Quote Originally Posted by afloatinclaret View Post
None of us are going to be 'happy', but we have the advantage over the Board/Club Management that we're not the ones who'll get pilloried should we fail AND screw-up financially. I think there's general agreement that another proven centre-back would've been nice, but as Hall of Fame noted an established PL CB would've cost a bundle, screwed up the wage structure and might've given us no more depth anyway, insofar as Mee, or Long would've perhaps been looking for a move elsewhere rather than drop down the likely pecking order?

As I've said before and clearly others agree on this thread, I think that Wells could prove to be worth the punt, Dedour staying and looking happy again's a real bonus and I'm glad that we didn't get that striker from Forest; one goal doesn't make a season, but I'd much rather see £15 million invested in Wood than on that kid.

By far my biggest disappointment hasbeen the departure of Boyd; he's a player who I took a long while to appreciate, but I think he gave us better service last year than in the Championship and word was that he left because we'd only offered him a one rather than two year deal? That lad is fit, it wouldn't surprise me at all if he's not still playing at least Championship level in another four or five years time, but we let him go, only to bring in (and laid out transfer fees for them!) replacements who're probably costing us more in wages and likely to reach their sell-by-date long before Boyd does. He might not have been the world's, or indeed even Burnley's greatest player, but he was a grafter who more than earned his wages and in the absence of a genuinely good/much younger replacement, we'd have been better served (if that's all it would've taken to keep him) adding another year to his contract.
My son would agree with you.

But I see the "contain at all costs" philosophy that helped us to stay in the Prem is now being subtley changed to "contain, but let them also fear us".

Boyd was a fantastic servant of the club and ran himself ragged for the cause.

If we assume the new philosophy it needs midfielders who could take on the opposition, create chances for others and score more regularly than Boyd.

His role was much more defensive than attacking. maybe he was better than that but fatigue would limit his opportunities gong forward.

As good a role as he played more of Boyd would not advance us and surely that's the objective?