Im going to buy you now. Whelans message.

[HM Murdock]

From what i can tell he wants to be a Wigan player

Get the cash

[mighty_whites]

As much as Jussi has done for us i think its time we give Al habsi a chance at the no. 1 spot think he's a quality keeper and once again kept wigan in the game yesterday. I think it would be silly to cash in on him, sell Jussi for 2 mil and have bogdan no 2.

We need some better defenders and it's only going to get worse by losing Cahill, steinsson, knight, wheater and robinson aint good enough next year!

[LiOC]

If Ali is only worth about 3/4 million then jussi will not fetch much at all. Plus jussi won't want to leave and I think there's very little difference in quality. So if selling al habsi gets us more cash then yes we need everything in the transfer kitty we can get. Bogdan is a perfectly suitable no.2. Thanks to him for his service but If he wants to go, let him.

[Lord Kangana]

Didn't someone suggest he's on a decent wedge? IRO £30k/w?

If so (and it is a big if) thats a lot of money for us to be sustaining a third keeper on. Its the majority of the wages of a decent outfield player in the current climate. I'd probably prefer to keep him, Jussi isn't getting any younger, but if somethings got to give then a transfer fee of close to £3m would alleviate the drop in position prize money and give us a space on the budget for more pressing needs.

If he wants to go its an easy choice. Be interesting to see what happens over the summer.

[Bruce Rioja]

we have two good keepers at the club

We do, only, Al Habsi's one of 'em!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

One of them has to go, and AAH understandably wants to be No.1 or gone. It's an actuarial decision based on how much money we can get (in transfer fee) or save (in wage bill). Of the two wages I'm sure Jussi's is the higher; of the two potential sales AAH would be more lucrative and easier (because Jussi is older and better paid). If Wigan are willing to bid then it pushes his price even higher. Although ideally think I'd just about plump for AAH now, I'm really not bothered because there's not much between the two (and Bogdan can step up to replace Jussi in the near-to-medium future). I just want what's best for the club, 'cos we've got much bigger squad-building tasks elsewhere – we seem to be clearing the decks and wage bill for a few incomings; let's just hope they're more Holden than Petrov.

Out of interest, if Jussi did follow Ricardo out the door, who'd be the longest-serving players? Kevin Davies (Sep 03), then AAH (Jan 06), Bogdan (Aug 07); assuming JLS and Cohen leave, then as far as I can see it's Steinsson (16 Jan 08) and Taylor (17 Jan 08). Some turnover, that...

[Bruce Rioja]

£32K a week, Mr Al Habsi's emoluments by the way. Not sure what Yellow Belly Finn's are.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

£32K a week, Mr Al Habsi's emoluments by the way. Not sure what Yellow Belly Finn's are.

More, surely. Either way, it's a goodly wedge off the wage when they wave bye-bye. (I'm assuming we'd go back to the model of an experienced, inexpensive third-choice keeper, a la Poole/Walker.)

[Loyal White]

£32K a week, Mr Al Habsi's emoluments by the way. Not sure what Yellow Belly Finn's are.

£32k per week for our 2nd choice keeper??!! Jesus Christ no wonder our wage bill is sky high!

[Lord Kangana]

So taking that in to account, and DSB's idea of an elder statesman who's prepared to sit it out most weeks, which club is looking to offload an older keeper, who would be prepared to get splinters for 1/2 that amount?

I'd throw someone like Cudicini in the mix, but I doubt he'd come on those terms.

There must be others around, though?

[hisroyalgingerness]

Carlo's soon going to be 3rd choice at Spuds, he'll have to make a decision on money v playing time at one point

[Lord Kangana]

Is that a "maybe not as daft as it first seems" then?

[boltonboris]

He were shite against Stoke. Flapped at about a dozen crosses, 2 straight forward shots that he patted down into the middle of the box. How his defenders bailed him out so many times, I'll never know..

It was like the Alamo on Wigans goal line for the fist half. And Ali was nowhere near.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

In truth, with an ageing third-choice back-up talent isn't as important as application and personality. No point having a frustrated has-been, you want a dedicated professional who can help bring the best from the kids but also wouldn't let you down for a game or two if your top two choices are out (and if it's for a while you'd get a loanee in anyway). Doesn't hurt if he's after qualifications, either. Our Mike Pollitt, if you will. Someone like (but not necessarily) Maik Taylor, Thomas Sorensen, Andy Marshall, Dean Kiely, maybe Boltonian lad Carlo Nash.

[Bijou Bob]

I'd far sooner see a keeper come off his line and struggle to get to one or two than what we have at the moment, a keeper who stays rooted to his line no matter what and doesn't EVER command his 6 yard box from set pieces.

[Beefheart]

THe way I see it is. The difference in quality between Jussi and AAH isn't as big as improvements that would be made in another area with the money generated from the sale of Al Habsi. You could argue that we would have a weaker GK but I think the quality of the team overall would be benefit.

[hisroyalgingerness]

Jussi
Pros - experience, proven shot stopper, knows the club, may have a new defence to try and marshal
Cons - evidence perhaps of poor concentration/reactions creeping in; mentality (his B'hm sending off?); expensive wages; lost his mate coach

Ali
Pros - longevity, best years are ahead; exceptional shot stopper
Cons - still relatively inexperienced even with 1 full year; distribution; Asian Cup

Bogdan
Pros - ginger, cheap as chips
Cons - Experience

If Ali's heads in it, it would make sense to ship Bogdan out on loan and have Jussi covering. But it wouldn't happen.

For me, Ali 1st choice and new contract, Bogdan to understudy. New age

[Lord Kangana]

Has Fred Barber left for good then?

[Bruce Rioja]

Has Fred Barber left for good then?

And did he take his silly mask and flat cap with him?

[hisroyalgingerness]

Has Fred Barber left for good then?

That was my understanding, anyone?