Should we approach contract renewals differently to other clubs to better suit our recruitment strategy? Mistakes are always made, but in general, we seem to have cracked the recruitment side. We also have a very clear way we would like to play, which the management team reflect. Arguably our best asset, we have a great record of improving young players, whether they are new signings or academy graduates. All of the above is great and we are getting better at it every transfer window, but until the back door is closed, or at least pushed too, all the good work above is just a constant repair job. We can't compete financially with most clubs in this league and that isn't going to change, so what can we do differently? Should we have a policy whereby every players contract should be renewed/extended every season? If a player signs a 4 year deal give him a new 4 year deal after 12 months? It would be a brave thing to do as you may give a player a new contract (and a payrise) before they have proved themselves, but if you believed in the player enough to sign them in the first place why would you not believe they will come good? If a player doesnt want to extend their contract sell them, but we would be selling them with 3 years on their contract at a price that suits us not them and their agent. If we offered Davies, Pinnock & Lindsay new contracts last summer after relegation I'm sure they would have been happy to sign. Waiting 12 months has put the power in the players hands. Out of the current squad these are the players that I think are 12 months into their contract: Dougall Green J. WIlliams Styles None of the above have been talked about for new deals, probably because they haven't proved themselves yet and there is no other interest in them, but what if they all have fantastic seasons next year? They will get picked off straight away and turn down any new offers we make. I'm sure all 4 would take a new contract if we offered it now...
Wouldn't the players get their agents to insert a buy out clause. The problem with football is since the Bosman ruling the players are calling all the shots. Reason being I am falling out of love with the so called beutifull game.
I'm not sure that'd work. Hardly any player is going to sign an extension on the same terms so you're going to effectively inflate wages very quickly. I also suspect they'd command a sign on fee and agent fees. Furthermore, players may be genuinely reluctant to keep committing so frequently.
The contracts could have different aspects to it like. 3000 basic plus 500 a goal say and 20000 bonus on 50 appearances for example. If we go up it doubles if we go down it halfs. All about incentives.
Probably, but as long as we are happy with the buy-out clause then it's not a problem. I'm not expecting us to never sell a player again, just to sell when their stock is high and get full value for them.
You would have to offer a small pay increase as a reward for the renewal, yes, but it wouldn't have to be silly money. For example if an unproven, yet promising, Jordan Williams is currently on £3,000/week with 3 years left on his contract and no other suitors. Would he sign a new 4 year contract tomorrow for £3,500/week? I think he would.
Possibly, but like I mentioned there will be other fees on top of that. Plus we may end up with numerous players who we want to shift but can't. They've not improved and realised that their current 4 year deal on X is higher than anything else they can command elsewhere. I think the new owners have the right strategy re contracts.
Fair enough. I just think we have got a lot more right than wrong recently and there wouldn't be as many players on longer slightly inflated contracts that we didn't want compared to ones we did. If we sold Pinnock for £15mil after a year in the championship it would pay for the extra £500/week we gave Callum Styles when he turns out to be a dud, for example.
