Keeping hold of players

[Bucksblade]

This comes across as a challenge to the board come what may at the end of the season.

Very much a repeat of Charles Green and im walking.

My view is keep a nucleus of players on the rise or have a couple more high level years like Bash from the old guard. But face facts, the team of 2017/18 era is getting long in tooth and the likes of Baldock, Stevens Flecky and co have been found out a bit this year. A clear out of some is required and promote 3 or 4 of the under 23s and bring them on. I would keep Sharp rather like wilder kept Jags as a dressing room leader and send him out on his coaching courses as he could well be a Wilder mark 2 (well hopefully the best bits). The midfield is crying out for change and same for at least 2 up top and in defence so that indicates at least 4 new pacy Brentford like arrivals.

 

[Champagneblade]

I just hope we can keep hold of Jack Rodwell...

Got to find him first!

 

[Bucksblade]

Sorry but I just can`t see that there will be PL interest in Berge, he`s injured and about 2 stone overweight, unproven at that level and overrated by many on here.

Berge could be a great player but not for Blades. Since he came in it has been finding a round hole for a square peg to fit in. Too slow from central midfield and the tema have mostly never looked balanced. Recover the money and buy in more nimble ball players like the players we should have bought but Villa nicked them and find 2 or 3 creatives not just a sole one who gets blocked out or injured and then we are buggered.

 

[The Crab]

Got to find him first!

More chance of finding Jimmy Hoffa........

 

[Champagneblade]

Fingers crossed! For his sake I hope he’s happy with that, because otherwise we will probably have to loan him out to a club in league one.

Although he's not got going with us, weren't Palace interested but didn't fancy the buy back clause?

If they bought direct from us that could be removed.

 

[ancientblade]

I can see Norwich bidding £7-8 million for JOC In the summer.We need some back up for Grant Hanley in case he gets an injury. We tend to buy from lower league clubs

haha funny canary t**t we will be passing your lot in the other direction year after next then might offer you 5m for cantwell and buendia

 

[MalmoBlade]

A fit O'Connell and Egan I would dearly love to keep.

Bash will probably stay because of his age, his settled status, decent contract, and I'm happy with that.

To be honest, I'm really not bothered about anyone else. Yes I know, empty stadia, injuries, blah blah blah but FFS this shower can hardly string a couple of passes together this season and you don't need the kop shouting at you to be able to kick the ball straight. Other teams have managed it.

 

[alcoblade]

Although he's not got going with us, weren't Palace interested but didn't fancy the buy back clause?

If they bought direct from us that could be removed.

I think so - but before buying they’ll study the tapes of actual performance at that level. There’s not a chance in hell that a premier league club would be interested now.

His contribution has been so dire that even the player himself’s got to know this, and have adjusted his expectations.

 

[jono_t2000]

What happens if a player says he wants to leave? we‘ve never faired well in these situations, will we get a good price or is it more of get rid quick?

This... Wilder has also said that he's a manager who if a player doesn't want to be at the club he won't stand in their way.. so if a prem club does come knocking and a player says he wants to continue to play prem footy... which Wilder statement holds true??

 

[BlairBlade]

Precisely.

It makes "financial sense" if I stop eating and drinking

Apparently funerals are rather expensive these days.

 

[BlairBlade]

I don't understand this idea that we'll lose players. Most of our players were considered lower league tryers. After our first season some of them could've been snapped up, but they weren't and the idea that anyone would be interested in them after they've shown they actually are lower league tryers (who sometimes dont try) is bonkers.
Even Berge hasn't shown he's worth a punt. At best he's shown a bit of skill in an underwhelming team. At best. Unless he has a very generous release clause, he's going nowhere.
JOC is the only one I see as being a target, but no one's going to take him after his injury. January maybe, if he's back to his former self. Egan is a slight possibility, but I think he knows where his bread is buttered, especially since I don't see a big team coming in for him. The rest are either too old, too crap or haven't shown anything to tempt an offer.
(Watch them leave in droves now I've posted this)

CW said it himself after Leicester that the 10 outfield players were Championship or League One players.
(In that interview I did notice that he didn’t gauge his level of management.)

