I think he’s very unlucky to be pushed out at Bournemouth but Senesi is a very good CB and Zabarnyi looks a player although still young. Not sure they have much cover other than Hill who signed from Blackburn but he’s young and hasn’t had much exposure at PL level, it’s a real coup for us IMO.
I'm optimistic with Connolly and can see why they've taken a punt. He had loads of promise and has dicked some of that away, but if he has truly learned his lesson, what an opportunity for him here to put that right. He seems to have a keen goalscorers instinct and we'll create the chances. It takes some of the load and expectation off Mayenda and young Abdoullahi once hes fit.
Quite surprised we didn’t include a club option of a further year for Connolly. If he smashes it he can just leave for nowt
Agree mate but I think we will have more of these lads ready to play in PL next season than we currently do and if we fail to go up I think a few may look to move on (Neil, Rigg and Jobe)
Might have been requested from the players end if he has accepted a deal a little lower in wages, gives him a bit more bargaining power if he succeeds, and nothing to lose if he flops.
Agree some more of these lads will be ready for the PL after this season,which will be really good for us,but,if we don't go up I think we'll follow the pattern we've already set,in that we sold Stewart at the end of the season before last and then Clarke last....both good deals for us....in other words,one top player per season for good money. The players we are talking about have at least 2 more years,often more,on their contracts. On the other hand,as @David Moyes' Stupid Face has pointed out,if we do go up,we will have the option of signing them to longer term deals as PL players. As sure as death and taxes,one or more of the PL big boys is coming to come in for at least a couple of our young stars at some future point.....and we fans are going to have to bite that bullet!
Yeah, agree with your last point, just share his concern that next summer might be a case of 2 or 3 rather than one. Hopefully we do the business and get ourselves promoted and then I think they might all fancy giving us at least another year if they’ve had successful seasons individually this year.
I'm sure that'll be the case. If we do go up.....which I'm biding time on at the minute....our problem isn't going to be keeping these players.....it's going to be which aren't quite up to PL and need replacing.
Yeah, fair point, not all these lads will be good enough. Of the three I mentioned I’d think that Jobe and Rigg will be, as much as I like Neil ( and acknowledging that some of the lads on here who get good information reckon he’s got interest from the likes of Liverpool and Villa) I don’t see him moving to either of them and being a regular starter.
I'm in a real dilemma about promotion. I know it sounds daft,but I don't want to go back to PL football where we're the whipping boys every week,I've seen plenty of that,and,if that's what's going to happen,I'd rather stay in the Championship,where I can enjoy watching my team play its' good football, with lots of excitement,quality play and the chance to score goals and win every week.
It’s not even a debate for me PL football all day long. The way we’re currently ran I think we’d have half a chance of staying up too. There’s already some excellent, young footballers at the club who’ll only get better.
Football as it exists now has 10 years max in my opinion, the amount of money and consequent regulation is going to strangle it, perhaps for the better over the long term. If we can get up, I'd give us a realistic shout at staying up and seeing if the model is able to get us to outperform those willing to kill themselves by shedding money left, right and centre.
Understand your point, PL is a very unforgiving league and we’ve got plenty of first hand experience of how bleak and miserable the seasons can be when you are turning up and fully expecting a good hiding. I’d be interested to see how we approached it from a recruitment perspective. Don’t think this leadership would either saddle us with premier league journeymen or mercenaries. I also think that whilst we wouldn’t be troubling the top end of the table they would be wanting us to be competitive and not get dragged into a relegation scrap. Time will tell.
I would agree that Jobe has come on leaps and bounds from last season. I was a bit critical of him last year,but,he's improved no end this season and is developing into a star player. Rigg is loving his time in the first team and all his talent is now starting to blossom.Neil is,imo,suffering a little bit loss of form,and is not playing as well as last season.Some have suggested it's the captaincy thing...I don't subscribe to that...it may be he's having his head turned a little....is his contract situation still not finalised?....I don't know. I have thought that our best selection at the minute would be to leave him out and play Browne. Could be the signing of Samed has an eye on that?
He’s like a completely different player. Total waste of a shirt at times last season. Game passed him by yet he was kept on, time and time again. He’s been magnificent this season though, and long may it continue.
I was critical of Jobe myself last season but agree he’s light years ahead of that level so far this season. Long may it continue. I’m worried about Neil, he doesn’t look settled and it may be a combination of the captaincy/PL interest but the way the other two lads are performing and with Browne, Samed and Aleksic all nearing full fitness his place is the most likely to come under threat if his form doesn’t pick up in the next few games.
