It looks like we're going to make a play for to retain Stephen Kelly next year. He played extremely well after coming over from Tottenham, so even with Terrell Forbes still in the squad, you can certainly see why we'd want him. It looks like Olly wants to do a year-long loan of him for next year (a la Williams this year). http://www.teamtalk.com/teamtalk/News/Story_Page/0,7760,623243,00.html http://www.football365.com/All_News/Football_League_News/story_69049.shtml According to these stories, Kelly just signed a three-year deal with Spurs and we're looking to capure him for all of 03/04. (I'd read in the Hammersmith & Fulham Gazette that he'd signed a new two-year deal with Spurs, although maybe it was a two-year extension).
I agree -- we need to keep him. As I recall, Carlisle is under contract for one more year, but it comes down to whether they will sell him now or risk losing him on a free next year. The quotes I read in the Gazette had him saying all the right things about wanting to come back no matter what. I hope they take a chance and keep him, thinking that if we go up, we may be able to afford to retain him in the First Division. Plus, since he's still not a full year past his injury, maybe any transfer offers might not be enough to be worth losing him this year anyway. If we're able to run out a defense like we did at the end of the year all next season, we'll be extremely tough to beat. This is good stuff: Padula--Carlisle--Shittu--Kelly -------------Day------------ (and we have Culkin, Forbes, Palmer, and even Rose available to back them up even before we add to the squad)