SHA Small Heath Alliance

The Artist

I'd give H bombs left nut to never see GG again

🤣

Le Mod

I'm not actually arsed if they are leaders or not, even if they are, we need leaders who will actually play and be on the pitch.

I completely agree. I'm not asking any of the players I'm suggesting we possibly consider retaining to be starters next season.

Throw Gardner out the window - I was only arguing for devil's advocate in his situation anyway, if it was up to me he leaves this summer. But Ruddy as number 2 (who by the way, despite his dodgy kicking, is still a solid championship keeper) and Jutkiewicz as an option off the bench particularly in games where we're struggling to break teams down and may need "a" big man to go more direct to, I don't think is a bad option either.

The club has a massive rebuild job on as it is. Most the players we let go we're going to have to replace with someone better, and each one is a gamble to see how they'll get on with the squad already here, how they act off the pitch, how they perform in this environment. Some may need some time to settle in. Let's not just rule the existing players out because they were part of a relegated side. If that was the case every team would be decimated after relegation. We're actually already decimating our squad. We went down on 50 points, and I think we would all agree that although the players aren't resolved of all responsibility, the primary reasons for our relegation are in the dugout instability. And we were STILL unfortunate to go down.

We'll see what the club do. And we'll see if any of the players that have been slaughtered today remain and perform in league one, or if we'll replace them with something better.

Some of them have been part of a team that has finished 17th or below for over half a decade. I'd suggest we would lose nothing if any/all of them left.

Le Mod

I thought the Gary Gardner thing was a wind up. Bloody ell

Absolute madness. They’ve both sullied their reputation.

Should be banned and locked up

Some of them have been part of a team that has finished 17th or below for over half a decade. I'd suggest we would lose nothing if any/all of them left.

Quite right old boy

Nikola Zigic- FEA

I'm not massively against GG staying as a mascot type player who makes 5 starts tops. He'd need a tiny salary to reflect that.

Juke and Ruddy too.

I'd want them nowhere near the team regularly, as we need 15 players this summer I think keeping a few might be a necessity unfortunately.

I wouldn't be saying this if we'd stayed up.

This is the point. We may have a decent budget but we are also now a League 1 side and we need to be a bit more realistic about what sort and quality of player we will be able to recruit and how they compare to what we already have.

JohnP

I get nervous at the comments about us spending shitloads of money. I know we are releasing big earners this summer but it feels like we are looking to make the same mistakes all over again.

My understanding is that Knighthead can spend anything on the infrastructure but the incomings and outgoings on the playing side have to be under control. If we have another Harry style trolley dash and don't go up we could be hamstrung for years afterwards. We have to be pretty shrewd still.

This. I don't trust the recruitment.

number8

Where is this evidence for Ruddy? He stayed because we could only spend so much and Etheridge was crap (although he probably has great leadership qualities too as he captains the Philippines!).

There’s actually evidence to the contrary. A Blues TV interview after another home loss (Boro?) and when asked if himself and Juke as the senior players were going to step up and lead people through this he said that everyone needs to be better and step up. That’s not leadership.

Rab C Nesbitt

number8

Where is this evidence for Ruddy? He stayed because we could only spend so much and Etheridge was crap (although he probably has great leadership qualities too as he captains the Philippines!).

There’s actually evidence to the contrary. A Blues TV interview after another home loss (Boro?) and when asked if himself and Juke as the senior players were going to step up and lead people through this he said that everyone needs to be better and step up. That’s not leadership.

I could not disagree more Rab.

He is holding people to account. He didn't absolve himself of it at all, what he said was everybody (not just himself and other senior players) has to step up. Which is true. He can't carry the team to safety himself, everybody has to be made accountable, teammates have to demand more from each other, he empowered the younger players in that interview to hold others to account if they think they need to because there's no hierarchy in these situations and everybody has to be performing at their best.

That IS leadership. If he said "Yeah, us senior players have got to be better..." he's absolving the younger players of responsibility rather than holding them to account. We're not talking kids here either - we're talking early to mid 20s players. He was absolutely spot on.

Bluestaines

JohnP

I get nervous at the comments about us spending shitloads of money. I know we are releasing big earners this summer but it feels like we are looking to make the same mistakes all over again.

My understanding is that Knighthead can spend anything on the infrastructure but the incomings and outgoings on the playing side have to be under control. If we have another Harry style trolley dash and don't go up we could be hamstrung for years afterwards. We have to be pretty shrewd still.

This. I don't trust the recruitment.

I agree we need to be very careful with recruitment. But I am more concerned with the track record of CG and McParrland rather than the rules in League One. League One we are operating under SCMP rather than P&S and its much more friendly given Knighthead can just gift us money.

By not taking responsibility he absolved himself right there. Hall, Donovan, James, Stansfield are pretty much kids btw

Rab C Nesbitt

By not taking responsibility he absolved himself right there. Hall, Donovan, James, Stansfield are pretty much kids btw

He said "No, WE ALL need to step up, regardless of age and experience". That includes himself.

And not sure on your point there either. Donovan wasn't in the squad, Hall may have got off the bench, James has played a lot of games for his age and Stansfield stepped up all season.

If you play in the first team you have to take the responsibility that comes with that.

You and me define leadership differently mate. I’m comfortable with my view on the senior player in the team being interviewed and throwing everyone else under the bus

FWIW I do think Ruddy and Juke have leadership skills, but they're not going to play next season, so I'd get rid and get new leaders in who will be key players on the pitch.

Fair enough, agree to disagree then. I'd like to keep him as number 2, you wouldn't, let's see what the club does and hopefully it works out regardless.