Will We Be Able to Keep Our Best Players

[ComeOnYouOs]

We are fast approaching that time of year, when those players whose contracts end this summer, will be offered new contracts ( or not), and who will sign, and who will move on.
The one player who in my opinion, is most important to us is Paul Smyth.
Its possible he will re-sign for us, but I have a feeling he will move to a 'bigger' club in league 1, or even maybe into the Championship, if he gets an offer.
I think he will be irreplaceable and it will be a blow of great magnitude to us if he goes elsewhere.
I think Dan Happe will re-sign,but Vigs may also go elsewhere, because Id be shocked if a 'bigger' club didn't make him an offer.
Will Clay & Pratley get an offer. Personally I think yes and yes, but we will have to wait & see.
Just to finish, Its possible, the likes of Smyth is waiting to see if Richie is staying before he will commit himself, and on that, im not at all certain.
Managers of EFL clubs that win their respective leagues, seem to move to a different club before the following season starts. This is a fairly common occurrence.
If we can keep our best players, & Richie, and add a decent striker or two, we will do very well in league 1, but its a waiting game to see.

[aylesburyos]

Richie will stay, why would he leave? Loves the owners & has written in his contract that he will get a decent budget next season. I think Vigs, Beckles, Happe will resign. Wouldn't be surprised if P Smythe went elsewhere

[Petrov788]

If Vigs, Smyth and Happe get offers from league 1 clubs, I think they will stay. Any higher, they'll probably go. Footballer's careers aren't long and they need to maximise their wages where possible.

Richie has reiterated several times that it doesn't matter how you coach, man manage, what tactics you play, you need the right level of player for your system. If he gets any indication he won't get the funds he needs, and he gets offers from a bigger club, even in league 1 - he'll go I'm afraid.

[Max Fowler]

If we're going to do a list of players by importance based on their contribution this season, I'd go:

1 El Mizouni
2 Vigaro
3 Beckles
4 Smyth
5 Everyone else

[Long slender neck]

Smyths message from his loved ones was along the lines of 'you have finally found a dressing room of great people'. If this means he's happy I think we stand a good chance of keeping him. Could be a bench player in championship, same applies to Vigs.

[gshaw]

I know money talks but after this weekend surely you'd find it hard to want to leave such a tight-knit dressing room.

There's a few players in there such as Vigs and Smyth that have found their best form and home with us, hopefully that persuades them to stay.

[RedDwarf 1881]

Everything is good at the club so I'm very hopeful we can keep all the out of contract players who we want to stay . Along with those players we also have to pull out all the stops to sign El- Miz. Martin is in for another busy Summer

[EastDerehamO]

I seem to recall RW saying when he signed an extended contract that he wanted to demonstrate to the players he is going nowhere and hoped that the ones he wanted to stay will follow his example. Think there was also talk of L1 contracts being prepared back then for if we went up, so hopefully a lot of the groundwork has been done, but of course it would be up to the players to decide, especially if being courted by other clubs.

Smyth dropped down a couple of leagues to join us remember, so it’s nowhere near a foregone conclusion that he will leave.

[RedDwarf 1881]

I know money talks but after this weekend surely you'd find it hard to want to leave such a tight-knit dressing room.

There's a few players in there such as Vigs and Smyth that have found their best form and home with us, hopefully that persuades them to stay.

Supporters last Saturday singing ' El-Mizouni we want you to stay ". Hopefully we'll sing that again after the Stockport game to remind him exactly how much he's loved a valued at Orient .

[tuffers#1]

I know money talks but after this weekend surely you'd find it hard to want to leave such a tight-knit dressing room.

There's a few players in there such as Vigs and Smyth that have found their best form and home with us, hopefully that persuades them to stay.

Supporters last Saturday singing ' El-Mizouni we want you to stay ". Hopefully we'll sing that again after the Stockport game to remind him exactly how much he's loved a valued at Orient .

singing songs on tuesday or saturday wont keep him here

[Neptune's Spear]

Ever since we sold Tommy Taylor and Dennis Rofe in the early 1970s Ive got accustomed to us selling our best players, however I'm always gutted when they leave.

[Jman]

Personally think it’ll end up being a mixed bag. And to those players that do end up elsewhere, no hard feelings at all.

I have a feeling the likes of Vigoroux and Beckles will stay, as they’re local to the area and settled.

Whereas I’m less sure about El Mizouni and Smyth.

Having said that, as much as some players moving on will appear harsh to the fans, I think as a club we’ve got to apply the same ruthlessness to those players not cut out for league 1.

We spent the first year or two in league 2 essentially floundering due to loyalties shown to largely national league standard players. So in my opinion, the likes of Clay, Pratley, Drinan, Lyden etc. Thanks for your contribution but probably time to move on

[OyinbO]

The only one who is a real risk is Idris, simply because it's not down to us.

[Bergen]

Vigs may go elsewhere, because Id be shocked if a 'bigger' club didn't make him an offer.

Martin Ling said that a few clubs showed an interest in Vigs last January. With the season that he has had he must be in a very good position to find a new club at a higher level.

[LeytonLaureate]

As has been said before, our best chance of keeping El Mizouni is probably if Ipswich get promoted to the Championship. If they stay in League One, I have a feeling they would be unlikely to loan him back to us, as a direct competitor. In that case, it would take a hefty transfer fee to pry him loose.

Vigs is 29, at a stage of his career where he may want to chase a big paycheque, as it may be his best and last chance. If a Championship club come calling with a starting lineup slot available, I think he would probably be foolish not to take it, especially by Nigel Travis' own admission that Leyton Orient are likely to be consolidating in League One for the next few seasons.

