It would be crazy to let him go.He came to us unfit and overweight.We have got him into shape..should be to our benefit not another team.
I’d love us to sign Bielik in the summer. He’s had issues with injuries in his career but he’s played 30 games this season and would be the perfect partner to Seri in the deep midfield role. He’s on loan at Brum from Derby this season and has one year left on his Derby deal. I think we could definitely beat Brum to his signature in the summer if we tried. Rosy knows him as well which is a plus.
Tufan has proven he can play in any position form centre mid to striker this season and recently looks like he’s finally got to grips with the demands of English football. His talent is at least on par with Seri and Traore and a cut above the rest of the squad, I think we’d be mad to get rid if he wants to stay. Especially with Traore’s questionable fitness record throughout his career, he’ll have a massive role to play next season.
Even this season he only really starts when we have no recognised strikers or no recognised wingers. When others are fit he's stayed on the bench. He's popular with the fans but his status in the team is much less significant than some people are making out. Realistically he's in a similar position to Longman.
He consistently shows he has something to bring to the side though whether that’s when he starts or if he comes off the bench. I think after a full Rosie pre season it’ll be very different.
I think that's a tad harsh on Tufan. He's scored more than Longman (although hasn't got any assists I think?) and had a similar number of appearances. I think he affects games more than Longman does and gives other teams more to think about. This isn't a criticism of Longman, who I think has been a touch unlucky in an inconsistent season. But I'd much rather keep Tufan than him.
The comparison to Longman was about how often he plays. Both are generally a backup, but sometimes start games due to injuries. If we have a more normal injury situation next season both will struggle more for games. Both had around 20 starts this season and will have less next if we have strikers and wingers available. The person I originally quoted was talking about Tufan being someone we'd badly need to replace if he left, and my point is we wouldn't, because he'll actually be struggling for games if things go to plan.
He might be struggling for starts, but I don't think he'd be struggling for appearances, he's exactly the sort of player it's fantastic to have on the bench (whether he'd be happy to be a player coming off the bench is another issue).
Tufan has played in 37 of our 41 league games this season. To suggest he is peripheral or expendable is not really borne out by the evidence, or his contribution to the team. I reckon he will be a regular starter in a good team next season, provided he isn’t transferred back to Türkiye (and I think that’s very unlikely).
Fair enough, I guess its the word badly that changes things. Although for me, I'd be really really disappointed if he left this summer, I think he just brings that extra bit of magic (whether starting or off the bench) that we don't have a huge amount of elsewhere. Especially if Traore were to be injured, I feel like we'd have to find someone good to be a replacement, when actually I think Tufan can be that player (especially considering he can play in multiple positions). I just don't feel the same about Longman, who I would happily see be loaned out to get a bit of consistency.
i think tufan will be a far far better player next season after a full season of english/championship football, i know he played a few times at watford last season, but he made about 15 apps in the whole season plus a full preseason with rosie, i think he will be a key player next season, i've been critical of him but he's looking far fitter than he did a few months ago and i think longman has the pace and ability to be a good wide player, i have no basis for this, as i don't know him nor do i attend training sessions, but i feel like he's a very confidence player, when he tries, he can go past players and run into the box, he just cuts it back too often i think there's a player in there
speaking of covil, how long does he have left on his contract? i hope he gets another chance, think he had something about him horrible injury though
I agree on both counts. The problem Longman has is he is been in and out of the team and when he's had a rubbish performance it seems to have affected him for games afterwards. He clearly has ability which is why I'd try and loan him out to get a good run against lesser sides. Might just prove to himself that he can do it.
Almost half of those are off the bench though. And there is a very clear pattern to the games he does start: it's only ever as a makeshift replacement for others who are unavailable. Currently he's playing in lieu of a striker, previously he was playing in lieu of a winger, and before that he wasn't playing at all because we had other available options. The main thing that 37 total appearances tells us is that he has a very good injury record, which is important, but again it puts him in a bracket with people like Longman or Coyle: always available, sometimes starts and generally does a job, but not really in the manager's thinking as a first choice and not the star player that a lot of fans want to think he is.
I don’t see why Tufan and Traoré couldn’t start in the same team. Tufan as a #10 and Traoré as an inverted winger on the right.
