Jones and Cooper delay in signing extensions?

[MikeSB]

http://www.crewechronicle.co.uk/spor...ooper-13744234

Is this the norm now and I do have to smile that players need an agent at this level to speak for them. In fairness I suppose its a bit embarrassing at that age to confront the Chairman themselves..

I'm not actually sure what the problem is as clubs would have to pay for either because of their age and if the transfer fee from Preston banded about for Jones was 300 grand and we got that for Clayton who had fewer games based on a tribunal decision then maybe they are asking far more? Are they worth it though is another question and the other is it must be a pain for the club to be waiting and waiting for a decision when so much money was spent on their development?

There can only be two reasons.

1. They can get a higher sign of fee if they are free agents bearing in mind the above.

2. They are holding out for better wages.

Or something else?

BTW Why did George Ray take so long to sign an extension considering he was injured and may only be fit for half a season or less? Who was going to sign him and cynically why did we? I know its not the Crewe way....but its a tough world and money doesn't grow on trees.

[MikeSB]

BTW Why did George Ray take so long to sign an extension considering he was injured and may only be fit for half a season or less? Who was going to sign him and cynically why did we? I know its not the Crewe way....but its a tough world and money doesn't grow on trees.

[MikeSB]

BTW Why did George Ray take so long to sign an extension considering he was injured and may only be fit for half a season or less? Who was going to sign him and cynically why did we? I know its not the Crewe way....but its a tough world and money doesn't grow on trees.

Sorry about this additional post as tried to edit the first one and no wonder people aren't posting much as its terrible with adverts jumping up all over the place like a Jack in the box....Very poor!

[gazan]

bit surprised that Cooper is holding off signing. In August he was great and was the only assist for all our goals. However, since then he has just been ineffectual/uninterested/incapable. With his notorious lack of consistency, why would anybody be interested?

[MikeSB]

Perhaps the mods could delete the two repetitive posts above please.

Just to add that its really a lame excuse to say that agents are in hospital and unavailable etc. I suspect and as usual jumping to conclusions, sorry, but once again academy players not acknowledging the huge amount of time and money that has been spent on them and its not right somehow they appear to be holding the club to ransom. Its not as though these are potential PL players or even Championship standard and so another reason why the club cannot keep funding the academy as it was but credit to them they are trying to do that and its their money. I wish some of our academy graduates would appreciate that when they are holding off signing even a years extension. The cynic in me, tends to think its about going somewhere else at a reduced price to earn a bigger sign on fee otherwise what else? Possibly a bigger wage here can be the only other option plus a guarantee of a first team place?

Add in any other option if you can think of one?

[ruocul]

Well Mike I think those two players have an over rated opinion of themselves. Would be surprised if a fee of £250,000 was exceeded for either.

First Cooper, most know that he is only going to perform if the opposition are going to be non-physical. If the opponents get stuck in George disappears.

Jones, If I was thinking of signing him I would want him to prove 2 things. 1> can he pass the ball 2. can he make runs and be a playmaker. Personally I have not seen either.

One thing that intrigues me Mike, when we get loanees of 19-20 they can cope with the physical levels in league2 straight away. Why is it our Academy graduates cannot? For me there is something seriously wrong with our coaching in the Academy. £1million spent and they cannot produce players good enough for league2.

[MikeSB]

Well Mike I think those two players have an over rated opinion of themselves. Would be surprised if a fee of £250,000 was exceeded for either.

First Cooper, most know that he is only going to perform if the opposition are going to be non-physical. If the opponents get stuck in George disappears.

Jones, If I was thinking of signing him I would want him to prove 2 things. 1> can he pass the ball 2. can he make runs and be a playmaker. Personally I have not seen either.

One thing that intrigues me Mike, when we get loanees of 19-20 they can cope with the physical levels in league2 straight away. Why is it our Academy graduates cannot? For me there is something seriously wrong with our coaching in the Academy. £1million spent and they cannot produce players good enough for league2.

Hi mate, hope you are keeping well.

I'm going to get into bother again posting this but the forum is quiet and not as it was so I may as well do so..

Think about how many academy players around at any one time over 18 years of age just in the UK alone never mind abroad and then how many get to make the grade at the higher clubs? And it would be foolish to suggest they are worse than what we have after the same period of time coaching. Indeed if its true that the higher academy category the better the player? Some think that, I couldn't possibly comment! means hundreds available that we can see now ie how physically developed, what kind of skills and attitude and so why spend millions over ten or more years to wait and see, only to discard most of them when they get to that age? It seems so unavoidable when there are alternatives.

The point has just been made again that it doesn't stop us developing further these players indeed like Dario used to before academies were set up but leave all the under 17's to be coached by the PL and CC and save millions in the process. Every club, both league and non league all have academies for local lads to try their luck and that should not change by downgrading ours and if we keep playing as we are, it will happen sooner or later anyway.

I suspect you are right that the valuation of our players have tumbled and the academy we know is costing the club £750,000 each season and something will have to give. I was chatting to my next door neighbour who is a ManCity fan....the traitor! But he was making the usual point. ManC and ManU have 60 odd players who are good enough for the PL but cannot get a game and are out on loan home and abroad and the PL clubs are getting 100m plus even when bottom of the league and so WHY would they want to sign an unproven or mediocre L1 or L2 player for even a million and especially when they have dozens of their own academy players anyway?

The club will know all this and will cut their cloth accordingly, won't they?

ATB

Mike

[somersetcrewe]

Think about how many academy players around at any one time over 18 years of age just in the UK alone never mind abroad and then how many get to make the grade at the higher clubs? And it would be foolish to suggest they are worse than what we have after the same period of time coaching. Indeed if its true that the higher academy category the better the player? Some think that, I couldn't possibly comment! means hundreds available that we can see now ie how physically developed, what kind of skills and attitude and so why spend millions over ten or more years to wait and see, only to discard most of them when they get to that age? It seems so unavoidable when there are alternatives.

If only it were that simple, Mike.
For every argument, there is a flip side.
Port Vale ditched their academy - so why aren't they tapping into this pool of talent and roaring up the league with PL cast-offs on the cheap? - or maybe that's what they are trying to do?!
Either way, a fat lot of good it is doing them!

[somersetcrewe]

Sorry about this additional post as tried to edit the first one and no wonder people aren't posting much as its terrible with adverts jumping up all over the place like a Jack in the box....Very poor!

Couldn't agree more!
They're ****ing irritating!!
GRRR!!!

[MikeSB]

If only it were that simple, Mike.
For every argument, there is a flip side.
Port Vale ditched their academy - so why aren't they tapping into this pool of talent and roaring up the league with PL cast-offs on the cheap? - or maybe that's what they are trying to do?!
Either way, a fat lot of good it is doing them!

Hi mate...Thanks for the report at Yeovil. Seems Dave Artell is starting to parrot Steve Davis.."We really did fine apart from the goals"....

Yes, you make a great point and one answer is that the overall standard of footballers in the lower leagues is about the same level and that its difficult to get players in from the PL and CC academies or maybe they don't want them hacked to death by what they perceive as farmers and cider apple growers...

I see SD is still struggling with Leyton Orient as well.Maybe the good old days are gone and we have to get used to what we see now but its not all bad as I saw many really good games in the sixties and didn't get too depressed when we finished near the bottom of the league occasionally and even seek relection, in fact you could say, been there, done that and oh how history tends to repeat itself, lol..

Wrexham,Tranmere, Chester, Macclesfield.....every cloud has a silver lining! ATB...Mike