There are ten players waiting to learn their futures before the start of the new season. These players are out of contract and even if they are offered new deals, they are likely to be on significantly lower terms than before (especially those whose expiring deals were struck before the ITV Digital collapse), which may prompt them to walk away anyway. However, as far as I’m concerned, there is one man who should definitely get a new contract for next season. Worryingly, I also reckon he’s one of the players most likely to be released. That man is Mark Saunders.
I’ll make no secret in the fact that Saundo is one of my favourite Gills players of recent years. When you look through the players we’ve got at the club, Mark Saunders is by a country mile the most-committed player we have at the club. If we'd had eleven Saundo's on the pitch last season, we'd never have been relegated, I'm absolutely sure of that. Sadly, a horrific injury meant we couldn't even field one...
Saunders missed most of last season through a self-inflicted football injury – he went in for a tackle that was 60-40 against him. He probably thought it was 50-50, such is his mentality to battle and fight for the ball. Unfortunately, his challenge with Preston’s Claude Davis resulted in a broken leg and a season on the treatment table. His presence was soreley missed in a season where we lacked a strong leader on the field. Saunders brings a certain air of authority into the side – and his versatility has seen him do many a job for the team playing out of position. He was playing as a right back when the injury ended his season – and many fans worried for his career. The break could be heard from 50 yards away.
But Saunders is back. He spent the whole of last season working feverishly in the gym and with the club physio in an attempt to get back into the squad for the final games of the season. He nearly made it too, but time just beat him in his race to get fit.
He’s now back in full training – and despite being in and out of the gym for a lot of last season, Saunders has sacrificed his summer holiday plans in order to get fully fit for the start of the season. Contrast that with a number of the other out-of-contract players, who have had disappointingly bad seasons. They’re now on holiday - and some have already made statements to the press to the effect that they are frustrated at the lack of a contract offer already.
Some reports have described the players being on a 'well-deserved' summer holiday. Based on what we saw last season from those players, I'd beg to differ. If they'd put in as much effort throughout the season as they did in the last four months, we'd have survived. They didn't - and we're down. So I certainly wouldn't say they were on a well-deserved break. If I were in their position, I'd be rather concerned about my position at the club - and would be there doing whatever's necessary to demonstrate my commitment to the cause. After all, these players were directly responsible for our relegation, the least they can do (if they stay) is to show the required willingness to get us back up again.
This summer exodus leaves Neale Cooper at the club with virtually all the playing staff away for the summer. It can’t be the best situation for the new gaffer – and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was a little narked about it. However, one man whose commitment will be clear to see is Mark Saunders. He is sacrificing his summer in order to get fit and earn himself a new contract.
And If I was making those decisions, he’d be given a contract today.
The one thing that so often gets overlooked with Saunders is his actual ability. Everybody knows he’s a hard-as-nails battler, but he also has plenty of quality on the ball too. He’s more mobile than Smith, wins more tackles than Smith and passes the ball better than Smith, too. He even passes forwards. As a central midfielder, I rate Saunders significantly higher than our skipper. In fact as a captain, I rate Saunders significantly higher than our skipper, too. For my money, he’d be my captain for the new season, But he wouldn’t necessarily be in my midfield, as he would be equally as handy as a right back, too.
Whether it was in midfield or at right back, Saunders would definitely be in my team. If we’re going to get out of League One, then we need a proper leader out on the pitch – and we need a genuine inspiration. Mark Saunders, who’s made the progression from non-league player at Tiverton Town, to FA Cup Quarter Finalist, to Championship player, is the ideal man to lead the side for next season.
Give the man a proper contract, give him the armband and give him a place in the side. There’s no more deserving player at the football club.