Release or retain?

[Prufrock]

I thought Alnwick was worrying all of last season and the start of this. He's improved immeasurably this season and currently well worth his place, but as I've said elsewhere looks like a buyer's market on keepers and we should always be looking to improve.

You could have Petr Cech in nets but if you have to let him go to keep Courtois it makes sense.

[TANGODANCER]

I want to see us push up the table, not scrap at the bottom again. We'll need a better keeper than we currently have on the books if we want to do that.

All things being equal, I'd say a few positions need filling before we look at goalkeepers. Alnwick has kept us in things more times than a few, and those in front of him have been as much/more to blame than him. A playmaker and striker must surely be higher up the list than Ben. Twice on Saturday alone Ben was responsible for our getting three points with his critical saves. Not sure where you're coming from here Spooky?

[GhostoftheBok]

I want to see us push up the table, not scrap at the bottom again. We'll need a better keeper than we currently have on the books if we want to do that.

All things being equal, I'd say a few positions need filling before we look at goalkeepers. Alnwick has kept us in things more times than a few, and those in front of him have been as much/more to blame than him. A playmaker and striker must surely be higher up the list than Ben. Twice on Saturday alone Ben was responsible for our getting three points with his critical saves. Not sure where you're coming from here Spooky?

The whole squad needs work. We've been bailing out a sinking ship season after season rather than building with any coherent plan. It's been worse lately because we've had no money, so we've just done whatever deals we can as they've come up.

I agree there are bigger issues than goalkeeper, but at the same time we have to try and put a plan in place for long term stability - even if the current owner is just here to make some money in the medium term. That responsibility falls on the manager at Bolton, as we don't do the Director of Football and Head Coach thing.

Going into the summer (assuming we stay up) the question isn't what position needs work the most, because regardless we will be on a tight per-player budget and it's not like signing a keeper will stop us signing some top striker - we have a wage cap and a budget that's just enough for a squad. We have to look at every position in terms of building a squad that can not just survive, but also push up the league and then start to look at the play offs later. I don't think Alwick is good enough to be first choice in that kind of squad building process, though he's good enough to compete with a better keeper. As I say, my concern is that I don't think he'll want to play second fiddle in his career anymore. I also don't think Karl Henry will want to be played situationally. If both of them are happy to be squad players then I'd keep them.

If there's no replacement plan then by all means keep him, but you'd hope the manager and his staff will have worked with the chairman all season on targets for different eventualities and that there will be irons in the fire for the kinds of players who can help us kick on and around whom we can build a proper Championship squad. I'm not going to moan if Alnwick is number one next season, I just think we might be able to do better.

[Hoboh]

Who the feck has voted for Darren?! (I think, everyone except me). Do you hate yourselves?

Getting rid of that useless cnut is going to be the highlight of my fecking year, if any of you ruin it...

The mirror I broke in 2011 has expired. It has no hold on us any longer. Be gone, oaf!

Just added

[Bruce Rioja]

I've left Alnwick out purely on the assumption we can find a better option in the summer market

Are you on actual drugs?

Nope. If the club don't have viable targets from the available Bosmans then they can offer him a new deal as needed. He's unlikely to be inundated with huge contract offers before the summer scramble. Alnwick is a decent low league keeper, but there's a reason the only time he ever had regular first team football was at Peterborough when he was nearly 30 and why The Posh let him leave for nowt when he asked.

If he'd stay on a back-up basis I'd take him regardless, but as with Henry I'd assume that he'd want a guarantee of starting games given that he's finally getting game time. I want to see us push up the table, not scrap at the bottom again. We'll need a better keeper than we currently have on the books if we want to do that.

I couldn't give a tin shite as to his career to date elsewhere to be honest, GotB. The lad's been a revelation in goal for us this season in a position which has been a problem for us for quite a while. I'd be more than happy to give him the opportunity to carry that form on. And let's face it, few keepers in this division will have been busier this season.

[GhostoftheBok]

I've left Alnwick out purely on the assumption we can find a better option in the summer market

Are you on actual drugs?

Nope. If the club don't have viable targets from the available Bosmans then they can offer him a new deal as needed. He's unlikely to be inundated with huge contract offers before the summer scramble. Alnwick is a decent low league keeper, but there's a reason the only time he ever had regular first team football was at Peterborough when he was nearly 30 and why The Posh let him leave for nowt when he asked.

If he'd stay on a back-up basis I'd take him regardless, but as with Henry I'd assume that he'd want a guarantee of starting games given that he's finally getting game time. I want to see us push up the table, not scrap at the bottom again. We'll need a better keeper than we currently have on the books if we want to do that.

I couldn't give a tin shite as to his career to date elsewhere to be honest, GotB. The lad's been a revelation in goal for us this season in a position which has been a problem for us for quite a while. I'd be more than happy to give him the opportunity to carry that form on. And let's face it, few keepers in this division will have been busier this season.

That's where we differ then. He's played well recently, but I don't think he's been a revelation. If we keep him and he's first choice, I'm not going to complain. If he goes and we bring in a new keeper, that's fine with me too. If he stays as competition and we bring a new keeper in, that's probably my ideal situation - but like I say I don't see him wanting to do that.

[irie Cee Bee]

Both Alnwick and Henry have to be the leading contenders for player of the year. Henry joining was the turning point in our season and Alnwick has made some unbelievable saves at crucial times that kept us in it. We must keep them.

[Prufrock]

Henry's the one that should have you reaching for the piss test.

