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Rogue Baboon

Pritchard...

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Not seen a thread on him, thought he deserved one after yesterday''s efforts.

We simply have to build the team around him next season and play him in that no10 role.

Of any player in the squad, he is the one that we simply cannot afford to lose.

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Agreed, he''s getting better each time he plays. I hesitate to say we should build the team around him, but it''s noticeable how well we played when Naismith or Wes are alongside him.

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It does highlight how badly Neil mishandled him that his best signing is only coming into his own now he''s left.

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Not dissimilar to Redmond in that Neil didn''t really know what to do with his most talented player.

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Wonder what would happen if Brighton come back in for him during the summer if they are promoted. If they then offer £12m what happens then ?

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The interplay between him, Wes and Oliveira was excellent on Saturday. Reading couldn''t handle him at all. Very close to getting a hat trick.Just a shame we''ve had to wait so long to see Pritchard play regularly in his preferred position. Bodes well for next season if we can hang onto him.

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[quote user="FenwayFrank"]Wonder what would happen if Brighton come back in for him during the summer if they are promoted. If they then offer £12m what happens then ?[/quote]it would depend on what release clause he has in his contract

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Webber would have to balance up what he brings to the team versus what the money would buy.

Personally i think 12million is not enough.

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[quote user="Nuff Said"]Webber would have to balance up what he brings to the team versus what the money would buy.

Personally i think 12million is not enough.[/quote]If he has a release clause we have little say in ithowever I would be very doubtful if he would be too welcome at Brighton after ''standing them up at the altar'', so to speakOn a very rough estimate we acquired Pritchard and Oliveira for the sale of Redmond - so on that basis we can replace playersAnd to be honest I''m not too sure if we missed Redmond that much

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We should have been using Wes and Pritchard together or interchanging the two when the game is such that we need a bit more steel all season. how he used those two players showed vividly Neil''s limited intellect and managerial ability. The fact we started a few games with neither is an utter joke.

There was one particular moment earlier in the season which showed for me that Neil had lost it (if indeed he ever had it) which was the team selection at Fulham and the last half hour of the preceding game. Pritchard and Wes had played together and we had given someone (can''t remember who it was) the runaround at home 3 days before. Neil took Pritchard off early in that game and left Wes on til about the 85th minute despite the fact we were well ahead (until I think we let in a late goal or two) despite him often saying how he needs to manage Wes''s workload.

At Fulham he then dropped Pritchard and started Wes who looked knackered and was subbed after about 55 minutes. Very, very strange management.

Get rid of Naismith if we can and next season use Wes and Pritchard behind the striker wherever possible. If only playing one then the other is a ready made replacement off the bench or as an alternative to manage their workload.

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I have seen only the highlights, because of where I live, but I must admit to being very impressed by him. He has good ball control and passing and a good shot with either foot - that much I knew. What was refreshingly new was his ability to resist challenges. He doesn''t look a big or powerful player, but the defenders struggled to knock him off the ball.

AN wasted a lot of money in signings, but Pritchard seems to be an important part of our future. Let''s hope that we can hang on to him!

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I suppose it depends on the clubs finances.

If we want to avoid a prolonged spell in the championship then we simply have to keep our best players.

Consider Worthington''s championship return, where we replaced our better players with very average ones and consolidated in the Championship to enter a period of decline.

If the club really needs the money then there is little you can do but to sell off the silverware, but then you really do limit your chances of ever getting out of the division.

12m might seem a nice juicy prize but at what cost? Players like Pritchard really need to be kept, unless they''re desperate to go, as an unhappy player is rarely an effective one.

Id like the club to be ambitious though and to realise keeping our best players is our best chance of promotion

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To be fair to Neil though, the key question is about how that very team on Saturday would play if they went away from home and faced a team like us at home, pouring forward, totally on top of us from the outset... he (nor any of them tbf!) have not been able to deal with that this season.

I have high hopes for Louis Thompson and maybe Mulumbu being a good foil for Pritchard potentially and giving him the license to do what he does best.

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[quote user="The Great Mass Debater"]...

Id like the club to be ambitious though and to realise keeping our best players is our best chance of promotion[/quote]That was this season''s philosophy though. At the start of the season, we were many people''s pick to go up with Newcastle because we had a "Premier League" squad still. With hindsight it didn''t work out too well. [:(]However, Webber clearly has enough about him to see the difference between players with promise and players with a reputation because they''ve played in the Prem.

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