Afternoon from sunny Spain. At the risk of being shouted at by the optimists out there I have a few concerns. Despite the signings the bulk of the last match day squad were here last year, including Bridcutt. Squad still a little unbalanced for me, why have four goalkeepers and just one left back, the cover being a right back and one of the kids. We've had one league win and one draw so a bit soon to say we're stronger than last year, we're hoping the signings are an upgrade. I'm with the realists, let's judge the progress or otherwise after 6-10 games.
The happy clappies just beat me into submission (aided and abetted by some who should know better) and then you pop up making the some excellent points. Not sure if I am a help or not if I agree so will keep schtum. #theremaybetroubleahead
Harte said after Luton game he would be signing a new contract shortly. Pity Harte isn't agent for a few more
From memory all our youngsters sign a 2/3 year deal when they first break through. It's getting them to sign the second contract that seems to be the problem. Byram given a good contract by GFH but too generous according to Cellino. Yes he was cost cutting at the time but these young talents need rewarding quickly. For example if you're one year into a 3 year deal on low wages like Lewis Cook then offer him 15K for a 5 year deal. At 18 years old I very much doubt he would have turned it down. Sometimes you'll get it wrong and they won't be as good as hoped but absolutely anyone could see Byram, Cook and Taylor were/are a class above the rest.
Won't matter what money they're offered. If their agent can engineer a move to the pl, they're off. Every single one of them. The riches are too great, multiples of what the championship can offer
Agreed. That's why you have to get them on a long deal before they know their true worth. Logically they are worth nothing if we didn't firstly put them in the team and then allow them to develop. Charlie Taylor was loaned to Fleetwood. Played superbly in the L2 play off final and was offered a new 3 year deal by Cellino who had watched the match. If he'd been offered 4/5 years I'm sure that would have been accepted. He would still be off to the Premiership but at a time of our choosing. How much better would we be this season with Byram, Cook and Taylor if they were all on new contracts ?
Sorry but it's not that simple in my opinion. Main reason Harte the agent has allowed Denton to sign a three year contract is he is early in his development. If it was in 18 months time and the lad was established in first team, he'd be touted around the pl. Byram cook and soon Taylor will have left for one reason, agents pushing the deals for their own gain. Not a chance any of those lads were going to be allowed sign new contracts regardless of what ridiculous sums were put on table. As long as we're championship, our players will be easy pickings. Just a fact of modern football
I still agree, you're spot on. So in 18 months time we're likely to lose Denton unless we change the way we manage our young talents contracts. Do you think someone on 3K wouldn't sign a new deal for 10K if that deal is offered soon enough ? Or maybe today's contract announcement should have been for 5 years. Anyone remember Cesc Fabregas being given an 8 year contract at Arsenal when he was a teenager !
It won't matter what they sign or for how long. Championship wages are Mickey Mouse compared to the pl. as soon as an agent can orchestrate a move, they're off. Imagine offering a lad a five year contract after one game. There are no guarantees Denton will make it same as with other kids. There are many distractions for young lads on big money
Totally agree Eire, Most up and coming kids dreams are playing in PL. every agent's dream it seems is to make as much money as possible; agents are like solicitors, they don't care as long as they get paid. Denton scored a great goal, but it was laid on for him at his feet, 1 goal doesn't make him a Pele. The potential is there, but not every kid who is a whiz for the under 21's, under 18's etc make it in the big time; if it was the case we'd need another 3 or 4 divisions to accommodate'em. Greedy agents can also ruin kids careers with wrongfull advice sculptured for the agents benefit, and not the player. I personally don't blame any up and coming kid for wanting to play in PL, it's the ultimate dream, then a lucky few may go on to play on the Euro and World stages; even overseas players want to play in PL. The PL is the most televised league in World, it's also a bloody big advertisement that a lot of kids and players watch, and they want to buy so to speak. As previously mentioned in a few posts, players aren't prepared to die for a team these days, if a player wants to leave for so called greener pastures, including money, there's nothing much a club can do, and realistically, who can blame'em......
And can I add to this. Let's say we had offered Cook 30k a week to match Bournemouth he still wouldn't have stayed. Let's imagine he had and say tore an Achilles, we'd have wasted three players wages on him and bust our transfer fund for the summer. Because we are championship, we have a limited pool of money to go around unless we get Risdale back in charge writing up the contracts
Was just replying to LL as you don't speak to him nicely. Was also first time I thought of getting Risdale back on board
I am trying not to speak to him at all. Better for his blood pressure and mine.... I am sure I saw PR Pete behind the wheel of one of his companies wagons a couple of months ago.
Amazing if the clown still has a business. As my dad says though, I'm sure he's not out digging with a spade still
Eire. Agree with all your posts on the subject, so if we know that no one plays for the shirt (that died with the start of the premier league), that players dream of playing in the PL and make the best of their career, why do we bleat and call them greedy when they take up the opportunity? What Bournemouth did to us with Cook, we did the same to Oxford with Roofe, just on a smaller scale, he wouldn't have stayed even if they'd matched our wages because he wanted to play in a higher division. Also your last point on Cook can also be the reason players want to leave when the offers come in, if he tore his Achilles as you say (or worse) he has missed three years or possibly more playing at the highest level.