It's reductive to say it's all down to him, but it's not a coincidence that our transformation from worst team in the history of the world (less than 0.2 PPG!) to solid mid table form for six months happened more or less the second he walked through the door. Been so impressed with him, thought he was just a clogger before he turned up but he adds organisation, experience and is better on the ball then I thought (without being great). 1,000% he gets another year for me.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Ken's in the paper this morning talking about money, contracts and so on. “I’ve had to keep an eye on the length of contracts, make sure there are relegation clauses, but I think you’ve got to look at signing players which other clubs would want to buy. You have to look for that other outlet. I think clubs in the Premier League are starting to do that now.”

Make of that what you will...
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/wa ... _Anderson/

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

It's reductive to say it's all down to him, but it's not a coincidence that our transformation from worst team in the history of the world (less than 0.2 PPG!) to solid mid table form for six months happened more or less the second he walked through the door.

While I'm on the site that lets you do custom-date league tables...

For the game at Bristol City on Tuesday 26th September, Parky made six changes from the starting XI well beaten at home by Brentford three days earlier. Switching from a back three to a back four, he retained Little, Wheater, Beevers, Morais and Madine but dropped Alnwick, Burke, Robinson, Karacan, Cullen and Armstrong, introducing Howard, A Taylor, Pratley, Henry, King and Noone. We lost but looked competitive, and 10 minutes after halftime Noone was replaced by Sammy Ameobi, making his first appearance of the season. So, including that defeat, here's the table since Henry's debut:

180925 Henry.png (83.72 KiB) Viewed 2702 times

Four days after that, we went to Villa Park and only lost 1-0. Ameobi started, for the first time in the season. Then came an international break, in which we could work on our shape, and since then:

181001 int break.png (79.04 KiB) Viewed 2702 times

[GhostoftheBok]

Karl offers us a lot in front of the back 4 (or 5, depending) - but he's 35 and I'd only offer him new terms if it's a deal that assumes him having a gradually reducing role over time. If he were 25 I'd be shouting "sign him up!", but unless he's the Midlands version of Gary Speed he will decline over the course of his next deal and the money and role on offer has to reflect that.

[BWFC_Insane]

Karl offers us a lot in front of the back 4 (or 5, depending) - but he's 35 and I'd only offer him new terms if it's a deal that assumes him having a gradually reducing role over time. If he were 25 I'd be shouting "sign him up!", but unless he's the Midlands version of Gary Speed he will decline over the course of his next deal and the money and role on offer has to reflect that.

I mean I think everyone is thinking a 1 year deal....

[GhostoftheBok]

Karl offers us a lot in front of the back 4 (or 5, depending) - but he's 35 and I'd only offer him new terms if it's a deal that assumes him having a gradually reducing role over time. If he were 25 I'd be shouting "sign him up!", but unless he's the Midlands version of Gary Speed he will decline over the course of his next deal and the money and role on offer has to reflect that.

I mean I think everyone is thinking a 1 year deal....

What's he currently paid?

[TANGODANCER]

Karl offers us a lot in front of the back 4 (or 5, depending) - but he's 35 and I'd only offer him new terms if it's a deal that assumes him having a gradually reducing role over time. If he were 25 I'd be shouting "sign him up!", but unless he's the Midlands version of Gary Speed he will decline over the course of his next deal and the money and role on offer has to reflect that.

I mean I think everyone is thinking a 1 year deal....

What's he currently paid?

Without knowing the answer to that, wasn't ge brought in from the cold a little by Parky? Since he's a major asset and a key player right now (in terms of the team) , he's probably worth at least every penny of whatever it is. Just a view.

[GhostoftheBok]

Karl offers us a lot in front of the back 4 (or 5, depending) - but he's 35 and I'd only offer him new terms if it's a deal that assumes him having a gradually reducing role over time. If he were 25 I'd be shouting "sign him up!", but unless he's the Midlands version of Gary Speed he will decline over the course of his next deal and the money and role on offer has to reflect that.

I mean I think everyone is thinking a 1 year deal....

What's he currently paid?

Without knowing the answer to that, wasn't ge brought in from the cold a little by Parky? Since he's a major asset and a key player right now (in terms of the team) , he's probably worth at least every penny of whatever it is. Just a view.

Like I said before, my expectation is that he he will now expect more precisely because of that decent form. If he's prepared to take a one year deal on low wages, great, get him signed up. I would expect him to want a guarantee of games, better whack and a couple of years though - in which case I'd be wary of retaining him at his age.

[Prufrock]

No-one is suggesting we give him a cheeky Keith Andrews. Think everyone agrees on a 1-year.

As far as a decent whack, I'd give it him (by which I mean decent whack by our revised, frugal standards). Tough to look past him and Sammy for player of the season IMO.

If he gets a better offer elsewhere good luck to him.

[GhostoftheBok]

Then I'm not sure where the issue was with my first comment on here, when I said I'd keep him on a one year deal if he'd take one. I said then that the reason I didn't vote for him was because I'm assuming he'd want a slightly longer deal and some guarantees as to his playing time - which I don't think we should be giving.

[GhostoftheBok]

On another note, have we had any indication of whether the club intend to try and bring Flanagan in on a free in the summer, or whether he's regarded as out of our range? Given his injury record and assault conviction, you'd think a number of clubs would avoid him.

[TANGODANCER]

On another note, have we had any indication of whether the club intend to try and bring Flanagan in on a free in the summer, or whether he's regarded as out of our range? Given his injury record and assault conviction, you'd think a number of clubs would avoid him.

What makes you think anybody can answer that at this stage ? I'd imagine even if the club knew they'd hardly be likely to broadcast anything that could alert other clubs to our intent. Anyway, he's on loan from Liverpool and a young England prospect so it looks like a "nobody knows" right now.

[Harry Genshaw]

I'd be very happy if we could recruit Flanagan, Burke and Robinson to the squad next season. They could all have potential profit in them, particularly the first two