Davefevs

This is a beaut!

Plus Michael Hardcastle - author of the teen football books, Free-Kick, On The Run, etc (the Mark Fox series) was a Huddersfield fan too. Used to love his books as a kid. He visited our school.

Agree. Certainly there is no intention to soak up pressure. We try to win the ball back early in the possession in their defensive third, and if we can’t trigger it, we drop into a block between halfway and their 40 yards out. Its not always successful though. With the ball, our intention is to play through Naismith and the midfield, sometimes using Atkinson, less so Vyner. Its not always successful though. What we also see is our transition when we break up their patterns, and vice versa when we get transitioned on. Sometimes we are transitioning off of the back of their transition. It makes football very fluid.

? agree…post mainly for the benefit of others who think we have to sell a “big-un”! Before the start of the season I estimated we were somewhere in the region of being £2.5m shy of complying. @Mr Popodopoloushas a slightly wider range, think he’s in the £2-4m ballpark. We’ve since had a number of “transactions” in and out and I think we’ve brought that deficit down, but not by a huge amount. We have to comply by the end of this season, although projections submitted in March might prompt action from the EFL. So we’ve got 6 months to sort things out…we still have January window, hence why no panic. That deficit might be covered by additional Covid allowances, and therefore we are currently satisfying EFL. If Stoke and Forest were putting in tens of millions in, surely we can exempt enough? Hence why I think we are complying, but with a very prudent outlook until the EFL formally confirm the “rules” and also new rules from next season onwards. We don’t want to do something now that will hamstring us in future. Its very much guesswork, and I can re-baseline my figs when 21/22’s accounts come out. They might come out earlier this year by the sounds of it.

Funny, when I watched many of last season’s u23 games, I thought we played a very different brand of u23 football to most. A lot of teams play the football you describe, nice patterns, look pretty but don’t do a lot with it. I’m generalising of course, but City I see playing more robust, less pretty football…but imho more akin to a proper senior championship match. All about opinions though.

As per another post, we don’t need £15m plus (or whatever Antoine is worth) to comply with FFP. Would be better off finding someone else of a lower value to sell, e.g. a Dasilva or a Pring, if that makes sense. You and me both. I honestly don’t expect him to go in this window, but every post that gets added I expect to see “xyz are bidding for him”. Phew.

Was an outfield player until relatively recently (Bath youth stuff). Guess Bajic is still working up to full fitness now he’s been given the all-clear following last week’s scan.

Good old Harv

Everybody knows who the old big-unit is ??? Yes, just trying to sort out my sub, I don’t have permissions currently.

What he said!

Depends how much we paid him initially doesn’t it? If we gave him £10k p.w. as an 18 year old…is he now deserving of more than Andi Weimann for example? I guess context is everything…I’ve no idea what he’s on or what he’s been offered. Poor old Andi had to take a 50% cut (we know from Nige it was a cut). It would not surprise me if we “overpaid” at the time and the reality of the current contract deal is more aligned to his ability / experience / performance levels. As you say the world has moved on. I think he’s experiencing what lots of other pros are…existing contract terms might be better than future contract terms. In this scenario, you can play the field a bit, but he also needs to be reminded that he can’t walk for free in the summer, compensation is due under FA or FIFA regs. Depends if money is the driver. I don’t expect him to play for buttons either. It’s a complex dynamic in a worsening market. I rate him though, and would be trying to get him to sign, but there are wage structures in place….for a reason. I think he’s playing well (in the main) at the moment too. Smudger….Semenyo (sorry, ooops).

Yep, and look what gems there are if you give them the right exposure. That’s not just games, but joining in training, becoming a member of the training squad, etc, etc.

Might be a final “test”…has he got that match day “desire” over and above training.

My view is slightly / subtly different….we are looking at Bamba because we can’t afford anyone unless we cut some costs (someone leaves). I don’t believe it’s the EFL constraining us, more it’s ourselves running the business properly. I don’t think we make the summer signings if so. We are under EFL monitoring (not restriction) regardless as we are in breach of the £15m lower-limit.

Allegedly City knew in the summer of 2019 (halfway through his 4 years) that he was never gonna sign an extension, but nobody was interested at the fee we wanted or the wages Fam wanted. In some respects, we wanted too much for him, and had made it harder by offering him too high a wage initially. Over the next 12-18 months the club decided that “we’d get our value on the pitch”. We didn’t. It cost us his wages and amortisation for the that final period. I’m not saying we’ve cracked it under RG, but there seems to be a better appreciation of a player who isn’t playing that it’s better to get something (Palmer - saved his wages) than nothing. At some point we will see a squad of: Nige signings, e.g. Naismith, Atkinson, Wilson, etc Academy players, e.g. Conway, Scott, Smith players signed previously but re-contracted / properly extended by Nige, e.g. Weimann, Baker (are the only 2….so far) - I don’t include Martin as his extension was on his terms not club we aren’t there yet, hence still stung by the previous regime’s “legacy”. We will know much more when Kalas, Bentley, Dasilva, Massengo, Williams (2024) and Wells contract situations are solidified one way or another. Nige will make mistakes in recruitment, e.g. Simpson, but hopefully they are low-value mistakes.

He’s also not a youngster who’s just joined the first team squad, having to get used to Sat / train / Tues / train / Sat timetable for the first time…he’s been doing that for well over a year, fitting in u23 games too. His chances of maintaining a good level are better as a result. Might’ve felt a waste him sitting in the bench virtually all last season, but I still think (as I wish we’d done with Hinds) it’s better in a lot of cases to train with better players week in week out than go to Grimsby or wherever on loan. Good Qs, I’ve been posing similar for a while. With Antoine back (almost back fully) could we “sacrifice” one and still maintain our attacking quality.

Surely January is the better chance of a big deal: fees in January are panic-purchases / price pushed up he will be fit and banging in goals, enhancing his worth, confirming that he’s not a “half season wonder” to those clubs who might have a few doubts might’ve been to World Cup too I appreciate next summer will have potential to start seeing his value decline, but probably only right at the end of that window. So, I don’t agree that this window is the best chance.

I’m not sure about him…as I’ve said before…but it’s not an exact science is it. Some players fit well with better players, etc, etc. if this goes through will be interesting to see how he does.

So good theyve now got advert boards around the outside too…makes it look a proper ground.

Only watched about 15 mins, but was impressed with Hayles. She shows well for the ball, looks like she has a good turn of pace too. Felt we needed someone to provide better support with Abi.

Agree, Sykes back in at RWB, Scott into CM….to be paired with anyone from Williams, James or Massengo.

Think what he’s implying is that if players are playing well they’ll jerk the shirt. If they aren’t, they’ll lose it…and that drop off in performance level might be because they’re tired / fatigued…hence it’ll happen anyway. Did I read that right?

I know, amazing.

In fairness to Holden, he switched to a back three and then Eliasson left. He played a couple of friendlies as one of the attacking-eights.