Rubs?

[Amsterdam_Blue]

Just picked up on a good thread on Jk latics (believe it or not) and they were discussing whether there is much point in keeping hazel with trotman coming through and looking like an extremely capable defender in Stam and Gregs absence.

 

With the wage bill being stretched to it's limits as it is and Davies being the only player looking like scoring on a regular basis, would it not be a better idea to bring another striker in on a similar deal or on loan?

 

Not sure myself as you can't guarantee Stam being fit for too many games and it would leave is vulnerable at the back. But on the other hand if Davies get's injured, do we think that we have a capable deputy, IMO we don't.

 

What does everyone else think?

[Guest oa_exile]

It really is a difficult scenario as you say , will Stam stay fit ? , Hazell has proved to be a great signing but with the emerging Trotman and with Gregan (and Thompson) to come back we have to many CB's on the books.

 

It is make or break for Stam he must stay fit or i dont think the Club will offer him a new contract.

Maybe send Trotman out on loan when Gregan is fit and also releases cash ? or send out Thompson on loan ?

 

With regards to the Strikers , we literally have a "New" striker in Hughes.

 

Like you say it's a difficult decision as i would not like to lose out on Hazell but if we are to bring in another striker we need to cut the wage bill.

[ghostofcecere]

I think Rubs has done enough in playing terms to earn a contract, but budget wise I can see the club letting him go. Shame really.

[leeslover]

It would be very harsh indeed on him not to get a contract, but Shez has to look at it in a cold hearted way. If he takes the view that we have enough cover then it might be more important to get someone else in. That said, I think we have more bodies who could give us some cover in other areas at the moment, especially with Stam always having the potential to get crocked, we don't know how long Gregan is out for, Thompson might be out for longer than planned, or just be rubbish when he is fit etc. We've not got much cover at full back either, at the moment we aren't too far off a back line of Lomax/Trotman/Eardley(Allott?)/McDonald.

[Amsterdam_Blue]

It really is a difficult scenario as you say , will Stam stay fit ? , Hazell has proved to be a great signing but with the emerging Trotman and with Gregan (and Thompson) to come back we have to many CB's on the books.

 

It is make or break for Stam he must stay fit or i dont think the Club will offer him a new contract.

Maybe send Trotman out on loan when Gregan is fit and also releases cash ? or send out Thompson on loan ?

 

With regards to the Strikers , we literally have a "New" striker in Hughes.

 

Like you say it's a difficult decision as i would not like to lose out on Hazell but if we are to bring in another striker we need to cut the wage bill.

 

I know we have Hughes who will deffo score goals for us in the future but i really don't want to rely on a striker who has just come back in to the game after a 3 years absence. It would be unfair on Hughes to do that.

 

I believe we should let him go or give Thommo back to Tranmere as they seem to like him. If we don't sign a new striker over the next month or 2 then we could really struggle up front after christmas. Davies aint going to stay fit throughout the whole year and i don't think we'll see the best of Hughes for another couple of months.

 

Difficult call as he does deserve a longer term contract based in his performances but it's a tough business and i would much prefer to have another striker than an extra defender.

[Guest oa_exile]

I know we have Hughes who will deffo score goals for us in the future but i really don't want to rely on a striker who has just come back in to the game after a 3 years absence. It would be unfair on Hughes to do that.

 

I believe we should let him go or give Thommo back to Tranmere as they seem to like him. If we don't sign a new striker over the next month or 2 then we could really struggle up front after christmas. Davies aint going to stay fit throughout the whole year and i don't think we'll see the best of Hughes for another couple of months.

 

Difficult call as he does deserve a longer term contract based in his performances but it's a tough business and i would much prefer to have another striker than an extra defender.

 

Here is another one then since we both agree it's a bit of a "catch 22" situation , why send Ricketts out on a three month loan when the transfer window opens up again January ? Seems a bit of a strange one to me IF he will sign for Walsall why not just loan him out until Jan 1 and then it's make your mind up time.

To me this has also left us short of attacking options for three months and TTA will not give Shez anymore cash for a loanie.

As i have posted before not a time to keep blooding the kids , Wolfy and Smalley are still learning .......send them out on loan and free up the wage bill so we can bring in another more accomplished striker ?

 

I think we both agree it's a difficult call on who to keep , who to loan out .........BUT we do need striker cover / options.

[Amsterdam_Blue]

Here is another one then since we both agree it's a bit of a "catch 22" situation , why send Ricketts out on a three month loan when the transfer window opens up again January ? Seems a bit of a strange one to me IF he will sign for Walsall why not just loan him out until Jan 1 and then it's make your mind up time.

