternative options lined up, leading to their decision to let go of him and Ed Francis. Both really could fit in with Notts at League Two level, but I wish them well.

Kairo Mitchell isn't a striker, I feel disappointed we paid a fee for him.

I wish all three of the players well, Mitchell could probably do with dropping down a division from the National League.

I'm hoping all the players offered new deals, sign on for the 2023-24 campaign.

 

[CliftonMagpie]

I’m thrilled that Jodi Jones has been offered a permanent contract. He’s been a fantastic addition to the team since he signed. The released players make sense and their departures seem rather standard. For the first time, Notts County hasn’t required a complete overhaul of the squad and has retained more players than it has released. This can only be a good thing for the club.

[Joshua]

I’m going to miss Frank Vincent, but I have no doubt that he’ll do well wherever he goes. I believe Ed Francis will find success with another club where he can bulk up a bit.

I’m really hoping that Ruben Rodrigues, Kyle Cameron and Aaron Nemane sign new deals. In my opinion, they’re the players who Notts County would struggle to replace. Additionally, I would like to see Jim O’Brien stay for at least one more season. He’s a great leader even without the captaincy and his experience would be invaluable to the team.

[Fan of Big Tone]

8 minutes ago, CliftonMagpie said:

I’m thrilled that Jodi Jones has been offered a permanent contract. He’s been a fantastic addition to the team since he signed. The released players make sense and their departures seem rather standard. For the first time, Notts County hasn’t required a complete overhaul of the squad and has retained more players than it has released. This can only be a good thing for the club.

@CliftonMagpie let’s hope he signs, then we can be thrilled, he definitely deserves to be offered a contract but will he get better offers?

[liampie]

its the first time that i have found myself thinking that all the released players makes sense, its hard for frank vincent because he has the ability to be a class player but we have not seen enough of it. i think if we are to avoid being sentimental all of the released players are ones we can sign a stronger option. that does not take anything away from their contributions which i am thankful for. any player that gives their all deserves that respect.

i hope all the players offered deals extend and stay with notts, i think sam slocombe is the perfect keeper to push tiernan brooks to be a future number one.

[KB1862]

I'm happy with the retained list and the players who have been offered a new deal.

It's good that they want to keep this group as together as they can. 

Glad to see they've offered Jodi Jones a deal. He could be a great player for us next season. 

I feel like Vincent possibly should have been offered a new deal but as the statement suggests, if he can't be given what he needs then this is unfortunately the right decision. 

The least surprising has to be Kairo, never really made an impact and was never really in contention. Didn't rate him too much. 

Aside from the listed players, I like how Luke Williams mentioned how he's happy to let others take charge of dealings that he's gonna maximise progression of players brought in.

[Piethagoram]

Whilst agreeing a lot with the list, I believe we needed to be more ruthless, if we are serious to challenge for automatic promotion next season. I would have also said goodbye to Sam and Connell. People may say how good our defence is, but the reality is that we were having 70% possession stats and the goals conceded in the 30% in the opposition possession, many were self inflicted.

But maybe that's me, I have high standards

[allardyces tash]

I hope all the players who have been offered deals, including Jodi Jones, extend their stay with the club and help us push on in League Two. I’m glad to see that the club is already working on recruitment for next season and I can’t wait to see who we bring in.

[Randall]

I am glad to see Kairo Mitchell leave, what a waste of a shirt and I am thankful Luke Williams has realised he's a dud.

[RetroPie]

It’s fantastic to see that Jim O’Brien has been offered a new contract. His leadership both on and off the pitch is invaluable to the team.

All the players who have been offered new deals have certainly earned them. I have my fingers crossed that the majority, if not all of them, will agree to new deals. This would mean less work for Luke Williams and would help to keep much of the promotion-winning spirit together.

[SpellbindingCaskey]

Sad to see some players go, but that’s football. Onwards and upwards for Notts County!

[DangerousSausage]

I'm glad that the club are trying to keep the existing squad together as much as possible so we can carry on our momentum next season. The players we've released also make sense - if you're barely featuring in the NL, it won't get any easier to get game time in L2.

For me, the question marks were whether we'd keep Rawlinson, Slocombe and Jimbo. I thought we'd take an opportunity to upgrade the back line a bit, and Jimbo won't be a regular starter. That said, I think they're all good enough for League 2 and they deserve their deals.

I wonder who will actually sign up. For what it's worth I think Rodders is off, but I'm quietly confident the others will stay. 

[upthepies]

Pleased to see the club is keeping a core group of players who have been through the challenges together. That kind of unity is important.

[OoooooTommy]

I’m delighted that Jim O’Brien has been offered a new contract. His leadership on and off the pitch is invaluable to the team. I’m also glad to see that the club is already working on recruitment for next season and I can’t wait to see who we bring in. I hope Kyle Cameron stays with us as he’s been a solid player this season. It’s great to see that the club is keeping a core group of players who have been through challenges together. That kind of unity is important for the team.

[JIMBO]

The retained list is almost not worth discussing because all I can say is that I wish the three departing players all the best. Archie Mair has a bright future and I hope all the players sign new deals with the club.

[heraldmagpie]

In the past, we’ve seen players who contributed to the team being allowed to leave. I’m tempted to suggest that we give some of the players a try in League Two. Sam Slocombe, Connell Rawlinson, and Jim O’Brien all have roles they can play in the squad. Kyle Cameron, Aaron Nemane, and Ruben Rodrigues are all key players that we need to retain.

[B&Wstripes]

The retained list is pretty standard. I’m a little surprised about Frank Vincent, but we can find more consistent players. It would be unfair to keep him on the bench or force him to play out of position. I have no doubt that he and Ed Francis will easily find a new club.

[TheSkipper]

The retained list is a breath of fresh air. I think we have a good chance of seeing all the players extend their stay at Meadow Lane now that we’ve reached the Football League. All those who have been offered deals would do well in League Two. It’s pleasing to see that Jodi Jones has been offered a deal. Let’s hope they all sign!

[Countyman]

In Luke Williams we trust! I think we’ll see the majority of players renew their deals and it will come down to whether Sam Slocombe and Ruben Rodrigues choose to stay.

[Fozzy]

If 5 of the 7 that have been offered contracts sign, I will be very happy, if more than that sign, then I will be ecstatic!

Very happy Sam has been offered a new deal, I doubt he will start, but would be a great backup, same with Connell, who is arguably our best out and out “defender” but his mobility and general footballing skills are limited. Could see him up line up against more physical teams, but doubt he will play many games.

[NottsTastic]

I agree with the retained list. Luke Williams made the right decision. While I wish Ed Francis and Frank Vincent all the best and have enjoyed watching them play for Notts, I think we need midfielders who can challenge Matt Palmer and John Bostock. Vincent and Francis don’t bring anything new or better to the team.

[thommo]

I’m happy with the players who have been offered contracts. We might see a couple of them move on, but I hope I’m wrong. As for the released players, I thought Frank Vincent might have a future with the club, but like Ed Francis, he might not fit what Luke Williams is looking for in his players.