Bloomin eck! Really! The murphys have looked good prospects for several seasons with each season they have been improving. Last season they both impressed whilst on loan and at levels where the jump to our team in the championship looked far from insurmountable. Why is it so hard to imagine that a competent board/management team wouldn't tie them down to a improved but not irresponsible contract? A story has come out suggesting interest in our players and just like when Reading were bidding a derisory £300k in the summer it isn't enough and we really need to recognise that they should have got improved terms. In 2015 they signed a 2 year deal, Jacob had scored 4 in 11 at Colchester. Josh had at that point made 29 appearances for City At this point little chance of 1st team footy at CR . Following this they play very well out on loan and AN looks to include them in the 1st team squad. An incremental increase with an extra year would seem not just prudent but short of negligent like letting them go into the last year and risk losing them. I don't know if me n Cromer are being thick or something here, but bright young player with a real prospect of first team action to me = someone who we should get under a decent length contract. This is not a knee jerk response to their form and goals this season, it is that they had s good season last year we all thought and hoped that they would make an impact this year after to me obviously progressing on loan and I thought we were all scratching our heads that we allowed them to get into the last year. Seems poor to me. Bah!
How would you possibly know that someone playing for a dead beat team like Colchester should have a hugely improved contract at that stage? Should the club be doing that now for Louis Thompson or Ben Godfrey? We are only a few games into a season that the Murphy boys are getting games, no one knows how they will turn out or any of the other youngsters. I can't for the life of me see how the board or anyone else can foresee that. Rash ford at Man U is NOW getting an improved contract, are they wrong for not doing that when he was 12?
Superbly put, General and it is exactly what I was trying to say. At no point did I suggest that they should be on Rooney-esque wages, far from it, but improvement in form and more regular performances to an improved level warrant recognition, in my book - and as I said (fairly often) yesterday if NCFC don't appreciate and respond to that, one of our well-heeled competitors will...sooner, rather than later. A bit concerned with your use of the words 'poor' and 'incompetent' though, you'll be accused of beating people up with sticks!! And ILD, I'm not - and have never suggested that our CEO, past or present, should have clairvoyant powers, but I did propose that they should get 'on it' asap before further offers come in and more gossip starts circulating
It's good to see many excellent and reasoned responses on this thread without anyone 'throwing their toys out of the pram'. The 'side of the fence' that I'm on is that after their performances last season - Josh at MK Don's and Jacob at Coventry; that they should have been offered new improved contracts before the season started and I've no idea who's responsible. Unfortunately, I'd be surprised if we hear any news on the subject for a month or two.
Might I add in the transfer window preceding this season Whittaker was offered an extension so clearly that would have been an ideal time to assess the Murphy's. Neil said they would not be leaving on loan and would be joining the first team after a great pre season both playing well and scoring. They were deemed too good to release ergo first team members at only 21 . Their futures should have been sorted out before the season kicked off with sensible professional contracts with massive incentives for goals scored and promotion.
I wouldn't be at all surprised if this "interest" is the doing of the boys new agent. Good agents (if there is such a thing) tend to be the ones who are more manipulative than others. It's certainly not inconceivable that he/she has waited for the right moment (i.e their client to ping a screamer into the top corner of a premier league clubs goal) before turning the screw. I'm not saying there's not any interest, just seems awfully concidental that immediately after the Everton game various media outlets are reporting interest from various clubs. A classic agent move to put pressure on his/her clients club.
Yes, you could well be right, but the fact that they've both scored the odd absolute screamer lately won't have gone unnoticed, either. And been pacey and effective on the flanks and cutting inside.
Couldn't agree more. He/she has probably got their eye on a larger house/new car/fantastic holiday (delete whichever doesn't apply) and by increasing their value, gets more commission - simple!!!
I have no doubt clubs will be taking an interest. Young, exciting, English talent will always be on the radar of prem league clubs. It's more the timing and the fact that the interest has been made public. It's got agent written all over it imho.
I think it's important we don't panic just because of media speculation. They're going nowhere before January & if they continue playing / progressing then I would expect at least one of them to have had a new contract by then.
Indeed but he was in his final year(s) as a player. These guys are - and will become even more, 'hot property'
Michael Bailey doing the usual Q & A session on the pink'un right now. This guy asked about the Murphys in January. He replied: I guess it depends how much someone wants them. Jacob's record of five goals in 10 City appearances is frightening, while Josh already has plenty of Championship appearances under his belt and some in the Premier League too. I can't see them going anywhere. But what City do need to do from here, is sort them out with deals that reflect their impact, their promise and their value - and get them to sign. Arguably that could be more important than any January business.
But the Murphy's are not January business unless we fail in our September, October, November and December business of ensuring they are signed long before the window opens. We still will then have important January business that should be utterly unrelated to sorting existing players contracts. Bah!