To me this has also left us short of attacking options for three months and TTA will not give Shez anymore cash for a loanie.

As i have posted before not a time to keep blooding the kids , Wolfy and Smalley are still learning .......send them out on loan and free up the wage bill so we can bring in another more accomplished striker ?

 

I think we both agree it's a difficult call on who to keep , who to loan out .........BUT we do need striker cover / options.

 

I think there's only one answer to that Exile, he couldn't stay here for reasons we don't know about (i'm not advocating the butt/punch rumour on Taylor but...leaves you wondering). It does seem daft to let a striker who could potentially be a good player for us go on loan beyond the start of the January transfer window with no other available money available. Surely Shez and the TTA thought of this?

 

IMO i'm glad Ricketts went, i am not a fan at all and feel it was a huge mistake to sign him on such a long term contract given his track record. I've said this on here from day one.

 

If we could i'd love to get a striker with a decent track record at the level and the ony way to do it is to free some budget up by shelving Ricketts and/or Hazel.

[Guest oa_exile]

........Surely Shez and the TTA thought of this ?

 

thats what makes me wonder , a few days later Shez is approaching TTA for money and the answer was No !

 

So based on that , did they think of this ? Surely ?

[leeslover]

Not keeping Hazell on doesn't exactly "save" us money, as getting him in for a month in the first place was over and above what we planned for. Also, unless we had some very strong safeguards in Ricketts' contract that gave us some sort of get-out, I would be enormously suprised if Walsall are paying anything like all of his wages. We really might just need to get our heads down and work with what we've got.

[Guest oa_exile]

We really might just need to get our heads down and work with what we've got.

 

That sounds like the words of TTA

[Amsterdam_Blue]

Not keeping Hazell on doesn't exactly "save" us money, as getting him in for a month in the first place was over and above what we planned for. Also, unless we had some very strong safeguards in Ricketts' contract that gave us some sort of get-out, I would be enormously suprised if Walsall are paying anything like all of his wages. We really might just need to get our heads down and work with what we've got.

 

Yeah good point, he was signed over the budget weren't he.

 

However if he weren't here then surely we would be saving money as we wouldn't have to pay his wages? Thus allowing us to bring a striker in on a similar deal.

 

I suppose i should change the thread to "would you rathre keep Hazel or sign another striker on a similar deal".

 

Sign a striker for me.

[Guest oa_exile]

Yeah good point, he was signed over the budget weren't he.

 

However if he weren't here then surely we would be saving money as we wouldn't have to pay his wages? Thus allowing us to bring a striker in on a similar deal.

 

I suppose i should change the thread to "would you rathre keep Hazel or sign another striker on a similar deal".

 

Sign a striker for me.

 

Not so sure about that.Shez must keep some money back for Loanies in the budget.

Hazell and Beresford would both be over the budget then BUT saying that Pearson , Lomax , Holness , Kelly (and Ricketts) are all out on loan at the moment.

 

Confused.Com

[boundaryblue80]

It really is a difficult scenario as you say , will Stam stay fit ? , Hazell has proved to be a great signing but with the emerging Trotman and with Gregan (and Thompson) to come back we have to many CB's on the books.

 

Hehe....makes me laugh seeing Thompson in brackets all the time now....brackets were made for types like him

[jsslatic]

The only other solution would be to offer Reuben on a pay-as-you-play deal, though it's unlikely he'd take that as I'm sure he'll be able to find another club.

 

I feel sorry for him, he's head and shoulders above Thompson but he'll probably have to go for financial reasons whilst Thommo rots in the reserves.

[boundaryblue80]

Yeah good point, he was signed over the budget weren't he.

 

However if he weren't here then surely we would be saving money as we wouldn't have to pay his wages? Thus allowing us to bring a striker in on a similar deal.

 

I suppose i should change the thread to "would you rathre keep Hazel or sign another striker on a similar deal".

 

Sign a striker for me.

 

We've let too many fairly decent players slip through our fingers before...time to be ruthless. Cut Thompson and potentially Crossley loose and sign up Hazell and Beresford. Ok...that's in an ideal world I guess. Defo would be finding the money to keep Hazell....if his celebrations at Walsall are owt to go by, he'll be a good person in the dressing room to have around and it was he that finally got our defence rocking and rolling...with Stam and Trotters suitably taking over when required.

 

Definitely have to keep him. We've got options upfront...if we need a player anywhere, it's LW or a fullback....not a striker! IMO.

[Butter]

The only other solution would be to offer Reuben on a pay-as-you-play deal, though it's unlikely he'd take that as I'm sure he'll be able to find another club.

 

I feel sorry for him, he's head and shoulders above Thompson but he'll probably have to go for financial reasons whilst Thommo rots in the reserves.

