Retained List Announced

[RVclaret]

Age of those released:

36, 35, 33, 32, 32 and 29.

[NewClaret]

Age of those released:

36, 35, 33, 32, 32 and 29.

Puts things in to perspective.

[randomclaret2]

Puts things in to perspective.

Some of the biggest earners at the club there as well

[RVclaret]

Some of the biggest earners at the club there as well

Yep another good point.

Add in the likelihood that 3 other big earners in Pope, Cornet and Weghorst will leave, that’s a huge wage bill trim (as well as the speculated 45/50% wage cuts to everyone else).

[barracuda]

Comparing our poor/non-existent comms to other clubs is a cop out. It doesn’t make it right

Our new custodians came in with a lot of words pledging to get that better. They haven’t

We are relegated with precarious debt that we never had under previous custodians. I expect better. I want reassurances (that maybe they don’t have) and a plan/updates on a number of things. We shouldn’t be so accepting of the of the weasels that control our game and clubs

[randomclaret2]

Just a shame its taken relegation for this to happen, the squad should have been refreshed incrementally over the last 3 or 4 years, instead of being allowed to stagnate

[AlargeClaret]

Sad to see Mee go but I imagine a promoted club will possibly want him . Even more important we keep Collins now . Thought Lennon would have been offered something , was very decent at times and still incredibly quick , he’s tracking back alone was why SD kept him. Would have been a lively option if we end up in sh1t creek squad wise .

[Newcastleclaret93]

Now we know who is staying and going what’s our expectations for this season?

[Goody1975]

Now we know who is staying and going what’s our expectations for this season?

That can only be answered when we show our ambitions in the transfer market but play offs have to be the minimum expectation at present.

[tiger76]

Sad to see Mee go but I imagine a promoted club will possibly want him . Even more important we keep Collins now . Thought Lennon would have been offered something , was very decent at times and still incredibly quick , he’s tracking back alone was why SD kept him. Would have been a lively option if we end up in sh1t creek squad wise .

Why would we keep Lennon, he's 35 and it's precisely signing guys like him, and also extending contracts of our ageing squad that we.ve ended up in this mess.

Time for a new broom, and seeing what a new manager and squad can deliver.

[AlargeClaret]

Why would we keep Lennon, he's 35 and it's precisely signing guys like him, and also extending contracts of our ageing squad that we.ve ended up in this mess.

Time for a new broom, and seeing what a new manager and squad can deliver.

It’s a new broom alright and we had to clear out and I’d say 5/6 more will go ( Mc/np/WW etc) I could say same about Pieters whose never let us down , but yeah we move on .

[Bin Ont Turf]

Opening day of the Championship

Hennessey
Roberts
Me (I can loft those 50 yarders and have no pace, can't defend as well Mee though)
Him
Taylor
Brownhill
Someone or other
Mr Winger
McNeil
Barnes (Love you Ash, but can't stop laughing that you're still here)
Rodders

Can't wait

[spt_claret]

Not really, the captain has been offered a new deal, he's chosen to follow the money and jump ship at the first opportunity.
Don't forget he's played the contract game before will he wont he sign, to get himself better terms.

He's no diffrent from the vast majority, although I'd have thought with him being captain, living local, us supporting him with his coaching badges , his charity around his daughters premature birth etc.

Nope, no loyalty to us in our hour of need, all for a few extra quid.

Not many footballers leave us and go on to bigger and better things.. more money maybe, but better things very rarely.
Enjoy being sat on your backside Mr captain

Unbelievable.

He was already our highest paid player so 'follow the money' seems unlikely. But he's been our captain, a phenomenal player for 11 years, truly unlucky that we're in an era where England managers are obsessed with ball playing defenders or he'd certainly have had a few caps. Stayed with us when we went down, re-signed with us once already when other clubs were said to be sniffing, and here you are turning on him in a flash.

Ben Mee's not a Burnley fan. He's been a Burnley FC employee. Would you be a loyal employee to a workplace taken over by a new administration who seemed hellbent on removing every trace of the previous set of staff and even the company's identity at times, took the company and your career backwards at a time in your career your futures chances to be at the top level are running out, and had imperiled its future with their takeover loading obscene debts onto the business without any easy means of clearing those debts?

