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The Great Mass Debater

Expiring contracts

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"The likes of Ryan Bennett and Andrew Surman plus Republic of Ireland duo Anthony Pilkington and Wes Hoolahan are all coming to the end of their existing contracts."

If they wont sign new deals, what does the club do? Conventional thinking says sell them this window. But... Hoolahan and Pilkington could be vital to getting back to the PL at the first attempt. All arguments about uncommited and unhappy players aside, would it be better to keep them and allow them to leave for free at the end of the season if it helps us achieve promotion (the spoils of which would more than outweigh the loss in transfer revenue) - or do we simply sell them, cop the money, keep the dressing room happy, but weaken our skills set. Both are quite unique players we wouldnt necessarily be able to replace. Do we need to learn from the Holt situation?

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I''d give them until January to sign up. Then if they won''t then we''ll sell them. We''ll also have a better idea if they will be needed next year then as well.

All this focus on next years contract renewals, what about Turner?

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As neither Pilkington, or especially Hoolahan, have that much transfer value Norwich might as well keep hold of them. Unless Adams and co have few plans for them in the upcoming season. Comparing to Snodgrass, who if Norwich had held onto they would have lost out on £7m - £8m.

Turner has a contract until 2015 also, Norwich held an option which they took thus extending his contract. Like Hoolahan, Norwich wouldn''t be able to command a massive fee for him so it is probably worth keeping hold of him, even if he doesn''t sign a new contract.

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Aah, that answers a few things, I didn''t think Turner had that and I was suprised at how little he''d been mentioned! I think he''s one we''ll have the rest of the year from and look again at next May.

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I love Pilks and Hoolahan, but their attitude is really tarnishing their reputation. Pilks inconsistency and regular injuries are what undermine him rather than his lack of ability. What a shame we didnt take that rumoured 10 figure bid for Pilkington last year from Liverpool

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Of that lot, I think Ryan Bennett is the most important to us – I feel we should endeavour to extend his contract ASAP.Wes has no residual value and can still make a contribution in the coming season.Surman I''d be happy to leave on a free next summer, however if he plays regularly we could offer him a new deal in January.Pilks is a tough one – if he has a poor season he''ll leave on a free, but if he plays well he may be reluctant to sign a new deal. Don''t think we can risk giving him a new deal now given his injury problems, though.Turner I''d be happy to see sign a new deal, although I expect he''ll bide his time in case we don''t go up.

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[quote user="Feedthewolf"]Of that lot, I think Ryan Bennett is the most important to us – I feel we should endeavour to extend his contract ASAP.


[/quote]

Yet he''s the least talented player of those mentioned.

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This is not me having a go (though it might sound like it) but could someone explain to me why Ryan Bennett is so highly rated by some? I dont think he''s a bad player, but I cant understand why some think he is the best defender ever?

He is not commanding like Turner, he doesnt have much abilty on the ball in the way Ward did. He''s not slow but he''s not really quick either. He''s fairly strong and good in the air, but plenty of lower level defenders are. His decision making and positioning is questionable at times. He''s not really a leader. He''s quite one-dimensional in the way Leon Barnett was. I fail to see what makes him any better than most lower level defenders. Could someone explain (without a personal attack on me) why they think he is so good?

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bennett isnt afraid to stick his face in front of the ball when lying on the ground in the six yard box, i would argue hes on the rise as opposed to bassong, martin and turner who are on their way down, he will get better, they wonthes not the most skilled player but hes brave and fairly bigfair enough hes not a ball playing,quick,skillful, 6''5 brick 5h1thouse centre back but who isin this division i think he will shine if hes given a solid run in the team, something hes hasnt really hadid prefer to see him and turner than turner and bassong

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Lets not forget ryan bennett is a great young talent, like stan says he''s built like a brick $hithouse and has got a bit of pace on him. Although he tends to shy away a bit when players like suarez are coming at him, he''s going to be an important part of the season and would slot into any of the top 6 teams in this league.

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One of my main criticisms of Bennett would be that he doesn''t make his presence known. My other criticism would be that he''s slow to react to what''s going on around him and his use of the ball is poor (but then Turner and Bassong are not great with it either).

 

He''s not hopeless and I''d probably go with ahead of Martin at CB but it''s surely got to be now or never for him as far as his Norwich City career his concerned.

 

If he is that good he''ll have to make a first team place his own this campaign.

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[quote user="mrs miggins"]Lets not forget ryan bennett is a great young talent,  [/quote]

He''s 25 next birthday. He is what he is. He''s probably a decent Championship defender and maybe at best a lower level Prem defender.

 

He''s no more than that. Certainly not a "great young talent".  Just doesn''t have enough to his game to be viewed in that light.

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What bothers me a little bit about our defence is that in Hughton''s first season when the defence was really solid, Bassong and Turner were immense and their styles complimented each other. Turner played on the right and Bassong on the left. Turner was more of your stopper, Bassong played with a bit more style and finesse.

