Raring to go

KIRK MILLAR: the Athletic youngster is one of a host of players out of contract at the end of the season. See panel.

Cut in playing budget does’t faze Latics boss
ATHLETIC manager Lee Johnson is “excited” about his task next season — despite a cut in the playing budget.

The Boundary Park club spent more in 2012-13 than in the previous two campaigns, according to chairman Simon Corney.

With a new stand to pay for and a troubling financial climate, even the lucrative televised FA Cup run hasn’t prevented a tightening of the purse strings.

Johnson’s main focus, ahead of tomorrow’s last-day visit to Leyton Orient, remains putting together a playing roster capable of starting strongly in next season’s League One.

Johnson reckons he will start with 14 or 15 players in training at the start of July. “I am okay with it. I am not disappointed, but excited what we can do with it.

“Obviously, it will depend on which players come and go and who is available. What I am worried about, if I am honest, is that it is hard to blend a group when potentially there could be so many changes.”

“What will happen is that people will hold out and then panic in July. That’s when we will get the quality for the wages we can afford. But will they be fit enough? They will probably have been training on their own and not to the intensity we require. We don’t want to be getting to six weeks into the season, still having to get someone fit.”

Johnson remains silent about the identities of current players offered contracts for next season and is concentrating on the job of finding new players.

“There will be times when we think we have got a player, we get excited and then at the last minute he dives off, or his agent wants another £10,000. I don’t think, morally, they are the sort of people I want anyway.

“Personalities are so important and we will only punch above our weight by getting the right characters in.”

Athletic forward and Chronicle columnist Robbie Simpson, who is out of contract this summer, says whether he remains at the club may depend on how Johnson chooses to apportion his budget.

“It is up to him and what the budget is as to whether I stay. I turned down a few clubs in the summer offering more and took a pay cut from what I was on at Huddersfield.

“The way the manager is talking of pushing for the play-offs, I would like to stay here. But it is whether he wants to keep me and if the budget allows for it.”




OUT OF CONTRACT:

Dean Bouzanis

Jean-Yves Mvoto

James Tarkowski

Lee Croft

Dean Furman

Robbie Simpson

Matt Smith

Cliff Byrne

Paul Murray

Kirk Millar

Connor Hughes

Liam Jacob

Carl Winchester

David Mellor

Alex Cisak *

Connor Brown *

Dan Taylor *

Glenn Belezika *

* = option for a further 12 months



UNDER CONTRACT:

Jonathan Grounds

James Wesolowski

Cristian Montano

Jose Baxter