Mrs Barista wrote:
It's possible, but every year it's getting more difficult to secure British players as quotas drop and the better quality British players are in short supply. If we'd decided we wanted the 20 year old Westerman at the end of next season, and he started well next year, we'd be in a LMS situation again, where he basically ratcheted up his salary demands on a weekly basis until he eventually signed for Saints. This way we take the hit up front but get him before a bidding war starts and when his stock is relatively low compared to his long term potential, therefore probably for a lower salary than he would command on the open market next year.
Yes , fair comment but with Whiting we have an experienced model professional who at 26 still has good years in him. Earlier this year we resigned him and kept Washbrook. I know there are no guarantees but I'm worried that we'll end up with the same imbalance we've had for years precisely because we buy players that are available/that we can get to sign rather than building a team based on specific positional need. And of course there is no guarantee that Westerman will be any better than Turner , another at least wannabe, 13 or Whiting who hasn't been given the chance at 13 his , in my view, natural position. Time will tell.
