Post by QPR Report on May 11, 2009 8:47:28 GMT
Good luck to them both
www.gethampshire.co.uk/sport/aldershottownfc/s/2050455_newman_and_cochrane_feel_the_pinch
Newman and Cochrane feel the pinch
By Charlie Oliver
May 11, 2009
Out-of-contract is proving to be a very dangerous state to be in as far as Aldershot players are concerned.
Hot on the heels of Rhys Day, Rob Elvins and Junior Mendes not being offered new deals, Ricky Newman and Justin Cochrane suffered the same fate at the end of last week.
Only Scott Donnelly and Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz were offered new deals of the out-of-contract crew and the implication is that those deals are neither long nor laden with money.
Still, they might be well advised to accept those offers as, not just at Aldershot, but all around the community in the lower reaches of the Football League, clubs are trying to cut costs; many players will find themselves without a contract this summer.
And, with so many of Gary Waddock’s first-team squad under contract for another season, it was inevitable that most of the out-of-contract players would be trussed up by the tightened purse strings and sent on their way.
Newman, a professional footballer for 20 years, and also involved in coaching the reserves at Aldershot, was no doubt one of the higher earners at the club.
The Shots, having cut back Waddock’s budget out of necessity, could simply not offer Newman, who is 38, another deal, even as just a coach.
“I have had to make some very tough decisions,” said Waddock. “Newmo is leaving us both as a player and a coach.
“He has been absolutely great for us, is hugely respected in the dressing room – and is a character too – and has had an excellent career.
“But when the budget is cut you have no options but to weigh things up and unfortunately, we are not in a position to offer Ricky a deal.”
Cochrane may only have been at Aldershot since February, playing on a short-term deal, but he too, as a fairly experienced Football League campaigner, would have been chasing higher wages than many of Waddock’s squad.
Perhaps Cochrane did not do quite enough in central midfield to impress Waddock either, although the industrious, tough-tackling holding midfielder put in some excellent performances, such as at Grimsby and Lincoln.
Certainly, The Shots did look a little more solid away from home with Cochrane in the midfield and the reality is that, in an ideal world, Waddock would have liked to have kept Cochrane, whom he worked with at Queens Park Rangers, even if only as a ‘squad player’.
But no such luxuries are allowed in the current financial climate.
“I know Justin well and he came in on a short-term contract and did well,” said Waddock.
“But we are unable to offer him a contract. It’s as simple as that – it’s a very difficult situation, not just in football but for everyone in all walks of life at the moment.”
But Donnelly, another central midfielder Waddock knows wells from QPR, has been offered a deal.
Donnelly has been an enigma this last season. There is no doubting his quality, which he showed with a momentous winning freekick at Accrington on the first day of the season.
But that that goal turned out to be his only one of the season rather says it all. After starting the season in the team alongside Ben Harding (Scott Davies was injured at that early stage) he later slipped out of the reckoning and made just 15 starts and few in his favoured central midfield role.
Waddock clearly rates Donnelly, however, and has offered him one last chance to prove he still has the ability to make it in the Football League, after an injury-ravaged career for one so young.
Donnelly is still just 21 and, potentially, has the vision and passing ability to run a League Two match. But he does not have the fitness and it is plain to see that Donnelly needs not just better luck with injuries but to lose weight to boot.
“Scott is potentially a really good player,” said Waddock. “He started the season extremely well but then he was held up by a series of niggly injuries.
“He came back into the side late on and did quite well but now he must push on from there. It really is up to him now: first to accept the contract offer and then make the most of his potential.”
Donnelly had a good game at Lincoln on the last day of the season – but not quite as good as Jaimez-Ruiz’s.
The goalkeeper played with increasing confidence towards the end of the season and, should he accept the club’s contract offer, Waddock challenged him to push to be the club’s No 1 custodian.
“Mikhael certainly did himself no harm against Lincoln,” said Waddock. “He has needed experience of playing games in the Football League and you saw that when he first came in [when Nikki Bull was injured] he was nervous.
“I took him out of the side and brought in young Alex McCarthy from Reading.
“And I think that helped Mikhael. When he came back into the side he responded really well and put in some good performances.
“He’s an extremely good professional and deserves a contract. He’s experienced being a No 2 and now he should be pushing and fighting to be No 1.
“He wants to be No 1 and now it’s up to him to get there.”
Removing a fit Bull will be very difficult, however – assuming Bull is at Aldershot next season. Every summer there are rumours he will be leaving and his wages are believed to be among the highest at the club.
But Bull is under contract for another season; on the assumption Bull stays, Jaimez-Ruiz’s latter performances suggest that Aldershot now have two good goalkeepers on their books, even if Jaimez-Ruiz remains raw.
“Whoever is the No 1 keeper,” said Waddock. “It is vital that there is someone else pushing them hard for that place.”
Rumours persist that Andy Sandell will be leaving for Conference side Oxford United but Waddock insisted that that was not the case.
“He is not going,” said Waddock. “I spoke to him in the week and he is totally committed to Aldershot. The rumours and speculation do not help. He slotted back into League football with us, playing in a number of positions, and he wants to play in the Football League.”
Waddock said that he expects there to be little news on players coming into the club for a while yet, as he works hard over the summer on targeting players within his budget – which may require selling other players.
“To be brutally honest, I think there will be nothing happening for a while,” said Waddock.
