Crazy guy at the tea bar tells me that Doyley has been told he will not be retained after this season. So Leeds will be it. Any one else heard this??
Not heard anything like it and after the season he has had playing alongside class like Cassetti I would be very surprised if that was the case. As we have seen clubs wishing to challenge need strength in depth and LD would be a good squad player to have as a RB. Of course, if we get promoted he will struggle, but a good squad player whilst Zola builds his squad. I would expect a fair few changes over the summer as is the way if football, but do not see this one and as Cologne writes, very hard to digest.
If true, I'd also start wondering about GZ - he has, on more than one occasion, publicly heaped praise on Doyley. Would we then have to start taking his words with a pinch of salt?
If we were promoted I cannot see Doyley retaining his place. How old is he now? Sentiment is one thing - Prem survival something much else.
He's 5 and a half years younger than Cassetti, and it's not just Doyley the player we're talking about here but the influence he has on those around him. We really miss him when he's not there.
Would not expect Cassetti to be part of our team in the Prem either - although he does have 6 yeaars experienc in hte top flight of Italian football. Would expect both to remain if we miss out. Doyley has Legend status amongst Hornet fans so I understand why people support him - but he is not THAT good (sorry Lloydinio) as a defender and his influence on the team would diminish if he struggled in the Prem. As Malky is saying at Cardiff you need to be ruthless if you want to survive in the Prem.
Sorry, but if the cost of the premiership is that a club has no place for the sort of one club loyalty of players like Doyley then it's not the place for us. Besides which - the Premiership is not as good as we are making it out to be - as European results are starting to prove.
There are maybe six teams safe in the premiership, the other fourteen are all likely to be flirting with the relegation spots at sometime during the season!
Don't agree - whenever you get promotion you are going up a level and need better players - I happen to feel Doyley would not make it in the Prem so to keep him in the team out of some nostalgic "club loyalty" is not on. If you prefer to stay down to keep players of lesser ability fine - but I would want to move up and if that means improving the squad so be it. I am not saying Doyley HAS to be one who goes but if anyone remembers BBC606 I never rated Doyley when I used to go - he used to rush up the pitch all the time and expose the defence - I am willing to accept he has improved his game in the last three years since I moved away but would be surprised if he could hack it at any OTHER team in the Prem - so are you saying you would play a player for loyalty rather than ability?
Can't agree with the assumption that going up a level automatically means replacing players - when we first arrived in the old first division in the early 80's Graham Taylor didn't make many changes to the side which had won promotion. O.K. I know times have changed since then, but to make wholesale changes to any team as a result of promotion is still, I think, lunacy. Firstly because the players who win promotion should have first chance (If not where is their motivation for fighting for it in the first place) and secondly because continuity is all important in football. If Malky Mackay's job next season entails integrating about 10 new arrivals (who may be, individually, of Premiership quality) then they will be chasing the game up until Christmas. The last question loyalty and commitment vs. ability is a difficult one and has no absolute answer - but one of my first memories in football (showing my age here) was the 66 World cup where Nobby Stiles definately didn't have the ability for that level - but what a difference he made !
Funny you should mention Nobby, whenever I remember that match, my first picture to enter my head is Nobby dancing round the pitch with a huge toothless grin, what he lacked in skill, he made up for in sheer exuberance! As for making wholesale changes, Paul Lambert retained most of our Championship side to do quite well in our first season back in the top tier, but if you want to see how NOT to do it, look no further than QPR's "Premiership experienced" players!
no idea what you mean Dave Watford supporters should not worry to much about premiership football next season yet, I think you have about a 30% chance at the moment
1982 was another era. The Premiership changed the face of top flight football and you only have to look at how hard it is to establish yourself there. Nobody said "Wholesale changes" - but to assume players who collectively got promotion will all make the grade is itself lunacy. The players themselves expect teams to be strengthened and the better players in the team do not want to be held back by those who cannot cut it. To give everyone a chance is nice romantic notion but then how long do you give them - if they muck it up and you are starting to fight relegation the climb back is even harder. It is the job of Manager to build a successful club and team and he must replace the weaker element. That does not mean Doyley necessarily falls into this category. Many said we should not have got rid of Sean Dyche or many of last year's players but.........
Talking about replacing Doyley is NOT making wholesale changes - this appears to have come about from a rumour on Doyley. I don't know if it is true but the fact remains that IF Zola thinks he is not good enough he will NOT be retained We have made the play offs and it is unlikely we will make an automatic spot. Therefore you have to start planning for next year as the play offs are not completed till end of May which does not give much time to build the squad you need - so NOW is the time to think about what you would do if a) you go up or b) if you don't I like your scientific 30% - probably about right
Let me explain, firstly I think Colin was harshly treated, but the real damage was done by MH thinking he could buy eleven players with lots of Premiership experience and on high wages, when what he really needed was a team! A team will punch above its weight because they are playing for each other, not for a wage packet!
I do think that Doyley has at least one season in the top flight in him - but can remember a recently video'd interview in which he used the words "when it's time for me to move on". So he's not silly, he realises that it will happen, but I suspect he'd like another crack at the Premiership with us. I feel that he will certainly be here next year - even if we do manage to get up there this season. If we don't go up this season but manage it next season, I doubt that he'll be retained. But then, doesn't it all depend on how he is performing at the time? He does tend to come across as ungainly on the field, but that doesn't stop him from being one of the best around at this level. And - he's good enough for Bob Marley's boys & that must surely count for something.
I disagree with that - I'd say we have slightly over 50% chance at the moment. We don't even know what the make up will be of teams in the play-offs, all we know is that we are there and perm any three from six others, so we have a 50% chance - either we will or we won't. Add to that the fact that it is still mathematically possible for us to get automatic promotion........
