Craine Set To Leave (1 Viewer)

I still to this day can not believe the football lerague have not stepped in and told SISU, that they can not sell/release everyone and not replace. It is pure football sense that we be competative. When Wolves fielded a weak side against man U they got fined, why the hell they can let sisu field a weak squad beacuse of what they are doing is criminal!!

If our youth set up is good there is no reason a number shouldn't make it. We are a big one club city and now playing at a lower level. I'm not advocating that its perfect and it certainly does need changes/additions but the history of %'s does not reflect the current crop who we are fortunate to have (or we would be well and truly proper fkd!).

CCFCway, Jeffers is still a young man. Some players don't always do it and goal records alone don't show everything. You may be right and he may not make it, but I'm sure we would all like Nimley and look at his goal ratio here and at Boro previously. Similarly Madine never scored at City but has gone on to be decent. He needs a chance and I suspect that ready or not, we will be forced to use him a lot more in this coming season.

Rob - If we had a good youth set-up then great, but we don't, you could probably name no more then 10 who have left us and currently play in the football league. We shouldn't even be playing the lads we have now, they clearly aren't ready but that's another issue. This club needs serious investment in the youth set-up to give the club a long term future. In the short term, we need to raise as much a possible through player sales & wages, and just build ourselves a league one team, the current squad is so thin, polluted by injury prone players & never will be's, we have little chance next season.

All I see on this forum is bollocks about the players, McSheffrey will score 20 goals next season, Baker/Bell will be class, Deegan & McPake if fit will be this and that. How long are we going to be the soft touch that we are?? They have all be given far to many chances to prove fitness/prove form, it's time to cut these players from the sinking ship that is CCFC.

I largely agree and particularly that they were not ready, but I think the experience gained last season coupled with now playing at a lower level will be of benefit. They won't all make it for sure, but I'm quite excited about some of the current crop although as we know if any of them do show signs of real promise, they will be shipped out to the first bidder.

I look at Grandison as a decent example. He looked ok to me when he first came into the side, in the way that Cameron did too. Teh management obviously felt Cameron was the better long term option and that there wasn't room for both. He got his head down learnt in L2 and now having been a star performer and fans favourite in a promotion winning side, will find himself playing against us and probably as favourites. Cameron on the other hand has been relegated and given pelters by some of the fans for making errors that you can't get away with at Championship level. I believe they are of a similar age and I bet Grandison head wise, is currently in a much better place. Sometimes it takes a step or two backwards to eventually go forwards.

I agree with OSB58. The important thing is the survival of the club, not individual players. If we have 11 eighteen year olds next season then that is our team and the one that I shall support. I, like everyone else, wants players like Cranie and Keogh to stay, but if they go, then they go. If the money isn't there then there's nothing we can do. This is why, I presume, SISU are trying to get more money.

What are current number on ST sales, does anyone know? I've never really known how many we sell.

rob9872 said:

I largely agree and particularly that they were not ready, but I think the experience gained last season coupled with now playing at a lower level will be of benefit. They won't all make it for sure, but I'm quite excited about some of the current crop although as we know if any of them do show signs of real promise, they will be shipped out to the first bidder.

I look at Grandison as a decent example. He looked ok to me when he first came into the side, in the way that Cameron did too. Teh management obviously felt Cameron was the better long term option and that there wasn't room for both. He got his head down learnt in L2 and now having been a star performer and fans favourite in a promotion winning side, will find himself playing against us and probably as favourites. Cameron on the other hand has been relegated and given pelters by some of the fans for making errors that you can't get away with at Championship level. I believe they are of a similar age and I bet Grandison head wise, is currently in a much better place. Sometimes it takes a step or two backwards to eventually go forwards.

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I completely agree, players should drop down the leagues if they aren't performing in the higher levels, but in the perfect world they should be doing it while still under contract with us, I would prefer to lose a Grandison then have 10 donkeys on the books, with no money there's a lot of pressure to pick the next stars before they have even developed into an adult, It's just the same, season after season, now i'm not complaining, because hardly any of the youth lads have made the grade over the past 10-15 years, but you'll always have some slip through the net. Major changes are needed all the way through the club.

Not a shock, Cranie deserves to be plying his trade in the Championship. Has been a fairly steady performer in the season just gone, no real shockers and remains a fairly assured defender who can fill in (to a degree) across the back four. Keogh was our player of the season, but I would say that Cranie would be a shoe in to warrant a place in the top three (such as it is).

