I kind of felt CMS lost quite a bit of threat as the season went on whether through injury, tiredness or otherwise. Thus, leaning towards @WanderingDays's view. Be glad to be proved wrong next season, though.
We're absolutely blessed up front at the moment, and I'm struggling to think whether we've had a bet set of forwards in our league days.
You could argue we've had Tyson at his peak, or Easter, or Mooney or these sort of players, but for pure options, now is definitely the time!
Why on earth would we not want to retain CMS? A quality player with bags of experience at a higher level including international football, our 2nd highest scorer behind Bayo, works hard for the team and still very fit at the age of 34. I find it astonishing that anyone would suggest he should have been released.
There's only a handful of players in the squad that haven't had fans moaning about them over the season. Perhaps Bayo, O Nien and Gape i'd say, so it's probably no surprise that even the players most of us think are absolute no brainer sign ons have their doubters.
CMS was signed and sealed before the end of the season, whereas we only entered into discussions with JJ (as far as we can tell) once the season ended, so I wonder if that shows the importance in Gareth's eyes - and we know he rates JJ highly.
Speaking of which...those negotiations are starting to drag a little, although I appreciate we're not even in June yet
I was thinking the same as the OP. Personally I would not have offered new terms to Bean or (purely on the strength of his injury record) Sam Saunders.
This summer gives us the best chance we possibly could have of strengthening properly - compared to our last two promotions, where we dithered badly and lost out.
One year (the Taylor promotion) we couldn't start seriously trying to sign players because Hayes wouldn't sign off the budget until he could push through his ownership plans.
With the Waddock promotion, I can't prove from COTN that we had any real delays in signing players, but that year Hayes was in the thick of the White Elephant Stadium wranglings. We did eventually manage to sign lots of squad players though.
Anyway - not much point in whining as I'm sure GA has it in hand. I suspect if we really want to boost the quality level with new signings we'll need to be reliant on loans again, but time will tell.
On the subject of lengthier contracts to the older players, I wonder now whether we, as supporters, need to re-evaluate the perception that a playing career is pretty much wrapped up at about 35.
Modern footballers are far better informed on looking after their fitness and bodies than they were 15/20 years ago and I don't think there is the drinking culture around that there used to be (or so it seemed) around football clubs.
Logically this should prolong the shelf-life of a dedicated professional footballer, particularly at the lower levels where speed probably isn't quite the factor that it is at Premier level.
So maybe we shouldn't view a 35 year old as being too old any more? With GA being a prime example of someone who played on late into his 30s he is probably quite adept at understanding who is similar in attitude and make-up to him and therefore likely to be perfectly okay playing at league one level in their late 30s.
Tyson is still quicker than most younger players, and he recovered surprisingly rapidly from a serious injury. There's no reason to say he's too old at 36 despite a large element of his incisiveness being based on pace. But that doesn't mean we can assume the same for other 36 year olds. I would doubt (great servant that he was) Paul Hayes would be good enough at 34.
We are blessed with players like CMS and Tyson who are exciting to watch even if they are coming off the bench and - I think - they put a rocket under PCH. Everyone played a part and I'm glad they've resigned. I agree with @Chris I was amazed Tyson recovered so quickly from what looked like quite a bad injury.
I think Tyson himself wondered if it was a career ender at first. He's come back marvellousy.
He had phenomenal pace though, so even a reduced version will be faster than most people.
The other side, is the players who burst through super young, like Rooney, who due to a high mileage, and perhaps less than monk like existence are a shadow of their former ability coming up to 30.
I loved the bit in his recent interview with Phil C that he is intending to improve his sprinting figures, even at his age, with some specific, targeted training work over the summer.
Tyson seems to be a bit of a thoroughbred/freak but speed is definitely one of those tools that does tend to degenerate noticeably with age. Players reliant on it tend not to age well. Bayo-types, on the other hand, ought to be able to go on indefinitely if they can keep finding enough time to lug the weights in between book signings.
@micra said:
Sorry Glenactico but I’ve just had a look at the Chairboys On The Net Quick Guide to players’ contract status and only six have more than a year. Who in particular do you think have been over-generously rewarded?
CMS, Jombati and Bloomfield all deserving of a year but two seems a bit optimistic to me. I don’t have a desperately strong view on it but I do have minor concerns that this time next year some of the contract offers might look similar to Hayes’ extension.
