2020 Changing of the Guard

Badonde

Well-known member
Looking back on last summer.
To be fair it looks like we made good decisions in moving on the following players last year:

Ayala - to Blackburn, injured most of season, 3 year contract
Friend - to Birmingham, 2 years + 1 year option
Clayton - to Birmingham, 2 years + 1 year option
Shotton - to Melbourne 1 yr contract

All big earners but not getting any younger.
None have pulled up any trees - apart from perhaps Friend - mainly in the game against us at the Riverside.

Always a risk who you bring in/transfer out.
Despite our seemingly calamitous recent transfer business (Assombolonga, Fletcher, Akpom) the Club has made some good decisions.
Nice to reflect on something positive.
 
Ayala - to Blackburn, injured most of season, 3 year contract

I wondered what had happened to him as it went quiet.
 
These moves don't always seem right at the time but we can't afford to be sentimental. Good business in the end.
 
Ayala replaced by McNair (I know he was already here but wasn’t playing cb) I loved Ayala but am just as happy with McNair at CB and think he brings more to the team in terms of creativity and intelligence.

Friend replaced by Bola. Loved George but Bola is proving to be an absolute bargain and a quality replacement with years ahead of him.

Clayton replaced by Morsy. Morsy was just starting to consistently show what a decent player he is before his injury, and whilst not as good at the ball winning side of things, he’s certainly more than adequate in that department and adds more in the final 3rd for sure.

Shotton replaced by Hall. What a huge upgrade Hall is, although obviously we’ve lost Shotton‘s ability to hand hoof it across half the pitch from throw ins. Oh well.
 
Ayala replaced by McNair (I know he was already here but wasn’t playing cb) I loved Ayala but am just as happy with McNair at CB and think he brings more to the team in terms of creativity and intelligence.

Friend replaced by Bola. Loved George but Bola is proving to be an absolute bargain and a quality replacement with years ahead of him.

Clayton replaced by Morsy. Morsy was just starting to consistently show what a decent player he is before his injury, and whilst not as good at the ball winning side of things, he’s certainly more than adequate in that department and adds more in the final 3rd for sure.

Shotton replaced by Hall. What a huge upgrade Hall is, although obviously we’ve lost Shotton‘s ability to hand hoof it across half the pitch from throw ins. Oh well.

I don’t recall is scoring or creating that much from Shottons only real asset, his long hand hoof. Correct me if I am wrong 😑.. no doubt you will
 
We haven’t really missed Ayala as we were pretty solid before Christmas and he usually goes missing January onwards.

Wonder what the view of him from Blackburn fans is, can’t have impressed much.
 
We haven’t really missed Ayala as we were pretty solid before Christmas and he usually goes missing January onwards.

Wonder what the view of him from Blackburn fans is, can’t have impressed much.

He's played 9 games for them, and not made an appearance since December.
I doubt they've had chance to form a proper opinion, I doubt it goes much beyond permacrock waste of money.

Signed for them injured, played 3 games, then out injured for 8 games, played another 4 games, injured, then 2 games and he's since missed the last 23 games with injury.
 
Ayala was one of our highest earners I think?
More than happy to pass him on and inflate Blackburn's wage bill for two more years at least.

Also, Downing was quite his usual 'neat and tidy' self for Blackburn last season (41 apps) but has only played 6 games this year.
Again useful to get an older player off our books.

Though a lot younger so a slightly different case their fans don't sound enamored with Aynsley Pears either.
Will be low wages but they gave him a four year deal.

If we can be a bit cuter in the transfer market, with a big dollop of luck, we could be onto better things?
We launched our austerity programme 12 months before Covid struck so hopefully on a sounder financial footing than others.
 
I don’t recall is scoring or creating that much from Shottons only real asset, his long hand hoof. Correct me if I am wrong 😑.. no doubt you will
No I agree, I was being a bit facetious (for want of a better word) about his long throws. They amounted to next to nothing over the years.
I wasn’t a fan of Shotton, especially towards the end.
 
Ayala replaced by McNair (I know he was already here but wasn’t playing cb) I loved Ayala but am just as happy with McNair at CB and think he brings more to the team in terms of creativity and intelligence.

Friend replaced by Bola. Loved George but Bola is proving to be an absolute bargain and a quality replacement with years ahead of him.

Clayton replaced by Morsy. Morsy was just starting to consistently show what a decent player he is before his injury, and whilst not as good at the ball winning side of things, he’s certainly more than adequate in that department and adds more in the final 3rd for sure.

Shotton replaced by Hall. What a huge upgrade Hall is, although obviously we’ve lost Shotton‘s ability to hand hoof it across half the pitch from throw ins. Oh well.
At their best the four outgoing players were better than those who you say replaced them. It was just that their time had come and our need was to slash the wage bill.
 
At their best the four outgoing players were better than those who you say replaced them. It was just that their time had come and our need was to slash the wage bill.

Agree on the whole, except for Shotton - Hall is a far superior centre back IMO. That said, Shotton also played rb which is probably not in Hall‘s arsenal.
I loved the other 3 during the Karanka championship seasons though. Good times.
 
Agree on the whole, except for Shotton - Hall is a far superior centre back IMO. That said, Shotton also played rb which is probably not in Hall‘s arsenal.
I loved the other 3 during the Karanka championship seasons though. Good times.
Know what you mean as it was touch and go that I mentioned 4 not 3. Shotton is the one that I probably would not have picked. Think I did because Hall started poorly up until he was injured. Been much bet on his return.
 
Ayala - McNair 26yo
Friend - Bola 23yo
Clayton - Tavernier 22yo
Shotton - Dijksteel 24yo

that's the changing of the guard imo


Dimi - Lee Burge?
Gibson - Nat Philips? Max Kilman? can't see there being much movement.. if nathan wood goes back out on loan.. we could do with cover there
Leadbitter - Alex Mowatt?
Adomah/Stuani - Reiss Nelson?
Tomlin/Ramirez - Josh Windass?
Downing/Reach - Adam Reach?
Kike/Vossen - Famara Diedhiou? Charlie Wyke?


nick powell, sammy ameobi, steven caulker, jamal blackman.. all worthy of a mention imo
 
Ayala - McNair 26yo
Friend - Bola 23yo
Clayton - Tavernier 22yo
Shotton - Dijksteel 24yo

that's the changing of the guard imo


Dimi - Lee Burge?
Gibson - Nat Philips? Max Kilman? can't see there being much movement.. if nathan wood goes back out on loan.. we could do with cover there
Leadbitter - Alex Mowatt?
Adomah/Stuani - Reiss Nelson?
Tomlin/Ramirez - Josh Windass?
Downing/Reach - Adam Reach?
Kike/Vossen - Famara Diedhiou? Charlie Wyke?


nick powell, sammy ameobi, steven caulker, jamal blackman.. all worthy of a mention imo
Have heard Reach is going to Watford, must be well out of our budget.
 
Depends how much of his wages Watford want to be paid. I suspect he maybe out of our budget too but hope he comes back.
He's not fancied at Fulham, he's going into his final year. I reckon it's down to the player, if he wants the move, he'll get his move.

Fulham on their way down, boro on their way up. It's not that hard of a decision to make imo
 
Reach is not for me. I liked him when he was here but lets move on. Saying that I was surprised to see he is still only 28. Might have some good years ahead of him.
 
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