I agree about the difficulties of being a LB but I don't think he'll even be our backup next season. If we're serious about a top 6 push we need the backups to be good enough. He needs to go on loan again, and he might even need to drop to L2 to make sure he gets games. But you can't bomb a L1 loan spell and then come back and be part of our squad.
People struggle on loan a lot. Didn't Vaughan just go out on loan from Oldham to some non-league ****e before joining us?
When you're 18-20 you can go out and have a bad loan spell but not when you're 23. Brandon's not a kid any more and he's done nothing this season to prove he's better than Elder who's our current backup LB. Comparing Vaughan to Brandon is just daft when there are 4 years between them. We're keeping youngsters far too long. We've just given Callum Jones a new 2-year deal, and Matty Jacobs has got a new one too. They're getting old now yet they're nowhere near the 1st team. Fleming ideally needs to go somewhere permanently where he can play regularly, that's never happening with us. I doubt he'll be going anywhere though as he's just got a new long term deal no doubt on good money
It's the worry of how far he falls though. I've been watching bits of Stevenage with Lo-Tutala going there and it's mad that Max Clark had to drop to L2. It's great that he's playing and he's a top technician for that level but he's just so slow. I wonder if they'll send Fleming to Shelbourne
Brandon may well be better going somewhere like GY, a bit like Josh Emmanual who has shone and put himself into the shop window. I can see Elder being kept on as a backup for a new LB coming in. I think Coyle will be kept on as the backup to Christie, as he is also a great lad to have around the club, and has done a lot to help new players settle in.
Brandon is also more flexible as a player then perhaps realised, as well as defence he can play as a wing back or direct winger (which I've seen him play in under 23) a friend who knows him told me he came to the club as a youth player as a defensive midfielder. The sticking bit will be the long term contract he got under Shotta
There’s no way in hell we are ever getting top 6 playing Coyle or Fleming in midfield. Both need to be out the door and worked out the squad to get top 6. Fleming is L1 standard and can’t even get a game, Coyle is lower champ top end League 1, works hard but is disgustingly limited and no where near what you need to get up the table.
Disgustingly limited is a very hyperbolic way to talk about someone who has improved markedly under Rosenior and is comfortably holding his own in the side.
Definitely harsh. He is limited in possession though, probably as good as if not better defensively 1 on 1 than Christie mind.
It's always the same posters who slaughter certain players, but refuse to see any improvements as they're so focussed on proving their theory that they're crap. Coyle's come on loads under Rosie, he's now a decent championship full-back. He used to cost us a few goals but I can't remember the last time he made much of an error
I agree with the sentiment though. I can see him getting another deal because he's a local lad, but mind over heart and he'd be leaving on a free this summer.
Both Coyle and Elder are completely adequate back ups. Other positions are more urgent. If FFP is tight then there may be fewer personnel changes than people expect
Question.... if Hammers sell Bowen to Newcastle or Liverpool and theres a decent sell on, if the money isn't going to you know where, does that put us in a better position under FFP...?
