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| 1. Author: PARrot Date: Mon 19th Jan 2026. 14:26 I hear folk worrying about keeping players who shine. Particularly when they do it on TV. There was a time, not long ago, when we would not be able to refuse a reasonable offer. I think we are over that now and I am confident our owners are more interested in building a winning squad than making a buck at this point. Reply |
| 2. Author: desparado Date: Mon 19th Jan 2026. 14:34 Topic Originator: PARrot like Date: Mon 19 Jan 14:26 I hear folk worrying about keeping players who shine. Particularly when they do it on TV. There was a time, not long ago, when we would not be able to refuse a reasonable offer. I think we are over that now and I am confident our owners are more interested in building a winning squad than making a buck at this point. Every player has a price. Just hope if we do sell some players on we get a good fee. Will help enormously if we are in the SPL though. Mullen is free to sign a pre contract now and that is concerning as there must be clubs sniffing around him. I am wondering if Lennon giving him the arm band ( Gilmour was the obvious choice ) on Sat was maybe a ploy to try and convince him his short term future at least is at EEP. What an opportunity we missed in 2014. Reply |
| 3. Author: Indiapar1 Date: Mon 19th Jan 2026. 16:04 I thought the same about JCM and making him captain. We have a very strong back three and that`s without Bene. Hopefully we can convince him that another year at EEP will benefit him. G Wardrope Reply |
| 4. Author: AdamAntsParsStripe Date: Mon 19th Jan 2026. 18:00 Nothing coming out of the club regarding Mullen at all but it’s blindingly obvious he would have offers on the table from us and elsewhere. We all know he’s going onto better things at some point but I’d be happy if he could at least stay on for another season or two and we get a decent payday for him. Zwei Pints Bier und ein Päckchen Chips bitte  Reply |
| 5. Author: Jealous Furniture Date: Mon 19th Jan 2026. 18:05 I read it a wee bit differently, I think that was Lennon saying, we all know you`re going to go far in football, I`m making you the captain today, I`m putting you in the spotlight, now go out and show everyone how good you are Reply |
| 6. Author: Leamington_sPAR Date: Mon 19th Jan 2026. 18:45 At 21 I’m not convinced he would walk straight into a higher league team North or South of the border. For his own career to flourish he might be better off staying with us for another year (at least). I guess we’ll soon see if a pre-contract elsewhere beckons. Reply |
| 7. Author: Jock Par36 Date: Mon 19th Jan 2026. 19:20 We will be lucky to see Mullen at EEP next season, unless we win a play off spot and make to the Premiership. Reply |
| 8. Author: Buster_Brown Date: Mon 19th Jan 2026. 20:02 Leamington_sPAR, Mon 19 Jan 18:45 This and when I was involved in Pro Youth, it was may advice to all the players who ended up playing First Team football. Young lads jump far too soon at times and the hit rate is pretty low in comparison. If you’re playing First Team football and are doing well, stick around and keep getting the experiences and develop. Lennon Miller had the right idea at Motherwell, so did Lewis Ferguson IMHO, your Billy Gilmour and Ben Gannon-Doak stories are few and far between. Loving You, Is In My DNA 🇾🇪 Reply |
| 9. Author: Indiapar1 Date: Mon 19th Jan 2026. 20:56 Have to agree with the above. Part of the story is to have good players around you to bring you on. Another season with us would serve JCM well to build his reputation. Next season if we don`t go up thus season, there will be a real push next year. G Wardrope Reply |
| 10. Author: Rigger Al Date: Mon 19th Jan 2026. 22:07 PARrot, Mon 19 Jan 14:26 I would also throw in keeping our management team ! Reply |
| 11. Author: PARrot Date: Tue 20th Jan 2026. 03:52 I think Mullen is happy at EEP but he knows he can play at a higher level (so does his agent). If he had accepted a longer deal he would be tied to that salary even if we went up. He might be happy to stay if we go up. It might just depend on how good a pre-contract he is offered. Reply |
| 12. Author: Indiapar1 Date: Tue 20th Jan 2026. 07:46 Agree he could play at a higher level but he is supported by Nuru and Kieran who I would say both have more pace. JCM reads the game very well and has a good career ahead of him. I just think he would benefit from another season with us, but these are the choices a player has to make I suppose. G Wardrope Reply |
| 13. Author: GG Riva Date: Tue 20th Jan 2026. 08:14 We can all speculate all we want, but for most footballers nowadays, it comes down to money and who can blame them? Careers are short and can become even shorter as a result of a serious injury, so it makes sense to cash in when the chance arises. And then there`s agents. Most players are young and impressionable. They`ll tend to go with their agent`s advice. Agents wouldn`t be doing their jobs properly if they didn`t try and maximise their client`s income, especially as it also means more money for them. Hopefully, all our top players will still be at EEP next season, but this will depend on whether they get better offers from bigger clubs and whether our club is able to match or better these offers.  Not your average Sunday League player. Reply |
| 14. Author: veteraneastender Date: Tue 20th Jan 2026. 14:24 If a player gets a significantly better offer elsewhere then they are going to take it - that’s how the labour market works, footballers included. Reply |
| 15. Author: GG Riva Date: Tue 20th Jan 2026. 14:35 veteraneastender, Tue 20 Jan 14:24 Unless his club decides the player is vital to their ambitions and matches or tops the offer from rival clubs, VEE. The player may then decide he`s happy where he is because he has great teammates and a good manager...... Not your average Sunday League player. Reply |
| 16. Author: Sacktheref69 Date: Tue 20th Jan 2026. 16:49 We may also see interest in Abdulai. That said, we did well to secure him on a good deal. This is Andy Tod`s world and we are lucky to live in it. Reply |
| 17. Author: veteraneastender Date: Tue 20th Jan 2026. 22:13 GG Riva, Tue 20 Jan 14:35 I doubt the club will be able to pricematch the offers and wages that are inevitably going to come in for Mullen, he is destined for a higher level, just like Edwards. Reply |
| 18. Author: NMCmassive Date: Tue 20th Jan 2026. 23:06 PARrot, Tue 20 Jan 03:52 I would have thought most contracts will include a % rise for promotion or a decrease for relegation. Mullen will have offers from the top league in the summer though. No doubt keeping him will become more difficult the more he improves COYP Reply |
| 19. Author: NMCmassive Date: Tue 20th Jan 2026. 23:07 Sacktheref69, Tue 20 Jan 16:49 Out of them all Abdulai is the best of the lot IMO COYP Reply |
| 20. Author: Sacktheref69 Date: Wed 21st Jan 2026. 04:27 NMCmassive, Tue 20 Jan 23:07 Correct. He was up against a Scottish international, who had to give him his lunch money just to get out of his back pocket and onto the team bus. This is Andy Tod`s world and we are lucky to live in it. Reply |
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