If Ben Mee has chosen to leave, I'm devastated but can't blame him in his situation. If Burnley have chosen to let him go, I can't begin to wrap my head around it. I'd far rather retain Mee & Pieters than Rodriguez & Barnes (and I know we had to retain Barnes apparently but still). Desperate as we are I'd even consider retaining Lennon, since Gudmundsson has a lot to do to prove he can last a season, McNeil may leave, Cornet probably will- suddenly we have no wingers.

It's the end of an era, a very good era for Burnley, but people are very quick to turn on the building blocks of that era and act like they were never very good anyway. Been seeing it for months.

[quoonbeatz]

Now we know who is staying and going what’s our expectations for this season?

That we play some good football and try to win every game we play.

[warksclaret]

The winds of change. The wardrobe needed desperately renewing. Items were looking stretched and losing their shape as a result. A new tailored range is now urgently required

[RVclaret]

Now we know who is staying and going what’s our expectations for this season?

Well we don’t know who’s staying / joining yet and won’t know for sure until the end of August.

Ask me then.

[Top Claret]

Comparing our poor/non-existent comms to other clubs is a cop out. It doesn’t make it right

Our new custodians came in with a lot of words pledging to get that better. They haven’t

We are relegated with precarious debt that we never had under previous custodians. I expect better. I want reassurances (that maybe they don’t have) and a plan/updates on a number of things. We shouldn’t be so accepting of the of the weasels that control our game and clubs

You forgot to mention the old custodians who sold the club down the river. Can't blame the yanks for thinking they could see an opportunity to make a few bob with a leveraged buyout, that's business and football is big business these dsys

[spt_claret]

That we play some good football and try to win every game we play.

Genuine question because good lord am I tired of seeing everyone bang on about good football ahead of results- would you rather we 'play some good football', go out attacking, and ultimately fail to get promoted, or play a dour grind and get promoted? Bear in mind the financial implications at stake.

The ideal is obviously both, ideally we'd play like 2012 Barcelona and win the league. But if it's either or I know what my expectations are.

[boatshed bill]

Genuine question because good lord am I tired of seeing everyone bang on about good football ahead of results- would you rather we 'play some good football', go out attacking, and ultimately fail to get promoted, or play a dour grind and get promoted? Bear in mind the financial implications at stake.

The ideal is obviously both, ideally we'd play like 2012 Barcelona and win the league. But if it's either or I know what my expectations are.

It's dour football when we lose, not so dour when we win.

[Newcastleclaret93]

Well we don’t know who’s staying / joining yet and won’t know for sure until the end of August.

Ask me then.

True. It’s a massive rebuild.

It will be interesting to see which young players sign the contracts on offer and then feature in pre season. I assume the first game must be only 2-3 weeks away

[quoonbeatz]

Genuine question because good lord am I tired of seeing everyone bang on about good football ahead of results- would you rather we 'play some good football', go out attacking, and ultimately fail to get promoted, or play a dour grind and get promoted? Bear in mind the financial implications at stake.

The ideal is obviously both, ideally we'd play like 2012 Barcelona and win the league. But if it's either or I know what my expectations are.

I'd take either if it guaranteed promotion. But the question was about expectations.

[RVclaret]

Genuine question because good lord am I tired of seeing everyone bang on about good football ahead of results- would you rather we 'play some good football', go out attacking, and ultimately fail to get promoted, or play a dour grind and get promoted? Bear in mind the financial implications at stake.

The ideal is obviously both, ideally we'd play like 2012 Barcelona and win the league. But if it's either or I know what my expectations are.

Play good football and get results. Fulham, Bournemouth and Forest just did it.

[Top Claret]

Play good football and get results. Fulham, Bournemouth and Forest just did it.

That was in the championship it's a different ball game in the premier league

[IanMcL]

No surprises. Gutted about Mee and Pieters.

Agreed.

Take away the likely money transfers and you are left with less than a fit team and some boys.

[IanMcL]

Very sad.

[RVclaret]

That was in the championship it's a different ball game in the premier league

Agreed - but the question / answer was regarding expectations this season.

[NickBFC]

Out of all of the players released, I am only disappointed by Mee leaving. A fantastic player for Burnley, rightly classed as a legend for us. However, he is starting to show signs of age with various injuries so maybe it isn't such a disaster him leaving. We badly need to reduce the squad's age so no time like the present. Interested to see who we can bring in now, if we don't sell too many we'll have the nucleus of a decent side still.

[Raconteur]

Not really, the captain has been offered a new deal, he's chosen to follow the money and jump ship at the first opportunity.
Don't forget he's played the contract game before will he wont he sign, to get himself better terms.

