The exodus begins

[RedandWhiteSpartan]

According to Google the owner/chair of Gillingham f.c. is worth £45-60 million.......
Not sure if he is American.

[Gobstopper]

LB has been here a very long time and he knows that we pay one of the lowest wages in the whole of professional football and so no way is any player wanting to stay here if other clubs will play a lot higher wages. So it was highly presumptious to think all the squad would want to stay here...Its not a silly question to ask how the heck can Gills pay a lot more than we can...Are all these clubs run by american millionaires?

There is no such word as 'loyalty' in any job including football when its people's natural choice to go where the money is..It would be interesting to know how much we pay the players compared with other clubs in the lower leagues and even non league..We surely cannot afford to pay for a Cat2 academy when its costing the club so much money that we cannot compete with other clubs our size. Of course its possible that it cost the club next to nothing and why the Chairman persists with it...but we are losing a lot of money in L2..Is it possible we would be signing players who spend more time injured, than playing? Its still crazy to have so many non footballers at a club our size when each one means lower wages for the players!

You do have to wonder how Gillingham can afford a lot more than we can, they are not a bigger club than us so they must have some financial backing. I don't believe its the academy that is the problem as long as it produces players that will play in the first team, but we probably do need to get a return on some of those players, not sure how you achieve that. However some of our better players over the years have come through the academy and some of the players we currently have who have come through our academy will have a pivotal part to play in the season to come. Tabiner, Williams, Billington, Pope, Holicek, Finney, Lunt, I would like to add Rio to that list , but there is a question mark over whether he will be here or not. I still believe the academy has positives which outweigh the costs.

I noted that Long has signed not a surprise given his injury record which fits in your narrative signing players who spend more time injured. I thought it was a risk signing him last year, did we get a return on that? no doubt people will have there own view on that. He has signed a new contract and is still a Crewe player so we need to give him our full support. We need some positive news relating to the other out of contract players, although I think we will lose Offord and Rio.

[gazan]

So, Offord goes. No surprise though! He's made it clear he wants a new challenge. However, once again, there seems to be lack of ambition. With his CH and covering midfield experience, I would have thought he could have done better than MK Franchise. I don't mind losing players so much as seeing them not progress. The speed that both Nevitt and Offord went suggests they were tapped up ages ago. Worry that this haste sets a pattern for an exodus for all the players on an offered contract. However, there is the argument that getting rid early makes the way forward more clear.
Can't say, at the moment, that I share Long's optimism but ask me again in about a month and that may have changed.

[jimmyboldon]

So, Offord goes. No surprise though! He's made it clear he wants a new challenge. However, once again, there seems to be lack of ambition. With his CH and covering midfield experience, I would have thought he could have done better than MK Franchise. I don't mind losing players so much as seeing them not progress. The speed that both Nevitt and Offord went suggests they were tapped up ages ago. Worry that this haste sets a pattern for an exodus for all the players on an offered contract. However, there is the argument that getting rid early makes the way forward more clear.
Can't say, at the moment, that I share Long's optimism but ask me again in about a month and that may have changed.

If he keeps fit, has a prolonged run in the team and with the right teammates around him, I think Long is as good as any in this division.

[MeForCrewe]

If he keeps fit, has a prolonged run in the team and with the right teammates around him, I think Long is as good as any in this division.

I'll add playing in his best position. I don't agree that he as good as anybody in the division though.

[Timmy58]

I'll add playing in his best position. I don't agree that he as good as anybody in the division though.

I think he is. Obviously that is when fully fit. He wasn't at the end of the season. Needed another 4 or 5 games.

[LordK]

Chris Long another season, hopefully fully fit, 2 gone, both key.
Luke, I wish him well, surprised he had not gone previously. He is at least a Div1 player both at the back and also as defensive midfield.
Trawling through the released players in both EFL 1 & 2, nothing jumps out.....
EFL 2, becoming a tougher league with owners cash getting involved. Folk are seeing a 2-3 year (as it seems it appears an additional 2M, to get you up through the leagues is the way it's going). The academy feeds the club, but I see also that it causes concerns among some of the fan base. Finances into this would probably show Crewe gets a sizable subsidy to run the Academy at this level, so not a massive drain on the available player budget. What kills Crewe is the Premier and to that extent, Championship, who within wide limitations, can go elsewhere and sign an overseas player giving their fans instant gratification as opposed to funding Crewe and taking a chance on an Academy who may need to be nurtured. I cannot blame a lad, who has worked through the Academy, stayed 5-7-9 years, broke into the 1st team, and gets a season under his belt, an offer comes along for 2-3x his current income and he takes a chance. The way injuries curtail young players (who probably play too much football anyway) opportunities and cut their careers, who can blame them!
Where does this put Crewe next season, Probably a bunch of 6 x month (till the January window), players who are brought in to bolster the squad (but also take Academy players slots), parent clubs needing them to have 1st team football to assess their potential. The January window stinks, no use to anybody really, but its what it is......
Be interested to when Crewe make moves, however this year I think we shall be towards the end of the close season as opposed to early.
A lot to take in....

[OzMozz]

Chris Long another season, hopefully fully fit, 2 gone, both key.
Luke, I wish him well, surprised he had not gone previously. He is at least a Div1 player both at the back and also as defensive midfield.
Trawling through the released players in both EFL 1 & 2, nothing jumps out.....
EFL 2, becoming a tougher league with owners cash getting involved. Folk are seeing a 2-3 year (as it seems it appears an additional 2M, to get you up through the leagues is the way it's going). The academy feeds the club, but I see also that it causes concerns among some of the fan base. Finances into this would probably show Crewe gets a sizable subsidy to run the Academy at this level, so not a massive drain on the available player budget. What kills Crewe is the Premier and to that extent, Championship, who within wide limitations, can go elsewhere and sign an overseas player giving their fans instant gratification as opposed to funding Crewe and taking a chance on an Academy who may need to be nurtured. I cannot blame a lad, who has worked through the Academy, stayed 5-7-9 years, broke into the 1st team, and gets a season under his belt, an offer comes along for 2-3x his current income and he takes a chance. The way injuries curtail young players (who probably play too much football anyway) opportunities and cut their careers, who can blame them!
Where does this put Crewe next season, Probably a bunch of 6 x month (till the January window), players who are brought in to bolster the squad (but also take Academy players slots), parent clubs needing them to have 1st team football to assess their potential. The January window stinks, no use to anybody really, but its what it is......
Be interested to when Crewe make moves, however this year I think we shall be towards the end of the close season as opposed to early.
A lot to take in....

Spot On !! 100% on the money !!

[Teammoo]

I see Aaron Rowe has joined Nev at Gillingham.

[gazan]

Obviously got money to burn. 2 contrasting players: one, heart on his sleeve and runs himself into the ground, the other, very occasionally brilliant but mostly anonymous with a record of poor decision making.
Interestingly, both had 11 yellow cards last season - let's see how that pans out.
However, I'm waiting with 'baited breath' for the coming week and some transfer news.🙂