Hob Nob Anyone?

From Despair To Where? wrote:

Snowflake Royal wrote:With three decent left backs, plus a couple of RBs who can do a job, he doesn't have much of a negotiating hand.

Especially as we're still recovering from over spending and have deadwood to shift.

By 3 decent LBs, do you mean Richards who has struggled of late and Obita who is coming back from 2 years out injured and also out of contract in the summer?

And by 2 right backs who can cover, I presume you are including Gunter who is also out of contract in the summer and has been repeatedly criticised by certain posters on here as not being good enough for the past 3+ years?

Suddenly that wealth of options is looking a lot thinner going forward and it's currently Blackett's shirt to lose so he's hardly in the "deadwood" category.

Yep, I mean the Richards who started he season very well, the Obita who is a quality player and has contributed well when back since injury . Plus the Gunter who is plenty good enough as back up, arguably plays better at LB and Yiadom.

Not hard to talk to the players about extending. And easy to lean on Blackett with their presence. And we can always make a signing.

For someone who claims to overanalyse stuff, I think you've gone a bit too far the other way.

Can't see Gunter getting a new contract and I'd be interested in knowing what terms Obita will be offered after 2 years out injured. I think the club will play hardball on that. Considering we're still sailing pretty close to the wind with FFP to be complacent,, Blackett may well offer the best value, without the uncertainty of a new signing settling in.

Obita almost certainly won’t get the same terms he is on, but then no one is going to offer him that

I expect he’ll stay if we want him

If Blackett leaves then the wheels come off our promotion campaign - it's as simple as that. This is to be the most crucial fortnight we have had as a club for 8 years.

John Smith wrote:If Blackett leaves then the wheels come off our promotion campaign - it's as simple as that. This is to be the most crucial fortnight we have had as a club for 8 years.

John Smith wrote:If Blackett leaves then the wheels come off our promotion campaign - it's as simple as that. This is to be the most crucial fortnight we have had as a club for 8 years.

Really? He’s been in and out of the team for the whole time he’s been here, since when has he become our equivalent of Roberto Carlos?

From Despair To Where? wrote:For someone who claims to overanalyse stuff, I think you've gone a bit too far the other way.

Can't see Gunter getting a new contract and I'd be interested in knowing what terms Obita will be offered after 2 years out injured. I think the club will play hardball on that. Considering we're still sailing pretty close to the wind with FFP to be complacent,, Blackett may well offer the best value, without the uncertainty of a new signing settling in.

I don't claim to over analyse stuff, other people say that because they don't have a come back.

Thing is we only need 4 senior full backs. If Gunter and Obita dont get contract extensions we have a big problem. Signing 2 quality full backs in one window would be very difficult. I dont want Blackett to leave for nothing but him leaving might actually suit us in the end. Richards has, at times, looked great. Maybe with a proper run he could cement himself as first choice with competition from the experienced Obita I wouldnt be that worried about or left back slot.

The right back slot, weirdly, is more of a worry. Finding a player to replace Gunter (if he leaves) is tricky. They need to be good enough to justify signing instead of promoting Howe, but not so good that they take a large chunk of our summer budget. There are other areas of the team that need strengthening much, much more.

AS someone who has been an avid Gunter critic I find myself in the odd position of hoping we sign him to a new deal. I dont think he has been amazing since his reintroduction but he has shown that he is still a decent Championship player and his experience is so valuable. Gives us the time to loan out Howe too.

So I have changed my mind a bit. While he is playing well letting Blackett go wont be such a disaster. He is in top, top form right now but there have been several moments this season that Richards and Obita have shown they can match him. oxf*rd it. Lets concentrate on them.

Yiadom?

Or do you know something we don’t? Mind you the afcon throws a bit of a spanner into the works

Hound wrote:Yiadom?

Or do you know something we don’t?

No, I just mean his place is cemented. We need a decent back up to him. Gunter should be that back up. Let Blackett go, convince Gunter to stay.

NewCorkSeth wrote:

Hound wrote:Yiadom?