He's no diffrent from the vast majority, although I'd have thought with him being captain, living local, us supporting him with his coaching badges , his charity around his daughters premature birth etc.

Nope, no loyalty to us in our hour of need, all for a few extra quid.

Not many footballers leave us and go on to bigger and better things.. more money maybe, but better things very rarely.
Enjoy being sat on your backside Mr captain

I remember all the grief Tarks was getting this season for not signing a contract, while Ben Mee has done it all season and got no stick at all. At least Tarks was honest in saying he was going to leave.

[Raconteur]

Unbelievable.

He was already our highest paid player so 'follow the money' seems unlikely. But he's been our captain, a phenomenal player for 11 years, truly unlucky that we're in an era where England managers are obsessed with ball playing defenders or he'd certainly have had a few caps. Stayed with us when we went down, re-signed with us once already when other clubs were said to be sniffing, and here you are turning on him in a flash.

Ben Mee's not a Burnley fan. He's been a Burnley FC employee. Would you be a loyal employee to a workplace taken over by a new administration who seemed hellbent on removing every trace of the previous set of staff and even the company's identity at times, took the company and your career backwards at a time in your career your futures chances to be at the top level are running out, and had imperiled its future with their takeover loading obscene debts onto the business without any easy means of clearing those debts?

If Ben Mee has chosen to leave, I'm devastated but can't blame him in his situation. If Burnley have chosen to let him go, I can't begin to wrap my head around it. I'd far rather retain Mee & Pieters than Rodriguez & Barnes (and I know we had to retain Barnes apparently but still). Desperate as we are I'd even consider retaining Lennon, since Gudmundsson has a lot to do to prove he can last a season, McNeil may leave, Cornet probably will- suddenly we have no wingers.

It's the end of an era, a very good era for Burnley, but people are very quick to turn on the building blocks of that era and act like they were never very good anyway. Been seeing it for months.

I am sure it has been reported that Burnley was one of his teams growing up. I could be wrong but I am sure it was reported that he used to go on some Burnley games with a family member who is a big fan of ours.

[Raconteur]

Don't forget he's played the contract game before will he wont he sign, to get himself better terms.

Wasn't that the reason we signed Ben Gibson? Due to Mee stalling on the new contract?

[boatshed bill]

Someone who claimed to know a bit about what goes on in the PL told me some time ago that Ben Mee was more sought after than James Tarkowski.
I found it hard to believe at the time, but perhaps this has been brewing for a while.

[Nori1958]

Wasn't that the reason we signed Ben Gibson? Due to Mee stalling on the new contract?

Very much so... Greedy so and so..... Don't blame him



But he is not a legend...... Money money money

[Sheedyclaret]

Maybe the new management didn't want mee decent defender but awful on the ball..

[Elizabeth]

Relieved no new contracts for Lennon, Bardsley and Stephens.

[Nori1958]

Maybe the new management didn't want mee decent defender but awful on the ball..

AGREE

[Burnley Ace]

Opening day of the Championship

Hennessey
Roberts
Me (I can loft those 50 yarders and have no pace, can't defend as well Mee though)
Him
Taylor
Brownhill
Someone or other
Mr Winger
McNeil
Barnes (Love you Ash, but can't stop laughing that you're still here)
Rodders

Can't wait

Pope or Hennessy
Roberts Colins Long Taylor
McNeil Brownhill Cork JBG
JRod Barnes

and that’s without any new players

[Newcastleclaret93]

Pope or Hennessy
Roberts Colins Long Taylor
McNeil Brownhill Cork JBG
JRod Barnes

and that’s without any new players

That’s if Cork signs

[Nori1958]

Rather have Cork than Mee

[DCWat]

Relieved no new contracts for Lennon, Bardsley and Stephens.

Don’t hold your breath, there’s time yet!

[Elizabeth]

Don’t hold your breath, there’s time yet!

I think those days are over DC

[Mattster]

Got loads of stick off who?!! To a man everyone said it was possibly the worst signing ever!

Not on here. Go dig out the threads if you don't believe me.

[Spijed]

That was in the championship it's a different ball game in the premier league

Mitrović scored 43 goals last season for Fulham yet he's only scored 24 goals in 104 games for both Newcastle & Fulham. That's 1 goal in every 4.33 matches at the highest level.

That shows how it's a different ball game in the Prem.

[DCWat]

I think those days are over DC

I can but hope!!

