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Hucks6

Grant Hanley

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Hanley is a very good player with different strengths to his cb alternatives. In some regards his use this past season has been as a motivator. The rationale being that he’s the skipper, he’s not playing but he’s being the model pro nonetheless. It’s a good way to set the stage for how other individuals in the side should conduct themselves particularly when they are not being played.

I’m sure he’d like to play though, to lead on the field and he must be rated by any number of decent championship sides who want a quality centre back and leader. He doesn’t have the distribution skills  of his colleagues but he’s not bad, neither is he a towering aerially dominant type and we are weak off the deck at cb. 

Still he’s been great for us -but going forward surely he wants to play. I’d be happy if we kept him but perhaps he will lack game time unless he moves. There might even be a case for the club asking nothing more than modest fee to move him on given his age and anticipated wages. As others note he’s somewhat of an indulgence as a 4th choice cb even with his contributions as a leader off field.

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I honestly believe that any player movements by players considered in and around the first team last season will be player driven. There is a very delicate balance of the right people in that dressing room right now; a real sense of togetherness, and I am sure Farke and Webber will want to preserve that as much as possible.

If Hanley wants to move for first team football, I am sure this will be accommodated, but I do not think the club will be seeking to offload anyone from our magnificent season. The fewer changes the better.

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I'm not convinced 4 CH's is enough. One gets injured then all your cover needs to be in the squad on matchday. Get another unlucky injury or a suspension then your stuffed. Personally I wouldn't offload Hanley unless there are guarantees we'll get good quality replacements coming in.

 

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3 hours ago, Capt. Pants said:

I'm not convinced 4 CH's is enough. One gets injured then all your cover needs to be in the squad on matchday. Get another unlucky injury or a suspension then your stuffed. Personally I wouldn't offload Hanley unless there are guarantees we'll get good quality replacements coming in.

 

Well, of course. 

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8 hours ago, Capt. Pants said:

I'm not convinced 4 CH's is enough. One gets injured then all your cover needs to be in the squad on matchday. Get another unlucky injury or a suspension then your stuffed. Personally I wouldn't offload Hanley unless there are guarantees we'll get good quality replacements coming in.

 

How many do you want??? Plus five keepers, six strikers and a spare coach in case Farke gets a cold? 😉

Having said that it does look like we are following the Norwich tradition of stocking up on plenty of midfielders. Mario and Moritz struggled to get a game most of last season yet we're buying more.

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3 minutes ago, Nuff Said said:

How many do you want??? Plus five keepers, six strikers and a spare coach in case Farke gets a cold? 😉

Having said that it does look like we are following the Norwich tradition of stocking up on plenty of midfielders. Mario and Moritz struggled to get a game most of last season yet we're buying more.

We’re buying midfielders because Todd hasn’t signed and Mario’s contract has not been extended. Plus it’s a good time to buy young players with high potential. We need to make hay while the sun is shining. Agree with the point on Hanley though if we get an injury or suspension we need someone of his calibre to step in.

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The leadership/morale thing is very important. I still remember the failure to keep McKay and I think Roberts, must have been 04. Two strong characters who although may not have been regular starts but could have played a key part in the squad and team ethos.

 Its not always just about skills on the pitch.

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It is a long season ahead of us. You never know we might end up going 3 at the back at some point and Hanley would then be needed as first back up/challenging for a start.

He was immense for us first season and only kept out this season by the meteoric rise of Godfrey and Zimmermann.

You look at Brighton and Burnley, both had defenders very much in the Grant Hanley mould. He offers something different to what we have and could prove a better choice in games where we need to be more stubborn and less fancy. He is hardly a terrible footballer with the ball at his feet either.

If he is to go, it would have to be for a decent fee and all his wages gone so we can adequately replace him with someone maybe more versatile or someone younger willing to come in as back up with the view to challenging the first choice lads. Personally, I'd keep him here until at least January.

Add to that if we do go down, we will wish we had him back like we did Ayala (until he gifted us promotion).

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7 minutes ago, Tetteys Jig said:

It is a long season ahead of us. You never know we might end up going 3 at the back at some point and Hanley would then be needed as first back up/challenging for a start.

Wouldn't be at all surprised to see us use a 352 straight away in the first match, with Godfrey in the central role of the three. 

With the two wing backs bombing forwards at every opportunity and a strong defensive three, we can do damage imo.  It does cut one midfielder out, but then if we have Godfrey able to step forwards into the DM position when needed, maybe not a problem.  It could just be a tactic that works very well against the top clubs - and who knows, maybe against the rest too.

 

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