 

In an ideal world we could pay off John Thompson, reminds me of a cross between Mark Arber, Lee Sinnott and Robert Scott.

[boundaryblue80]

In an ideal world ....

 

Lol...beat you to the ideal world by seconds

[Butter]

Lol...beat you to the ideal world by seconds

 

Bugger lol.

[edhunteruk]

Bugger lol.

get rid of thompson and crossley,and allot and maybe kalalal.

you cant loan trttman out after his performances,wouldnt be fair.

greegan can play in midfield,has done for a lot of his playing time,so i would be tempted to farm out a midfielder.

if we bring anyone in then yeah,a striker,as hughes wont do much before christmas,and davies may get injured.

 

i think there is money there,they have made massive inroads of our debt,and were not losing anything like the money we was,if the ambition is there they will give shez the funds.

[BigfinLatic]

I would hope shez and the TTA are now looking at the budget over a season, and no just over the next month.. it is a year based P&L, so bringing in a striker now... but losing three players off the P&L for the rest of the season surely must make sense???

 

Bring in what we need now... with the knowlege that realistically we wont be keeping hazell or beresford past december, and Ricketts past january (we wont be, and even if we end up shelving half his rumoured wages in the process we should save money on bringing in even a top level league 1 player)...

 

With Bristol now saying Jevons is available I think we simply have to make a move to bring him in (i'm not saying a striker is what we need, but it is what Shez thinks we need - he wont get a better opportunity than this)... with Brizzle saying they want to keep him long term and this is just a fitness exercise, then surely we wont be paying all his wages after all???

 

Its a simple numbers game... and a cold harsh world... we dont need another defender or GK long term, and Ricketts will be off soon... but we could do with a stiker short term... surely that adds up for a move for quality like Jevo...

 

Confused... I am...

[Lags]

Surprised no ones mentioned we may not keep Bertrand beyond this current loan deal. Plenty Champoinship clubs watching this lad and Chelski may want him to step up a class for the remainder of the season. In which case Hazell is needed.

[BigfinLatic]

Surprised no ones mentioned we may not keep Bertrand beyond this current loan deal. Plenty Champoinship clubs watching this lad and Chelski may want him to step up a class for the remainder of the season. In which case Hazell is needed.

 

This is a bloomin good point... this kid just gets better and better every game, I was on his back at the start as he just looked hopeless, but now he is consistently one of the best 2 or 3 players on the pitch.... pretty sure the reason why Chrissy T is starting to play somewhere near his best again is because bert is now playing so well with him on the wing...

 

I'd hate the though of him leaving just to go to another club on Loan, Champ or not.... i'd hope with his vast improvements (and our gentlemans agreement - hope that still stands post-mourinho) Chelski may think that leaving him here would be a good idea... looking at the way he celebrated on Tuesday it looks as if he has really become part of the team....

 

Kilkenny can be included in this bracket too, however, with his current mediocrity, I highly doubt Brum will be rushing to get him back....

[Amsterdam_Blue]

This is a bloomin good point... this kid just gets better and better every game, I was on his back at the start as he just looked hopeless, but now he is consistently one of the best 2 or 3 players on the pitch.... pretty sure the reason why Chrissy T is starting to play somewhere near his best again is because bert is now playing so well with him on the wing...

 

I'd hate the though of him leaving just to go to another club on Loan, Champ or not.... i'd hope with his vast improvements (and our gentlemans agreement - hope that still stands post-mourinho) Chelski may think that leaving him here would be a good idea... looking at the way he celebrated on Tuesday it looks as if he has really become part of the team....

 

Kilkenny can be included in this bracket too, however, with his current mediocrity, I highly doubt Brum will be rushing to get him back....

 

I hope he stays too. I would be surprised to see him leave, it's took him a few games to get settled in and he's now starting to show why Chelsea think so much of him. I think it would be pointless him going anywhere else, he's getting regular first team football and playing in a division which will toughen him up. He's a very good prospect and Shez has pulled a blinder out. I just hope he can pull another one out and sign a striker on loan who could give us something extra up front and you never know, we could be the Blackpool of this season!

 

Viva le blues!

[leeslover]

Bert would be a big loss, as above it might not make sense for Chelsea to move him now and for him to have to settle in with a new group of players and coaches. Fingers crossed he is telling them good things about us, which might stand us in good stead for getting more boys through from them in the future.

[Butter]

Surprised no ones mentioned we may not keep Bertrand beyond this current loan deal. Plenty Champoinship clubs watching this lad and Chelski may want him to step up a class for the remainder of the season. In which case Hazell is needed.

 

How long have we got him for?

Till January like Kilkenny?