[DCWat]

Mitrović scored 43 goals last season for Fulham yet he's only scored 24 goals in 104 games for both Newcastle & Fulham. That's 1 goal in every 4.33 matches at the highest level.

That shows how it's a different ball game in the Prem.

I think that says more about how differently teams play when they go up to the Premier League. Fulham’s possession stats will be hugely different and the opportunities afforded to their strikers will drop massively.

Mitrovic would get more than his share in a better team.

[MACCA]

Unbelievable.

He was already our highest paid player so 'follow the money' seems unlikely. But he's been our captain, a phenomenal player for 11 years, truly unlucky that we're in an era where England managers are obsessed with ball playing defenders or he'd certainly have had a few caps. Stayed with us when we went down, re-signed with us once already when other clubs were said to be sniffing, and here you are turning on him in a flash.

Ben Mee's not a Burnley fan. He's been a Burnley FC employee. Would you be a loyal employee to a workplace taken over by a new administration who seemed hellbent on removing every trace of the previous set of staff and even the company's identity at times, took the company and your career backwards at a time in your career your futures chances to be at the top level are running out, and had imperiled its future with their takeover loading obscene debts onto the business without any easy means of clearing those debts?

If Ben Mee has chosen to leave, I'm devastated but can't blame him in his situation. If Burnley have chosen to let him go, I can't begin to wrap my head around it. I'd far rather retain Mee & Pieters than Rodriguez & Barnes (and I know we had to retain Barnes apparently but still). Desperate as we are I'd even consider retaining Lennon, since Gudmundsson has a lot to do to prove he can last a season, McNeil may leave, Cornet probably will- suddenly we have no wingers.

It's the end of an era, a very good era for Burnley, but people are very quick to turn on the building blocks of that era and act like they were never very good anyway. Been seeing it for months.

Exactly he was our highest earner, and once we have asked him to take a wage decrease he shoots off.
Talk about ditching us in our hour of need.

Like I said no diffrent to the majority of footballers, at least Tarky, Ings etc were honest with their intentions
They say a captain should lead by example...

[MACCA]

Wasn't that the reason we signed Ben Gibson? Due to Mee stalling on the new contract?

Yep.

Then we ended up with 2 LCB, and it caused friction, even back then I'd much preferred an up and coming ball playing England International CB over the old kick it and head it Mr greedy Mee.

[leelad]

Its the end of an era then with Mee leaving the club. I genuinely felt he could have moved into coaching in the later stage of his career at Burnley, but I suspect that with VK bringing his backroom staff with him, he couldn't see a way into a role in that capacity. With VK eyeing up another centre-half (Harwood-Bellis if you believe the rumours), I suspect Ben would have felt like he would not have got much of a chance this coming season in the Champ (plus he's been there twice before, so going back again for a third time wouldn't appeal to him perhaps? He goes with my best wishes, a fine custodian for the club both off and on the pitch. I hope he comes back one day (somehow) so we can say a proper farewell to him.
As for the rest? Well am not losing any sleep over Lennon, Stephens and Bardsley leaving. Lowering the average age of the squad is key ahead of next season. I would have liked Pieters to stay another year (as a utility player more than anything), but again he's in the later stages of his career.
Am hoping that Barnes will spend time on the bench next season, we need another striker with Wout likely to go (if you believe the rumours). Can Ashley perform again in the Championship? Not sure.
As for Vydra and Cork, I hope Cork stays for another year. We need some experience in centre midfield. Not that bothered about Vydra.

[superdimitri]

Maybe the new management didn't want mee decent defender but awful on the ball..

To be fair he improved a lot on the ball in the past few seasons. Still slow and prone to a mistake but his last ditch defending is second to none.

Don't think I've ever seen a player with the same endeavor, determination and bravery all in one package.

What you say is true though, to improve on what we have we need to get someone with the potential to be just as good defensively, but also with other attributes that benefit a modern centre back such as ball control, passing and pace.

Things have changed in recent years, the distribution of the centre backs matters a lot.

[DycheAlmighty]

Pope or Hennessy
Roberts Colins Long Taylor
McNeil Brownhill Cork JBG
JRod Barnes

and that’s without any new players

Westwood is hopefully making good tracks, if Vydra signs also both are top end Championship players that will feel like new signings.

[fatboy47]

The worry for me,in Ben Mee's case, would be the possibility of his leaving being brought on by a perception that the club is accelerating to "basket case" status at an exponential rate... and that despite his quite obvious attachment to the club, he's felt forced to make a pragmatic call for his, and his family's future.