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2018/19 Leighton Baines

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Furey1878 said:
One more year is no big deal, Dave. Especially if it's on a reduced salary.

Buys us another year to scout a back up at LB while we can focus on more pressing positions in the mean time.

While a fair way past his best, Baines is still more than capable back up for another season.

Though if it's any more than a year I think it's daft.
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I struggle to see how LB is not a priority. We are a Digne injury away from having to rely on a clearly over the hill Baines getting the arse torn out of him all season.

...and where is this idea Baines' agent will be accepting a cut price deal for his client?
 
davek said:
I struggle to see how LB is not a priority. We are a Digne injury away from having to rely on a clearly over the hill Baines getting the arse torn out of him all season.

...and where is this idea Baines' agent will be accepting a cut price deal for his client?
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I've seen it in some of the articles regarding him and Jagielka (with regards to his wages)

Digne getting injured would be disaster of course but then he's our best player. However, for me we're not at a point yet were our full 11 is full of top players, so were a fair way off focusing on having 2 top players for every position. So I would rather us focus on getting the rest of the team right first.

Getting better back up would be the ideal option of course.
 
davek said:
If he gets a new contract instead of the club putting that cash toward a new Left Back who can really compete with Digne, we are NOT seeking to close the gap on the top 5/6 in this divison.

Leicester wouldn't be doing that, and they are our rivals to break into the elite.

It's just sentimental bollocks to hand Baines an extension. Everyone knows it. He's stayed at this club through sheer poor/cowardly management and needed punting at least 2 seasons ago. He's not remotley good enough to improve the first team.

Keep him, and the message is clear: we're a museum....wasn't that what we were supposed to be getting away from?

Brands - do your 'kin job.
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davek said:
We can get better than Baines right now. And it makes more sense handing a contract to someone who has the possibility to get better than they are right now, as opposed to someone who can only get worse than the ropey player they are right now.
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davek said:
Brands will be a busted flush if he's handing out contracts to 34 year olds. He's stated very recently that the model he's working to is handing contracts out to players 25 years and under.

If Baines is re-signed on his watch it was all just BS.
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davek said:
I struggle to see how LB is not a priority. We are a Digne injury away from having to rely on a clearly over the hill Baines getting the arse torn out of him all season.

...and where is this idea Baines' agent will be accepting a cut price deal for his client?
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So any way Dave.................
 
davek said:
We can get better than Baines right now. And it makes more sense handing a contract to someone who has the possibility to get better than they are right now, as opposed to someone who can only get worse than the ropey player they are right now.
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That is very similar to what I said a few pages back and got poohed, poohed! Some folk cannot see sense.
 

No issue with another year for Baines - he's capable of filling in for Digne. In an ideal world we'd replace him this summer, but we have to consider two issues

1 - Resources. Our cash isn't infinite, so we need to prioritise areas we feel need strengthening over others.
2 - Player turnover. There are countless examples (including ourselves) which demonstrate that wholesale squad changes can be disruptive. Ideally you incrementally overhaul a squad by prioritising certain areas in each window. This can take a while. Doing it all in one go is often counter-productive at least in the short term. There is a lot to be said for continuity if it doesn't affect the strength of the squad to any great degree. Some will argue on the last point that keeping Baines rather than releasing him and buying a new left back harms the strength of the squad to a large degree - I'd disagree.
 
toffeeblue9 said:
No issue with another year for Baines - he's capable of filling in for Digne. In an ideal world we'd replace him this summer, but we have to consider two issues

1 - Resources. Our cash isn't infinite, so we need to prioritise areas we feel need strengthening over others.
2 - Player turnover. There are countless examples (including ourselves) which demonstrate that wholesale squad changes can be disruptive. Ideally you incrementally overhaul a squad by prioritising certain areas in each window. This can take a while. Doing it all in one go is often counter-productive at least in the short term. There is a lot to be said for continuity if it doesn't affect the strength of the squad to any great degree. Some will argue on the last point that keeping Baines rather than releasing him and buying a new left back harms the strength of the squad to a large degree - I'd disagree.
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Spot on mate, CF, CM, RW and RB all currently take precedence over LB as we need players of first 11 quality in all those areas.

Baines for another year is perfectly fine, buys us time to unearth a good player who won’t cost too much to take his place.
 

TheAlmightyFloater said:
"In the future" implying that he has indeed got his coaching qualifications.
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A piece of paper eh
Must know what he's doing then.
Let him, all of them, whoever they are, however 'big' their reputation was...stress on the was, coach somewhere else, make their mistakes on somebody elses dime.
And if they show promise, then let them apply for any vacancy that might arise and take their chances
 
Big Fat Sam said:
Can anybody name a better reserve left back in the top 10 in the Premier League, or within the teams we're competing with?
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Probs just Spurs tbh Rose and Davies are both good options in that position

Not that Baines is lightyears ahead of everyone else’s backup but still
 

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