Gary Gardner - Retired

[nigel]

Seems to be having a good pre season.
Certainly did well when he came on vrs WHU

[Gareth]

I have always been a big advocate for Gardner after watching how good he was at youth level - the injuries, particularly that cowardly challenge in a pre season game at Swindon have completely stunted his progress.

Was popular in loans at both Forest and Barnsley but was never gonna get and never will get that
15 game run that he would need to see if he could own a place in our side. 

We have a lot of very similar ability central midfield players of which Gardner is one who potentially has a small value it is a good time to sell him if there is a buyer.  It is time to let the likes of Doyle-Hayes provide competition to the likes of Whelan, Hourihane & Bjarnasson

[Clampy]

Giving him a new contract and then buying other midfielders is the point I took from Paul's post.

I get the point he was making but just because we gave someone a new contract shouldn't mean the manager can't bring in his own players as well.

[GordonCowansisthegreatest]

Giving him a new contract and then buying other midfielders is the point I took from Paul's post.

I get the point he was making but just because we gave someone a new contract shouldn't mean the manager can't bring in his own players as well.

Give him a new contract, or let walk away on a free?

[mr underhill]

clearly the latter

[paul_e]

Giving him a new contract and then buying other midfielders is the point I took from Paul's post.

I get the point he was making but just because we gave someone a new contract shouldn't mean the manager can't bring in his own players as well.

No but giving someone a new contract and then signing 5 new players in his position over the next 7-8 months is taking that to an extreme. If we'd signing 1-2 midfielders I'd be fine with Gardner getting a new contract just before the window but giving someone a new contract and then replacing him (and sending him out on loan) a few weeks later is stupid when he was 25 at the time.

[Clampy]

Bearing in mind he sold Westwood and didnt think Tishbola was good enough, just Gary Gardner and Jedinak would have left us short. The midfield neeeded revamping anyway. 

[paul_e]

Bearing in mind he sold Westwood and didnt think Tishbola was good enough, just Gary Gardner and Jedinak would have left us short. The midfield neeeded revamping anyway. 

Which really isn't the point, I said signing a couple of midfielders was fine.  I'm talking about the size of the squad and the impact of it on our wage bill.  We keep hearing about how much we need to save to meet FFP and how big our wage bill is and you don't see a problem with throwing contracts around like confetti?

[Clampy]

Well we'll have to agree to disagree.

[tomd2103]

Giving him a new contract and then buying other midfielders is the point I took from Paul's post.

I get the point he was making but just because we gave someone a new contract shouldn't mean the manager can't bring in his own players as well.

No but giving someone a new contract and then signing 5 new players in his position over the next 7-8 months is taking that to an extreme. If we'd signing 1-2 midfielders I'd be fine with Gardner getting a new contract just before the window but giving someone a new contract and then replacing him (and sending him out on loan) a few weeks later is stupid when he was 25 at the time.

I think the train of thought at the time was to sign younger players who could possibly sold on long contracts to maximise their selling price.  Worked with Westwood, but they haven't been able to shift Gardner yet.     

[tomd2103]

I have always been a big advocate for Gardner after watching how good he was at youth level - the injuries, particularly that cowardly challenge in a pre season game at Swindon have completely stunted his progress.

Was popular in loans at both Forest and Barnsley but was never gonna get and never will get that
15 game run that he would need to see if he could own a place in our side. 

We have a lot of very similar ability central midfield players of which Gardner is one who potentially has a small value it is a good time to sell him if there is a buyer.  It is time to let the likes of Doyle-Hayes provide competition to the likes of Whelan, Hourihane & Bjarnasson

Which is how the structure should work.  Give younger players their chance and if they are not up to scratch after a couple of seasons, move them on for a fee and bring the next ones through.  The ones that are good enough hopefully become fixtures in the squad and take it forward.   

[SteveN]

I wonder if the better informed than me consider he could play a sole holding role in dront of a back three?  Pace would not be an issue.

[in exile]

Get rid...asap

[mr underhill]

agree with that succinct summary

[tomd2103]

I wonder if the better informed than me consider he could play a sole holding role in dront of a back three?  Pace would not be an issue.

Not really Steve, plus Jedinak, Whelan and Bjarnason are all ahead of him in that position.  I would rather we tried to move him on give Lyden and Doyle-Hayes a chance as back up to the more senior players.