29 Jun 2019 12:18:23
Think if the money is right all players are available from any club. We are a business, in the case of KP if someone stumps up £15m plus, think we would be stupid to turn down their money, as I think we could pick up a similar type player for less. Don't get me wrong I don't like to see any of our better players leaving, but if the money is re- invested and allows us to improve the squad to get out of this league, that has to be the main objective. Selling players and improving the squad is acceptable, selling players and not improving the squad is not. If the squad is shaping up as is currently being reported, we could be moving in the right direction, we only have to finish one place higher than last season, we have lost the advantage of being an unknown quantity, but to balance this, MB will have learnt a lot about the league from last season.
29 Jun 2019 12:57:07
Not sure we could replace Phillips for 15. Not improve for 15 that’s for sure.
29 Jun 2019 13:39:25
With you on that one Aus. In these days of vastly inflated fees, I doubt we could replace him cheaper than we sell him. So what's the point in selling him.
If there was a ready made replacement in the U23s, as in the case of Jack Clarke and Stevens, then I wouldn't mind him being sold, so that the Academy production line is not stagnated. After all, Phillips got his break because we sold Mowatt.
I would be interested in anyone's thoughts on our defensive midfielder situation
I seem to remember Anita being sold to us as a defensive midfielder, that used to be a right back. Unfortunately I never got to the few games he played, so was wondering if anyone in the know could confirm or blow that idea out of the water
My only recollections of him were he was an effective midfielder in the Newcastle side that won the championship, but didn't get a look-in at Premier level.
May be he could take over Phillips' water-carrier role?
29 Jun 2019 13:39:51
But radz would sell for 10.
29 Jun 2019 14:02:33
Further to the idea of Phillip's going, I was just pondering our transfer activity so far. Am I correct that:-
Ekuban has been sold for £2m
O'Connor has gone on a free
Clarke is being sold for £10m
Saiz is being touted at about £6
Diaz has been released
Grotts has been loaned out
That, to me, seems to leave a deadwood list of:-
Coyle
Pearce
Denton
de Bock
Shaughnessy
Anita
O'Kane
Bouy
Ideguchi
Sakho
Cibicki
that don't figure in Bieslas plans. 11 players! A team's worth of depreciating assets
Rather than stress so much about the incomings, to a team that comfortably finished 3rd last year, I would like us to concentrate on getting rid of the quantity and improve the quality
Even with all the above we still have our normal 1st XI available to us:-
Casilla
Ayling
Douglas
Phillips
Jansson
Cooper
Henandez
Klich
Roofe
Roberts
Alioski
With a second string of:-
Peacock-Farrell
Gotts
Davis
McCalmount
Struick
Halme
Stevens
Shackleton
Bamford
Nicol
Wilks
And waiting in the wings:-
Miazek
Huffer
Male
Odour
Kitching (back from on loan)
Edmondson
Kun
It was reported we only had £5m to spend this summer so add Harrison (£1m loan fee) , Costa (£2m loan fee) and White (£2m signing) to that sort of squad. bl00dy brilliant. and still not touched the money from selling players. FFP. piece of p! $$.
29 Jun 2019 15:33:37
Great post axe, still personally would like more quality and in particular a goal scorer but great to see it all laid out like this cheer fella.
29 Jun 2019 15:49:44
axe, Harrison, Costa and White plus maybe three more decent signings of say Freeman, Mujica from Barcelona B and even Saiz coming back or someone similar and we would look plenty stronger than last season.
29 Jun 2019 16:36:02
1970 Quality defensive midfielders hard to come by. Our valuation of £30m not too far off. Should KP impress in the PL his value would go through the Kemar.
30 Jun 2019 00:45:08
Cant believe you guys put Pearce on your list of no hopers to get rid of. He is better than Taylor ever was, is one of the best young full backs in England and you are happy to discard him. Judgement? lack of.
30 Jun 2019 08:50:31
Bieslabud
Please don't think I am 'judging' any of those players on the list I called "deadwood". It's probably come across as a negative label and I wasnt meaning it to.
It is only referring to their usefulness to the Leeds United cause.
(I would love a hundredth of the talent that any of those guys have)
In reference to Pearce, I am with you about his ability. When he played a couple of seasons ago I understood why we hadn't tried hard to keep Taylor. He fitted in at left back seamlessly.
But no youngster should be thrown in to a team and made to be first choice and unfortunately when he was rested Beradi came in and did an even better job than Pearce
Then at the start of last year we made a fantastic signing in Douglas and Pearce was then 3rd choice left back. I saw him being loaned put as a positive for Leeds. He would come back more experienced. Unfortunately in his absence Alioski has proven his versatility. Now I would hazard a guess that Pearce in now joint 4th choice left full back at Leeds with Denton, de Bock, and U23 starlet Odour
Pearce is a professional footballer. He deserves the opportunity to be sold to a club where he can be first choice and play the game he obviously loves. He deserves more than being sat in the stands every Saturday watching his teammates play
This can be said for most of the players on my 'deadwood' list. Too talented to sit in the stands on Saturdays.
30 Jun 2019 10:03:19
if kp is as good as people say we need a sell on clause as his value will go through the roof, however as i always say I know best and he will struggle to make prem football. Sadly for me i can see us selling him, him doing really badly and us buying back a year later at a profit to us which is great business providing the player ain't phillips.
30 Jun 2019 11:49:48
See your point axe but if you have a lad with as much potential as him you keep him. Of the ones you mentioned only Douglas is a natural left back. Fan of Alioski and although he puts in the effort he was more attacking as a full back than he was as a winger. He is not defensive minded but puts in the effort. Berardi not a right back never was. Why would you let a player go now that may be worth 2 or 3 mill in a year or 10 mill in a couple of years.
30 Jun 2019 11:53:19
I actually rate Coyle as well but he is older and if he can't get in or around the first team he should be let go to get on with his life as with Nessie.