TOPIC: 4 offered new contracts

Atkinson, Asamoah, Balanta and Thompson


Some are until the end of the season, some are longer term.


Quite surprised Balanta has got a new offer. He's been out of the picture for a while now, especially knowing Curle wants to bring 3 new players in next month.

Suprised about Thompson and Balanta to be honest, I thought they would have been released. Hope both Atkinson & Asamoah sign up.

Very surprised about Balanta.
Has shown next to nothing when played, and been anonymous on the pitch most of the time.
Also can't even remember the last time he was involved in a match day squad.
Thought he would've been out the door.

I wouldn't say he's offered nothing. he started off brightly, put in good performances against Chesterfield, QPR and Dagenham(Scored). But his form dipped over past few months and he's been out of the squad altogether for a while. That's why I'm surprised he's got the offer.

I'm not surprised Thompson got an offer. He's nearly always in the match day squad and has been coming off the bench a lot.

Wouldn't be surprised if Thompson and Balanta are offered 6 month contracts and Atkinson & Asamoah 18 month ones.

Also said he's offered contracts to other players. Grainger and Raynes would be top of the list i would think.

my guess.....Atkinson 18 month. Balanta, Asamoah and Thompson 6 month deals.

as for players out of contract next season.......Grainger, Raynes, Dicker ?

TheLazyLewisGuy wrote:
I'd imagine Ibehre would be quite high up the list as well. And maybe Wyke.

Would expect Miller, Grainger, Jabo, Wyke and possibly Raynes to have been offered longer deals.

Am surprised that Balanta has been offered something and with talk of three new signings others must be on their way to free up space and wages. I'd expect Brough to be loaned out for experience and a couple of the transfer listed lot like Sweeney, Troy and Dicker to go

Does Jabo not have a clause in where its upto Jabo to extend if he wants, so technically there is an off there for him.

Carlisle United have agreed a one-year deal with striker Jabo Ibehre, with a view to a further 12 months.

The Archer wrote:
I think both Sweeney and Dicker will get new deals. Sweeney has shown his versatility and is a great team player. Dicker likewise has been much improved this season. Sadly I think it is in Troy's interests to move on.

My feeling on one of the 'new signings' is that it will be announced just after New Year and it won't add to the wage bill. Overall I don't think KC has much to do in the January window in order to tweak the squad so that we are serious promotion challengers.

carwash wrote:
If we are serious about moving up a level we shouldn't be extending contracts beyond this summer of players who aren't regular starters.

While both Sweeney and Dicker have impressed at times this season in an improved team, there'll be plenty of better players available in the summer to come in and challenge the likes of Joyce and Kennedy.

The key to moving forward is to have the best possible players in your squad, and Dicker and Sweeney aren't up to League One standard if that's where we want to be

carwash wrote:

Glad someone mentioned Sweeney i'd like to see him kept on as he's been much improved this season. Good squad player who scores some decent goals and is always commited. Fair play to him!

Atkinson and Asamoah are both key players that should have been tied up months ago.
Ballanta and Thompson are presumably on peanuts, it's Curles call - if he wants to keep them on I am not going to slag him off.
Personally I just don't see them as Carlisle players, they are more a couple of guys who appear occasionally with our shirt on - just my opinion...

Thompson and Balanta obviously have qualities which make them integral to the squad or else Curle would release them. Having a squad is important as it makes training more competitive and your match day squad more competitive to break into. Fergie had some bang average players during his time O'Shea, Fletcher etc but they were important to his success. I think there's a player in Joe Thompson and lets not forget he fairly recently recovered from cancer. I think the squad mucking in and helping the public during recent events has bought them all more time and rightly so... That's what we want from our club after all.

If we keep going the way we are we will go up. Question for Curle is who is good enough to keep us in L1. Not sure Balanta, Thomson, Raynes or Asamoah are good enough at that level

Without being a prolific goalscorer, Asamoah could play at the level above IMO. Talent wise he's probably one of our best players, and with his pace he'll always have a chance of doing well.

crunchblue wrote:
He's 35 in May so he's doing well to keep his pace. I'd hang onto him for another year though.