Or do you know something we don’t?

No, I just mean his place is cemented. We need a decent back up to him. Gunter should be that back up. Let Blackett go, convince Gunter to stay.

Howe is a reasonable back up imo

Obita/Richards and Yiadom/Howe should and would be fine

Hound wrote:

NewCorkSeth wrote:

Hound wrote:Yiadom?

Or do you know something we don’t?

No, I just mean his place is cemented. We need a decent back up to him. Gunter should be that back up. Let Blackett go, convince Gunter to stay.

Howe is a reasonable back up imo

Obita/Richards and Yiadom/Howe should and would be fine

Rumour is he will be out on loan for the remainder of the season so if that is true we can evaluate in the summer. I didnt get so watch the FA cup replay but I was impressed with Howe in the first half of the first game. Less impressed with him in the second. His positioning in defence was poor as opposed to his movement in transition which was very good. If we have a Yiadom injury next season I would be much less confident with Howe.

Hound wrote:

NewCorkSeth wrote:

Hound wrote:Yiadom?

Or do you know something we don’t?

No, I just mean his place is cemented. We need a decent back up to him. Gunter should be that back up. Let Blackett go, convince Gunter to stay.

Howe is a reasonable back up imo

Obita/Richards and Yiadom/Howe should and would be fine

Yep. Ideally you'd want a bit more to challenge at the top, but perfectly good enough.

In fact to be honest, almost any combination of four of our six would be good enough.

Gunter, Howe, Richards and Obita probably being the weakest and most risky with Gunts back first choice, two relatively young inexperienced players and someone with a poor injury record.

Ideal world would be Yiadom, Howe, Blackett & Richards for a blend of youth and experience. But bar Yiadom there's little between them and so no one should be able make big salary demands as we can just opt for one of the others.

Even if all three of Gunts, Obita and Blackett go we still only really need 1 new fullback.

NewCorkSeth wrote:

Hound wrote:Yiadom?

Or do you know something we don’t?

No, I just mean his place is cemented. We need a decent back up to him. Gunter should be that back up. Let Blackett go, convince Gunter to stay.

So you'd keep the less versatile 30 year old over the 25 year old as a back up utility player? I personally would keep both but if I had choose one....

NewCorkSeth wrote:

Hound wrote:Yiadom?

Or do you know something we don’t?

No, I just mean his place is cemented. We need a decent back up to him. Gunter should be that back up. Let Blackett go, convince Gunter to stay.

Worst post ever made in the entirety of this website being created.

John Smith wrote:

NewCorkSeth wrote:

Hound wrote:Yiadom?

Or do you know something we don’t?

No, I just mean his place is cemented. We need a decent back up to him. Gunter should be that back up. Let Blackett go, convince Gunter to stay.

Worst post ever made in the entirety of this website being created.

Oh John you little flirt. You don't have to insult me to get my attention xx

Jagermesiter1871 wrote:

NewCorkSeth wrote:

Hound wrote:Yiadom?

Or do you know something we don’t?

No, I just mean his place is cemented. We need a decent back up to him. Gunter should be that back up. Let Blackett go, convince Gunter to stay.

So you'd keep the less versatile 30 year old over the 25 year old as a back up utility player? I personally would keep both but if I had choose one....

Yes. I think Obita and Richards are both good players who sufficiently cover the LB slot. I would rather have 2 experienced RBs than 3 LBs.

Howe was ok in the replay. Raw but appears to have talent. Needs time to develope.

I always thought Watson looked good when he burst onto the scene, disappointed it didn’t quite work for him

URZZZZ wrote:I always thought Watson looked good when he burst onto the scene, disappointed it didn’t quite work for him

That injury really set him back. He was great in that U18 team and looked very promising in his first couple of appearances as you say.

You could see how a long term injury could really oxf*rd up a young footballer with a decent irst 7professional contract. Lots of time, lots of money and nothing to do, easy to go off the rails, lose focus, lose fitness or whatever.

Not saying that's what happened, but hard to get back into the senior game at that stage.