A post on www.football-rumours.co.uk (admittedly not always the most reliable forum) states that Ainsworth is in talks with MK Dons over a move with the fee rumoured to be around £80,000. Has anyone heard anything else about this? If this is true, it could be a massive blow for our promotion run-in. Despite Ainsworth's rather mysterious absence from the starting line-up recently (last time I saw him - I think it was the Rotheram game - he seemed to be struggling with discomfort from a hamstring) I cannot see who could replace him as a possible goal-provider for us. Let's hope its not true.
I don't think his departure will be too much of a blow - Taylor can come in and do a job, and we still have Wildig on loan. Leslie I can't see staying, so another winger will be a necessity if Lionel does leave. The trouble is that he only has half a season left on contract, I'm not sure whether we'll be able to get more than 80k considering he can leave on a free in the summer. I wonder whether his recent absence is Turner giving JT some game time to help the team if Lionel does leave.
I think he'll go in January personally. I don't see it as a huge blow so long as we have Wildig and Wallace till the end of the season. Taylor and Wright can play both wings which is a bonus too!
It would be a colossal mistake to sell him in January. He is a must to stay and help with our promotion bid. Better to lose the money if he does not sign a new contract in the Summer. Hopefully, if we get to League One it will be an incentive for him to resign. Taylor has much to learn and has not the capabilities of Ainsworth who must have been an integral part of at least a third of our goals this season. Wildig and Wallace are entirely different types of players so cannot be equated to Ainsworth.
All of this is based on Ainsworth not currently playing, but sitting on the bench; and his contract being up in the summer. He will have drawn interest from other clubs as having so many assists so early is fantastic. Ainsworth owes Turner something for trusting him and giving him the opportunity for first team football, but that means diddly in the modern game. The management might have decided that it if Ainsworth's agent is mucking them around over a new contract demand then they will let him go. They might have a deal to keep/sign one of our loanees too?
Kasule, I agree entirely - we should try to keep him even if it means taking a loss. You have to speculate to accumulate and £80K could be a small price to pay for getting us into League1.
The loanees simply do not offer the same, as stated above. It is sheer folly to cut off your nose to spite your face and I cannot believe that GT has left Ainsworth out over stalled contract negotiations. It is probably no coincidence that we have scored one goal in two and a half games since his omission.There will never be sufficient end product if an integral part of the assembly-line is missing
there could be other clubs in the hunt. ainsworth may go for about 120k and maybe 3 others may go as well
I agree, even though I would sell Ainsworth if no new deal is agreed by January, I would still utilise him right up until the last possible point. I do rate Lionel very highly (in fact, I think he's presently our best player), but I also think it is churlish to suggest the omission of Ainsworth is the sole reason why we are struggling to score - the strikers' inability to hit the target surely plays a large part as well. I would rather get £80-100k for him in January, and possibly put that towards signing someone like Marshall from Barnet, than keep him here until the end of the season, struggling to motivate himself.
Our strikers were missing with Ainsworth playing. Because he was playing they were presented with more opportunities. It sounds like Morgan had one good chance on Monday and that was set up by Richards not Taylor. Keeping him beyond January does not necessarily mean he becomes disaffected. If we get promotion it acts as an incentive for an improved contract and, if not, his performances will enhance the chances of a better move away.
Our strikers haven't scored at home since the win over Accrington, and in any game since the Northampton one. Ainsworth was in the team and the team still weren't creating. Taylor did create a couple of real chances with some excellent crosses and by all accounts played very well against Cheltenham - the defensive work he puts in is maybe why Turner uses him in away games, but surely at home, especially with a player of Hurst's calibre behind him, Ainsworth would be a better option. Ultimately his happiness depends on who comes in for him: if it's someone from the Championship, or even the Premiership (Stoke?) then it's going to be very hard to see him remaining happy even if we do get promotion (unless he's sensible and realises he won't be playing week in week out - but the wages we couldn't match and he isn't even in our team atm).
My two bob's worth: a) Both are good players and it's welcome to have such competition. b) They're about equal IMHO. Overall with the attributes of both it's a tough one. JT busts a gut when he plays and Ainsworth is more classy. c) I don't think you can put the (mini) goal drought (don't panic!) down to his omission- Morgan by the sound of it missed two cracking chances (Wright was guilty as well) on Sat. d) It's hard to see what GT's up to with regard to negotiations. When Ainsworth came off against Shots he was hardly the worst and since he's not had a minute. e) Haven't seen Wallace but if he's anything like Wildig then he's not a winger. f) Don't know if we should cash in or let him leave for free, but if he's going to be uninterested (forgive me but he's a bit of a maverick nay?) then it could disrupt the squad and if GT freezes him out (in the nicest possible way) without playing then what's the point? g) FINALLY- I'd be more than happy with Marshall from Barnet as a replacement. Won't be too dear and gave our then porous defence the runaround on 8th October. Or his wing partner Ricky Holmes for that matter. Phew!!
Ainsworth, even though he has hardly figured recently, still tops the chart for direct assists and crosses (compare his figures to any other club we play against). Check it out in the programme. Anyone who saw Kevin Kilbane suffering from twisted blood at Derby or the full backs in many subsequent games will wonder at the wisdom of his omission.
we need ainsworth on view at bradford so that all club reps can see what they need in their squad, with ainsworth making, assisting with and scoring may bring forth bids from the likes of everton etc. he may put on quite a show at boro, let us hope all the team put on a show.
He should be in the team, I have no doubt of that. I would say he is more important than Wright in some ways. I'm sure come January we will find out.
The pitch is a 'heavy' and they have so big players so would not suit Ainsworth. If he is not playing/on bench on Monday then I would assume he is not with us by the end of January.
