Reply With QuoteWhilst 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!
Originally Posted by gazan
