Players Out of Contract 2024

[wassy04]

It is absolutely needed comment.

We have largely breached P&S due to the onerous and unnecessary contracts we have entered into. We can't keep touching an electrified fence and expect a different outcome.

I'll repeat, Chris Wood has played 28 games this season when selected, twice as many as Ola Aina.

I'm not really sure what argument you're making here? Who is not showing common sense?

People suggesting Wood shouldn't sign a new contract or Forest for overusing him/not having an alternative?

Also Wood has played 24 games not 28. Aina also has missed 6 so far due to AFCON which presumably he'd have played in so it's not really a great comparison. Aina is also 27 and I would imagine on significantly lower wages.

If it is the suggestion that keeping Wood is a mistake due to injuries I think it's a perfectly reasonable debate. Wood is 32 and going to need a sizeable pay cut and likely to want more than 1 year on his contract. We've burned ourselves plenty of times in this exact scenario. Obviously if he's willing to take a short deal that reflects his value and is weighted on incentives then I'm sure everyone would be delighted. However, assuming he's gonna want one more payday and a longer deal I suspect it'll be tricky. Certainly a debate either way!

There is talk of offering Aina a new contract but not one to Wood. That makes no sense financially. The better way to measure their value to the team is the contract length per annum against minutes played and then their stats within those minutes.

Wood's contribution this season is clear and measurable, less so for Aina, simply due to his lack of minutes. I would also question how Aina has gone from struggling with fitness for us to pretty much playing five games in 19 days for Nigeria.

To work within the P&S Rules you have to have a greater percentage of the 25 man squad available than we have this season. We can't carry the likes of Aina and Felipe because they occassionally perform. There has to be a mindset change here otherwise you end up with situations where we have two goalkeepers on the bench or no recognised striker available for an important cup tie.

Apologies, you were correct on the 24 games rather than 28, I had included his four appearances for NZ.

Yeah so if you add in the AFCON games missed he'd be on 20 which is pretty similar. Aina is 27 too so would have resale value or at least value to us for a few years. Goals are not the only measurement to quantify surely? I don't understand why Aina has been singled out, he's barely been injured was just not always a starter at time this season as both managers tried Toff, Montiel, Tavares. Aina and Felipe are completely different situations. 

I do 100% agree with your point in general about carrying players and for the rest of the year Wood is going to fit into that bracket. A reduced offer with incentives should be the best we offer if he's ok with it, tbf that's what I would expect. He's probably got another year as a backup to Taiwo and he'll know he'll get plenty of games so probably be interested.

Aina was being discussed in the same context as Wood in terms of who to offer an extension to. 

I do think you are overvaluing how often Aina is available for selection and he barely completes 90 minutes, often looking to come off without prompting. 

He’s a decent player but our mindset as to what value they add to the squad must change.

Fair comment, although probably slightly biased by AFCON right now. Will be a better comparison at the end of the season and we can see the full picture.

I think Wood and Aina are completely different situations but with Aina, right now, he's our best Right Back and our best Left back (when fit), which isn't ideal. His versatility is a massive asset and even we manage to add a better RB/LB in the future (or the current ones overtake him), as a squad player he will still have decent value.

Also given where he came from and his fee, I think it's fair to assume his current wages and therefore wage demands for an extension would be low.