Big summer for contract renewals

[Dusic]

Given that it is troublesome to let key players go into the last two years of their contracts then Semmens and Crocker have quite a lot of work to do this summer.

I make it that the following first teamers, and this is what I would do, obviously if those players want to sign extensions:

Key Players:

JWP (2022) - look to extend, sounds like its in progress. Interesting for JWP as he is in his prime (will be 26 in November). Will he ever move to a higher level? If so, now is probably his time.

Ings (2022) - surely worth an extension to reflect what he has done and stop what will probably be inevitable speculation about him moving to a bigger club?

Bednarek (2022) - ever present under RH and experienced for a young player. No brainer extension.

Stephens (2022) - Good player, good character. Obvious to extend.

Bertrand (2021) - Try to extend and have him here til the end of his career

Hojbjerg (2021) - obviously on his way. Massive job to replace him, a player ideally suited to our style, experienced in big leagues, 90min player every game. Not too many of those around in our price range.

Others:

McCarthy (2022) - I would probably leave it for now.

Romeu (2021) - Good guy and good player but not really suited to our style now. Ideally would sell this summer and replace but seeing as we have to do that with Hojbjerg I think its more likely he will stay and maybe sign a one year extension.

Obafemi (2022) - given his age and potential probably worth an extension but could maybe wait til mid way through next season to see how he is doing.

Boufal (2021) - sell this summer for whatever we can get. Such a disappointment.

Vestergaard (2022) - look to sell, obviously.

U23s - quite a few who have been near the first team who have contracts ending in 2021 so will be interesting to see who stays and who goes.

 

[tajjuk]

Ings, JWP and Bertrand are the important ones, those are clearly the players that are top 8+ quality in our team, they are also I think important leaders in the dressing room. 

Bednerak and Stephens are solid players, and seem to have improved this year, but at the same time I think if the scouting team got their act together they would find upgrades. 

[washsaint]

6 hours ago, tajjuk said:

Ings, JWP and Bertrand are the important ones, those are clearly the players that are top 8+ quality in our team, they are also I think important leaders in the dressing room. 

Bednerak and Stephens are solid players, and seem to have improved this year, but at the same time I think if the scouting team got their act together they would find upgrades. 

You do realize that to get upgrades the club would have to pay millions (probably 10s of)?  Where is the money tree - plus STephens has been outstanding.

[SFC Forever]

I wouldn't say Stephens has been outstanding, but he has always played to his max

 

[tajjuk]

On 6/20/2020 at 6:34 PM, washsaint said:

You do realize that to get upgrades the club would have to pay millions (probably 10s of)?  Where is the money tree - plus STephens has been outstanding.

Do we? What like Van Dijk, Mane, Tadic etc. all signed for like £12-15 million. Two of our current key players in Armstrong and Bednerak cost £12 million between them.  In fact most of our best performing players in the squad didn't cost huge sums, Ings was the most expensive as £20 million, then you have Redmond at like £12 million, Armstrong £7 million, JWP youth product, Bertrand like £10 million etc/ 

We just need to get back to the scouting department finding good young talent around Europe better than they have been recently where we have had more failures than successes. 

Look at Leipzig, they have turned into a top 4 team without spending millions and millions.  Werner cost them 10 million Euros, Upamecamo cost them 2 million Euros, Sabitzer was less than 2 million, Forsberg was like 3 million etc. etc. 

Gamble a little, go for players from lesser leagues, scout players with the right raw talent that fit Ralph's system and he can coach into good players. 

We are in the lucky position of having the draw of the PL football and being able to pay the sort of wages that only the top clubs in many leagues pay.  Most middling clubs in Spain, Italy, France, let alone Holland, Belgium etc. their highest earners will be on like £20 - 30k a week. We can easily double that and that gives us the ability to pick good talent up, hopefully the new scouting lead supposed to come in can help do that. 

Also Stephens hasn't been outstanding, he's been better than he has ever been before and better than the dross at the back we have had for the last couple of seasons, but we have to remember this is still basically half a seasons form from him, he could easily revert back to his old self, it'll take time to see whether this is a purple patch of form or whether he has matured into a good centre back. 

[labibs]

On 6/22/2020 at 8:17 AM, tajjuk said:

Do we? What like Van Dijk, Mane, Tadic etc. all signed for like £12-15 million. Two of our current key players in Armstrong and Bednerak cost £12 million between them.  In fact most of our best performing players in the squad didn't cost huge sums, Ings was the most expensive as £20 million, then you have Redmond at like £12 million, Armstrong £7 million, JWP youth product, Bertrand like £10 million etc/ 

We just need to get back to the scouting department finding good young talent around Europe better than they have been recently where we have had more failures than successes. 

Look at Leipzig, they have turned into a top 4 team without spending millions and millions.  Werner cost them 10 million Euros, Upamecamo cost them 2 million Euros, Sabitzer was less than 2 million, Forsberg was like 3 million etc. etc. 

Gamble a little, go for players from lesser leagues, scout players with the right raw talent that fit Ralph's system and he can coach into good players. 

We are in the lucky position of having the draw of the PL football and being able to pay the sort of wages that only the top clubs in many leagues pay.  Most middling clubs in Spain, Italy, France, let alone Holland, Belgium etc. their highest earners will be on like £20 - 30k a week. We can easily double that and that gives us the ability to pick good talent up, hopefully the new scouting lead supposed to come in can help do that. 

Also Stephens hasn't been outstanding, he's been better than he has ever been before and better than the dross at the back we have had for the last couple of seasons, but we have to remember this is still basically half a seasons form from him, he could easily revert back to his old self, it'll take time to see whether this is a purple patch of form or whether he has matured into a good centre back. 

It’s a bit of a weird argument to make that we can sign a better player than Bednarek for around £12m, because Bednarek himself cost £12m?

 

i think Bednarek was actually around £5m, but we had to endure him taking a good amount of time to adjust to the premier league, which doesn’t help us next season.

 

its not that easy to just find ‘good young talent around Europe’. Every other club in the premier league wants to do the same, as do clubs in other major European leagues. We had an advantage, but other clubs in the premier league seem to have caught up.

[disconnect]

Not as big a job as Palace - who not only have an ancient squad, but have about 66% of their senior pros out of contract by the end of next year!

[tajjuk]

5 hours ago, labibs said:

It’s a bit of a weird argument to make that we can sign a better player than Bednarek for around £12m, because Bednarek himself cost £12m?

 

i think Bednarek was actually around £5m, but we had to endure him taking a good amount of time to adjust to the premier league, which doesn’t help us next season.

 

its not that easy to just find ‘good young talent around Europe’. Every other club in the premier league wants to do the same, as do clubs in other major European leagues. We had an advantage, but other clubs in the premier league seem to have caught up.

Bednerak and Armstrong cost £12 million for the pair is what I said.

And of course it is hard, but we've done it before and other clubs around Europe are doing it, like Leipzig, Atlanta etc. 

[CB Fry]

What I don't understand is why don't we just stop buying rubbish players and from now on only buy good ones.

[MarkSFC]

2 minutes ago, CB Fry said:

What I don't understand is why don't we just stop buying rubbish players and from now on only buy good ones.

what a fantastic idea!!! You should get in touch with club asap!!!