Current Player #5 Elliott Moore

[Big Ron]

Maybe don’t just wait until a clearly great player has just one year to run on his contract and starts realising ‘in a year I could move to a championship club on a free’ with the added wages that brings before offering them a new contract? Think ahead!

If you look at other clubs, they renew players contracts (with a pay rise, to make it worthwhile for the player) when they still have 2-3 years left to run on it.

Seems to me that we'd be extending the players contracts at the same time they sign the original one - given that most of our deals are 2 & 3 years!

 

[Oxt1]

If you look at other clubs, they renew players contracts (with a pay rise, to make it worthwhile for the player) when they still have 2-3 years left to run on it.

Wouldn't that mean for most of our signings we would be getting them to sign for us and almost immediately renewing their contracts?

@Big Ron you beat me to it!

 

[RyanioBirdio]

Nelson was a much, much more complex situation than most people know. Dunkley was broadly similar in terms of the scenario, if not personality.

You’re on a hiding to nothing once an agent goes, “Why put a million quid in the club’s pocket when I can put it into ours instead?” The buying club has a total value that they want to spend on the deal, and as long as it comes in at or under budget they don’t care how it’s spent. £8,000 per week in wages for four years and a million pounds to the selling club is basically the same outlay as £10,000 per week in wages for four years and half a million pounds to the player in a signing on fee. It’s no skin off the buyer’s nose - they’re spending X either way. There are obviously risks involved in the player trying to run down the clock, both in terms of injury and form as well as a suitable club showing up in time, but the rewards are potentially enormous. Once you encounter somebody willing to run that risk you’re pretty much done for. It’s why Rob Dickie should never have to buy a pint again - he did a hell of a solid for us. Ditto Cameron Brannagan.

Hopefully the boy Moore will do the same.

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

Wouldn't that mean for most of our signings we would be getting them to sign for us and almost immediately renewing their contracts?

@Big Ron you beat me to it!

We signed Jamie Hanson on a four year contract... maybe we didn't think Curtis Nelson was as good as him!

 

[Big Ron]

We signed Jamie Hanson on a four year contract... maybe we didn't think Curtis Nelson was as good as him!

Let's be honest, it's not the greatest justification for a four year deal.

 

[Berliner]

Let's be honest, it's not the greatest justification for a four year deal.

Although, and I'm not puffing him up more than he deserves or saying the contract has been good value yet, I am very thankful that Jamie Hanson is finally showing that he's a decent footballer this season. About time as well.

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

Let's be honest, it's not the greatest justification for a four year deal.

No. Just a counter to the argument that we only ever give players 2-3 year deals.

 

[tonyw]

Seems to me that we'd be extending the players contracts at the same time they sign the original one - given that most of our deals are 2 & 3 years!

The way I see it, you can't wait until a player has proven himself to be Championship quality before you put the new deal in front of him - because if he knows he can quadruple his wages elsewhere by either forcing a move, or waiting a year, he's generally going to.

For Elliott Moore - I hope he does, but I could completely understand if he didn't sign an extension now, even if we offer him the best terms we can. He's shown that he's good enough for the Championship, and an expiring deal gives him the most leverage to get there asap.

The time to sign him up to a longer deal was last summer. After a very good but not great first season, in which he had been outshone by Dickie.
If we'd offered him slightly improved terms then, and an extra couple of years, then he may well have been motivated to sign it - get himself some security in uncertain times. But now, it may be too late.

By that same token, we should be offering to add two more years to Rob Atkinson's deal right now, and bump his wages a little.
Course the problem is that he's been so good this year, that he (or his agent) might already be playing the long game.......

In short, if you want to get full value for your best young players, you've got to identify that quality and tie them down before it's obvious to the rest of the football world. Even if there's a risk that you occasionally get it wrong, and end up saddled with someone who's not as good as you thought (like Hanson)

 

[Big Ron]

"In short, if you want to get full value for your best young players, you've got to identify that quality and tie them down before it's obvious to the rest of the football world. Even if there's a risk that you occasionally get it wrong, and end up saddled with someone who's not as good as you thought (like Hanson)"

That, of course, goes without saying but it's a game of fine margins and why clubs in League's 1 & 2 are generally not offering contracts beyond 2 and 3 years. The players need to prove themselves and that doesn't always happen in the first year (personally I'd say we'd seen enough of Moore by the end of last season to know we had another good 'un).

Strikes me that an agent can hang on without signing, as Ryanbirdio explained, or on the other hand sign an improved deal with the requisite release clauses. OK, we can handle one Hanson (a long contract and not much contribution so far) but 3 or 4 players in a similar situation would be incredibly onerous.

I'd say we've generally done stellar job in recent years - achieved some decent fees, with the odd player running his agreement down. That's the difficult balance to achieve.

 

[tonyw]

I'd say we've generally done stellar job in recent years - achieved some decent fees, with the odd player running his agreement down. That's the difficult balance to achieve.

Yeah, I think that's fair enough - we've gotten a lot more right than wrong in the Eales & Tiger eras.

Occasionally there's some nice surprises as well.
I wouldn't have expected that we'd have had any chance of getting Cam to sign another long term deal. But in that respect, we actually benefited from the uncertainty that Cover created.

Of course, the hardest part is refilling the pipeline as and when we do sell someone.
And in terms of central defense at least, our success rate has been spectacular. It's why I'm excited about McNally! With our recent track record, he's bound to be awesome!

 

[oldabingdonian]

I would say that it is important to improve players significantly, as well as showcase them. KR and the staff seems to be good at this: Dickie (in particular) developed a great deal over his first year or so. This not only adds value, but must also help to attract players. In KR's case, of course, his influence on Deli Alli is an almost permanent testimonial.

 

[Witneyoldfella]

Let's be honest, it's not the greatest justification for a four year deal.

I know and I felt the same but just, maybe starting to change my opinion that there is a player inn there somewhere (bar injuries) I sincerely hope so.

 

[Big Ron]

I hope so as well, we signed him and I want him to be a success.

 

[MarkG]

Played every minute of the league season apparently.

Bolton's Santos one of just 13 players in whole EFL to play every minute

The central defender played every minute of the Whites' automatic promotion campaign out of League Two

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk

 

[oufc1991]

We need to get him to sign a new contract he’s been a superb player this season

 

[Jason N]

A better player than Nelson IMO, less prone to mistakes, better in the air and a better passer.

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

A better player than Nelson IMO, less prone to mistakes, better in the air and a better passer.

Not quite as quick, powerful or strong as Nelson though.

 

[makv]

Played every minute of the league season apparently.

Bolton's Santos one of just 13 players in whole EFL to play every minute

The central defender played every minute of the Whites' automatic promotion campaign out of League Two

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk

This bit made me laugh:

“Leyton Orient goalie Lawrence Vigouroux”

Made for each other.

 

[ljs]

Not quite as quick, powerful or strong as Nelson though.

But better [emoji6]

 

[holdsteady]

We have made some cracking signings at centre back over the last 5 years Dunkley, Nelson, Dickie, Moore, Atkinson, you have to give credit to the scouts for that success rate, hopefully the Irish lad continues the run of success.