Coughlan: Newport County talk contracts at end of season

The Exiles have five games left to play in League Two, starting with a trip to Grimsby tomorrow, and have fallen out of contention for the play-offs because of a three-game losing streak.

Coughlan has started to plan for next season and has decided which members of his squad he would like to stay, but negotiations won’t start properly until the final day fixture at Bradford City on April 27 is done and dusted.

The likes of Omar Bogle, Offrande Zanzala, Aaron Wildig, Harry Charsley, James Waite and Harrison Bright are among the fit squad members who are out of contract this summer and the manager wants them concentrating on the task at hand.

“I will sit down with all of the players at the end of the season as soon as we have finished that Bradford game, like we did last year and like I have done at every football club,” said Coughlan.

“I like to sit down with them, look them in the eyes and have that conversation about the season and going forward.

“I don’t like going through agents or doing things through email, I like to sit down in front of the lads and have a man-to-man, personal conversation. That’s how I will do my business rather than phone calls, letters or emails.

“That’s what I will do at the end of the season but I don’t envisage too many changes because I would like to build on what we have done.”

County manager Graham Coughlan (Image: Huw Evans Agency)

County travel to Grimsby and then host Accrington, Tranmere and Salford before finishing at Valley Parade, with the boss hunting at least one more win to beat last season’s 57-point tally.

“Timing in football is everything,” said Coughlan. “I don’t think that it’s wise to start pulling people in January, February or March or before the last ball is kicked and deliver news.

“They could sit, rest and put their flip-flops on and say ‘that’s grand the gaffer has just offered me a new five-year deal’ or they could think ‘the gaffer doesn’t want me next year, why should I bother?’.

“There is a mindset and a mentality that you have to protect. You have to protect the player, the club and the dressing room.

“I don’t think it’s wise to have conversations with players prior to the end of the season, although we have opened negotiations with one or two who are injured.

“We’ve sat down and spoken to them because they can’t get on the pitch, so that mindset is protected.

“Players that are fit and healthy, you need to be cautious and timing is everything but the majority will know. I don’t think there will be any great surprises.

“On the whole the club has come on and progressed, while the dressing room has proven that when we are fit and healthy we are more than a match for most of the teams in this division.”