2024 Released Players & City transfer rumours

I don't think we need to be signing a stop gap as they're not long term injuries and we have other options like a back 4.
Saw us linked to Ciaran Clark and Mark Beevers yesterday, I'm not sure why we'd want to do that

 

Clark would be way above our level you would assume although Beevers might be interested. These two are certainly a lot better than we already have at the club you would think but I imagine their wages would also be a lot higher and certainly too high when we're clearly running a policy of reducing the wage bill.

 

Agree to an extent NM, but some income is a lot better than none!

 

The fact they are currently unattached means their wages are zero.
We do not know their personnel circumstances, but surely some income is better than non.

 

I think at this stage we only sign another if A) Kelly is out for a fair few months or longer, or B) they don't like what they see in Shepherd. He is a very raw defender, you can tell from watching him he is very inexperienced and he might want that stop gap just in case. Even a short term deal until January then you can re-evaluate. Feels like we want to play 352/532 and thats the plan in 2 weeks time when everyone is back, so another CB may well come in.

 

Just beat me to it

 

Yes it makes sense if GA is set on having 3 centre halves, I think he's more likely to try a back 4 just for a couple of games. Hopefully Byrne and Baldwin are only a couple weeks off, not sure what Kellys injury is.
If we could get them on a short term deal with no commitments then yes by all means, no sense in giving a decent contract to someone who will probably be way down the pecking order by next month though.
I've not seen a lot of Shepherd but he lost his man for Newcastle u21's first goal, apparently he was much better in the air on Tuesday though. Certainly seems like the best chance he'll get to secure a place in the team

 

I hear this all the time but for the lucky footballers who've played at good levels then it's simply not true.

It all depends how much they've earned in their careers because football is a job to most players, it's not like some of us that just play it for fun. It will also depend on where in the country they are based, if the family is settled, children in school etc etc.

Don't forget, these aren't young lads starting out and don't need to forge a career in the game. I'd also hazard a guess that they could make similar money to whatever we'd offer doing media work, club appearances or even on the sportsman's dinner circuit if they really wanted to.

 

Mark beavers has just signed for Bradford park avenue.

Even they are outbidding us now !!!

 

Haha! Mark Beevers, there's a blast from the past.

I see he went to the retirement leagues like Derbyshire. Best staying away when these old boys have accepted their fate lol

 

I bet when his agent told him he had secured a move to Bradford he didn't reckon on it being Avenue!

Fair play to the Stans though, a bit of a marquee signing for that level

 

No. Beevers is semi retired, doing what a lot of old boys do when they wind down their careers: going abroad and getting a tan rather than battling tooth and nail in a proper league.

He is also coming off a bad injury. Still a quality signing for Park Ave, would have thought he could manage NLP, but the situation speaks for itself.

 

I'll take it. Semi retired is probably a step up from the current central defenders.

 

Forget who his centre half partner was at Bolton but they were both big numb gits who only knew to get the ball back and smash it up top.
Proper gamble trying to guess what level these older free agents are at. No need for us to take it if you ask me

 

Bloody hell Monkey you said he'd certainly be a step up from what we have at the club! Ironically he clearly actually is non league level. May still do a job for BPA but it implies he's not football league level these days. There's no way I'm swapping Byrne for Beevers. I must add that Byrne wouldn't start in our strongest 11 for me though.

 

Fair comments NM but I still think that Ciaran Clark could do a great job for us in the defence, even at 34.
His experience could be a great help.

 

You have to admire it haha

 

Oh, I'd definitely be happy if we had a look at him, no arguments from me there. I just don't think he'd come.

 

I wouldn't be going near Clark to be honest. He's a career crock, barely been fit to be a starter for years at this point at this previous clubs. Should really be staying away from players with his fitness record. He's been a pro starting in teams for 13 seasons and only last year ticked over 300 club games, only averages 23 games per season in his career since breaking into the Villa team. Signing someone like that to stay fit whilst we have an injury issue is bound to hurt. He only managed 270 minutes of football least season, less than 700 minutes the season before that. Tough to know what level he still plays at given he's barely kicked a ball for so long.

 

Yep, if he's happy to accept a deal from BPA then perhaps he's winding down like Jon Butterfield suggested so perhaps his injury has restricted him in terms of performance because at 34 you'd imagine he'd still have the ability to play at league level if the hunger and desire was still there.