If we aren't getting Sky TV money paid until September, then Acun better get on to his Turkish / Dutch bank to transfer to some cash over to pay this month's wages.
I haven’t ‘missed the point’, I just clearly value continuity, experience and injury free players more than you. Are you suggesting Ashbee and the ‘new John Stones’ will be back ups? If they are good enough, then we can’t hold them back, so ok. I was under the impression we were tracking a centre back. My guess is it’ll be a freebie, so will expect higher wages. And do you really expect us to get £2m for Jones?
People seem to be forgetting these players we are clearing out were lucky to stay up last year. Some prudent incoming and a further clearout should improve the squad, bring in some cash and give youngsters a chance. It's not without risk but to just think we can go again with a group of bang average players would be more dangerous. Egan didn't get enough game time for me and Semi is an upgrade on macca and Jones I would say. So actually, if we can shift Jones for 2 mil our defence is certainly no worse off than the one that nearly got relegated and we've got a few million in the bank.
Why does the new CB have to be on bigger wages? It sounds like we are signing a squaddie, they won't be on anything special. And whilst I appreciate the sentiment I'd rather not have continuity thank you. Last season was one of the worst I've seen supporting City and the players you're so desperate to keep were part of the shambles.
I don't like this argument when it's used to bash players who were here the year before and finished 7th. These players being discussed and indeed almost all of our defenders fall into that category. The attacking players who were brought in last summer can have that levelled at them. But Jones, Coyle, Slater etc have already proven that they can be part of a much better team than that. They can be as frustrated as anyone else at how bad last season was due to the changes made to the squad and manager around them.
I don't have the figures to hand but I'm not sure Mcloughlin played much in 23/24, he was purely a back up player. Jones I take your point which is why we should be looking for a higher fee as he is a decent player. But as it stands he would still be 4th best CB at the clubs so silly to be sat on him 'just in case'.
Ah, I thought our struggles were more down to us not scoring goals rather than Macca and Jones? Our defence which both were a part of (accepting Macca is not a long term left back) was well above average last season. Currently, I think most on here would realistically settle for average next season. I could accept one or the other going, but not both. Unless either of the younger players are genuinely good enough as back ups (considering Semi’s injury record), and they aren’t just with the first team because we are short of players.
Why do the 'struggles' have to be one or the other? Apart from our GK we were poor everywhere. This idea that because Mcloughlin filled in at left back and did OK we should be keeping him on just in case is madness. What we should be doing is trying to get Giles in shape to be the best left back in the league considering what we paid for him and getting a proper left back in to put pressure on him as cover. Not keeping a pretty average CB who has always been a back up player in the championship just in case we need a left back. We need players in most areas and we need to say goodbye to some of the average players we are carrying. There is no room for sentiment.
But to get rid of the average players, you still need to find clubs who want to sign them. We have a lot of average players who are on good money and other clubs just don't want to or can't afford to pay the wages.
Whilst many people slated the performance of anyone and everyone who occupied a fullback berth last season the fact remains that we conceded the fewest goals of any team outside of the top nine. Some of them must have been doing something right. Last season was relatively very poor and finishing fourth bottom by the skin of our teeth when we were seventh the previous season illustrates how much the wheels came off but one of the worst seasons ever? It's not even the worst season within the last 5 years.
We really weren’t poor defensively last season. It’s the defensive excellence that kept us in the Championship.
In other posts you highlight that we can’t hang onto 4 or 5 CBs just in case, and I agree, but isn’t there also room for a CB like Macca who can cover LB? 3 dedicated CBs and 2 dedicated LBs feels much more wasteful than 4 CBs (with one that can fill in at LB) and 1 LB, especially when we have this embargo.
Blackburn have. Someone would take Slater for a small fee. Vaughan, Burstow etc would be good for some teams if the fee is small.
If that’s the amount of cash we needed asap then 1 sale won’t make a huge amount of difference and we’re in huge trouble
My issue with letting both Jones and Macca go is that we’ve gone from being stacked at centre-half to very light and losing the two most dependable ones when it comes to availability. And who comes in to replace them? I would say we only need one in to replace both of them but which free agent centre-half are we going to get? Kortney Hause has been mentioned but he hasn’t played in two years. I can’t think of a worse replacement for either Jones or Macca, especially since Ajayi is quite injury-prone. If we go into the season with Hughes, Egan, Ajayi and possibly Hause then it looks decent on paper but there’s a real risk two of them are unavailable at the same time for several weeks.
It depends how you define 'worst'. I was bored out of my head a lot of the time at games. We were poor to watch and unable to compete in many home games, which is a sign of a serious issue. The mean defence could have a lot to do with a very good goalkeeper and utterly boring tactics employed by Selles. I'm not convinced it was down to Coyle, Jones and Mcloughlin been outstanding talents we should be building a team around to go again this season. But that's my opinion, I've no issue with people seeing it differently.
Why are we signing military personnel? I guess we will be in a relegation fight, so makes sense. Ignore the question.
I'd rather have 3 dedicated CBs (which we now have assuming Jones is going) 2 young CBs on low wages that can be nutured into first team players and 2 LBs with one of those being a relatively low cost option to back up the highly expensive one we're unfortunately going to be lumbered with so need to make work. Its all academic really, the decision has clearly been made to cash in and run with different back up defenders which I've no problem with. Players come and go.
That makes sense, but surely anyone can work out that where the money is coming from and won’t make a difference for too long. McLoughlin going is 1 weeks wages.
