5 hours ago
(This post was last modified: 4 hours ago by theo_luddite.)
My take on Castledine - he'd be better off staying put for the rest of this season and, I think, so would Chelsea.
The rumour mongers have Chelsea recalling him, assuming there's a recall clause in the loan. Those same rumour mongers can't make their mind up if they do recall him, who he'll be loaned (or sold) to but it seems to be mainly Chumpionship clubs.
If it's a loan:
to a promotion chasing club he'll probably start less than 50% of the games. He'll be there as back-up just in case of injuries and suspensions, at least to start with.
to a relegation fighting club, well he had a season full of that last season at Shrewsbury. Another half-season trying to be better than everyone else, who will have mostly given up anyway by Easter if not before, won't teach him anything he doesn't already know about losing games.
If it's a sale:
other than increasing his wages from an U21 contract to a full blown Chumpionship contract the same applies and he could do that in the Summer anyway. With a potential promotion on his CV that would increase his value too. He could still be playing in the Chumpionship next season. Could we afford to buy him and not get dinged for financial jiggery-pokery? (Yes and don't know if you are asking me).
Of course, it also depends on how much up front silver is offered across Chelsea's palms because add-on's are only there to be abused. We've found that to our cost on more than one occasion. Other than panic buyers I still think he's the potential to be worth more to Chelsea and himself over the Summer, especially if he signs a full contract with Chelsea at the end of this season. That would be his starting point for bargaining with any other club, rather than his U21 wages right now. Of course, they can always recall him and put him on a full contract in January too and still sell him.
If he stays with us, as long as he stays fit he's almost certainly guaranteed starts and there's more Port Vale's than Northampton's in this division, though a few of them have the odd Northamton type midfielder/defender. Lincoln are 2nd and we've beaten them twice, convincingly.
The final one, which doesn't hold water - he's a Londoner, why would he move up North? Well he already has and Shrewsbury is hardly the Las Vegas of Shropshire either. While it's a "nice to" to play for your local club, hardly anyone that ever has, has been the top earner. I don't put this lad in the John Terry mould in that vein. The "need to" is to be the best you can be in the best side you can be. When did that ever stop players going to whatever club they need to to try and achieve this? (That or earn as much money as possible whilst taking the wife and kids for walks in the park on Saturday afternoon due to hang nails, blisters on your big toe and slight hammy pull that lasts for three months)?
I said years ago on the old BBC site (probably on an England thread) that some of our best kids need to start playing abroad to improve and learn other ways of playing and see other ways of coaching for England to get better. How has that worked out?
That said, I think Castledine, at his best, has the potential to be an England player if he keeps improving. He will eventually need to be at a bigger/better club than Town to realise that. Yes I know Kevin the Gerbil has big plans for Town and lads like him with experience will eventually need to come into those plans, but Kevin's mostly had us in reverse gear since he took over and we've been in neutral for too long already this season.
Not that I know owt, but that's my twopenn'orth.
Take some of what's on here with a pinch of salt.
https://salarysport.com/football/league-...ield-town/
https://salarysport.com/football/premier...lsea-f.c./
Especially when they still have current and ex-Chumpionship players in the Highest League One Wages mix (not to mention some that no longer play)
https://salarysport.com/football/premier...lsea-f.c./
but when you look at a certain club's Chumpionship wage page, their previous "top earner" isn't on half of what the other page says he's on.
https://salarysport.com/football/champio...wednesday/
Who's doing their Quality Control? There's apparently still a Town player earning about £1m/year in the Chumpionship. Are we still paying him off too?
The rumour mongers have Chelsea recalling him, assuming there's a recall clause in the loan. Those same rumour mongers can't make their mind up if they do recall him, who he'll be loaned (or sold) to but it seems to be mainly Chumpionship clubs.
If it's a loan:
to a promotion chasing club he'll probably start less than 50% of the games. He'll be there as back-up just in case of injuries and suspensions, at least to start with.
to a relegation fighting club, well he had a season full of that last season at Shrewsbury. Another half-season trying to be better than everyone else, who will have mostly given up anyway by Easter if not before, won't teach him anything he doesn't already know about losing games.
If it's a sale:
other than increasing his wages from an U21 contract to a full blown Chumpionship contract the same applies and he could do that in the Summer anyway. With a potential promotion on his CV that would increase his value too. He could still be playing in the Chumpionship next season. Could we afford to buy him and not get dinged for financial jiggery-pokery? (Yes and don't know if you are asking me).
Of course, it also depends on how much up front silver is offered across Chelsea's palms because add-on's are only there to be abused. We've found that to our cost on more than one occasion. Other than panic buyers I still think he's the potential to be worth more to Chelsea and himself over the Summer, especially if he signs a full contract with Chelsea at the end of this season. That would be his starting point for bargaining with any other club, rather than his U21 wages right now. Of course, they can always recall him and put him on a full contract in January too and still sell him.
If he stays with us, as long as he stays fit he's almost certainly guaranteed starts and there's more Port Vale's than Northampton's in this division, though a few of them have the odd Northamton type midfielder/defender. Lincoln are 2nd and we've beaten them twice, convincingly.
The final one, which doesn't hold water - he's a Londoner, why would he move up North? Well he already has and Shrewsbury is hardly the Las Vegas of Shropshire either. While it's a "nice to" to play for your local club, hardly anyone that ever has, has been the top earner. I don't put this lad in the John Terry mould in that vein. The "need to" is to be the best you can be in the best side you can be. When did that ever stop players going to whatever club they need to to try and achieve this? (That or earn as much money as possible whilst taking the wife and kids for walks in the park on Saturday afternoon due to hang nails, blisters on your big toe and slight hammy pull that lasts for three months)?
I said years ago on the old BBC site (probably on an England thread) that some of our best kids need to start playing abroad to improve and learn other ways of playing and see other ways of coaching for England to get better. How has that worked out?
That said, I think Castledine, at his best, has the potential to be an England player if he keeps improving. He will eventually need to be at a bigger/better club than Town to realise that. Yes I know Kevin the Gerbil has big plans for Town and lads like him with experience will eventually need to come into those plans, but Kevin's mostly had us in reverse gear since he took over and we've been in neutral for too long already this season.
Not that I know owt, but that's my twopenn'orth.
Take some of what's on here with a pinch of salt.
https://salarysport.com/football/league-...ield-town/
https://salarysport.com/football/premier...lsea-f.c./
Especially when they still have current and ex-Chumpionship players in the Highest League One Wages mix (not to mention some that no longer play)
https://salarysport.com/football/premier...lsea-f.c./
but when you look at a certain club's Chumpionship wage page, their previous "top earner" isn't on half of what the other page says he's on.
https://salarysport.com/football/champio...wednesday/
Who's doing their Quality Control? There's apparently still a Town player earning about £1m/year in the Chumpionship. Are we still paying him off too?
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