Hob Nob Anyone?

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/exclu ... -star/amp/

Omar Richards in line for summer interest? I mean he's been great for us and I don't want to see him go, but the article doesn't suggest who is interested...

On one hand, are we confirmed to be losing Blackett? If so then I’d be reluctant to lose another left back. Gunter is almost certain to go and we stupidly let Howe leave, so we could be down to just Obita and Yiadom. No guarantees we could recruit suitable replacements.

On the other hand, I don’t want us to repeat the mistake we made with Loader. If a good offer comes in - say £3m - then we should take it. £5m would be very good and anything above would be a steal. Double what we paid for Blackett feels like good money given the inflation since then.

With Obita and Blackett out of contract, selling him could be risky. I think he's already shown more value to the team on the pitch than Loader ever has, but he is also quite replaceable in terms of quality IMO. I'd be shocked if we turned down more than a couple mil.

Obita has done enough to earn a new contract. I don’t care if he can’t play three times a week. He has played regularly enough to justify a new deal.
Yiadom will still be with us next season. Howe is gone. Blackett is going. Gunter likely to be going although I think he’s worth a two year deal on lower wages.

So we need to keep Richards. What we don’t want is another mass of signings in the summer. Time for a stable squad with a few additions so that we can push on.

Strikes me as a player who might really blossom next season (if and when it happens)

Would like to keep hold really

This reads just like a story a journalist has to write to keep employed when there is no actual football to talk about - these will only get worse the longer the shutdown continues.

skipper wrote:https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/exclu ... -star/amp/

Omar Richards in line for summer interest? I mean he's been great for us and I don't want to see him go, but the article doesn't suggest who is interested...

They picked this up from GetReading who are struggling for stories...

One87One wrote:

skipper wrote:https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/exclu ... -star/amp/

Omar Richards in line for summer interest? I mean he's been great for us and I don't want to see him go, but the article doesn't suggest who is interested...

They picked this up from GetReading who are struggling for stories...

Saw they had done one on Swift too, I read it, and it didn't actually say anything. As you say, they're struggling with stories.

Incidentally, I saw that Rashford had done something for kids in Manchester. Have any of our players done anything for the local community? I saw that Puscas broke into training! What a lad.

Zip wrote:Obita has done enough to earn a new contract. I don’t care if he can’t play three times a week. He has played regularly enough to justify a new deal.
Yiadom will still be with us next season. Howe is gone. Blackett is going. Gunter likely to be going although I think he’s worth a two year deal on lower wages.

So we need to keep Richards. What we don’t want is another mass of signings in the summer. Time for a stable squad with a few additions so that we can push on.

I know people say I don’t like Obita etc etc but I’m intrigued as to why he deserves a new contract

So far this season:

Him coming in for Richards at the start of the season completely derailed Richards’ form for a few months when he’d started very promisingly

Him coming in the side in January was at the same time that our form went poor and he put in a string of mediocre performances at best in that run. Also disrupted the Blackett/Ejaria combo that was working a treat down the left

Arguably cost us any FA Cup success with a poor game against admittedly superior opposition

I do feel for him because once upon a time he was an energetic, athletic full back. But his injuries have ruined him and I think that, along with him being from the academy, is giving him extra leeway
There seems to be a bigger uproar about Obita leaving than Blackett and IMO Blackett has comfortable outperformed Obita this season

Agree with Richards though, matured well this season, but still needs to work on his inconsistencies which still too often creep up. Would like to see Richards competing with a new LB next season if Blackett does move on which is looking more likely by the day

URZZZZ wrote:

Zip wrote:Obita has done enough to earn a new contract. I don’t care if he can’t play three times a week. He has played regularly enough to justify a new deal.
Yiadom will still be with us next season. Howe is gone. Blackett is going. Gunter likely to be going although I think he’s worth a two year deal on lower wages.

So we need to keep Richards. What we don’t want is another mass of signings in the summer. Time for a stable squad with a few additions so that we can push on.

I know people say I don’t like Obita etc etc but I’m intrigued as to why he deserves a new contract

So far this season:

Him coming in for Richards at the start of the season completely derailed Richards’ form for a few months when he’d started very promisingly

Him coming in the side in January was at the same time that our form went poor and he put in a string of mediocre performances at best in that run. Also disrupted the Blackett/Ejaria combo that was working a treat down the left

Arguably cost us any FA Cup success with a poor game against admittedly superior opposition

I do feel for him because once upon a time he was an energetic, athletic full back. But his injuries have ruined him and I think that, along with him being from the academy, is giving him extra leeway
There seems to be a bigger uproar about Obita leaving than Blackett and IMO Blackett has comfortable outperformed Obita this season

Agree with Richards though, matured well this season, but still needs to work on his inconsistencies which still too often creep up. Would like to see Richards competing with a new LB next season if Blackett does move on which is looking more likely by the day

Obita hasn’t got the same energy levels as he used to have but he still has quality. He has scored a couple and has some assists so he has still made some important contributions. With a full pre season behind him he can get stronger. Definitely want him to stay. Blackett is going which is a shame.

What I don’t want to see is another mass of comings and going’s. We need a settled squad.

Zip wrote:

URZZZZ wrote:

Zip wrote:Obita has done enough to earn a new contract. I don’t care if he can’t play three times a week. He has played regularly enough to justify a new deal.
Yiadom will still be with us next season. Howe is gone. Blackett is going. Gunter likely to be going although I think he’s worth a two year deal on lower wages.

So we need to keep Richards. What we don’t want is another mass of signings in the summer. Time for a stable squad with a few additions so that we can push on.

