Owen Dale in the spotlight.

[gazan]

Apparently at 4 clubs are being linked with Owen Dale. Now I know he's scored some great goals but I wasn't expecting that yet. However, 2 of those clubs are in our division (and hopefully next season) so if I was him, though they consider themselves 'big clubs', I wouldn't go near them when I could develop here and really score goals next season and then gain even more attention. Whatever, he has to be offered improved terms now, not next season.
We have enough moving out at the end of this season as it is, without more names being added to the list.
Ainley seems to be being the latest primadonna (or at least the agent is). I thought a strategy had been put in place to stop people playing out their contracts! To my mind DA is right to say that Ainley needs a full season (at least) of first team football to develop himself, otherwise he will remain, no matter where he goes, an almost made it player.
After listening to the Steve Phillips interview on the Railwaymen podcast, I imagine Ainley is one of those, having spent all his footballing life at Crewe, that doesn't realise that the level of coaching at many other clubs is not the same as he has experienced at the Alex. In other words, he could be going somewhere where it will be sink or swim.

[AstonAlex]

Whilst I agree in principle with everything you say, we also have to recognise that’s it’s very hard for young fellas aged 22 and 23 to turn down wages that may be 5 or 6 times what we are able to pay them. If we don’t sell Ainley in this transfer window then we may not get any compensation or fee for him as he turns 24 in November and, no matter what strategy we have in place for getting players on extended deals, we can’t force them to sign them. Given how often this seems to happen these days I guess that, as the players get into their twenties, they start to think more about what they could be earning elsewhere - if they have reached 24 without getting a big money move like Powell, Westwood or Murphy then they may see that ship as having sailed and they need to maximise their income with a higher salary and signing on fee, the latter of which might be reduced if the buying club has to pay the club a fee.

I would much rather see these players on 2 or 3 year deals, especially the younger ones, but there’s also a risk to the club that they will not train on and fulfil their potential and we are left in a Winston Bogarde situation, albeit a lot cheaper (!) but still a relative drain on limited funds. I think the Ainley situation is poor on his part, given his injuries, and that he does perhaps ‘owe’ us a season, although he might be in competition with a fully fit Finney again next season (from his standpoint). Wintle, however, is ready for a move to a higher level as with Perry and Pixie. I’d love to get the chance to watch him in the flesh, as it were, again next season but suspect I’ll be denied; I’ll wish him all the best though and claim him as one of ours when he does!

[gazan]

According to one Ipswich supporter it is "surprising as Crewe have been mediocre in League One". ???

[Timmy58]

According to one Ipswich supporter it is "surprising as Crewe have been mediocre in League One". ???

I wonder what that says about Ipswich!

[AstonAlex]

To be frank, who gives a flying fig what a tractor boy thinks about us? Their manager earlier this season praised us, as have several others including Fergie Minor, Russell Martin and Nigel Adkins.... and they know what they’re talking about!