First Team 23-24

That time again..

Still In Contract
Jack Hamilton - Contracted until May 2024
Michael McGovern - Contracted until May 2024
Shamal George - Contracted until May 2026

Ayo Obileye - Contracted until May 2024
Cristian Montano - Contracted until May 2024
James Penrice - Contracted until May 2024
Michael Nottingham - Contracted until May 2024
Mikey Devlin - Contracted until May 2024
Calan Ledingham - Contracted until May 2024
Shaun Donnellan - Contracted until May 2025
Jamie Brandon - Contracted until May 2025
Miles Welch-Hayes - Contracted until May 2025

Andrew Shinnie - Contracted until May 2024
Sean Kelly - Contracted until May 2024
Daniel McKay - Contracted until May 2024
Mo Sangare - Contracted until May 2024
Stephen Kelly - Contracted until May 2025
Samson Lawal - Contracted until May 2025
Steven Bradley - Contracted until May 2025
Samson Lawal - Contracted until May 2025
Jason Holt - Contracted until May 2025
Scott Pittman - Contracted until May 2026

Joel Nouble - Contracted until May 2024
Bruce Anderson - Contracted until May 2024
Tete Yengi - Contracted until May 2026
Aphele Teto - Contracted until May 2026

On Loan
Morgan Boyes - Inverness CT

Away
Brian Schwake - End of Contract
Nicky Devlin - End of Contract
Jackson Longridge - End of Contract
Jack Fitzwater - End of Contract
Stephane Omeonga - End of Contract
Jaze Kabia - End of Contract
Esmaël Gonçalves - Released
Jack Hamilton - RaithRovers (Undisclosed)

Tom Parkes - Hartlepool (Undisclosed)
Luiyi de Lucas - Released
Dylan Bahamboula - Released
Scott Bitsindou - Released
Danny Lloyd - Released

Big clear out, which is good to see, we really need the squad freshened up with new faces keen to do well. I think a lot to do with us dropping off was down to players either knowing they were moving on, or ones just not having worked, and a bit of malaise set it.

With us not having the finances to have as good a quality squad as other teams, we need to make up for it with hunger and desire, putting in that extra bit of work to give us the edge over opposition teams, and that allows our more talented players like Bradley, St Kelly, and Anderson, to do their thing. There is a fine line between us getting something from games or losing them, if we're not at our very best energy wise, winning the battles all over the pitch, it soon goes bad for us.

A front 3 has been our best attacking formation this season, with St Kelly, Anderson and Bradley, so i hope we continue that into next season. We could also do with a big physical disruptive striker as a plan B to partner Anderson.

It was hunger, desire and a great work ethic that got us to the SPL and helped us stay there. Not so much this season though. If anything, in recent games it's the other teams that have played like that against us. If we want to stay up we need to get back to playing like we did five years ago.

New season, new players wanting to show what they can do. Hope springs eternal.

CB signed, Michael Devlin.

Had a few long term injuries, but good player if he can stay fit, suppose we have to take risks like this to get quality signings on low wages, good signing if it pays off and he stays fit.

So one Devlin leaves and another arrives… is it a case of better the Devlin you know?

I believe United have released Ian Harkes… I’d take him in a heartbeat, possibly would demand too big a wage packet though… still… would be a very good signing.

Pretty fair assessment of our season, and where we stand going into next season, pretty sobering reading, and puts this season's 8th place finish into perspective, for all the FB posters that seem to think we're a top 6 team. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/local-sport/late-collapse-leaves-livingston-heading-30121174


Think he's spot on about Bruce Anderson, and Martindale being over critical of him. Imo a lot of Bruce struggling for goals is down to how Martindale is having us play. Launching balls up to him is going to see him struggle, he isn't Lyndon Dykes, it just isn't his game, he's a far better finisher than Lyndon though, and if we get wingers or players supporting him, then he'll get goals. Play it on the deck and work it up the pitch, but absolutely don't keep launching it long to him, with a big CB pushing him out the way.

