CONFIRMED Ryan Leonard

[BushBlade]

Other than them both being central midfielders, Leonard is nothing whatsoever like Coutts as a player.

It's also a good job you aren't a club's CEO in charge of transfer negotiations - you'd cost them an unnecessary fortune. In fact, your surname isn't Ridsdale is it?

I haven't seen him. Well I have but I can't remember what he's like. I understand he has a good passing range and good control so how is he different from Coutts? What part of Coutts' game does he lack?

 

[Mouth of the South]

I haven't seen him. Well I have but I can't remember what he's like. I understand he has a good passing range and good control so how is he different from Coutts? What part of Coutts' game does he lack?

I've probably seen him ~6 times live and another few times on the box so I'm certainly not an authority on him and will bow down to those who watch him more regularly but from what I've seen he's as good a passer of the ball as Coutts but is stronger, has a better engine, is more mobile and scores more.

I'm not sure he'd be a perfect match for Fleck - possibly more so with Lundstram.

 

[BushBlade]

I've probably seen him ~6 times live and another few times on the box so I'm certainly not an authority on him and will bow down to those who watch him more regularly but from what I've seen he's as good a passer of the ball as Coutts but is stronger, has a better engine, is more mobile and scores more.

I'm not sure he'd be a perfect match for Fleck - possibly more so with Lundstram.

Cheers, I'm surprised you say he might not be a perfect match for Fleck. Is it because he'll want to go forward more and Fleck would have to stay deep more often?

 

[Woodwardfan]

In the case of Leonard, out of contract is he in the summer, the difference in the transfer fee may be £500k between 1st January and 31st January.

That essential time scale works both ways though, southend need to get on track and settle quickly too.

Lafferty and Hanson might be just what Southend need, there are all sorts of ways to 'skin a cat'.

If none of ours appeal to Brown then what's £500k in the whole scheme of things?

Leonard looks real quality in L1 and L2. Can he play in the Prem in two years time - that's the point at issue.

No? Go elsewhere. I wouldn't have a clue.

 

[BushBlade]

As we well know the play offs are a lottery, but you have to be in it, to win it.

Ryan Leonard should guarantee that we don't slip out of the play off positions, which is looking likely the more we go on without a proper ball playing centre midfield player. It has to be Leonard or someone else and the fact that we have made another bid early December suggests there is no one else on the horizon.

Under the present circumstances they have us over a barrel - sadly we have to pay more than normal for a player out of contract next summer.

Other clubs may come "looking" to take some of our better players in the summer, so we can't afford to let this opportunity slip by of being in that end of season 4 team lottery. What's the prize worth? £100+ million. Just remember, getting into the playoffs will guarantee revenue from at least semi final play off games and hopefully a PO final which won't have been accounted for. We would make £500K from our semi final home leg alone with gate receipts and TV money.

If there is money to spend, go and get Leonard.

Someone posted the other day - Coutts isn't our best player, but he is the most important and we must put that type of player back in the team.

UTB

Agree. If Leonard is as good as the reports and steps up to the championship like Fleck has done, he'll be worth a lot more than we paid for him, even if that is a bit 'over the odds'. We can't lowball this deal, that would be tipping the balance too far towards financial considerations and too far away from footballing ones. It would be spoiling the ship for a ha'peth of tar. And if we can't find the money for him, then I'll be very disappointed with our owners and their short sighted parsimony.

I think we'll get him.

 

[Ricky]

Can he play in the Prem in two years time - that's the point at issue.

This should be near the bottom of the priority list of questions to be asked about any potential new signing.

If someone can help get us up, we shouldn't hesitate to sign them.

Firstly, as soon as you're promoted you're financially sorted and can afford to make losses on players, and sign replacements.

Secondly, if a player contributes to getting you promoted it's very unlikely that their value won't have increased, giving you a likely profit if you do decide to sell.

 

[Bladesthorpe]

Has anyone thought he could make as much difference as Hussey, Stearman, Thomas, Hennigan ect, then CW would get pelters on here for spending to much to get him.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Has anyone thought he could make as much difference as Hussey, Stearman, Thomas, Hennigan ect, then CW would get pelters on here for spending to much to get him.

yes, he might just turn out to be one of those - have you thought about finishing 7th in the league?

