06 Feb 2024 22:35:30
Season not over and so many uncertainties to be decided. But I'm hoping / thinking / planning for another season in PL as I'm sure all supporters / club are.
Biggest decision to me is Branthwaite. He is our future, but do we stick or twist? Plus realistically, what does player want?
My opinion is go all to keep the (imo) future England captain and WC winner, think we will get silly bids in summer and get that with ffp and r financial situation we have to balance books but I would sell / release others to keep a gem who will only go up in value. I believe GB could be first potential billion future player/ defender.
Thoughts blues?
06 Feb 2024 23:02:31
He will be sold.
07 Feb 2024 03:53:43
If the player wants to leave then it's very difficult to stop him. He is genuinely world class and as such we must get maximum transfer value.
07 Feb 2024 05:53:21
Sadly the club won’t have a choice and aren’t in any position to bargain. I reckon any offer of£40m+ and he will be gone.
{Ed025's Note - i think it will be a lot more than that Swinners, but yeah i think he will be sold in the summer unfortunately mate..
07 Feb 2024 09:15:18
If the money is right and the player wants to leave, then so be it. There are very few Seamus Coleman’s anymore. Now it’s all about the money.
07 Feb 2024 10:10:46
Not the old club loyalty card again? When are you from? The 1920s? Ooh he kissed the badge he must be one of us. If the club could offer the aligned ambition of the best players to pass through then we'd be in a much better position to expect to keep them for the peak years. Assets get sold and if this financial crisis was 10 years ago then have no doubt that Baines and Coleman would have been sold to Man UTD and on MOTD you'd have seen them kissing the new badge. This has always been a football fan ideology that I've never understood and find very weird.
07 Feb 2024 11:45:47
It's a fair assessment FBS but I'd through Le Tiasier in the mix. Unfortunately different times with the amount of money in the game.
The main issue that all this revolves around, is if we stay in the league. If we do get relegated and I suppose if we stay in the league, we have to keep hold of him until after the Euros, as he'll definitely go and we can get more for him. This will be the same for Onana and will get us a lot in order to clear some of the debt and allow us to invest.
Really sad times for our great club and watching Richarlison score on Saturday just shows me what could have been. This team and Richie would be nowhere near the bottom with his goals.
07 Feb 2024 12:28:56
Honestly in my opinion if jarrad keeps playing the way he has has to be considered at 80 mil easily plays with both feet looks comfortable on ball good at duels i think be only matter of time before united city and liverpool be looking at him do i want him to go absolutely not but with the current situation and the ffp if bid does go in think it will be accepted but woudnt accept anything less than 80 mil just my view like.
{Ed002's Note - It is simply a random number.}
07 Feb 2024 13:25:08
I’m not sure on the number but it wouldn’t surprise me if he became the PL most expensive player from a transfer value point of view. The boy has ability and is young.
We have him on a longish contract which helps but our need to trade players is great at this time.
If we have him next season then I’ll be very surprised.
07 Feb 2024 15:12:02
It’s a simple case of supply and demand. There’ll be some big clubs that are happy to pay top dollar for someone like JB and that competition will drive the cost up. It will be a shame to se him go, but we are not in the position to hold on to potentially world class players. Our hope should be that the scouting team have identified the next JB.
{Ed002's Note - They have identified some options:
Harry Souttar (CB) Identified by Everton as a potential Branthwaite replacement in the summer - but it will depend on promotion/relegation, but he will be available as he is no more than a fringe player at Leicester. Seems an odd pick for Everton. May have an option in the Middle East.
Jake O'Brien (CB) Having a very good seasson in France so far and it may lead to an offer from Everton as a Jarrad Branthwaite replacement in the summer. They will continue to send scouts but he is not Home Grown which may be a concern..
Nico Elvedi (CB) Prior interest of Roma, Wolves, Nice and West Ham has gone. An option for Everton but the player may not be keen.
Ronnie Edwards (CB) Watched by a number of PL clubs with Crystal Palace and West Ham stepping back. Everton may look to an early offer for the summer but Peterborough may ask a decent fee for him that is beyond Everton without sales.}
07 Feb 2024 15:42:26
Cheers Ed, hopefully the sale of a few others and some contracts ending will improve our situation moving forward.
{Ed002's Note - Many will be departing in the summer for one reason or another.}
07 Feb 2024 16:29:33
Let’s hope those departures you speak of Ed are not because we’ve been relegated ?.
{Ed002's Note - I hope not. There are eight out of contract, including two end of loans after the Danjuma mess, plus I would think several sales, perhaps three first team sales and fringe sales.}
07 Feb 2024 18:54:44
3878 One of my pals was at Southampton Institute in the early 1990s and locally in the night life, Le Tissier was well known. I believe he was a nightclub part owner and partner in several bars and was known as Le Pissier. I'm sure if I published a few stories I've been told, they'd be deleted. The general local thought on his "loyalty" was that he was very happy to be a big fish in a small pond. He liked the entire city "god like" adulation without anyone to rival him. His talent would have made him a success anywhere on the pitch but he famously didn't like to train and I'm not sure if a Alex Ferguson would have tolerated his general attitude and he was potentially bright enough to figure out he was better off at home. He was a rare exception.
07 Feb 2024 21:05:35
Steve Bull of Wolves also worth a mention, prolific in his day and stayed with the club even after relegation from the top flight.
Tho do agree loyalty within football is scarce and sadly money driven.
08 Feb 2024 16:55:18
What’s it matter, even supporters move from team to team now .