Good Morning Everyone, Football League teams will be required to name at least one "club-developed player" in their matchday squads from the 2018-19 season, the EFL has announced. In a bid to increase the number of academy prospects who progress through to the first-team ranks, EFL sides will need to include at least one player who has been on their books for a minimum of 12 months prior to the end of their under-19 season. Should any club fail to name a club-developed player in their matchday squad, they will only be able to name six substitutes, rather than the normal allocation of seven (unless they're Leeds Utd, and the punishment will be a 15 points deduction). No developments with Monk's contract. Says the club are still to come to him for talks but says he's concentrated on the remaining games. Monk on whether contract talks will wait till end of season: "You'd need to ask the club, I can't speak for them. I'm focused on football." Thoughts? Would you have agreed with the percentage of people voting that hierarchy did not do enough during the January transfer window? (Sorry, you'll have to click on it to see percentages) Cooper has served one game ban already (Tuesday night) so his ban runs until the final match at Wigan. Then available for the play-offs.
Morning Elland and all. Of course the club didnt do enough in January. I posted elsewhere about Villa signing Hourihan from Bristol and how he has helped turn their season around. Of course, hes on 30k a week so out of our league as we have to try break even or as close as whereas Villas owners seem happy to lose 80m per season. Even if our owners put nothing into a transfer kitty this summer from their own pockets, which they wont, youd like to think the revenue from the extra 10k fans at every home game might at least be made available. Its all about ambition
Morning all, If it's all about ambition, then Villa better pull their neck in. Continue with losses like that & they'll be banned from signing anyone under the fair play rules. And splashing the cash rarely buys you success. It helps, but it's far from a guarantee. It's all very well criticising the board for not signing players, but bear in mind that they're working from a list prepared by GM, and if the players on the list don't want to sign for us, or their clubs won't sell, then it's hardly the board's fault, is it? I personally think we might have done better if we hadn't signed anyone in January. Our signings have hardly set the heather alight, and instead have effectively disrupted what was a close-knit team.
Morning Eire, I agree with what you're saying, but still a little surprised at the landslide 82% or so. I do think that whether we get promoted or not, we will get investment in the Summer. Villa are living beyond their means. We've been there before, plus surely they'll be him with FFP etc
Morning WJ, my thoughts entirely, tho probably too late already. I take your point about GM's list but Canos was on that list. He destroyed us (by all accounts) on Tuesday playing for Brentford. Reason! Leeds would not pay the 2m asking price.
I doo think the likes of Norwich, Derby and Villa be be more organised next season and can see them all vying for the top 6, let alone who comes down from the Prem.
I posted about Monk's contract last night. We have a years extension option we can invoke, so no panic. The present situation suits Monk, hence he's not bothered. If he's released, the won't be hampered with compensation claims or 'gardening leave'. If we're going to pick up the option, he can ask for the earth, as he knows there will be a serious riot if he gets us promoted & doesn't get a contract. I can't understand why the FL have brought in the home-grown youngster rule on their own. If anything, it should be an imposition on the PL clubs, so that you get youngsters getting PL experience, eventually preparing them for international duty. Speaking as a Scot, I'm delighted the PL aren't involved
You sure about that? If we can commit £8.5m to buy Pedraza, surely we could have afforded Canos? I think it probably had more to do with the fact that he was on loan there from Liverpool, and had tasted the bright lights.
Villa are not living beyond their means as still working on Prem money from last season, plus parachute payments and a reduced wage bill. Yes this gamble hasnt worked so come the summer more high earners will need to go and workhorse players brought in or they will fall foul of fair play rules. The parachute payments system is massive for clubs who get it (4 years they get it) we cannot compete against that even with 40,000 gates every week. Monk has done a miracle job and has the cheapest squad in the top 6, the lowest wage bill in the top 6 so is therefore manager of the year. He has been shat on by Rad because he starts his time in charge like Cellino. we are going to buy ER - We are going to give our manager a new contract as first business. If we dont go up I suspect the only difference in the summer will be that Rad will have brought in a rich investor to replace Cellino. An investor to give Monk the cash to get us auto and fight against Swansea, Sunderland & Middelsboro as well as Derby, Villa, Birmingham, Norwich ...... see how many on parachute payments too. If Rad doesnt we will never get promoted because as good as Monk is he cannot get the players he needs. If we dont go up and the way Rad has screwed up the Monk deal, maybe we may see Monk back at Swansea when relegated, or even with Sunderland, Palace, QPR, West Ham who knows, but also watch our better players then be sold. Bartley gone, Pontus sold, Wood sold. Not being a doom monger but Rad needs to do something to stabalise things in the event we dont go up this season
I am surprised that the club do not appear to have made a move to extend Gary Monks contract. He is the first manager we have had for some time who appears to know what is needed to assemble a decent squad. No doubt he will receive offers from other clubs who realise this.It may then be too late. Good morning by the way.
Morning all. 1) Garry Monk has exceeded my expectations and so far done a great job with a few errors along the way. 2) Considering our position in January I'm surprised the board never done more. 3) Monk was backed fantastically well at the start of the season, probably the best any coach or manager has been backed in a dozen years. Maybe Cellino said we will spend and support you 100% now at the start but get it right as there won't be much in January. Under Cellino who else other than Monk has been afforded the luxury of a team around them with the likes Clotet and Beattie. Who else has been allowed the luxury of being allowed to bring in a dozen players of their own choosing? I'm not a Cellino fan by any stretch of the imagination but fair is fair, Monk was backed totally at the start of the campaign and although he has done wonders the likes of passenger Grimes and Barrow were not wise additions.
But we didnt commit any money towards signing him. Its a promise if we make it to the pl but thats a lot different than sticking hands in pockets and actually paying for someone in January. Its a joke that we couldnt back Monk to the extent of spending 2m on Canos But time will tell
How do you know that we didn't have the money available? Has someone made a statement to that effect, or is it the usual urban myth that gets repeated often enough to be considered the truth? As I said, it is more likely that he wanted to return to Brentford. He had played there on loan almost 40 times, knew the team, knew the surroundings, & was only a short tube ride from the west end. He's a young lad & he wouldn't be the first to prefer the bright lights to being 'oop noth'. Who starts these bloody stories? Why do people seek to undermine the reputation of their own club by repeating baseless nonsense?
I dont see it as nonsense though WJ. We all wanted the team strengthened in January. For whatever reason it didnt happen and Monk wasnt happy, stating he wanted business done in time in the future
The main problem is that the uncertainty of contract situation delays the planning process whichever division we end up in. The same issue hampered our start to this season so we don't need a repeat.
That's absolutely true. No doubt about it. But the question remains - who is holding back & who does it suit best to hold back?
Morning all. I wouldn't get too excited about Monk's contract issues. I'm sure this will be sorted out once the season is over. And I doubt the club will not sort out a new contract in the near future. It may well be that the club are waiting to see what league we'll be in next season, & by extension, how many players we'll need to help us either survive in the PL or push us into autos in the Championship next season. Either way, that will form part of the club's discussions with Monk when they sit down and sort out his new contract
Cellino said himself at the Radz press conference that he had told Radz not to invest in Jan. The two loan signings stink of last minute desperation. Monk was clearly unhappy with the January transfer window and he said as much.
