Liam Lawrence has urged Pompey to resolve their contract dispute with Michael Brown and Richard Hughes.
Midfielder calls for club to sort contract dispute with team-mates
Portsmouth midfielder Liam Lawrence has urged the club to resolve their contract dispute with Michael Brown and Richard Hughes.
The midfield pair have been frozen out in recent weeks due to a clause in their contracts which states that if they play one more game for Pompey, they will be entitled to new deals on wages the club claim they cannot afford.
Their absence has left manager Steve Cotterill with a squad of just 17 players to choose from as he aims to steer the club to mid-table security.
The situation is currently at a standstill with no talks being held between the players and chief executive David Lampitt for a month, despite Hughes revealing he wants to waive the clause and instead take a 50 per cent pay cut.
But Lawrence is eager for all parties to re-open negotiations before the matter causes further damage to team morale.
"It's very, very, very frustrating with Brownie and Hughesie," he told
The News.
"I just wish the club would sort it out because they have a good set of players here and if they add to it, and sort Brownie and Hughesie out, we could really go places.
No greed
"They have offered to take massive, massive cuts but the club are not even speaking to them. They are not being greedy and I just wish the club would come back and say 'right, OK then, let's talk about this' or 'let's try to do this', but they are just not interested.
"These players come down here every game, they are in the dressing rooms, they travel to away games, they are part of things - yet they can't play, they can't do their job. It really makes me angry.
"The manager is working with both hands behind his back at times and it is frustrating because he is a good guy. He's professional and just wants this club to do well."
