I'll always be in the 'keep Ashley' camp. He's worth more to us on the pitch next season than £4m. An ever present, reliable centre back considered one of the best of the league. Fantastic at tackling, blocking and defensive headers, he's cool on the ball, fits our passing style and is the only centre-back we have with the ability to switch the play with his incredible long-passing ability. He's got his flaws, but I'd rather him leave on a free next season rather than go for peanuts this season. We'll have a better chance of staying up and landing another £70m with him in our starting 11. Not easily replaceable like many are hinting on this thread.
we can agree to disagree then big, would rather have Caulker, Amat, Bartley, Chico??, however we all have our opinions
I'm happy to agree to disagree, what it's all about. - Chico is a great player, but he's prone to indiscipline which will put him out of 5-8 games a season. He doesn't have the passing capability of Ash. - Bartley is injury prone and there's no telling how many games he'll play next season. He looks a little shaky in possession from what I've seen, but it will come with experience. A good prospect having been schooled at Arsenal, but nothing more than a prospect right now. - Caulker is tried and tested, better in the opponents area but no better than Ash in our own area. He's spent a year in a different playing style and may struggle to adapt back to our more fluid system. Again, he can't hit those long diagonals like Ash. - Amat is a good player. I like him a lot. Very solid and dependable, but not as strong as Ash in his aerial duels, not as brave as Ash in the block, hasn't got the variety in his passing like Ash and, like Bartley, still looks a little shaky on the ball. Ash is our best centre-back when it comes to blocking, aerial duels, tackling and long passing. It'd be a tremendous shame to lose him for just £4m in my opinion. I'd pay more than £4m just to keep Ash for one more season.
Chico doesn't hoof the ball 30 yards as Ash has taken to doing but Chico's passing is fantastic 'Whoscored' ratings: Ash Strengths Blocking the ball - Very Strong Passing -Strong Ball interception - strong Weaknesses Aerial Duels - Weak Tackling Weak Ashley Williams's Style of Play Clears the ball out of defence often Does not dive into tackles Commits fouls often http://www.whoscored.com/Players/8408/Show/Ashley-Williams Chico Strengths Passing - Very Strong Ball interception -Very Strong Tackling - Strong Weaknesses Discipline - Weak Chico's Style of Play Likes to dribble Likes to play short passes Likes to tackle Commits fouls often http://www.whoscored.com/Players/36614 Jordi Amat is still only 21 and has time to develop but needs two experienced players either side of him. Kyle Bartley has had injuries and needs playing time to show his potential, still only 22 these two could be great for us in the coming years if the they stay together. Transfer sites ut Ashley's value at £7 million + Our best defensive header of the ball is Bony!!
Well said He would not be held in such regard if he was crap....I don't understand some fans sometimes and if you notice its usually the fans that don't go who say these silly things....those who do watch him live can see what a great asset he is for us and his work rate is unquestionable. We would be the losers if he went to a rival for £4m that's for sure....
I am with Big on this none of those are as good as Ash. He has his moments but he is still one of the best centre backs out there. I certainly dont want him to leave.
I guess if you actually go to games ya don't say silly things dai ----lol---got absolutely no probs with Ashleys job on the pitch , not that he doesn'go missng at times or have some top shelf blunders .Only got to do with whats best for the club , being held for ransom most summers , timing of the past contract , age and what we will have to pay him to resign with a season of uncertainty on the horizon with next season possibility of relegation higher than previous seasons .
I don't think anyone is saying that Ash is crap. He has given good service and also been very well paid for it. The question is, how much salary is his agent trying to sting us for? If it represents value to the club (meaning US) then by all means offer him a new contract. If it doesn't then sell him. No sentiment whatsoever from me I'm afraid. Professional footballers today are a cossetted, privileged, overpaid breed. They are only concerned about how much cash they, or their agents, can wring from a club and they put loyalty to the fans on the back-burner the instant money is involved. So, for me, the equation is simple. If he's value, we keep. If he's not, we get rid.
If this his last chance of a big payout then perhaps he wants it to be us rather than someone else ,which is fine as long as this is the end of the near annual merry go round and keeps within the clubs' fiscal boundaries.
£4m and we will be the losers. Where are we going to get a player of ash's capabilities and understanding of the way the club wants to play. Put a £10m tag on him and there will still be teams interested in a seasoned performer of his standard.
Laudrup got Chico for less than half 4 million , maybe Monk can get someone as good and cheap too with his connections......
Ash is better than chico at defending and more level headed. we would be a lot worse off if we lose a key player like ash. £4m dont come close to what we could lose if he goes for as little money as that.
Sell Ash, buy Caulker and you have 3 solid CB in Bartley, Caulker, Amat along with a ball playing CB in Chico, a nice combination. How often to you see Ash lump the ball forward aimlessly. If Ash was a world class centre back, then Bony wouldn't be our best defender at set pieces and corners.
sell ash and we will struggle at the back next season..Ash is the backbone of our defense and that's why Arsenal and napoli are just two of the big teams interested in him so what the hell you are watching valley is not what professionals can see...
Ash, love him, Chico, love him. Both badly effected by all the shenanigans of last season which upset their equilibriums somewhat. IMO their professional pride will steel them up for next year and together they'll be the rock the rest of the team can jump from. That's if of course, the board and Ash can agree to his value to us and the board agree to put said value in his back pocket. Surly though, where will we get another Ash for £4m? no brainer imo, give him the money, simples. The real interest in our defence, for me, are our two young guns, Amat and Bartley. Both kids and both with incredible potential. Amat gets the nudge for me at this point in time as he has more experience playing for us. Farming Bartley out last year was a bad move, but hopefully hasn't stunted his development, just put it back a bit. Bartley has the potential to be the best CB of the lot, imo. Another Ferdinand (in his day that is which I know is about 100 years ago). What worries me about Bartley is his concentration. IMO, only, he seems to get bored, loses concentration and end up ball watching when we're not in possession or when we have possession gets pulled out of position in his eagerness to support the ball carrier. I hope this is down to youth and eagerness to play, if not a prescription of smart pills has to be on Monks list of things to buy. We have goo defenders with good potential and imo, there's no room for Caulker in the mix. He's not as good as either Ash or Chico and isn't that much better than Amat or Bartley to credit his Tval or the wages he'd demand. Maybe another addition in case of injury, but I'm happy with what we've got.
If push comes to shove I'd rather run down his contract and lose out on the 4 million than sign him and his agent 's probable absobenate new contract on our less than sturdy future season
....that's why they should pay more. Letting the big clubs take the piss out of us would set a dangerous precedent. In my view we set the transfer value (find out what his replacement will cost first). They pay it or they **** off. (Also giving in to the agent's wage demands sets a dangerous precedent for our players) Worst that can happen is we need to spend some serious money on the position next summer.
Ash has been nothing but a true professional since he's been at the club, he's a top defender captained the team superbly and I find it strange that people are questioning his ability and loyalty, not once has he come out and said he wants to leave. He is negotiating for the best deal he can get in the twilight of his career. It appears some on hear prefer to believe the likes of the gutter press who will say anything to get a headline. Why don't people wait until the decision is taken and both Ash and the Club comment on the issue.