I thought Thompson offered nothing to the team, when Brough and him played on either wing there is no supply line. however more recently Thompson seems to be improving, he skinned 2 players on the left wing the other week and has had better games than at the start of the season. Whether he has got what it takes i don't know.
Balanta seems to be going the opposite way. shone in a match scored in one but has gone awol since.

cyberslob wrote:
You will only see the best of players after a good run of games Thompson and Balanta both have had limited pitch time so hard to judge them but you need a squad of players and I assume they impress off the pitch and in training bearing in mind KC seems to make a big deal of mental strength and attitude..my opinion is that you trust management team as they have made very few bad choices in recruitment and either of these players could well be excellent given a run of games

I hope Atkinson and Asamoah have 18 month contracts.

Surprised regarding Balanta's offer as he hasn't featured in the match day squad in recent weeks. However, I do think he has something to offer. At QPR he was absolutely superb in the first half.

My guess would be that we will have a big backlog of games. At least with Thompson and Balanta Curle knows what he is getting and he doesn't have to go out and try to recruit. No signing on fees as well

May have been offered on the strength of what they bring to the dressing room. This year's success is as much about the team dynamic as skill sets.

Prawncrackhead wrote:
That sounds like Sugar on The Apprentice!

Atkinson has signed his.

Until June 2017

Grainger has extended until 2017 as well

Good news on both of them crunchblue.

walwynlegend wrote:
Agreed - Atkinson arguably the best defender at the club, and Grainger has been excellent this season. Can't be many better crossers of a ball in this division.

MerseysideBlue wrote:
"Grainger has a left foot the could peel an orange" - Notts County reporter

These two are probably the two most improved from last season, good to have them sorted for next season

Very good news, both easily good enough to be successful in Division One.

I, personally, don't like Grainger taking all the dead ball kicks on the right hand side of the pitch.

It can leave a big gap if the opposition return the ball quickly - the Plymouth keeper, McCormick, noticed this and belted the ball into our exposed spaces at the back before we had time to re-shape.We have other options, Atkinson, Miller and Gillead to name but three.

Some supporters are very fickle as the messageboard last season and early this were critical and slagging Grainger all the time myself included.

Last season he was dreadful, no complaints really this season although he's defending can be shocking at times. I'd struggle to see him doing well in league 1 as a defender anyway but we have to get there first don't we.

No issues with Atkinson, improving all the time.

Balanta and Asamoah have signed until the end of the season.

I've criticised Grainger often enough in the past but he has done very well in the last couple of months and looks much more comfortable further forward on the left.

Pleased they have all agreed, I think when the squad is working so hard for each other it's good to keep them all together.
Particularly pleased to read that Derek has signed. he's one of those rare players who, when it really matters, has the ability to dig out that little bit more.

By the end of the season DA will have been here long enough to qualify as a bit of a Carlisle legend. Pleased to see that continuity.

Has Thompson signed?

Can I say I'm particularly impressed that the contracts have obviously been offered with a deadline and they have been signed by at least 4 players.

What happened to offering a contract and then waiting 6 months for players to tout themselves around the country before crawling back to sign up cos no one else wants them!!!

Should we be slightly concerned that Curle still hasn't signed his own contract?

daviejones wrote:
not really. Curle says its going to get sorted, not sure why he'd lie

TheLazyLewisGuy wrote: Seems strange that the players have been offered contracts and signed them in a relatively short time while Curle had his sorted ages ago and yet nothing is signed. I doubt there's anything in it but it's been silent for a little while now.

daviejones wrote:
Yeah this silence thing is unusual isn't it. Not like cufc at all

torbayblue wrote:

Sorry the "dead ball kicks" quote made me laugh haha what is this MLS? Just joking by the way.