When teams get relegated it’s inevitable that speculation starts linking players with moves away from the club. We’ve already let our loanees and out of contract players go but what about the players who would command a fee? Who can we afford to let go to raise much needed funds and who are the ones that we should do everything we can to keep hold of?
Let’s look at the candidates.
Ben Foster – Would command a good fee but has single-handedly kept us in games this last year and I’m not sure Colin Doyle would be a good replacement. Makes mistakes but has also made a number of top saves.
Roger Johnson and Scott Dann – These two formed the solid partnership that last year’s success was built upon but Dann’s injury led to inconsistency at the back and a lot more goals conceded. I expect one will go but which one?
Craig Gardner – Our top scorer who has a big heart but lacks a little in skill and composure. Probably wouldn’t want to leave.
Barry Ferguson – Only has one year left on his contract and has been linked with a move to the Middle East.
Nikola Zigic – Just started playing well when he got injured and could be a big threat in the Championship. His high wages will be a problem though.
Cameron Jerome – Our top scorer in 09-10 but struggled last year. Has already been linked with moves to Premiership Clubs but is our only player with pace.
James McFadden – Has been injured since September but is still our most skilful player who would make a difference next year. He may have to prove his fitness before we could get a decent fee for him.
I’ve added a poll on the right. You can vote for the two players that you most want to keep.
In our last poll 63% said that they would not have given up the Carling Cup win to get the points that would have kept us up.
Without doubt Craig Gardner 100%
I would rather sacrifice 3 others than lose a blue nose. Even more so as 20 goals is not beyond him from midfield and is this modern age goals from midfield are like gold dust!
If we want promotion we need to keep more than two of the players in the poll. I voted for Foster and Dann although we also have to keep Gardner and Ferguson. If we need to sell players I would let the others go.
Having said all that I am very worried about our finances and can see the whole team being ripped apart. If all we can afford are Bosman’s then I fear for us next season.
Craig Gardner, Ben Foster, Dann and Zigic – the others we can replace or have replacements for.
I would do all I can to keep Gardner for passion and performance and Dann who is always solid at the back. Roger Johnson wouldn’t be that big a loss if we scooped around £10 million for him. He proved towards the latter end of the season that he isn’t so strong without Dann to cover him and Dann has age on his side – Roger’s no spring chicken.
Foster is crucial to our promotion hopes as Doyle is still far from the finished article. Having said that, if an offer came in for Foster above £10 mil and he wanted to go – Coventry’s Westwood would be a good punt. Keeping Foster though is the first preference.
Zigic, although on a high wage, would be useful to hold onto as he is likely to frighten the defences of the Championship – you saw how West Ham, Arsenal etc struggled against him last season. He seems to have just gotten into his stride before he was injured so if we can keep him and he wants to stay, he could be a big player next season
McFadden will never be the same player he was at Everton again after his injury problems and I would personally pay a club to take Jerome off us if I could afford to!
Helmet is about right. But I personally would strive to keep everyone referred to in the article except Jerome. Bolton are welcome to him. Roger Johnson can go too if the price is right – Dann has much more to offer. And I’d stick with Zigic – just like we should have stuck wth Chuco 12 months ago – we must stop investing in overseas players new to the Prem only to discard them within a year just when they are starting to look good (remember Palacios- an inspired signing, let go by Eck for nix. Speaking of Eck, can we let him go too, please………
PS: I totally agree re Gardner and home grown passion. 11 of him and we would not have been relegated.
I don’t know whether it has escaped everyones notice but these players who ran out of gas after the carling cup played a total of 46 game last year. We have now shed a dozon players with more reportedly going yet next year there are 8 more league games+ cup games and at least 6 European games.
not only can we not afford to loose anyone we need to relace the 12 gone plus a few more. no football player is going to manage 60 games in a season. the talk of selling more is unbelievable.
with Europe and the parachute payment talk of them loosing money is rubbish
Zigic and Gardner for me, although I would like to keep Jerome as well. I’d let all the others go, but would not want to give them away. That said, some of the prices floating around are absolutely ludicrous. We have to be realistic.
I think the results so far prove that Craig’s being a Bluenose mean so much to the fans. His goals last season helped too.
🙂
I think 1% vote for Cameron Jerome looks terrible, but I guess it must be taken in the context that he could have been 2nd choice for some voters, but it wouldn’t have earned him any votes…
I just hope the players we keep/bring in do the job.
Here’s hoping Gardner goes.
Ref: Clive’s comments 60 games 5400 minutes 90 hours over approx 10 months whats the problem I don’t understand this tiredness thing and never have.If the players are tired it’s got to be either bad training methods or poor life choices ( i.e out on the piss or maybe that second job to subsidise the megre wages ).
Anyhow who would I like to keep or who could go . For me Foster (If the price is right ) could go Doyle is more than capable and Butland an able understudy.Jerome can go if the muted 5 million is solid take the money and run now !!!.I think the pace might be a bit quick for pass it back Ferguson might be wise to cash in.We’ve got to do everything to keep Johnson & Dann together they are solid as a pair .Gardner must stay for his passion if nothing else ( a few more like him would be good ) Oh and if he ( Craig ) reads this nice to see ya up the town the other week.Zigic could be our not so secret weapon but I’m unsure about his hunger I’d give him till Christmas if it don’t work offload in January.Mcfadden big queston mark will ever be fit is fit wouldn’t mind seeing him & big Zig up front for a game or two could work ? so keep for now.
Anyhow more importent who are we bringing in, they must be quality and young no more last chance saloon players please.I’m not confident about this King from Coventry more to do with peoples percecption of him rather than his footballing ability but I won’t go into that and the winger we have reportedly signed from Cardiff is he any good ? does anybody know ? certainly no spring chicken.I’m not going to make any comments about Eck other than to say go on big man prove me wrong ( get us up and keep us there ).
KRO SOTV CBC
I have to say I think Gardner has somehow been falsely elevated to ‘ Superstar’ status.
Yes he’s passionate , and yes he’s not frightened to have a ( well above average ) shot ( sadly lacking eleswhere in the squad) But really that’s about it! His distribution is barely adequate , his tackling borders on disiplinary action throughout every game , making him a 90minute liability , but having said all that , he will probably fit in well as we settle in to our new home ( for the foreseeable )
I read some of the comments , and it still seems to me that it really hasn’t dawned on a lot of blue noses just how far adrift we are now.
Keeping the likes of average players like Gardner over Foster, Dann , Johnson and Mc Fadden is exactly whats wrong with our club.
I’ll be there first game next season ( as always ) but my heart will sink as I watch the likes of Ridgewell , Gardner , and heaven help us , Doyle trudge out for their first run around the exercise compound as our indefinate sentence in the Championship gets underway .