Jombati is not exactly old and Bloomfield probably deserves it due to his loyalty all these years. I would tend to agree with you regarding CMS, but perhaps another club offered a similar length contract so we had to match it or lose him.
I believe if we would have signed CMS at the start of last summer on a three year deal, we’d all have been pretty delighted.
Unless a career ending injury happens, which is pretty much as likely as any other footballer. CMS would have plenty of takers in the football league and below if he were considered surplus to requirements.
He was our captain, and supposed key attacker, yet was looking injury ruined and absolutely shot away well before the extension. Most people thought Thompson was the main reason for the dreadful combo of the two, but Thompson had plenty of legs left.
Jombati is only 30 and a squad player, Bloomfield himself as said it's with an eye to coaching etc, and CMS will be rotational and isn't "the" key attacker himself.
I know it's only the Guardian Sport but El-Abd (CB) and LON (Sub) make their League Two team of the season. Of course, the one Nathan Jones has on his wall has all the other names crossed out and replaced with Hatters and himself instead of John Coleman as Manager of the Season.
Pretty sure the mainstream media just randomly selects a few players from each team in the top 6 for any League 2 and League 1 team of the week / season articles.
To not pick Bayo, who not only is the most high profile lower league player ever, but also had a fantastic season, and was massively responsible for our promotion is quite an omission.
Not saying Bayo didn't have a brilliant season, because he obviously did and was pivotal in everything we did. And I appreciate he also chipped in with around 12 assists.
But, the 3 strikers in that Guardian XI all scored at least 6 more league goals than Bayo did... In fact, Bayo was only 9th top scorer and contributed to less goals in total than both McNulty and Kee.
Comments
I kind of felt CMS lost quite a bit of threat as the season went on whether through injury, tiredness or otherwise. Thus, leaning towards @WanderingDays's view. Be glad to be proved wrong next season, though.
We're absolutely blessed up front at the moment, and I'm struggling to think whether we've had a bet set of forwards in our league days.
You could argue we've had Tyson at his peak, or Easter, or Mooney or these sort of players, but for pure options, now is definitely the time!
Why on earth would we not want to retain CMS? A quality player with bags of experience at a higher level including international football, our 2nd highest scorer behind Bayo, works hard for the team and still very fit at the age of 34. I find it astonishing that anyone would suggest he should have been released.
Yep. He fully deserved his two year extension. A very vaulable squad member
Certainly a game of opinions isn't it.
There's only a handful of players in the squad that haven't had fans moaning about them over the season. Perhaps Bayo, O Nien and Gape i'd say, so it's probably no surprise that even the players most of us think are absolute no brainer sign ons have their doubters.
CMS was signed and sealed before the end of the season, whereas we only entered into discussions with JJ (as far as we can tell) once the season ended, so I wonder if that shows the importance in Gareth's eyes - and we know he rates JJ highly.
Speaking of which...those negotiations are starting to drag a little, although I appreciate we're not even in June yet
I was thinking the same as the OP. Personally I would not have offered new terms to Bean or (purely on the strength of his injury record) Sam Saunders.
This summer gives us the best chance we possibly could have of strengthening properly - compared to our last two promotions, where we dithered badly and lost out.
One year (the Taylor promotion) we couldn't start seriously trying to sign players because Hayes wouldn't sign off the budget until he could push through his ownership plans.
With the Waddock promotion, I can't prove from COTN that we had any real delays in signing players, but that year Hayes was in the thick of the White Elephant Stadium wranglings. We did eventually manage to sign lots of squad players though.
Anyway - not much point in whining as I'm sure GA has it in hand. I suspect if we really want to boost the quality level with new signings we'll need to be reliant on loans again, but time will tell.
Wasn't Waddock limited due to the embargo placed by the FA during the takeover when the finances were slightly dubious?
On the subject of lengthier contracts to the older players, I wonder now whether we, as supporters, need to re-evaluate the perception that a playing career is pretty much wrapped up at about 35.
Modern footballers are far better informed on looking after their fitness and bodies than they were 15/20 years ago and I don't think there is the drinking culture around that there used to be (or so it seemed) around football clubs.
Logically this should prolong the shelf-life of a dedicated professional footballer, particularly at the lower levels where speed probably isn't quite the factor that it is at Premier level.
