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zak Johnson

 

With all due respect, Gooch has never been very good. He was with us in the Premier league and each time we were relegated I thought Gooch would step up and become a great player, he hasn't ! We've been relegated twice while he has been here. He has about 3 great games a season. Yes he's 100% committed to the club, I admit that, but if this club is to progress then these are the players we need to move on for the future of the club. You can't let sentiment rule your heart. They are either buying better, or developing better players from within, and the longer Gooch stays in the squad he is hindering their development into the first team. Yes I understand we need experience, but I believe we have sufficient experience already in the squad to allow players like Gooch to leave and find a better / longer contract elsewhere.

 

Cant be long before Gareth Hall gets a mention.

 

Maybe Ramside Hall before him right?

 

With all due respect it’s a matter of opinions mate. One of the biggest issues to me we have had in the past if you want to reference the Premier League is the attitude of the mercenaries we brought in. Didn’t give a sh*t some of them. Here’s a lad who captained our team the other night and on other occasions to show our younger players what is required to put our strip on. If that is hindering their development and I don’t understand? Attitude in most things in life is everything. To me Gooch is a James Milner type of player who leads by example. Is Milner as good of a player as Salah no but Liverpool didn’t keep Milner in their squad till he was 37 for charity. He was there to me to show the younger players and others what it means to represent the club on and off the field. I don’t take Mogga as an idiot so if he hands Gooch the armband it’s for a reason. No doubt a very good reason that is in the interests of the club. We have a great nucleus of players. All different styles and attributes. Sad day to me if we let this lad go to bring in some wannabe to strut his stuff. Salt of the earth this lad and we shouldn’t forget that. He is part of our journey and culture and I hope he will be around for a long time yet.

 

Exactly, the player also has to want to move, Spurs can't just say we want him back and that's it

 

Who do you play IF Huggins has another injury plagued season and Hume picks up a suspension/injury?

I'd rather have Gooch there than 09.

 

Well said! There’s lots of examples of players being worth more to the team than just their footballing ability. Milner is a good example. Going back a good few years John McGovern at Forest. He wasn’t the greatest footballer but Cloughie made him captain and they were the best team in England at the time and won the European Cup. I think Gooch is well worth his place in the squad

 

This is the conundrum. If we're saying Gooch has a role to play at right back in absence of Hume, then surely we're saying Huggins is disposable?

Or if he's left back cover, then that means Alese is a centre back and Batth can be moved on?

Or wing cover in which case Lihadji isn't really going to get game time and we definitely don't need Amad back.

I can't see how we can keep signing exciting young players and give them their opportunity if we're also keeping all of our experienced squad players.

Gooch is the exact player that will define who we are as a football club.

 

I take your point but I think we need to go with a slightly bloated squad in the short term. The squad also includes Evans, Huggins, Stewart, Alese, Embleton, and Balled who are all at various stages of retuning from injury. Until more have returned to full fitness we need to have more cover.
Although we need to be able to give young players the chance to play we also need to give them space and time to settle and develop. We therefore need a squad deep enough to enable that.
Having said all that if Huggins stays fit I’d expect him to be the main competition for Hume so I couldn’t see Gooch getting much game time. We won’t know that for a while though.

 

Who also never let us down.

 

I live Gooch but we are going to have to lose some popular players

 

Gooch has made a big difference in countless games in this and the division below.

Not being perfect includes a lot of players, including most of ours by definition.

We wouldn't have went up had he been sold if you look at his regular impacts on the team after Xmas that season, and if we hadn't had him last season, we wouldn't have made the play offs.

Not every player is a stick on certainty for a position and is always good there. Any team needs at least one or two like Gooch, and while there is always a leaving time for almost any player, Id say this wasn't it for Gooch.

That's without going into him being 27, and an obviously good influence. Managers always keep picking him, and it's for a reason, including when all the options are there.

 

Or like you say you can build well ready for a pop at promotion and be stable enough after 2 years to be able to attract better quality players ready for the next step

 

TBF from what I have seen of Cirkin then in today's market 6m is probably undervalued

 

Injuries, plus a lack of depth and experience cost us promotion last season. We also had players who were clearly uncomfortable playing in positions they weren't used to.

If Gooch left who could take his place as someone who can fill in anywhere and never complain or let his head drop.

 

With the change to substitutes being increased to nine we need an increased squad , we essentially need a first eleven and cover for their positions . We could perhaps send some players out on loan and I am sure Speakman and Mowbray will have plans in place if we recruit further players , people have short memories with regard to how many players were injured last year and the same could happen again so loans are an option with recall clauses like Everton and Simms . Bottom line is we have to have faith and trust in our management team - I know I have .

 

Luke O’Nien