So, where do we go from here. You could argue the mistakes were made with Conor and Sam some time ago, when improved offers weren't made. The answer can only be to act when we have the strongest bargaining position, i.e. when we sign these lads to have a clause in the contract that allows us to extend the contract for a further year or two after the first 12 months of their contract, at the same rate of pay. Had we done that with them, we may not be in this position now. For example Angus MacDonald and Roberts and Yiadom, when we signed them, we had all the power - 2 year contracts with our option to extend to 4. We were in the same position with Hourihane and Winnall at one stage.
I sympathise in some ways with the club - not sure pre this week they've done anything wrong. However, my problem is that we are letting them go now. If they want to leave at the end of their contract - fine. Thanks lads, you've done everything we've asked, your next choice. At a stage where we've got, I imagine, a bit of cash in the bank the £2/3 million being offered for those two would pale into insignficance of IF we got to the play offs & the feel good factor that would be bring. We're close, we've a chance, we won't by the end of next week which is disappointing.
We've done lots of things differently these last 18 months, lots of them good. This is very much out of the old regime play book & you can't have the strategy we've got with this as an outcome IMHO. Unless we are saying they've got to go early to give us chance to replace them which we didn't with Vaz Te for example.