Not on 100k a week he wouldn’t . Or even significantly more than the 50-55k he is currently on. And I specifically meant the scenarios from the past where Man City and Chelsea have been desperate specifically for a home grown player for the champions league slot. If the clubs you mentioned need a reserve keeper then don’t have to go to an english one as they have enough homegrown in their squads already I am basing this all on an assumption that he is trying to get as close to 100k a week as possible. But last season likely put an end to that notion. Unless he massively steps up his game this season
My son said it came up on social media about an hour ago confirming that he has terminated his scholarship with Everton to join Southampton on a pro contract, of which Small “liked”?
This came up on twitter the other week when he was said to be leaving Everton. He's a beast of a 17 year old, built like he's 25. excuse the clip, unless you're 12, in which case, enjoy. Also, I'm not posting this so anyone can judge his abilities. https://www.bbc.com/sport/av/54438727
Wow. So it definitely seems like we are promising these youngsters first team football. While it’s a bit cheeky taking other clubs’ academy products, it does feel like a nice bit of karma following years and years of having our best players and managers pinched.
Plus also he will be pushing Perraud to improve and keep his place in the first 11. But it probably means the end of the road for Sam McQueen now.
Just did a quick Google, and it seems like Steffen (City's back-up GK) is on £46k per week. Pretty good wage considering he's hardly played outside the MLS. Adrian at Liverpool is on £50k per week, and he was only ever signed to sit on the bench. Considering McCarthy's PL experience, I think he could easily get £50k+ per week as a back-up elsewhere. What are we offering him? He won't get anywhere near £100k, but then if he were to leave next summer as a free agent, he'd probably get a hefty signing on bonus which might be what he's after. I'd happily let both him and Forster go next summer. If either one of them stays, it will either mean we still have a weak first choice, or an expensive back-up.
It's also a return to how we had such a successful Academy in that past, though we're poaching players a little later in their development than previous. I'm curious whether the people who ranted about one of our kids signing for Man City will direct similar invective at Small though, heh. And this is what our model should be. Back when the cachement system ended, I used to yammer on about the fact that there was a massive opportunity for the club that set out its stall as the premier place for young players to become established pros, because Academy-aged players suddenly had more mobility. Our priorities were elsewhere at the time so it was never us, and it never ended up being anyone in the PL...it was German teams who started poaching young English (and American, and Canadian) talents and offering them a pathway to elite European competition because no one in the PL had the guts to do so. So that mantle is still available for us to make our mark, if we give the Smalls and Livramentos first-team opportunities (and we're already clearly committed to doing so with Livramento) we'll have an even stronger argument with future kids. Also very much think this is Crocker's handiwork. His background is in youth development, and having been handed a finite budget, he's spending it on some youth to develop. It's risky short-term, but if we can survive a year or two it'll pay massive dividends.
It's really fantastic to have some fantastic competition for FB positions! Ralph must be extremely excited by this.
Perhaps the Steffen wage is what is driving McCarthy’s thinking ... In theory I’d like both to go but I think we would struggle to attract two goalkeepers in one summer. What reasonable goalkeeper is going to sign for us knowing they are definite back up? (Assuming we sign an obvious first choice ) We have struggled to sign someone who is an obvious back up full back and they are far more likely to get game time especially if versatile I think we would be happy to keep McCarthy if he extends at his current wage . But he might not . Similar with Forster - we would need him to drop down and he doesn’t seem like he will. Which is odd because I don’t see who will give him his current salary at the end of his contract
I can’t imagine a scenario where we don’t use that second loan slot. It would be silly to me unless there are no viable options (as in they all want us to pay massive wages or fees)
