Terry has set a deadline of the 31st of May for players who have been offered new deals to decide by. Really glad to hear this so that we can get a full squad together and have a full pre-season together. Waiting until the transfer deadline day to finalise the squad is not a good way to go

Out of contract Caley Thistle players have one week to decide whether to stay with the Scottish Premier League club.

New terms have been offered to nine of the first team squad, whose contracts expire at the end of the month.

Manager Terry Butcher wants to know their plans by 31st March.

I have assumed that the Courier article is a typo and its May rather than March!

Story here: http://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/Sport/Football/Caley-Thistle-set-deadline-for-out-of-contract-stars-24052012.htm

I back TB completely on his deadline

I suspect like any deadline contracts will be accepted on the deadline

It is a deadline for feedback not contracts - I now really fear that Gillet will be the next one to jump ship.

I take it this deadline doesn't apply to Jonny Hayes. He has stated he won't decide untill he returns from holiday. And as he is still killing the local wildlife tonight in Thailand, he wont be at TCS tomorrow.

Or is it yet another threat that Terry fails to carry through. How many times last season did he threaten changes, and come Saturday, nothing!! Non of the players involved believe the threat and will hang out for better deals.

It would appear that this has backfired. I like many here assumed Tade and Tansey would be amongst those to be here for at least another season but it was only after this ultimatum was issued that both lads had left and im convinced more will follow. So much for keeping the majority of the squad intact. Im sure we will make a couple of good signings over the summer but this is probably what its going to be like from now on.

Oddquine - do you need everyhing spelt out ?!!

He is making a stance against Butcher by going public when nobody else has done - I suspect for the future of the club and not fer personal gain. That will spook a few people who have tried to keep the wraps on the underlying unrest for some time now. His main beef is that he has asked to play for his place. And, yes I do have a lot of respect for Mr Tokely - as the large majority of true ICT fans have.

It would appear that this has backfired. I like many here assumed Tade and Tansey would be amongst those to be here for at least another season but it was only after this ultimatum was issued that both lads had left and im convinced more will follow. So much for keeping the majority of the squad intact. Im sure we will make a couple of good signings over the summer but this is probably what its going to be like from now on.

Or its served it's purpose. It pushed players to make a decision on their future so we know where they stand. Tade and tansey were offered better deals and snapped at the chance to take them not the deadlines fault IMO just we can't compete with other clubs in the wage department.

It would appear that this has backfired. I like many here assumed Tade and Tansey would be amongst those to be here for at least another season but it was only after this ultimatum was issued that both lads had left and im convinced more will follow. So much for keeping the majority of the squad intact. Im sure we will make a couple of good signings over the summer but this is probably what its going to be like from now on.

Or its served it's purpose. It pushed players to make a decision on their future so we know where they stand. Tade and tansey were offered better deals and snapped at the chance to take them not the deadlines fault IMO just we can't compete with other clubs in the wage department.

Looks to me like we can't compete in much anymore.

Oddquine - do you need everyhing spelt out ?!!

He is making a stance against Butcher by going public when nobody else has done - I suspect for the future of the club and not fer personal gain. That will spook a few people who have tried to keep the wraps on the underlying unrest for some time now. His main beef is that he has asked to play for his place. And, yes I do have a lot of respect for Mr Tokely - as the large majority of true ICT fans have.

And you know it is not for personal gain how, exactly? If he was offered a wage level he didn't like, and did not get a first team guarantee, somebody who didn't think he was subsuming his natural inclinations in order to reach for ICT sainthood, as you appear to do, would think the interview before the season end was made specifically to put pressure on Butcher....in the knowledge that there would be fans, like you, who would kick up a fuss on his behalf.

Not saying that is the case, btw....but it is as least as feasible as your interpretation of anything which has appeared in the media.

What Tokely does is up to him.....I'm inclined to think if he hasn't had an offer, or even interest from another team, he'll accept what he was offered by ICT, however much he doesn't think it gives him what he wants. I hope he does stay....but if not, then good luck to him. I'd have thought that, if he is considering his family, a job is better than the dole..wouldn't you?

Edited May 30, 201214 yr by Oddquine

“None so blind as those that will not see.”

It is a deadline for feedback not contracts - I now really fear hope that Gillet will be the next one to jump ship.

Edited it for you ;)

Dont rate Gillet at all, not seen anything from him that suggests he is good enough quality - towards the end of the season he was awful and got caught out in several games. He does run fast, but really think we need more than that in any player we are trying to sign/keep.

Could someone who has driven past the stadium this afternoon please confirm that there is a long line of ICT players queuing up with pen in hand, eager to sign up before the deadline?

What's that you say? Hmmm. Not even one of them? Oh dear.

