WHEN Stuart McCall signed a new two- year contract with Motherwell this week he did not bother to ask if any of his players would need to borrow his pen.
The club's manager has now settled his future but is aware that the intentions of the prominent members of his squad are still an open issue; the likes of Nicky Law, Darren Randolph, Tom Hateley, Simon Ramsden, Chris Humphrey, Michael Higdon, James McFadden, Steven Saunders and Omar Daley all out of contract at the end of the season. News that Bob McHugh agreed a new deal the other day was never going to stem the intrigue.
McCall is an approachable character but even he must be short on patience when it comes to being grilled over the future of his squad. His assertion that Motherwell will be in a position to begin offering terms "in a few weeks" will appease some, although the Fir Park manager does not expect that all of his side will remain for next season. A win over Dundee this afternoon will help consolidate second place in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League but there are those who will choose to seek a fresh challenge.
All that McCall would say is that he has "a rough idea" of who will not agree to a new contract and the impact on his squad could be sizeable, if not unexpected. "I'll be confident that we'll keep a few but likewise I know that we'll lose a couple," said McCall yesterday.
"We'll try to make inroads in the next few weeks on the ones we think we can offer terms to. Maybe some players will wait and see but we will put a time limit on it. We need to know where we are going."
Steven Hammell is one of those who is on the books for next season, a couple of Mai Tai's with McCall in Magaluf sealing the deal. "It was a surreal moment but it was a fantastic day and, no joking, that did go a long way to convincing me to stay," said the full-back.
He may be tempted to raise a glass to departed friends this summer, with Dundee all but guaranteed relegation. Not that you would get much more than a grimace from John Brown should such a suggestion be made to the interim manager of the Dens Park side.
"We can take a lot of hope from the derby game [a 1-1 draw with United in their last competitive game]," said Brown, whose side are 13 points adrift at the foot of the table. "That spoke volumes for the character of the lads and we'll have to be like that again for the Motherwell match. This game can't come quickly enough for them."
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