“It may not be until we are in to pre-season that the picture becomes more clear.”
www.gethampshire.co.uk/sport/aldershottownfc/s/2050455_newman_and_cochrane_feel_the_pinch
Newman and Cochrane feel the pinch
By Charlie Oliver
May 11, 2009
Out-of-contract is proving to be a very dangerous state to be in as far as Aldershot players are concerned.
Hot on the heels of Rhys Day, Rob Elvins and Junior Mendes not being offered new deals, Ricky Newman and Justin Cochrane suffered the same fate at the end of last week.
Only Scott Donnelly and Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz were offered new deals of the out-of-contract crew and the implication is that those deals are neither long nor laden with money.
Still, they might be well advised to accept those offers as, not just at Aldershot, but all around the community in the lower reaches of the Football League, clubs are trying to cut costs; many players will find themselves without a contract this summer.
And, with so many of Gary Waddock’s first-team squad under contract for another season, it was inevitable that most of the out-of-contract players would be trussed up by the tightened purse strings and sent on their way.
Newman, a professional footballer for 20 years, and also involved in coaching the reserves at Aldershot, was no doubt one of the higher earners at the club.
The Shots, having cut back Waddock’s budget out of necessity, could simply not offer Newman, who is 38, another deal, even as just a coach.
“I have had to make some very tough decisions,” said Waddock. “Newmo is leaving us both as a player and a coach.
“He has been absolutely great for us, is hugely respected in the dressing room – and is a character too – and has had an excellent career.
“But when the budget is cut you have no options but to weigh things up and unfortunately, we are not in a position to offer Ricky a deal.”
Cochrane may only have been at Aldershot since February, playing on a short-term deal, but he too, as a fairly experienced Football League campaigner, would have been chasing higher wages than many of Waddock’s squad.
Perhaps Cochrane did not do quite enough in central midfield to impress Waddock either, although the industrious, tough-tackling holding midfielder put in some excellent performances, such as at Grimsby and Lincoln.
Certainly, The Shots did look a little more solid away from home with Cochrane in the midfield and the reality is that, in an ideal world, Waddock would have liked to have kept Cochrane, whom he worked with at Queens Park Rangers, even if only as a ‘squad player’.
But no such luxuries are allowed in the current financial climate.
“I know Justin well and he came in on a short-term contract and did well,” said Waddock.
“But we are unable to offer him a contract. It’s as simple as that – it’s a very difficult situation, not just in football but for everyone in all walks of life at the moment.”
But Donnelly, another central midfielder Waddock knows wells from QPR, has been offered a deal.
Donnelly has been an enigma this last season. There is no doubting his quality, which he showed with a momentous winning freekick at Accrington on the first day of the season.
But that that goal turned out to be his only one of the season rather says it all. After starting the season in the team alongside Ben Harding (Scott Davies was injured at that early stage) he later slipped out of the reckoning and made just 15 starts and few in his favoured central midfield role.
Waddock clearly rates Donnelly, however, and has offered him one last chance to prove he still has the ability to make it in the Football League, after an injury-ravaged career for one so young.
Donnelly is still just 21 and, potentially, has the vision and passing ability to run a League Two match. But he does not have the fitness and it is plain to see that Donnelly needs not just better luck with injuries but to lose weight to boot.
“Scott is potentially a really good player,” said Waddock. “He started the season extremely well but then he was held up by a series of niggly injuries.
“He came back into the side late on and did quite well but now he must push on from there. It really is up to him now: first to accept the contract offer and then make the most of his potential.”
Donnelly had a good game at Lincoln on the last day of the season – but not quite as good as Jaimez-Ruiz’s.
The goalkeeper played with increasing confidence towards the end of the season and, should he accept the club’s contract offer, Waddock challenged him to push to be the club’s No 1 custodian.
“Mikhael certainly did himself no harm against Lincoln,” said Waddock. “He has needed experience of playing games in the Football League and you saw that when he first came in [when Nikki Bull was injured] he was nervous.
“I took him out of the side and brought in young Alex McCarthy from Reading.
“And I think that helped Mikhael. When he came back into the side he responded really well and put in some good performances.
“He’s an extremely good professional and deserves a contract. He’s experienced being a No 2 and now he should be pushing and fighting to be No 1.
“He wants to be No 1 and now it’s up to him to get there.”
Removing a fit Bull will be very difficult, however – assuming Bull is at Aldershot next season. Every summer there are rumours he will be leaving and his wages are believed to be among the highest at the club.
But Bull is under contract for another season; on the assumption Bull stays, Jaimez-Ruiz’s latter performances suggest that Aldershot now have two good goalkeepers on their books, even if Jaimez-Ruiz remains raw.
“Whoever is the No 1 keeper,” said Waddock. “It is vital that there is someone else pushing them hard for that place.”
Rumours persist that Andy Sandell will be leaving for Conference side Oxford United but Waddock insisted that that was not the case.
“He is not going,” said Waddock. “I spoke to him in the week and he is totally committed to Aldershot. The rumours and speculation do not help. He slotted back into League football with us, playing in a number of positions, and he wants to play in the Football League.”
Waddock said that he expects there to be little news on players coming into the club for a while yet, as he works hard over the summer on targeting players within his budget – which may require selling other players.
“To be brutally honest, I think there will be nothing happening for a while,” said Waddock.
“It may not be until we are in to pre-season that the picture becomes more clear.”