With Martin coming into the centreback position, one of him Turner or Bennett is forced to play as the left sided centre-back, something none of them have really seemed comfortable doing. If Bassong is to be jettisoned or frozen out, as would seem likely, or he performs like Bassong the Elder and not Bassong the younger, then a left-sided centreback would seem an important player to bring in imo

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[quote user="GJP"]

[quote user="mrs miggins"]Lets not forget ryan bennett is a great young talent,  [/quote]

He''s 25 next birthday. He is what he is. He''s probably a decent Championship defender and maybe at best a lower level Prem defender.

 

He''s no more than that. Certainly not a "great young talent".  Just doesn''t have enough to his game to be viewed in that light.

[/quote]He has more potential to improve than any of the other players. He was captain of Grimsby when he was only 19 – I know Grimsby are cr@p, but you don''t make a teenager captain unless he has great leadership qualities and huge ability. Being in and out of a largely failing team hasn''t helped his development, but if he''s made first choice then we could end up with a great defender on our books. Rather give him an improved contract than pay Bassong 20k a week to get caught in possession in his own third twice a game...

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I disagree GJP, I reckon he''s going to be a hit this year. He''s got everything to be a fantastic championship CB, if he can develop in certain areas such as standing up to certain attackers, then he could be more than that imo

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I think he''d be alright in the Champs and, as I said, I''d probably have him in ahead of Martin.

 

But he''s never going to be much more than that. He''s just too ordinary. If he got to a similar sort of level as Shawcross (or even Turner) he''ll have done very well.

 

Reminds me a bit of Michael Spillane (although Bennett is better). I said he''d never be good enough but people told me he''d go on to great things.

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[quote user="The Great Mass Debater"]What bothers me a little bit about our defence is that in Hughton''s first season when the defence was really solid, Bassong and Turner were immense and their styles complimented each other. Turner played on the right and Bassong on the left. Turner was more of your stopper, Bassong played with a bit more style and finesse.

With Martin coming into the centreback position, one of him Turner or Bennett is forced to play as the left sided centre-back, something none of them have really seemed comfortable doing. If Bassong is to be jettisoned or frozen out, as would seem likely, or he performs like Bassong the Elder and not Bassong the younger, then a left-sided centreback would seem an important player to bring in imo[/quote]Martin has played as the left-sided centre back on numerous occasions, I believe? I seem to recall being surprised that he was played there rather than on the right of the two, but IIRC he actually looked quite competent there?

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I see Bennett as a carbon copy of Turner, with Bennett being far the inferior at the moment. I think this type of centre-back needs the right player alongside him to compliment him. Bassong did this superbly the previous season. We need this again this season. I personally do not think Turner, Bennett or Martin should partner each other, it should be one of them next to a defender with some ability on the ball, someone left-sided, who can distribute well and sensibly. This used to be Bassong. If its not going to be him this season we need a new CB. Wonder if BJ fancies a stint there Mascheran style!

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[quote user="The Great Mass Debater"]  If its not going to be him this season we need a new CB. Wonder if BJ fancies a stint there Mascheran style![/quote]

Ha!

 

No.

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BJ at centre back is a scary thought; isn''t good positionally, can''t header as well as your normal CB, can''t tackle as well as your normal CB....and can''t pass as well as a CB

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It was in jest, but when you have a team on top in games (as hopefully we will be this season, rather than having sod-all possession and being on the backfoot all game as we were in the Prem) you perhaps can afford to not need two out and out centrebacks. BJ could do a job here, stepping forward a bit when we have possession in the way Mascherano did at Barce, but competent enough at this level to defend also. I am of course not serious, but it would also get BJ out of our centre midfield, which might well be worth it on its own...

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Two worrying stories today on the home page Adams ready for fresh interest in his top boys and Norwich want no part of summer transfer madness .What that says is get ready for anybody half decent to leave and we will replace them with cheap signings , we really could be a bang average Championship side before the season starts .

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As far as I''m concerned there''s a reason Ry Bennett was a captain at Grimsby and a very highly-rated England u21 before he arrived at Norwich.

I would say a year of consistently playing with a big-fish mentality at a slightly lower level could coax out that quality and help him fulfill his potential.

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[quote user="Jimmy Smith"]I''d give them until January to sign up. Then if they won''t then we''ll sell them. [/quote]

or lose them on pre contract agreements or them evoking their right to leave on a free at the end of the season when their contract expires.

 

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[quote user="jas the barclay king"]

[quote user="Jimmy Smith"]I''d give them until January to sign up. Then if they won''t then we''ll sell them. [/quote]

or lose them on pre contract agreements or them evoking their right to leave on a free at the end of the season when their contract expires.

 

[/quote]

 

Can''t sign a pre-contract with another English club until May. I would still be cutting it fine, but I do think it is worth offering a contract to Hoolahan, but possibly one to Pilkington and Turner if they perform well. Wouldn''t be the end of the world if all three left on free transfers at the end of next season.

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