The same applies to a lesser extent with Beckles, who is two years older at 31. But he has roots in this area, so he might be happy to stay.

Smyth is 25 and still has a lot of career left in him, injuries permitting. I can see him staying if the contract offer is right, as he's thrived playing under Wellens.

Happe may be best served re-signing with Leyton Orient to rebuild his value after his latest injury, but it may also depend on what other centrebacks Ling/Wellens bring in.

[Mistadobalina]

Vigs more than anyone else is the one we need to keep. He's so important to how Wellens wants us to play and even if we're up a level, it'd be very, very hard to find a replacement who can give us that level of comfort on the ball whilst also being an excellent shot stopper.

Beckles seems very happy here and will surely stay.

Resigned to Mizouni going, he's young and not from the area so continuity will matter less to him. He'd have his pick of league 1 clubs and possibly even a few championship teams, and as much as the positive vibes around the club make it impossible to imagine anyone wanting to leave, he could probably earn twice as much elsewhere at a bigger set up.

Smyth is the 50/50 one. He's clearly brilliant but we're the first club in England where he's made it work and he'll get allowances with his fitness issues he might not at a bigger club. Maybe one where he re-signs but with a fairly low release clause, so that if he stays fit, we don't stand in his way. Not should we really. It's a good look to prospective signings that we can be a platform to kick on with your career.

Pratley should get another year if he wants it but in the Clay role of shoring things up from the bench and occasionally starting.

Happe's coming back from a bad injury, I'd be surprised if anyone would make an offer on him that betters what we will.

Clay will go I imagine, hard to say with Thompson as he's under contract but clearly not rated by Wellens. Drinan is going nowhere as he's under contract and a Wellens favourite. His fitness has been shocking this year so I don't think he's a lost cause if he can a decent pre season under him.

Not fussed about Sadlier, Kelman or Turns, but could easily see at least one of them returning next season.

[RedDwarf 1881]

Everything is good at the club so I'm very hopeful we can keep all the out of contract players who we want to stay . Along with those players we also have to pull out all the stops to sign El- Miz. Martin is in for another busy Summer .

[RedDwarf 1881]

I know money talks but after this weekend surely you'd find it hard to want to leave such a tight-knit dressing room.

There's a few players in there such as Vigs and Smyth that have found their best form and home with us, hopefully that persuades them to stay.

Supporters last Saturday singing ' El-Mizouni we want you to stay ". Hopefully we'll sing that again after the Stockport game to remind him exactly how much he's loved a valued at Orient .

singing songs on tuesday or saturday wont keep him here

Maybe not tuffers but as supporters we can only tell him how much we want him to stay . Everything else is above us .

[tuffers#1]

Supporters last Saturday singing ' El-Mizouni we want you to stay ". Hopefully we'll sing that again after the Stockport game to remind him exactly how much he's loved a valued at Orient .

singing songs on tuesday or saturday wont keep him here

Maybe not tuffers but as supporters we can only tell him how much we want him to stay . Everything else is above us .

Unfortunaately footy isnt a sentimental enviroment . Money rules

[RedDwarf 1881]

singing songs on tuesday or saturday wont keep him here

Maybe not tuffers but as supporters we can only tell him how much we want him to stay . Everything else is above us .

Unfortunaately footy isnt a sentimental enviroment . Money rules

Of course tuffers but still feel we should sing for him to stay on Saturday. Now we’re back in league 1 it’s going to be a crucial Summer to retain our best players and recruit wisely.

[The Reverend]

El Miz - probably won’t be here next season. He’s young and has had an excellent season. He could realistically get a decent pay cheque at a top L1 or Lower Championship club.

Vigs - I think could be off as well. Loads of clubs will have him on their radar. A reliable GK is hard to find. I can see him slotting into the number 1 place at any L1 club. Less certain he’d be a starter in the Championship but he’d be getting a decent salary so probs wouldn’t mind.

Smyth - I still think he’s a risk for any club taking him on. Him going on a free would make a move more likely. He was basically the best player in L2 but that won’t be the case for L1. His game time needs to be closely managed too. The guy gets injured a lot. This is something we need to keep in mind if he does stay. We simply cannot rely on the guy as much as we did in L2. One long term injury and we’re in trouble. What I’m saying is that I wouldn’t necessarily break the bank just to keep him here as this could backfire. I appreciate that this might be a controversial option.

Clay - thanks for your service. He’ll be a solid starter at a conference club. Could even win himself a third title if he goes to a club at the top end of that league.

Pratley - useful squad option. 1 year player/coach extension. Wouldn’t expect him to play more than 10 games in L1

Lyden/McCart/Duke/Sadlier - no thanks.

Ed Turns - I’d take him for another year if Brighton give us the option.

Beckles - give him an extension. Not a top level L1 player but enough to do a job and keep us up.

Brown - is he out of contract? Can take him or leave him really if he is.

Wellens - if a championship club with a decent budget and sensible owners come in for him then he’ll go. Good luck to him. I think having had his fingers burnt in the past (Salford/Doncaster) he won’t just jump ship to the first club who wave a contract at him, but at the same time he’s not tied down to Orient for life (and has made that clear).

[OyinbO]

Clay will go I imagine

You don't need to imagine it, it's 100% nailed on happening.

[Mistadobalina]

Brown I'd keep, there's potentially a lot of turnover this summer, he's versatile and he's shown to be a dependable player with a fair bit of promise.

[Jman]

Completely agree about Brown. Definitely keep him.

He’s a managers dream in any squad as he can reliably slot into a number of positions across the pitch and put a shift in.

Thought he’s had an excellent season despite some injury niggles.

[tuffers#1]

Have to make sure we have players who thrive in winter & not just the sunny months !