Lincoln City
Should I Stay or Should I Go : Stallard
By Nathan Jackson
April 1 2008
Mark Stallard is one of many Imps players who are set of leave Sincil Bank in the summer, but is the striker worth a new contract despite barely scoring this season? His average of a goal once every seven games this is one of the worst ratios at the club and I think he'll certainly be lucky to be offered a new contract in just over a month after the season has ended. Mark Stallard join the Imps just under 2 years ago and he has played 71 games in that time. He has scored 21 goals in that time, although just four of those have come this season. He has scored in just 14 of his games in an Imps shirt having scored five braces, the last being against Hartlepool in the JP Trophy this season. Infact, the last time he scored a goal that would have made a difference to the result (i/e a draw becomes a win, loses becomes a draw or a loss becomes a win) was when he scored the winning goal against Torquay last season.
If this had been 12 months ago then I would have said without doubt that I would want Stallard to be offered a new contract. 12 months ago he was seemingly still full of energy and still looked like he had that hunger to play professional football. However, I can't say the same now.
Mark Stallard's performances have been seriously affected by his age seemingly catching up to him. Despite a fair few injuries he's still made over 20 league appearances this season, but no matter how you twist it you can't be impressed by just 2 league goals, especially when one was an open goal from around a yard.
It's hard for me to give any reasonable defensive evidence to say why he should be offered a new contract. He doesn't score that often, gets injured far too easily, gets suspended for stupidly hitting out at opposition players and doesn't have the same impact on the side that he used to have.
The game against Barnet was a fine example of Stallard's impact on games when many Barnet fans said "Lincoln didn't look even slightly dangerous until Stallard was replaced by Ben Wright."
In my opinion, if we are to challenge for promotion next then we don't, with all due respect to Stallard, need passengers along the way.
RELATED PAGES
STALLARD'S 3 BEST GAMES (IN MY OPINION)
Hartlepool - 9/10/2007 (Johnstone's Paint Trophy)
Do you think Stallard is worth of a new contract is should be released? Post your opinion below.
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He has had plenty of injuries and it is impossible to know whether this is time catching up with him or whether he has been unlucky. It is possible he could come back and his career may not yet be over.
Easily the hardest choice for me, but overall I think I would release him.
One of those signings who when he arrived people moaned that it was not a high-profile signing but his partnership last season with Forrester was as good as any forward pairing since I can remember since Bell and Hobson in 1982/83.
I have nothing but positive things to say Mark Stallard and am disappointed that I feel he should be released. However, sentiment should play no part in the decision.
I would say, go (just), however, ONLY if we have a list of probable replacements who have quality. What I would not want to happen is for us to let him go, end up with no-one else, and to end up with Ryan and Mettam quality players instead. WE have had too many Ellis Remys in the recent past.
Quote:79imp
Excellent last season and his substitution early in the 2nd half against Bristol Rovers in the Play-offs was possibly the worst managerial decision I have ever witnessed and in my view, cost us the chance of getting back into the game.
I have to agree completely with that. He was the only player who looked dangerous at the time. After the first 10 minutes we dominated and if we'd kept Stallard on the pitch then we'd probably have won.
Then again, his replacement (Gritton) forced Phillips into a mistake that only just avoided going in. If we'd have drawn level on the night we would have gone on to go through.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008:04:02:15:17:05 by abebaby.
Hasnt been the best this season but he has had injury setbacks
When he is on form he is a quality player
Quote:abebaby
I would offer him a six month contract purely because of his injury situation. A good preseason and return to match fitness and I think he has another year in him. We need to make sure that options to make a change are available to us in January if things don't turn out right.
Interesting idea. They've been happy to give six months contracts to less deserving cases and maybe this could work in everybodys favour. Maybe I'll change my vote to release him...
Quote:abebaby
I would offer him a six month contract purely because of his injury situation. A good preseason and return to match fitness and I think he has another year in him. We need to make sure that options to make a change are available to us in January if things don't turn out right.
Don't agree. His form and fitness already dipped in the second half of last season. He's not getting any younger and the older you get the longer it takes to get over injuries. Six-month contracts have been offered to youngsters when the management feels it needs more time to make an assessment. This is not the case with Stallard. Plus, it is very difficult to find players in the January "mercato". A six-month deal in my view would be fair to neither Club nor player and, in my view, it's time for both to move on.
Quote:niceimp
Don't agree. His form and fitness already dipped in the second half of last season
Whose form didn't dip in the second half of last season? I think he was still one of our better players in the latter stages of the season. Two goals against Swindon and one of the few who still looked dangerous in the play-off matches...and I'm sure there were other performances to match.
2Johns ruined him!
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