Who Goes Who Stays?

By: Bill Osborne
Date: 16/05/2001

With many players in the first team squad out of contract in July, Lennie Lawrence is also awaiting tonight's result between Portsmouth and Crystal Palace as this fixture may well decide the future of some of the players.

"If Palace don't win I shall be looking to be in action as early as Friday," he said to the Grimsby Telegraph. "There's a lot to do and we're not doing any of it. We've done nothing for three weeks. We still might have to wait another week, and that's another week of who's leaving and who's staying."

"We've been able to sort out some of the pre-season stuff, but it will be a busy old time. If we do stay up we are going to need some bodies in."

"We've lost a lot of people this season and they haven't been replaced. Zhang's gone, Fostervold and David Nielsen both went and they all made a contribution. They all played a part."

Lawrence indicated that he was looking to bring more players in or facing another struggle to stay in the first division next season if we survive this time.

"We need those sort of numbers again for the coming season because if we do it this year, we won't do it next year. We need to strengthen big time."

Two players who Lennie is looking to keep are Peter Handyside and Kevin Donovan, both of whom are looking to leave rather than face football in the second division.

If Portsmouth win or draw it looks like a busy two weeks for Lennie before players take their holidays. He can certainly do without waiting until after the summer break before he knows who he has got.

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