These contracts people are always conjuring up for duds like Lingard or crocks like Jones literally never happen.
Yes they do, Lingard and Jones are good examples of 'hanging on'. Jones has survived four (five if you include SAF) managers and Lingard four, Mata also gone through four managers. There
must be something about these players that we (fans) don't see, but the managers do. Leaving aside SAF, Moyes, LvG, Jose and Ole have all kept faith with these players for one reason or another, offered new contracts in a lot of cases, or extended existing ones.
ETH is likely to be the same, he will want to see what can be salvage from the motley crew he has inherited. If your predecessors have kept faith with these players then he will want to do the same, until he can judge for himself.
These short term/zero hours type contracts may well fit the bill.
That's what we should do, actually.
It would not surprise me in the least
Not sure if you're serious but this scenario is never going to happen.
I wouldn't bet against it!
ETH cannot turf everyone out, all at once and yes those out of contract now, make the best option to offer short term contracts, because they are the 'low hanging fruit'. However ETH may want to get rid of some of those still 'in contract' and we shall get a better idea of his overall management ability if he can start to dislodge a few of these, in his first season.