Ronald has said today that Jack Cork still hasn't replied to the club's contract offer and that he expects an answer by next week, because he needs to know whether he needs to find another midfielder to bring in or not... ...tick, tock. DTLW
Makes sense to put a time limit on it. We like Cork and want to keep him, but he isn't an essential player so he can't be allowed to keep us hanging. Be easier for him as well...will concentrate his mind.
I wonder if J Rod has been given a similar sort of deadline. Hope Cork signs but can understand if he wants guaranteed 1st team football.
But also not good enough to be a first choice in our first 11. If he wants to be a starter then he has to leave for his own benefit. He'll decide whether or not he's happy being a squad player I guess.
Surely the whole Morgan 'will he?/won't he?' thing is a factor. If we sell, then we need to keep Cork. Would be really bad if both left. An adequate replacement will cost 15 mill minimum.
But Corks future needs to be decided first, so Schneirderlin's is irrelevant. Comes down to what he sees as his role in the team over the next 2-3 years. Will he be on the bench, or starting? I'm confident money isn't the issue here, but if Morgan does go we'll replace him anyway and Cork still won't be first choice.
If Morgan and Vic stay fit then Jack wont get many starts. He's behind Davis and evben maybe JWP in Rons pecking order.
Well, my insider info was very wrong [I admit it]. I was told that Jay was about 2-3 weeks away, but it looks like the club aren't even putting a time on it. They're just being patient. Hope this isn't going to become another Marian Pahars/Michael Svensson episode. Of course, he'll be going nowhere with his fitness in question. And Jack just wants to play. Understandable. But he's at the top club for any personal success. I don't see any clubs other than say, the level of WBA, Villa, Hull, Palace, for example, coming in for him. Does he really want to water down his career that much when he can be a part of something potentially unprecedented in Premier League football..? Next season he could get all the playing time he desires.
Whisper it quietly, but I'm not overly fussed on this. He's a cracking player, but not first choice. If he decides to go to get guaranteed first team football at a Villa/WBA/Palace, good luck to him. If he stays, knowing he'll get a certain amount of game time here as a squad player, great, all power to his elbow. Just don't bugger us about.
The past couple of seasons have proven that success in the EPL + domestic cups is very much a squad game. If you add any Euro competitions to this then a strong 24 man squad is essential Corky might not be the first name on the First XI team sheet but he is the first on the subs bench as he is very versatile and never lets us down. He might be behind Big Vic and Snidders but they do regularly get injured which gives him an opportunity, Add to that SNidders future is very much up in the air until the summer. If he wants guaranteed first team games he would have to drop down to clubs lower mid table and spend his time fighting relegation as any team in the upper half rely on squad rotation Come on Corky....sign up and stay with us!
Cork is not likely to be a starter for us, but is a very useful sub. Another advantage is that he is already here and a known quantity. Quite reasonable that the club want an answer and quite reasonable that Cork feels he should be playing more.
Like Cork a lot and want to keep him but if he wants more football then good on him. Always think players like Sinclair going to big clubs to warm the bench and fill their pockets are ridiculous, so if Jack cares more about his football then I definitely respect that. Hopefully the club does try and keep him but if he wants guarantees we can't give then so be it. Also I see Reed as a fairly like-for-like Cork replacement - flies to the ball, nippy tackler, comfortable on the ball, tidy but not expansive passing... Cork has about a foot in height and is better going forwards, but Reed has a lot of room to grow (as a footballer, not height-wise... though that would be nice). So really Cork is a 'pathway' blocker!
I still feel like I said in the what to do in the summer thread( I think it was called?) Jay: will go as soon as he is fit enough. Cork: will go as he wants first team footy and his dad has been whispering in his ear. Morgan and Clyne gone in the summer. Cork should go anyways based on his liking of really bad sofas.
I imagine it would be so the club have a shot at selling him/replacing him rather than losing him for free.
