bluebruce

I know. Not going to be a whole lot of compensation though. Why aren't we willing to extend the same protection to the far more valuable Nyambe? Not convinced any League Two club is giving us any loan fees. We will be lucky if they're covering all his wage. Don't see us getting any transfer or compo fees worth a shit from any League Two teams either. Maybe he will improve and become League One level to get us marginally more. Or maybe he will regress and we end up paying his contract out early to get shut.

My initial reaction to this was also that it was daft. With only one friendly left after it, and the main thing he needs to do is the same thing he has done most his life, make saves. That said. Communication is the other key part of his job and he could have ended up barking at people he just met, souring his relationship with his defence from the off, or feeling like he couldn't instruct them yet for the same reason. He wouldn't have known how the unit operates (or in our case fails to) and might expect them to push up where they wouldn't normally etc. It also shouldn't do too much damage him not playing - he hardly needs fitness in his position, and he doesn't know the defensive game plan (so-called) to get used to implementing it. As long as he plays at Blackpool and vs Charlton I'm not too fussed. I'd still have thrown him in at Bury, personally. I can just see a line of logic about it. Something I can't say for other decisions and priorities...

Interesting comments from Walton in his LT interview today. A couple of times he refers to how quickly the loan deal moved. Given how long our goalie search went on after Raya, that seems to confirm that we missed out on other targets first. He also said the manager didn't play him against Bury because he didn't know the lads yet.

Just checked. He still had two years to run on his current deal, a 3-year deal he signed last summer! Even stranger. 2 years of protection was plenty for the level of asset he is at the moment. I can only think a wage drop (if he is determined to stick around and have security) or a wage rise (no idea why we'd agree that though) is involved.

Correct. That's why I only said most of them. His other loans he became a reasonably regular fixture. Including Lincoln the season before, and Bury (promoted) at the back end of last season.

If he doesn't improve, he is a League Two player based on his experience level. Do you know how paltry the fees League Two clubs pay are? Even League One clubs don't pay much. Highly unlikely we'd get our investment back. I hope his wages are very very small indeed, signing on fee negligible or non-existent, otherwise this is simply wasting (an admittedly small amount of) money. It shouldn't have any real impact on the big picture either way, but I find it frustrating to make such bizarre arrangements. Especially when contrasted with the short deal for Nyambe, who has assets that could see him go very far if he is honed.

He won't be on a few grand a week mate. If he is we have really shafted ourselves on this new deal, again. Northampton won't be paying a few grand a week towards his wage even if that's what he's on here. Very few if any clubs in League Two can pay that kind of wage, let alone for a defender.

Even then. He has already had League Two loans. In most of them he played regularly. He is definitely at the point where it needs to be League One, whether guaranteed starter or not. If he has to break into a team there so be it. Totally pointless arrangement. Another thing...why does our League Two level young defender get a 3-year deal, when our young established first team squad member (Nyambe) only got a bizarre 2-year deal?

Wharton won't be on so much that this makes a notable difference to the budget, especially since the new deal may include a wage rise, signing on fee, agent fee, and Northampton may not even be paying all his wages.

What on earth is the point of giving a 21-year old a 3-year deal when the only loan he can currently get is in League Two? He has to be kicking on to League One now or there simply isn't any point keeping him around, let alone for 3 years.

And even less of any of those clubs doing so!

Anyone know how we've sold for this one?

Is that just for Leagues One and Two? I thought this year the transfer and loan windows shut on the same day for us.

Rhetorical?

We're not using the opinion of the coach of the mighty Namibia as validation now, surely?

Who is he? I thought I remembered the LT saying applications for the job had now closed?

Even if you're right, you'll more than undo your winnings by betting on us to win 3-0 every week.

He literally showed the odd flash? Ben Bare-ton?

That only further proves what I'm saying. It's harder to get promoted than just finish top 6, so you should get paid out more for promotion. But those odds would pay you out less.

Why would you get less money for betting on promotion than top 6? Given you have to be in the top 6 to have a chance of promotion. Did you mean 14/1 or something?

If we only sign one defender, will you still expect this?

I'm going to put my tin hat on here, as I seem to be a lone voice of dissent. I do think he should go on loan, to League One, for 6 months (though I'd actually send him on a season loan, with the intent of recalling him in Jan, as I think the receiving club would be more likely to play him if they thought they'd get him all season). Why? Despite all the rave reviews, I'm not sure I trust he will get enough game time here. We saw with another great talent in Travis how long it can take for a young lad here to get a break. And now he has Travis in his main position too, as well as Johnson. Smallwood is possibly getting marginalised now, but maybe not - however I can't see Evans being any lower than third choice. There are other more experienced heads who can play there too, and may get wedged there if the main 3/4 are out, due to possibly not fitting elsewhere in the team anymore. There is a lot of competition on the flanks too. I think failing to get a lot of game time could really stagnate his development and hurt his confidence. As we have seen with Nuttall before, it would likely mean he didn't play for the u-23s if he was in the squad. Nuttall went backwards for a while due to too few match minutes when this happened. It took him going back to the u-23s again to recover. I think Buckley could well dominate League One and get the crucial experience of playing against better, stronger, more experienced midfields than in the u-23s. Ready to come back in Jan and truly challenge, with a series of glittering performances added to his CV. It's not that I doubt his ability, it's that I doubt how he will be used given our surplus of players there, and I worry it'll slow his development.

Probably because of all the late goals.

You mean Holt? This guy? Seen here saying he made an arse of himself and didn't mean it like that, and that he's apologised repeatedly? https://mobile.twitter.com/AndyhHolt/status/1130166387874381825

Accrington Stanley FC insulted Jack Walker? Or are you referring to some fans?