Carson’s piece is very good, and good to see him levelling criticism at DM for being overharsh on Bruce and on overthinking it.  That said Carson is a little simplistically harsh on Bruce himself, criticising his goal return in the latter part of the season… he got little or no service in most of those games and spent most of them chasing down defenders because of the inept tactics of playing high balls up to him. I agree LF, that is NOT the way to get the best out of him.

Not sure Chris Kane would be an improvement, even if he is more suited to that style of play, don’t know how many he scored for Saints in the season just ending but don’t remember thinking that he was a potential goal machine. He might be a good option as target man for Bruce to feed off though.
Richard Tait on the other hand would appear to be a good shout as a Nicky Devlin replacement, although he’d probably expect to start ahead of Brandon, which may then unsettle the younger man.

Dykes on his final year at QPR and refusing to sign an extension.

A few hundred grand sell on from Dykes going to Sevco, Schwake's 250K development fee if Brighton sign him, and the 1M price tag on Nouble with some French top flight clubs interested, our playing budget could increase a good bit if that all comes off before the new season starts.

Worth a shout with those stats in a bang average second tier side… he could be just as decent in a bang average top tier side

They're in League One aren't they, 3rd tier. We haven't had much joy bringing strikers from lower down than Championship sides, Hammy would score for fun in League One i reckon. Connor Sammon scored 17 for Alloa.

If we did sign him, Martindale would prob put him out on loan to a Championship team, Morton most likely, to try and help his development, and see how he did in the 2nd tier, assessing if he'd be ready for a shot at a step up to the Premiership. Could be worth a low risk signing for the future right enough.

Oh aye, I forgot they’d been relegated a year or two back

But I’d still give him a chance, esp if he is a guy that is hungry to improve.

As i posted on ex Livi players thread, wouldn't mind us signing McMillan or Lawless/both back at Livi, McMillan looks like he's improved as an attacking WB, was always decent defensively but thought he lacked that threat going forward. Looked good in the play offs though, and scored some goals too. Now Devlin is away it's a position we need another signing on top of Brandon. Plus with McMillan we know he can play on both sides of the pitch.

I see Killie have signed the ICT CB we were after, Deas.

If we get in first we've a chance, we can now sign players directly, and not fanny about with PCA's.

Yeah Partick are 200 and odd grand in debt, and a few players will be out of contract too, so wage offers wont be as high for them either. I'd def be having a go at signing McMillan.

Yeah i don't think he's ready for the top flight yet though, and would prob have gone out on loan for a season to a Championship team, so wouldn't have affected our playing squad any. More a signing for the future.

QP are today's Gretna, plenty money to splash out on 3 year deals, tbh i think Hamilton will score more than him in the Championship, with already having experience playing at that level and a decent record of scoring there, and we just released him.

With our budget we wont be able to afford a ready to go striker from the Championship, like we did for Dykes, or we'd be in for Akinyemi, a more likely signing that would be challenging Bruce for the No9 position. We're relying on Martindale to be able to get another Nouble/JET signing from an obscure foreign league, of lower English league, like League One or below, which also carries the risk of them being like Guthrie. If we want a better quality signing we're prob having to go back to trying an on loan signing, from an EPL team, but then again we might get a Chucky.

I don't see us making any signing till July, we'll prob have to shift Guthrie and Goncalves on, to free up wages before making any striker signings. Same applies for Nouble, with the English market opening up in July he'll hopefully get an offer down there, freeing up his wage and bringing in a transfer fee too. We brought in Devlin because Nicky and Fitz were out of contract and off the wage bill, the 3 i mentioned are still here though.

Expect a few trialists to be training with us and playing in the Alloa & QoTS friendlies.

I'm hoping Dykes gets a move with decent money involved. The sell on might help us with a few more options.

orco wrote:I'm hoping Dykes gets a move with decent money involved. The sell on might help us with a few more options.

Not happening any time soon, one of these days we'll manage to get a sell on fee from a player.

LYNDON Dykes has committed his future to the club by signing a contract extension which will keep him at Loftus Road until the summer of 2026.

Yip, that kills any sell on for Livi.