However, it is not just because it was on the cards that this news doesn't worry me hugely. We know SISU will sell and we should be aware that some players will want to leave. If we are going to lose personnel, we still have our best cover at centre back. I would like to keep Keogh, but that could realistically go either way (I can see him staying if no one comes in for him / I can see him moving on to further his career if an offer is made). Once upon a time, I thought Wood / McPake an extremely assured partnership. Wood being experienced, a talker, carrying a slight threat on attacking set pieces, decent pace and aerial ability / McPake being a 'throw your face in front of the ball' old school defender's defender. That worked for me and I see no reason why either player would give cause for concern in League 1. Similarly, I am not a huge fan of Cameron and think he is prone to a mistake or two, but he is young and learning and has put in several encouraging performances during his time here. I was one of the fans who had his overall opinion of Turner changed as he became less prone to errors and started to dominate... I love being proved wrong in this respect. I wouldn't be unduly nervous with him playing a role at the back, although some convincing is still to be done. Willis is too early to call, although he showed a little promise against Southampton.

I would wish Cranie all the best and be looking for a left back. Wood is not a left back (nor was Cranie, in all honesty), which would only leave Hussey. I think the jury is still out on Hussey and I would like to see someone at least providing cover, if not challenging for his position.

EDIT - I am not saying Hussey will be a weak link in League 1, I am saying one recognised left back remains a cause of potential concern.

covcity4life said:

first 3 sure but wills looked shite vs soton

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Surely you're not judging a youth player on one appearance though?

torchomatic said:

I agree with OSB58. The important thing is the survival of the club, not individual players. If we have 11 eighteen year olds next season then that is our team and the one that I shall support. I, like everyone else, wants players like Cranie and Keogh to stay, but if they go, then they go. If the money isn't there then there's nothing we can do. This is why, I presume, SISU are trying to get more money.

What are current number on ST sales, does anyone know? I've never really known how many we sell.

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Last year we sold 9--9.5k ST's typically we sell around 7000,currently its been posted on here 2500-3000

If Cranie was asking for 8k or something there is no way we can justify that wage as a league 1 side when he isn't even the best defender at the club.

All players will be missed but now it's all about and has been for a while balancing the books. Expect more to go soon.

He'll go Leicester. They seem to be buying everyone available again (3 already this pre season I think?)

kg82 said:

Surely you're not judging a youth player on one appearance though?

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no but thats all i can ive seen of him so my opinion is we will need another CB

no need to be so argumentative,were all cov fans

kg82 said:

Surely you're not judging a youth player on one appearance though?

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completely agree we shpuldnt judge a kid on the southampton game,

the problem is, he could very well be the 1st choice centre back next season with cameron

covcity4life said:

no but thats all i can ive seen of him so my opinion is we will need another CB

no need to be so argumentative,were all cov fans

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He's captained England U18's so he must have something and has worked tremendously hard to get in with us after being released by two or three others ,he's extremely hungry to succeed ,am sure like Turner he will become a very strong part of our squad .

covcity4life said:

no but thats all i can ive seen of him so my opinion is we will need another CB

no need to be so argumentative,were all cov fans

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I wasn't being argumentative, I was picking up on a point you made! Just give him more time, don't judge until he's had a few games, just remember he's young and will need time to get up to speed.

i remember this time last season we thought Kevin Phillips was on our radar and basiclly a done deal, had talks and everything and then we wouldnt give him his weeky wage. Same with Marlon King and it looks to be the same with Martin Craine. Why do we never learn with our mistakes? I HOPE SISU invest in this team for atleast ONE season to ensure we have a long term future

CODY!!! said:

i remember this time last season we thought Kevin Phillips was on our radar and basiclly a done deal, had talks and everything and then we wouldnt give him his weeky wage. Same with Marlon King and it looks to be the same with Martin Craine. Why do we never learn with our mistakes? I HOPE SISU invest in this team for atleast ONE season to ensure we have a long term future

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We can't afford his wages. We can only spend 65% of turnover. When will this sink in !!!

SonofErnie said:

We can't afford his wages. We can only spend 65% of turnover. When will this sink in !!!

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We can spend 500% as long as its before the start of the season - then we have an embargo - we are used to that.

kduffy said:

We can spend 500% as long as its before the start of the season - then we have an embargo - we are used to that.

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An entirely sensible way to run a club, not !! Also a false understanding of the rules, as the embargo is put in place as soon as the 65% is breached and/or transfers can be vetoed, therefore there is no choice but to bring the wage bill down.