Could someone who has driven past the stadium this afternoon please confirm that there is a long line of ICT players queuing up with pen in hand, eager to sign up before the deadline?

What's that you say? Hmmm. Not even one of them? Oh dear.

Hang on! They are all waiting 'till tomorrow because they will need a good nights sleep before starting training in the afternoon

I take it this deadline doesn't apply to Jonny Hayes. He has stated he won't decide untill he returns from holiday. And as he is still killing the local wildlife tonight in Thailand, he wont be at TCS tomorrow.

Or is it yet another threat that Terry fails to carry through. How many times last season did he threaten changes, and come Saturday, nothing!! Non of the players involved believe the threat and will hang out for better deals.

I am in Thailand today - let me know where and I will go have a word....

Havent seen a paper yet today but by the sounds of it the P&J are running a story where they claim that none of the out of contract players have replied to the contract offers on the dealine. By my reckoning thats OTJ, Billy McKay, Piermayr, Gillet, Tokely and Hogg away then

Not good if true!

I see nothing wrong in Butcher giving a dealine as he wanted to know where he stood squad wise, he probably knew he wouldnt get them all to agree by the deadline date but hoped to gee up a few of them to agree.

Now I have my doubts about Butcher but it seems that with some whatever he does at present is wrong, if he had come out and said he wasn't going to put a deadling on players I am sure the same people would have been saying that was wrong and he should have set a deadline.

I am all for setting a deadline if you have an inclination that it will in turn make your out of contract players sign on a bit sooner however if its true that no-one has signed on then the deadline was pretty ineffective.

I agree that we need to see who is available to play for us next season but IMO this just reinforces the point that contract talks should have happened months ago. I dont buy into the excuse that we cannot negotiate with players while the threat of relegation is there. Relegation release clauses or relegation wage drops could easily we written into contracts

I am all for setting a deadline if you have an inclination that it will in turn make your out of contract players sign on a bit sooner however if its true that no-one has signed on then the deadline was pretty ineffective.

I agree that we need to see who is available to play for us next season but IMO this just reinforces the point that contract talks should have happened months ago. I dont buy into the excuse that we cannot negotiate with players while the threat of relegation is there. Relegation release clauses or relegation wage drops could easily we written into contracts

Foran got a new 2 year deal in January without a problem. Was he the only one offered a new contract then???

I am all for setting a deadline if you have an inclination that it will in turn make your out of contract players sign on a bit sooner however if its true that no-one has signed on then the deadline was pretty ineffective.

I agree that we need to see who is available to play for us next season but IMO this just reinforces the point that contract talks should have happened months ago. I dont buy into the excuse that we cannot negotiate with players while the threat of relegation is there. Relegation release clauses or relegation wage drops could easily we written into contracts

Foran got a new 2 year deal in January without a problem. Was he the only one offered a new contract then???

I honestly dont know but we must me doing something wrong if 11 players (who were to be out of contract in the Summer) were all offered new deals in January and only one signed a new deal!

It's all about the money, money, money.

Nobody readily accepts a pay cut unless it's still the best offer they can get.

It's fairly obvious Foran is part of a long-term plan. I'd be surprised if he wasn't part of the coaching set-up soon. I know some will criticise that as Foran is pretty aggressive on the pitch. Two things: so was Peter Grant and Roy Aitken but they seem to be doing alright as assistants. Also, that has to be the manager's choice. Who knows what Foran is really like as a coach, except those with substantial football experience. After all, wasn't Paul Lambert terrible at Livi? Sturrock at Dundee United? It has to be Butcher's choice.

I think it's more the case that it's just sensible to have a club captain who is fully committed to the cause, rather than wondering where he'll be playing next season.

I am all for setting a deadline if you have an inclination that it will in turn make your out of contract players sign on a bit sooner however if its true that no-one has signed on then the deadline was pretty ineffective.

I agree that we need to see who is available to play for us next season but IMO this just reinforces the point that contract talks should have happened months ago. I dont buy into the excuse that we cannot negotiate with players while the threat of relegation is there. Relegation release clauses or relegation wage drops could easily we written into contracts

Foran got a new 2 year deal in January without a problem. Was he the only one offered a new contract then???

IIRC Hogg was offered his contract not long after he was injured.

As I put in the other thread, the BBC are reporting that Billy McKay has signed a new two year deal, while Thomas Piermayr has left to move to Germany.

I see the story on the official site also says that Butcher has agreed to give Tokely, Gillet and Jones more time to decide.

Edited June 1, 201214 yr by Renegade

I see the story on the official site also says that Butcher has agreed to give Tokely, Gillet and Jones more time to decide.

They don't need more time to decide, they just want more time to arrange better deals elsewhere!