 

[BlairBlade]

My view is keep a nucleus of players on the rise or have a couple more high level years like Bash from the old guard. But face facts, the team of 2017/18 era is getting long in tooth and the likes of Baldock, Stevens Flecky and co have been found out a bit this year. A clear out of some is required and promote 3 or 4 of the under 23s and bring them on. I would keep Sharp rather like wilder kept Jags as a dressing room leader and send him out on his coaching courses as he could well be a Wilder mark 2 (well hopefully the best bits). The midfield is crying out for change and same for at least 2 up top and in defence so that indicates at least 4 new pacy Brentford like arrivals.

Maybe Sharpe could be an attacking coach - like Ferguson at Everton.
God knows, we need one.

 

[BarcaBlade]

agree, yet they are arguably our most consistent and reliable performers - does that say more about them or the rest?

You could argue, and I stress 'could', that a player at the end of their career is always likely to be more consistent/reliable (at whatever end of the spectrum) than a player at the start of their career. I was inconsistent and unreliable at the star of my career, but may have performed better on occasion than I now do.

 

[BarcaBlade]

Maybe Sharpe could be an attacking coach - like Ferguson at Everton.
God knows, we need one.

Ferggussone?

 

[BarcaBlade]

thing is hamburg if they can treble their salaries by moving their gonna do it and you wouldnt blame em for that hope your right if we can keep egan joc and berge plus bring in a couple of good championship midfielders i think were nailed on for a top 6 finish

They can only do that if some one offers them three times the pay. Who's going to do that?

 

[Sean Thornton]

When he says "financial sense" that is a very sweeping statement and it means that if somebody comes in with £3.50 and a bag of sherbet lemons but it gets them off the wage bill then we'll probably flog them.

McCabe has gone. Let it go......

 

[Sean Thornton]

Ferggussone?

 

[BarcaBlade]

View attachment 106244

Absolutely no idea. Was I hacked?

 

[Stu_Blade]

Just another case where I feel bad for managers having to given non-questions a non-answer. What's he supposed to say? We all know some players will leave, and we all know we have players we'd like to keep. If someone offered £50m for Berge (not that I think they will, just hypothetically) then he's out the door. If someone offers £5m for him then he stays. And somewhere in the middle is a tough decision.

This isn't a challenge to anyone. It's the same diplomatic response every manager has to give.

For me I don't get the value that is placed on players, I understand that in some cases you want to get your investment back and some more etc but how do you value a player. Berge signed at the time a 4 1/2 year contract and cost £22million. If you were to value him now would you say his value has gone up as he now has Premier League experience?

 

[Stu_Blade]

Further on the above when Brentford hold out for players crazy sums are being mentioned £40million etc as he is English and might be an international like its a good thing, a premium product should have pedigree but I don't understand where some of these valuations come from.

 

[bongleblade]

the 3 likely to go are egan joc and berge but thats it for me dont think we can let any more than that leave but for me thats a minimum 75m if all 3 go and would enable us to bring 5 or 6 good championship players in

If JOC goes i really do hope we go for Jake Cooper, he would be an excellent replacement imo, would 10m do it?

Egan and Berge are replaceable with any proven Championship CB or midfielder, infact, would we even look to replace Berge like for like? I’d say no... we need more of a CAM type

 

[bongleblade]

This... Wilder has also said that he's a manager who if a player doesn't want to be at the club he won't stand in their way.. so if a prem club does come knocking and a player says he wants to continue to play prem footy... which Wilder statement holds true??

a mix of both - wont stand in the way so long as your valuation is matched (aka just like any other club/manager)

 

[MJM]

I'd imagine Berge will leave, although I'd rather we keep hold of him. If we can make a profit on him, I don't really think we've got much choice.

The only other players I can imagine getting interest from PL teams would be Egan and Didz (even at his age).

In my opinion, the majority of players have proved that at PL level they were just a flash in the pan and they'll likely stay.