SW11_Saint

It was daft, and I was pissed off too. I challenge that SM keyboard warriors are truly representative of the fanbase though. They’re just more vocal/‘outraged’.

Season ticket holders since about 1979. And I’m not remotely ‘happy clappy’ I can assure you. But our leadership has changed, no? Spors the main man now, reporting into Parsons & Solak, rather than Rasmus/Kraft. Think we have to give him and Still the benefit of the doubt imho.

Yes, reasonable point.

Won’t keep counter-arguing - but not sure it has massively pissed off that big a chunk of the fanbase off (though clearly many on here!). It may turn out to be the wrong decision ultimately, but I don’t see it as that BIG a decision. Given the other emerging defensive cover we have. If we’d offered Sulenana another three years I’d be marching on SMS with a pitchfork &🔥lighted torch! Based on nothing other than his interviews this far, I see Still as much more of a pragmatist than an ideologue (a la RM). If he isn’t performing, or other combinations are better I think he’ll go with that. We’ll see I guess.

With respect you’re missing the ‘alchemy’ that make clubs/squads work/tick. It’s not simply as binary as “how many games have they played?”. Character matters. The ability to communicate matters. Connectivity with the ethos of the club often matters. Franny wasn’t one of our greatest players in terms of skill, but work ethic, commitment, professionalism kept him at the club under several managers. A role model and a senior voice. I also remember Chris Perry joining in the twilight of his career. Never like his at Wimbledon or Spurs, but his presence and experience brought a new dimension. I’m confident management have thought all this through.

Language Lee…😉 [it was an 80s sitcom reference but you are likely younger than me]. Yes, we’d all be proud to pull on the shirt, but we’re not professional player, he is. I agree he’s not good enough for where we’re going, but I’d argue he is good enough for where we are. We’re not owners, executives or managers either, and just have to trust that Parsons/Spors/Still etc have enough nous to have weighed things up and done this for a reason. Those reasons (I suspect) may not purely be just down to his ability or based on him starting every game. Two years would have been optimal imho - but it is what it is. I’m glad that he’s sticking around.

Language Timothy… Yes, I’m serious. We can all cherry pick games that ‘prove the rule’… and I’ve said elsewhere Jack is more than capable of having nightmare games and making howling errors. I won’t retread old ground but my main point was always (a) he’s a useful guy to have in the squad as we go through this next transition, and an experienced voice to help the talent coming through at CB, (b) I’m dismayed at the level of fury, ire, disrespect channelled toward a player for whom pulling on the 🔴&⚪️ shirt actually means something.

A lot of people seem to have an inside track on his contract negotiation…

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Disagree (clearly!). If/when Bednarek & THB depart, it will be useful to have Jack & Wood around the squad for experience.

It’s not so much about players ‘okay in the Championship’ - they’re all (bar the obvious 3) Championship standard players, including Jack. More about leadership/galvanising when things aren’t going well. Who else does that? (Only Rambo and he’ll be off). That is of value, and I disagree it’s ‘barmy’ to retain someone who has a dressing room influence. I don’t see an extension for Jack as mutually exclusive from signing players either. They assess things in the round.

A calculation I’m sure they’ve considered.. value v ‘risk’. He’s not in the PL this year, I agree his days there are likely over.

We’ll sell him I suspect… probably to Plymouth.

He isn’t good enough for the PL and won’t play there if we get there I suspect. it doesn’t remotely smack of ‘no ambition’ - who were you expecting them to sign? Per other posts it makes sense to keep him in the squad. Just don’t get the hysteria…

Zero risk, zero pressure. It was a no brainer imho.

Will depend what Still wants to do. Bednarek is off, but I suspect Still may take a ‘horses for courses’ approach to selection. I’d love to see Edwards come through, but he’ll want some experience in the mix too.

He’s probably smart enough to ask people at the club I suspect, and form an opinion based partially on other facets that will benefit the team.

We get it wrong more than we get it right most of the time. But I just don’t see this as a surprise (he was kit launch model!) or a massive gamble. I think it’s a. Eminently sensible move, and said as soon as the season ended that I would do the same. Everyone can have opinions, but the disrespect for him on here, given who he is and how he feels about the club is what irks and depresses me. If we’d offered Sulemana a 3 year deal I’d be apoplectic, but not Jack.

No, I’m his agent.

But I’d argue Jack is both (older and a worker), hence the use.

Guessing you know the terms he’s on? Jack is no Carrillo, and won’t be in anywhere near his money. If we go up, I suspect he’ll move on. If we don’t, who knows. The dissing of a great club servant (not from you btw) is quite depressing tbh.

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He’s always been a leader. Hot headed at times? Sure. Capable of an infuriating ricket? 💯 Not our most skilled defender? Absolutely. Then there’s this… which our bunch of lily-livered nice boys lack dreadfully. (I’m not expecting him to play every game, but as I peruse our squad list and think “who would I want in the trenches with me?” It’s Jack every time.).

Which is why they are experienced profession football manager and we are not… Any business needs the right mix of personalities, potential and experience. I trust Spors/Still have factored all of this in. ‘Violinists & roadsweepers’ McMeneny used to call it. But hey, what did he know…