I agree it's harsh. If we were talking £1m or less, I'd be more considerate. Honest! But £6m for a 'questionable future' CB requires a harsh assessment, especially when the club has a track record of not spending money where it's really needed. Who would encourage £6m being spent on him when we'll be lucky to spend half of that on a striker? It will only bring unrest from our fickle fans. And let's face it, if he comes in at that price, he'll have wages to match. I can guarantee you that Pontus will demand the same or more, or just leave in the huff (which seems more likely to me). This is bad for so many reasons, and his injury record is just one consideration.
Not me. I hoped he would be gone. But have only seen indications that he is staying.... Here is hoping. I still want Big Mick but Marcos seemed to be ITK and was suggesting Sunderland were getting him. Now I am ITK and Chris Wilder is going there. So big mick is still available but being tipped for every vacancy from lower prem to league 1. Who knows.
I don't think there's a place for him or his ilk in the team we're trying to build. Great player, but too slow, tbh. I think we're still on the tippy-tappy road to Hell, and he doesn't have the legs for that these days. Yes, the club seems to be realising that (or do they?) we need bully boys too, but I think they'll only be a means to an end - pacy tippy-tappy 4-2-3-1 still seems to be the name of the game as far as I can see. The retained list will give us some clues how we are going to move in the transfer window. Fingers crossed & hope to be surprised. But doubt it.
Here's me getting excited about seeing the retained list. Then reality struck when I read this tweet ..... Debbington@DebsHLUFC 13h13 hours ago More Think people are getting mixed up with retained list and hoping to move on list. Only players not on retained list are players out of contract or players who’s contracts we are ripping up = not many. Hoping to move on will be a lot longer... #lufc
Sadly, I think one of the u23s will be Pearce. Suspect the last minute contract offers are what's holding up the retained list being published, trying to avoid the inevitable hullabaloo. Denton is surely nailed on? Then again, being average, he may well oust De Cock.
So strikers for next season will be Tyler Roberts, Ryan Edmondson & Jack Clarke with maybe Grot and a new striker brought in. Which means Ekuban and Roofe to be sold?
Until a billionaire owner steps in which sadly won't be anytime soon,we are stuck with what we got.Radz to me is ok,just keeps getting Sh** advice on running the club,hopefully as you say he now realises that we dont need Orta or PH,but he does appear to be a bit green so whether he does or not remains to be seen,looking forward to see what direction the club is going to take,just hope it's the right one as things are just conjecture & speculation atm.
Based on what? Edmondson is 16. Even if he starts the season brilliantly, youngsters are almost 100% prone to be inconsistent, and easily burned out if overplayed. Clarke is similar. I would be surprised if either is in the first team pool. Still got a lot to learn & the u23s are ideal for that. Remember that 2 years ago, Wilks was THE player of the future. Gone a bit quiet with him, as it might with these 2. Roberts I have no idea about. Roofe going would be a mistake IMO. He's just fine & dandy for a 2 up front. Unlikely to happen as we'll prolly persist with 1 up, but useful as a game changer coming of the bench if we're chasing a result. Ekuban? Love his endeavour, but I want a striker to score. He doesn't seem to come close. BUT, and I've said this many times, Becchio was the last striker we had that produced adequately in his first season. so who knows? I do suspect he's off though - if someone will have him.
Got to agree with WJ regarding Bartley because that sort of money ona 2nd string CB in a 2nd string Swansea side is way too much. Yes he was great for us and loves the club but paying John Terry money for a better Liam Cooper is silly especially with his injury history. We do have at least 3 U23s capable and the big one nobody has seen yet is Happo Haalm the big Fin kid who was brought in to do a season in the U23s followed by first team next season, however he has been injured since we got him but big things projected for the kid.
Based on we will only be bringing in one quality striker and having Roberts makes 2 main strikers (3 with Grot) who need back up and I would use Even Sam Dalby before playing Ekuban again. Grot used in the role he is used to playing before he arrived seems to work. he scored 3 in 3 for the kids and scored a good goal last week playing that way. We have 3 really good kids who deserve a chance if they're good enough and it wouldnt be the first time we played 16 year olds knowing they couldnt do it game after game, but having all 3 kids playing a part on the bench is wise and the best way of developing them
I'd be thrilled if that worked out, but I'm trying to be realistic. Kids have a lot to learn, burn out, and are inconsistent. Base your season on that & you're in trouble. The other thing is - even if they were not affected in the manner I mentioned, how many of the could lead the line. Grot proved he can't. What makes you so sure the others could. Whilst we continue to play 1 up front, we'll struggle to break in the kids, far less play them consistently imo. Unless ...... we go for a year of consolidation & development, making full use of our u23 talent base. I'd like that, but our fans don't have the patience for it. Sadly.