I know people say I don’t like Obita etc etc but I’m intrigued as to why he deserves a new contract

So far this season:

Him coming in for Richards at the start of the season completely derailed Richards’ form for a few months when he’d started very promisingly

Him coming in the side in January was at the same time that our form went poor and he put in a string of mediocre performances at best in that run. Also disrupted the Blackett/Ejaria combo that was working a treat down the left

Arguably cost us any FA Cup success with a poor game against admittedly superior opposition

I do feel for him because once upon a time he was an energetic, athletic full back. But his injuries have ruined him and I think that, along with him being from the academy, is giving him extra leeway
There seems to be a bigger uproar about Obita leaving than Blackett and IMO Blackett has comfortable outperformed Obita this season

Agree with Richards though, matured well this season, but still needs to work on his inconsistencies which still too often creep up. Would like to see Richards competing with a new LB next season if Blackett does move on which is looking more likely by the day

Obita hasn’t got the same energy levels as he used to have but he still has quality. He has scored a couple and has some assists so he has still made some important contributions. With a full pre season behind him he can get stronger. Definitely want him to stay. Blackett is going which is a shame.

What I don’t want to see is another mass of comings and going’s. We need a settled squad.

We’ve got a good core of a squad at the moment and agree we need a settled squad as far as possible

Can’t see many leaving on a permanent deal in terms of first team players although depending on what happens to the remainder of this season, can see Swift perhaps moving over to Leeds if they do manage to go up as Bielsa has himself admitted that he likes him

Incomings won’t need too much, perhaps a more defensive midfielder wouldn’t go amiss, perhaps Pele? Would prefer Baker but not sure how realistic that is. Obviously I’d sign a couple of wingers but that depends on the style/direction Bowen wants us to go

Think we’re OK with strikers with Joao and Puscas, I like Baldock but he doesn’t work in a 1 up top formation which Bowen seems to prefer so there’s question marks over him

Would like to see Olise and McIntyre given a more prominent role next season, with both getting a little experience this season

Why does Obita deserve a new contract?

Because he's recovered from injury, played well and is an asset to the squad. And we need more than 1 LB.

Fin.

Snowflake Royal wrote:Why does Obita deserve a new contract?

Because he's recovered from injury, played well and is an asset to the squad. And we need more than 1 LB.

Fin.

And it will be cheaper than signing someone new and unproven.

Snowflake Royal wrote:Why does Obita deserve a new contract?

Because he's recovered from injury, played well and is an asset to the squad. And we need more than 1 LB.

Fin.

Same thing applies to Gunter though doesn’t it?

He’s recovered from “exile”, he’s played well and is still a useful player for the squad. And we need more than 1 RB assuming he’s doesn’t fancy Watson

Not seeing the clamour for Gunter though?

URZZZZ wrote:

Snowflake Royal wrote:Why does Obita deserve a new contract?

Because he's recovered from injury, played well and is an asset to the squad. And we need more than 1 LB.

Fin.

Same thing applies to Gunter though doesn’t it?

He’s recovered from “exile”, he’s played well and is still a useful player for the squad. And we need more than 1 RB assuming he’s doesn’t fancy Watson

Not seeing the clamour for Gunter though?

I’d be happy to see him sign a new two year deal but it would have to be on reduced wages.

Obita is our best left back. He's put in some very good performances. He offers by far the most going forward, as shown by the goals he's scored and his history as a winger, and is no worse than the others defensively. Fin.

SCIAG wrote:Obita is our best left back. He's put in some very good performances. He offers by far the most going forward, as shown by the goals he's scored and his history as a winger, and is no worse than the others defensively. Fin.

He’s probably our best crosser.

Yep agree Gunts and Obita have been fairly similar this year

Obita is 5 years or so younger though

I’d be happy enough for both to sign on again, but presumably not on the type of contracts they’ve just been on

Zip wrote:

URZZZZ wrote:

Snowflake Royal wrote:Why does Obita deserve a new contract?

Because he's recovered from injury, played well and is an asset to the squad. And we need more than 1 LB.

Fin.

Same thing applies to Gunter though doesn’t it?

He’s recovered from “exile”, he’s played well and is still a useful player for the squad. And we need more than 1 RB assuming he’s doesn’t fancy Watson

Not seeing the clamour for Gunter though?

I’d be happy to see him sign a new two year deal but it would have to be on reduced wages.

Four points here really:

1) There's been plenty of talk about Gunter being good enough to stay

2) Gunter is likely to be on considerably more than Obita and isn't coming back from essentially a two year lay off, so is likely to be looking for a better deal

3) Obita is four years younger than Gunter

4) Yiadom is considerably better than Gunter and has far more experience than Richards. Whilst Obita is about the same as Richards, with more experience.

Snowflake Royal wrote:

Zip wrote:

URZZZZ wrote:
Same thing applies to Gunter though doesn’t it?

He’s recovered from “exile”, he’s played well and is still a useful player for the squad. And we need more than 1 RB assuming he’s doesn’t fancy Watson

Not seeing the clamour for Gunter though?

I’d be happy to see him sign a new two year deal but it would have to be on reduced wages.

Three points here really:

1) There's been plenty of talk about Gunter being good enough to stay

2) Gunter is likely to be on considerably more than Obita and isn't coming back from essentially a two year lay off, so is likely to be looking for a better deal

3) Obita is four years younger than Gunter

4) Yiadom is considerably better than Gunter and has far more experience than Richards. Whilst Obita is about the same as Richards, with more experience.

Counting not your strong point