So maybe we shouldn't view a 35 year old as being too old any more? With GA being a prime example of someone who played on late into his 30s he is probably quite adept at understanding who is similar in attitude and make-up to him and therefore likely to be perfectly okay playing at league one level in their late 30s.
It varies player by player.
Tyson is still quicker than most younger players, and he recovered surprisingly rapidly from a serious injury. There's no reason to say he's too old at 36 despite a large element of his incisiveness being based on pace. But that doesn't mean we can assume the same for other 36 year olds. I would doubt (great servant that he was) Paul Hayes would be good enough at 34.
We are blessed with players like CMS and Tyson who are exciting to watch even if they are coming off the bench and - I think - they put a rocket under PCH. Everyone played a part and I'm glad they've resigned. I agree with @Chris I was amazed Tyson recovered so quickly from what looked like quite a bad injury.
I think Tyson himself wondered if it was a career ender at first. He's come back marvellousy.
He had phenomenal pace though, so even a reduced version will be faster than most people.
The other side, is the players who burst through super young, like Rooney, who due to a high mileage, and perhaps less than monk like existence are a shadow of their former ability coming up to 30.
I loved the bit in his recent interview with Phil C that he is intending to improve his sprinting figures, even at his age, with some specific, targeted training work over the summer.
Hope he doesn't do a hammy.
Tyson seems to be a bit of a thoroughbred/freak but speed is definitely one of those tools that does tend to degenerate noticeably with age. Players reliant on it tend not to age well. Bayo-types, on the other hand, ought to be able to go on indefinitely if they can keep finding enough time to lug the weights in between book signings.
Age is just a number...:https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/may/30/essam-el-hadary-egypt-goalkeeper-45-world-cup-oldest-player
CMS, Jombati and Bloomfield all deserving of a year but two seems a bit optimistic to me. I don’t have a desperately strong view on it but I do have minor concerns that this time next year some of the contract offers might look similar to Hayes’ extension.
Jombati is not exactly old and Bloomfield probably deserves it due to his loyalty all these years. I would tend to agree with you regarding CMS, but perhaps another club offered a similar length contract so we had to match it or lose him.
I believe if we would have signed CMS at the start of last summer on a three year deal, we’d all have been pretty delighted.
Unless a career ending injury happens, which is pretty much as likely as any other footballer. CMS would have plenty of takers in the football league and below if he were considered surplus to requirements.
Makes a change to be moaning about the players we HAVE signed I suppose.
@Glenactico, none would be remotely like Hayes.
He was our captain, and supposed key attacker, yet was looking injury ruined and absolutely shot away well before the extension. Most people thought Thompson was the main reason for the dreadful combo of the two, but Thompson had plenty of legs left.
Jombati is only 30 and a squad player, Bloomfield himself as said it's with an eye to coaching etc, and CMS will be rotational and isn't "the" key attacker himself.
I know it's only the Guardian Sport but El-Abd (CB) and LON (Sub) make their League Two team of the season. Of course, the one Nathan Jones has on his wall has all the other names crossed out and replaced with Hatters and himself instead of John Coleman as Manager of the Season.
Not convinced I'd have El-Abd in there given his start to the season, even after taking into account just how imperious he was by the end.
However, I am convinced I'd have Bayo in the first eleven, and to leave him out of the squad entirely makes me question the whole thing.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/football-league-blog/2018/may/30/football-league-best-xis-2017-18-ruben-neves-marc-mcnulty
Agree totally, but as I said @Chris it IS Guardian Sport!
Of all the threads I was expecting this summer, fans not happy about signing CMS for 2 more seasons was not one of them
Pretty sure the mainstream media just randomly selects a few players from each team in the top 6 for any League 2 and League 1 team of the week / season articles.
To not pick Bayo, who not only is the most high profile lower league player ever, but also had a fantastic season, and was massively responsible for our promotion is quite an omission.
@eric_plant I know.
Not saying Bayo didn't have a brilliant season, because he obviously did and was pivotal in everything we did. And I appreciate he also chipped in with around 12 assists.
But, the 3 strikers in that Guardian XI all scored at least 6 more league goals than Bayo did... In fact, Bayo was only 9th top scorer and contributed to less goals in total than both McNulty and Kee.
Having said all that, I'd have Bayo in the team!
I'd be a lot more interested if these teams of the season played somebody. League Two vs Celtic, maybe?
May be may it a 'Celtic day', one of the most embarrassing days in our history.