My thoughts on this are that it's the right thing to leave the contracts until January. By then there will be two scenarios: 1. We'll be unlikely promotion contenders, in which case the "high profile" players will leave as they will not want another year of Championship football. This will suit us as we'll have to reduce our debt and salary bill. 2. We are looking good for promotion. In this case the "high profile" players will have to make a choice. Do they stay with a club looking likely to be in the Premier league next season or do they jump ship & end up with a relegation haunted Premier league club as they are the only clubs in this country likely to want to buy them? Similarly, we will be able to make the choice as to whether we still want them. Last night's result (only 1 game, I know) will have given the likes of Huddlestone and Diame food for thought.
Last night will have had zero affect on Huddlestone or Diame's thinking, if a Premier League club come in for them in January, they'll be gone and I expect both will be gone. I also don't think Elmo or Davies will consider signing a new deal in January, that ship has now sailed.
You may be right, but I think the only clubs interested in buying them will be relegation threatened ones - Sunderland, Villa etc. - and the players will have to decide whether to jump from a club likely to go up to one likely to go down. Plus the club have the opportunity of deciding whether they want to keep them anyway. Speculative and hypothetical I know, but in my view it is still the right decision at this moment in time not to renew contracts.
Surely it makes more sense to sign them to new deals now, then sell them for some sort of fee at the end of the season. Either we don't go up and we'd need them next year, or we go up and it'd be relatively easy to sell players who'll presumably have been in good form if they've got us promoted. But that's too logical. The amount of re-signings we've made in recent years is ridiculously pitiful.
Surely whether we're in this division or the PL, having Elmo and Davies on new contracts, perhaps even McGregor would be a no-brainer. Why do we need to know which division we'll be in?
It's critical to know what division we will be in. That will determine our income & thereby dictate the amount we can afford to pay in salaries. We will not be able to afford to keep Elmo, Davies, McGregor etc. if we remain in the Championship another season.
Surely new contracts would reflect possible promotion, just as PL contracts should have taken into account possible (actual) relegation?
Exactly...offer 2 / 3 years deals, Similar wage with a buyout clause if we are still in the championship next season, xx% increase if/when we are promoted. If they don't sign then they go in January if a bid comes in, we re invest the money on ambitious championship players who have shone in the 1st half of the season.
I agree that they should do, but, for example, they didn't when Bartlett/Duffen were in charge. Players and their Agents have the upper hand so the club needs to play any cards it can - and by leaving things until the January transfer window they give themselves a better opportunity to evaluate the risks.
I think a lot will depend on where we are in January. Huddlestone, Diame, Davies & Elmo are probably only going to interest EPL clubs in the bottom half of the table. Their decision I guess will be do they have a better chance of Premiership football with us if we look odds on to go up, or risk joining another club that might get relegated. In addition, unless any of them just want to be just a bench warmer like Chessy and Jelavic are at the moment and take the money, then you want to be at a club where you are more than likely get game time. P.S, Though I would expect if a good offer came in for them then the club would cash in.
It served a purpose at the time. However I reserve the right to use it again when I see fit. I was tempted to put more than a 'z' in But held firm.
The club maybe up for sale but nobody is going to buy it anytime soon even if the price was cut to half what is owed to the Allams. I would suggest that January has already been planned. Just because some on here like to be negative about the issue that does not concern us at this time. I prefer to concentrate on what is going on on the pitch. For now at least.
I may be wrong but I don't think the manager has and thing to say at the moment about who he can or can't offer new contracts to. I still believe the owners understand very little about the football "business" and think in terms of the marine engines business. So if you are in a slump you don't offer wage rises or new contracts. Then again machinists aren't usually worth 5 million.... I think the same about the talk of a new manager. Who in their right mind would want to come and run this mad house...not anyone decent IMHO
Or we sign them to the contracts they're currently on at the wages they're currently on, with a clause that if we get promoted they get an x% increase in salary. Not that hard to do...
So if we say to Elmo 'Here, sign this new deal where you have the same buy-out you currently have if we aren't promoted, and a x% pay rise if we are' what's the worst that can happen? He say no? Then we know he isn't committed, and we sell in January. As it is, we aren't even having that discussion, so have no idea the player's state of mind.
If he signed that contract then if we don't go up he's stuck with us for another season at least on Championship wages and possibly 3 should we not sell him. If he doesn't sign it then he's a free agent so it's much easier for him to move on, he get's a bigger signing on fee and possibly bigger wages. I think the club and the agents will already had initial talks about new contracts and the two sides are miles apart so papa Allam has said stop the conversations until we are more certain of promotion otherwise we'll just off load the wages for next year.
It's only certain if we're (number of games left x 3 pts) + 1pt above 3rd place. Assuming we're challenging, it's going to be a long wait ...
I agree I think this will drag on until the end of the season. He took his big risk last year and it didn't work out.
Wouldn't that mean they are likely to turn it down and see what the position is in the summer? Only players reaching the end of their playing life are likely to snap your hand off at the offer you suggested.
