Who's left on big money?

[PGW]

At last common sense prevailing!!!

[fredm]

To me it all depends if a) PL wants to keep them or get rid; and b) if he wants rid has he a replacement lined up?  If the answer to both is yes, then I don't have a problem with moving any of them on.

He has been put in charge with, it would appear, a brief to change the style of play and encourage the younger players in the club and from elsewhere.  To date he has done a pretty good job, IMO.  So I am quite happy to let him get on with it.

[IFWaters]

I really don't see the need for any big clearout based on wage levels,  assuming they are now at manageable levels.  Our income will also increase significantly next season assuming we stay up.   I can see the point of getting rid of players whom Lambert has made plain he doesn't really want to use - Hutton, Warnock, Makoun, and possibly Delfounso. Maybe even Dunne. But we need a squad, and shipping out players with the ability and experience of Bent. Ireland, N'Zogbia, and Given who have all featured under Lambert, for wage reasons doesn't make much sense.  It really could come back to bite us on the arse when injuries, suspensions, fatigue and loss of form start to bite in the second half of the season. 

The need is because a lot of these players are a total waste of money. I'm not suggesting we run a 20 man threadbare squad, just sell some to cut the wage bill and re-invest in a mix of experience and youth at reduced cost.

And I am not referring to Petrov in any sense' he should be given a coaching role working with McGrath on bringing the best out of the squad talent.

[Ads]

I'd get rid of Given and Dunne, together with the terrible two; Warnock and Hutton.

I would keep N'Zogbia, providing he gets a run of games in the hole to prove he can do it. He looked useful at Norwich and is one of the few players than can drive the game on.

I'd also keep Bent but I doubt he wants to stay.

I like Ireland, but I would be looking for better in January.

[ktvillan]

I really don't see the need for any big clearout based on wage levels,  assuming they are now at manageable levels.  Our income will also increase significantly next season assuming we stay up.   I can see the point of getting rid of players whom Lambert has made plain he doesn't really want to use - Hutton, Warnock, Makoun, and possibly Delfounso. Maybe even Dunne. But we need a squad, and shipping out players with the ability and experience of Bent. Ireland, N'Zogbia, and Given who have all featured under Lambert, for wage reasons doesn't make much sense.  It really could come back to bite us on the arse when injuries, suspensions, fatigue and loss of form start to bite in the second half of the season. 

The need is because a lot of these players are a total waste of money. I'm not suggesting we run a 20 man threadbare squad, just sell some to cut the wage bill and re-invest in a mix of experience and youth at reduced cost.

And I am not referring to Petrov in any sense' he should be given a coaching role working with McGrath on bringing the best out of the squad talent.

I'm not sure if keeping players like Bent will be a total waste of money if Benteke gets injured or suspended, or Given if the same happens to Guzan, or Ireland if we lose a couple of midfielders for any length of time.  Do we really need to cut the wage bill to the extent where we sell useful, well regarded (by Lambert)  and talented members of the squad just for that reason?  If Lambert doesn't particularly want to keep them and is allowed to replace them with equals or betters, or if they want to leave, you can't really argue with that. But just to get them off the wage bill strikes me as unnecessary and risky.

[danno]

I'd be very surprised to see a mass exodus mid season, simply because its so difficult to get replacements in.
By that I mean January is a sellers market, and in all likelihood to buy players we'd have to pay over the odds.
The only way I can see that changing; is if we get offers for one or two, who Lambert knows are leaving in summer anyway.
He's not going to let five or six senior players go, without being able to get replacements in. He's not the Liverpool manager!

[OCD]

I see Arsenal have announced all their promising young players have signed long-term contracts today (aside from Walcott). I would like us to do the same with our lot. The wage bill is under control and the remaining big earners are largely players that have been marginalised and could easily be the next to go. Reward what is now the core of our team in return for long-term commitments.

[pedro25]

No one is saying sell N'Zog, Bent, Ireland etc without bringing in replacements, just that if they're no longer starters we ought to be able to replace them with players of similar quality on less money.  We may still get circa £25 mill for those 3, look what Lambert did with £20mill last summer, I'm sure he could improve us immensely and would bring in 4/5 players of the quality of Westwood, Lowton, Benteke, Vlaar etc.

[paul_e]

No one is saying sell N'Zog, Bent, Ireland etc without bringing in replacements, just that if they're no longer starters we ought to be able to replace them with players of similar quality on less money.  We may still get circa £25 mill for those 3, look what Lambert did with £20mill last summer, I'm sure he could improve us immensely and would bring in 4/5 players of the quality of Westwood, Lowton, Benteke, Vlaar etc.

That's my thoughts on it too.  Ireland, Bent, Given and Nzogbia are paid far too much money to be players who sit on the bench/in the stands unless we have injuries.  If they were contributing more then I'd be happy to keep them (and I think Bent can definitely do just that) but as it stands we have players on far less money ahead of them in the pecking order and we can replace them with players who offer the backup just as effectively.  I guess I just have no faith in Ireland or nzogbia to ever make it with us, Bent probably won't want to stay as a supersub and Given was offered an obscene contract given his age and anything we can do to limit it should be followed up.

[danno]

No one is saying sell N'Zog, Bent, Ireland etc without bringing in replacements, just that if they're no longer starters we ought to be able to replace them with players of similar quality on less money.  We may still get circa £25 mill for those 3, look what Lambert did with £20mill last summer, I'm sure he could improve us immensely and would bring in 4/5 players of the quality of Westwood, Lowton, Benteke, Vlaar etc.

I realise that, I just don't think it will happen mid season.

[pedro25]

I absolutely agree Danno, despite all Lambert's obvious efforts, other than those out of contract (Cuellar, Heskey) we only managed to shift Collins last summer, so whilst Dunne, Petrov, Warnock and Marshall are out of contract in the summer it could take 2, probably 3 transfer windows to shift all of Makoun, Delfouneso, Albrighton, Agbonlahor, Bent, Ireland, N'Zogbia, Given and Hutton and get replacements in.

[ktvillan]

No one is saying sell N'Zog, Bent, Ireland etc without bringing in replacements, just that if they're no longer starters we ought to be able to replace them with players of similar quality on less money.  We may still get circa £25 mill for those 3, look what Lambert did with £20mill last summer, I'm sure he could improve us immensely and would bring in 4/5 players of the quality of Westwood, Lowton, Benteke, Vlaar etc.

But what if Lambert stills rates them and wants them in his squad? If he doesn't, fair enough, if he does, should he be forced to replace them to cut the wage bill further?  Besides, unless another club is willing to match or exceed their high wages, I'd doubt very much they'll be willing to go anyway.  I'd guess at least some of them are likely to prefer to do a Beye than take a pay cut.