I suppose we expect Paul Mitchel to have done his homework and hopefully CW & AK to agree.

We NEED options in CM - we don't have them at present. Some believe RL was the replacement for Coutts when we tried to sign him in the summer and don't really think anything has changed at the budget level we work at.

UTB

 

[SUFC Guy]

Other than them both being central midfielders, Leonard is nothing whatsoever like Coutts as a player.

It's also a good job you aren't a club's CEO in charge of transfer negotiations - you'd cost them an unnecessary fortune. In fact, your surname isn't Ridsdale is it?

Oooo look at you. Why so condescending? I mistakenly thought he was the same type of player reading feom other users comments but hey ho!

Try a little constructive criticism for a change so you dont come across as such a pumped up pompous prick

UTB

 

[SUFC Guy]

Oooo look at you. Why so condescending? I mistakenly thought he was the same type of player reading feom other users comments but hey ho!

Try a little constructive criticism for a change so you dont come across as such a pumped up pompous prick

UTB

Reading this back I take back the word 'prick' as that was a little harsh sorry - not a great day.
The rest still stands though

UTB

 

[Dellas Cowboys]

Cheers, I'm surprised you say he might not be a perfect match for Fleck. Is it because he'll want to go forward more and Fleck would have to stay deep more often?

He doesn't speak Scottish

 

[Snowman]

Given Leonard's contract status, I expected any offers to be lower than they were over summer.

I agree that £700k (if true and if not the overall total including add-ons) is a huge amount for a player with his playing record and must show that CW's wants him badly and is keen to get his transfer wrapped up ASAP.

I still have a sneaky feeling that he'l end up at Millwall although the probably won't be until the summer if Southend are rejecting such offers.

Unfortunately I think you may be correct. This is a problem for me as I have always believed we should have got him and playing the "hard card" means we have been left with a substitute.

 

[BushBlade]

Has anyone thought he could make as much difference as Hussey, Stearman, Thomas, Hennigan ect, then CW would get pelters on here for spending to much to get him.

It wouldn't matter if he signed for £1m or £1 if he were shit. Shit's shit. Wilder job is to sign good players, he's done well so far. Well enough to be trusted with money.

 

[Pinchy]

As we well know the play offs are a lottery, but you have to be in it, to win it.

Ryan Leonard should guarantee that we don't slip out of the play off positions, which is looking likely the more we go on without a proper ball playing centre midfield player. It has to be Leonard or someone else and the fact that we have made another bid early December suggests there is no one else on the horizon.

Under the present circumstances they have us over a barrel - sadly we have to pay more than normal for a player out of contract next summer.

Other clubs may come "looking" to take some of our better players in the summer, so we can't afford to let this opportunity slip by of being in that end of season 4 team lottery. What's the prize worth? £100+ million. Just remember, getting into the playoffs will guarantee revenue from at least semi final play off games and hopefully a PO final which won't have been accounted for. We would make £500K from our semi final home leg alone with gate receipts and TV money.

If there is money to spend, go and get Leonard.

Someone posted the other day - Coutts isn't our best player, but he is the most important and we must put that type of player back in the team.

UTB

Coutts is our best player.

 

[Pinchy]

I've probably seen him ~6 times live and another few times on the box so I'm certainly not an authority on him and will bow down to those who watch him more regularly but from what I've seen he's as good a passer of the ball as Coutts but is stronger, has a better engine, is more mobile and scores more.

I'm not sure he'd be a perfect match for Fleck - possibly more so with Lundstram.

He’s not in the same class as Coutts, the Rolls-Royce. Nowhere near.

 

[JayGreen17]

Unfortunately I think you may be correct. This is a problem for me as I have always believed we should have got him and playing the "hard card" means we have been left with a substitute.

And buying him in the Jan window will mean we actually spent money, more money on 2 players instead of paying that little bit more for the actually player we wanted in the first place.

 

[boo radley]

Who's Ryan Leonard?

 

[Reedy1889]

Just seen a article online (HITC) saying we're going in again and we're upping the bid by....

£50k.

 

[Toronto Blade fan]

Wow...a whopping 50k! We must be serious about bringing in RL.

