SHA Small Heath Alliance

I concur, if he was playing for someone else we wouldn't be looking to sign him this summer.

La Fine Della Strada

Sunjic has been okay this season and is useful enough if a team is set up to concede possession, he has lot's of energy (sometimes misused) and can never be faulted for his effort.

However the way I try and look at it is his talent relative to the wage he's earning, the two are in different stratospheres. Added to that our ambitions are to become a possession based side which unfortunately is not his game.

I'd thank him and move him along in the summer.

We can and will get much better for much cheaper.

I hear what you say but somehow we have to gain possession in order to play a bit.
Currently Sunjic is head and shoulders above any single player in the squad when it comes to challenging, pressing and getting the ball back.
I'll forgive his wayward passes because overall he's a really important part of our 'engine'.
Obviously we need to improve the quality just about everywhere in the squad but that ain't happening overnight.

generalBlue

La Fine Della Strada

Sunjic has been okay this season and is useful enough if a team is set up to concede possession, he has lot's of energy (sometimes misused) and can never be faulted for his effort.

However the way I try and look at it is his talent relative to the wage he's earning, the two are in different stratospheres. Added to that our ambitions are to become a possession based side which unfortunately is not his game.

I'd thank him and move him along in the summer.

We can and will get much better for much cheaper.

I hear what you say but somehow we have to gain possession in order to play a bit.
Currently Sunjic is head and shoulders above any single player in the squad when it comes to challenging, pressing and getting the ball back.
I'll forgive his wayward passes because overall he's a really important part of our 'engine'.
Obviously we need to improve the quality just about everywhere in the squad but that ain't happening overnight.

But having the ability to pass the ball and press opponents aren't mutually exclusive, there are players out there who can do both.

We do have to improve the quality everywhere in the squad and it does kind of have to happen overnight (in football timescale), we've got one summer where we will have to have a complete overhaul of the playing squad.

It's the clean slate we've needed for so long, re-signing players like Sunjic would be accepting more of the same of what we've endured over the last 5+ years rather than looking to the future and evolving imo.

Yeah, we need someone who does both, Ipswich have two who scrap, chase, and simultaneously look after the ball really well, Cov have them, as do WBA, it's not enough for where we need to get to. We have a great opportunity to transform this summer.

" But having the ability to pass the ball and press opponents aren't mutually exclusive, there are players out there who can do both. "

You are preaching to the converted Guv.
Sunjic probably won't be with us next year. I'm talking about the rest of this season.
However right now we ain't got the wiggle room and can't go and spend 5 mill for the player you describe above. ( use Jordan James' recent valuations as a guide ).
Dunno whether you've noticed but we need to survive this season before any clear out and therefore Sunjic's contribution is gonna be crucial between now and the end of the season.
Even our Tony, with his preference for the beautiful game, will be using Sunjic at just about every opportunity in my opinion until we hopefully reach the summer still in this division.

We're talking about the Summer, not now

(I don't agree that it'll cost £5M either, but that's another argument)

Ben Whiteman at Preston out of contract this summer, I think Blues Analytics posted something on X showing he is 3rd in the league for ball retention.

[totalfootballanalysis.com]

A good article on him here which highlights his defensive capabilities too, the sort of player we should be targeting, and a lot less than £5m!

Some good players in that position available on a free to fill that role.

Ben Whiteman from Preston is one I'd be strongly looking at.

La Fine Della Strada

Ben Whiteman at Preston out of contract this summer, I think Blues Analytics posted something on X showing he is 3rd in the league for ball retention.

[totalfootballanalysis.com]

A good article on him here which highlights his defensive capabilities too, the sort of player we should be targeting, and a lot less than £5m!

There will be Prem clubs and high flying Championship outfits all over him.
It's hardly a secret.

Regardless there will be plenty all around the UK & Europe, other clubs manage to find them and I'm confident we will start doing it to

generalBlue

There will be Prem clubs and high flying Championship outfits all over him.
It's hardly a secret.

There will be interest in him but clubs will be looking at a range of factors - where do they need to strengthen, what sort of ages are they looking at for players etc.

He'll be 28 in the summer, which is a good age for us, and we need a player of his type - so ideal for us and could be a key target. That might not apply for anyone else, because they are well stocked in midfield or trying to bring down the age of their team.

It also shows the point - lots of players around will be out of contract or near the end, so free or cheap.

It'll help hugely if we manage to avoid relegation.
Craig Gardner's recruitment job would be made easier if / when we survive.