I thought so too mate. But that team usually had the experienced Martin Cranie at the back and he's gone. We also had Ramage, who made 23 starts last season, and he's gone. Plus M'Voto as back up if Cranie or Nyatanga or Ramage were injured, and he's gone. In midfield, Berry played 37 games for us last season and he's gone. Pearson played 22, all in the second half of the season, and he's gone. Bailey made 23 starts plus 6 sub appearances, while Lalkovic started 13 games, all in the second half of the season, and both those are on the transfer list. Between them, Jennings, Treacy, John, Stewart, O'Sullivan and Ryan Williams played 68 games for us, and all them are gone. Up front George Waring started 17 games in the second half of the season, scoring 6 goals. He's gone. If he wasn't playing it was usually Ibehre, 9 games and 2 goals. He's gone. Or Hemmings, 14 starts and 5 goals, and he's gone. That's 16 players we'll be without, hundreds of appearances between them last season, and we've replaced them with a non-league centre half, a centre half who played in League 2 and a winger from Inverness.
Fair point but are we going to see anything like this. Mason has a year left on his contract and doesn't want a new one.
Hope your right and there is a bidding war for him but im not too hopeful. Hope if he gos what ever we get we put it to good use the boy from carlisle n jos please and bree can take over from mason.
By way of analogy, I work for a company who took me on after uni, paid for my professional qualification and training and have been pretty good to me since. Another company has come and offered me a pay rise which, while decent, is way less in both money and % terms than what Holgate will get. Have I told them thanks but no thanks and that I'll stick where I am out of loyalty and to develop further? Have I fvck, my notice will be going in as soon as I have an offer in writing.
That gives the idea clubs still hold power over players. If the team he wants to join offers for example 500k less for him than the club we want him to join, we will see where he goes.
In Brum for the cricket, amazing day, bowled them out for 69. Talked to some Villa fans and no one here knows anything about it.
I don't even think Mings was that great, sometimes he could look a bit too leggy and clumsy. I'm sure he can improve a bit, he does have a good engine on him! My brother is an ITFC fan and said yes he's a good player but not world class, it's a stupid fee, VERY good terms for ITFC! Holgate looks a very VERY good player, not saying 8 million, but once again we are being done over at 1 million. I'd say 2 million up front with heavy add on's for games played at first team level and under 21 level & full England level (unlikely I know). Plus a 25% sell on clause!! Just cause we are a league below we can't keep giving these kids away on the cheap, we need to stand up and start taking bigger fee's or we might as well not bother, it's the only way we will come back as a bigger team and club by selling players at a FAIR value!
If he signed a new contract knowing he was still going to leave (like Stones did out of loyalty) then we'd get more than a million for him. But with the hand we are dealt if it's a million and a sell on clause then we will have done OK.