 

[Ricky]

It's from The Mirror. Who also say Coutts has a season ending knee injury.

An extra 50k is very generous. 700k is enough in the first place.

Last January we didn't even have to pay half that for Samir Carruthers - a younger player and probably a higher rated one.

 

[HoodedClaw]

Spot on Fulwood...This is the promised land we are talking about and as usual we seem to be f@@@@@@@ about over a couple of hundred thousand. Bristol City spent 4m on a player in the summer and we are fannying around hoping to pick a player up on the cheap from Southend...only at Bramall Lane eh ?

This is not about spunking millions, it's about buying a player Wilder has been after for.months and the need is even greater with Coutts injury. It seems to be well documented we have one of the lowest budgets in the division and this seems to be proving it...Southend ffs!!!

You are aware their owner is a billionaire

https://www.forbes.com/profile/stephen-lansdown/

In 2016 McCabe valued around £97m and the Prince around £93m in 2013

https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/yorkshire/rich-list-countdown-reaches-100m-fortunes
https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/spo...-run-yorkshire-s-footballing-empire-1-6035739

 

[Toronto Blade fan]

How nice would it be to have a billionaire backing CW.

 

[robbiez666]

Leonard for anything up to £1 million is a no-brainer for me. Twice player of the season. A position we need to sign someone in. 25 and likely to improve. Good re-sale value. Sensible wage.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Leonard for anything up to £1 million is a no-brainer for me. Twice player of the season. A position we need to sign someone in. 25 and likely to improve. Good re-sale value. Sensible wage.

yep, no brainer for me too. Not really a gamble and we all know we are getting a decent footballer.

Would you trust CW & AK to make him better? - think most would.

UTB

 

[Sheffsteel]

yep, no brainer for me too. Not really a gamble and we all know we are getting a decent footballer.

Would you trust CW & AK to make him better? - think most would.

UTB

Wilder has always said he’ll only pay a fair price for players and not get desperate giving in to agents etc.
There’s no way a player with a modest lower league career is worth 1 million with only 6 month left on his contract.

I think the main factors will be how keen Leonard is himself to join us. Wilder will be in contact with the agent and player.
Is he willing to sign a pre contract to join us next season
And what other midfield targets are available and how much they’ll cost.

 

[bertieblade]

If we agree a pre contract with him to sign at the end of the season which mitigates the fee we would have to pay to get him now, this money can be used to loan a quality premiership midfield player for the balance of this season.

 

[mancunianblade]

If we agree a pre contract with him to sign at the end of the season which mitigates the fee we would have to pay to get him now, this money can be used to loan a quality premiership midfield player for the balance of this season.

Presuming of course he would sign s pre contract and a I don’t think he would

 

[Booker4]

Wilder has always said he’ll only pay a fair price for players and not get desperate giving in to agents etc.
There’s no way a player with a modest lower league career is worth 1 million with only 6 month left on his contract.

I think the main factors will be how keen Leonard is himself to join us. Wilder will be in contact with the agent and player.
Is he willing to sign a pre contract to join us next season
And what other midfield targets are available and how much they’ll cost.

We need a centre mid now though, not next season, and I dare say, we might be looking at a higher calibre player next summer than we are now, hopefully in the Premier League but if not then a more established player with a view to a stronger promotion push.

I think Leonard must be extremely annoyed with Southend right now as there promotion push isn't strong and he's missed out on a move to one of the Championship's high flyers and he'd be likely to be in the team now. £700,000 seems a decent fee to me and Ron is just being stubborn and it will cost him with Leonard leaving for nothing come the end of the season.

 

[stringer]

Coutts is our best player.

He's not even United's best midfielder.

Presuming of course he would sign s pre contract and a I don’t think he would

Genuine question; do you know him well enough to qualify that statement?

 

[Pinchy]

He's not even United's best midfielder.

We’ll have to agree to differ, mate. My view, which as you know is the only one that matters, is that he is the best of three excellent midfielders. Our dip and his injury have not happened by co-incidence.

None of that is intended to diminish Fleck and Duffy. I all three. I also rate Lundstram and think he will get better. I bet they would all like the Coutts-Royce back, though.