Tekel Towers » Last week of the Summer Window

Finn Seemann · 28/8/2024 8:32 am

We need to be giving Kai game time. He'd be better out on loan in the Championship building his game than playing for the B team. However if Goodwin doesn't think he can come good then he'd be better finding another club and proving himself there.

For me, I think there is a player in there and I would keep him in the match day squad, give him some game time as an impact subby and see if he develops further. On the other hand, if a club wants to give us hard cash for his services we'd need to consider it.

Tangy · 28/8/2024 8:50 am

I struggle with kai.

I like him and I want out academy kids to excel in our first team, however, he's good at everything attacking wise but doesn't excel in any 1 position. So I wonder where he can play. Is he better than babunski? Better than trap/Miller t, better than vds? Maybe needs a chance just behind the striker.

It's a long season too- so maybe he will get his chances in the coming months

Finn Seemann · 29/8/2024 8:14 am

Don't know if I am being a bit greedy in thinking we must get in a pacy striker this week, given the window has been one of the best in memory, but I do think we need to have someone who can spring a high line. Moult and VDS are not going to do that and neither is Babunski from deeper.

Arabdownsouth · 29/8/2024 8:37 am

Finn Seemann wrote:
Don't know if I am being a bit greedy in thinking we must get in a pacy striker this week, given the window has been one of the best in memory, but I do think we need to have someone who can spring a high line. Moult and VDS are not going to do that and neither is Babunski from deeper.

Jim has said he is looking so I expect us to bring in someone

SuperMario · 29/8/2024 9:14 am

Tai Sodje on Loan from Man City a name mentioned on p & b

Finn Seemann · 29/8/2024 10:23 am

SuperMario wrote:
Tai Sodje on Loan from Man City a name mentioned on p & b

Wishful thinking I would have thought.

Macho Man · 29/8/2024 11:00 am

Finn Seemann wrote:
SuperMario wrote:
Tai Sodje on Loan from Man City a name mentioned on p & b
Wishful thinking I would have thought.

No first team experience at any level. The highest level he's played is under 21's.

wardy1983 · 29/8/2024 11:50 am

Macho Man wrote:
Finn Seemann wrote:
SuperMario wrote:
Tai Sodje on Loan from Man City a name mentioned on p & b
Wishful thinking I would have thought.
No first team experience at any level. The highest level he's played is under 21's.

Pretty sure any striker we bring in is going to be a youngster probably from an English Premiership team. VDS and Moult will be our main 2 strikers

Finn Seemann · 29/8/2024 12:05 pm

Our current option flunked a trial for the same gig at Southampton. If Sodje is a realistic prospect then that's fine with me, but I am not sure it will be. Apparently he was subbied injured on 20 August so probably a bit risky anyway.

Macho Man · 29/8/2024 12:14 pm

wardy1983 wrote:
Macho Man wrote:
Finn Seemann wrote:

Wishful thinking I would have thought.
No first team experience at any level. The highest level he's played is under 21's.
Pretty sure any striker we bring in is going to be a youngster probably from an English Premiership team. VDS and Moult will be our main 2 strikers

No doubt we'll get a youth player/youngster, but I'd like to think we would only be looking to bring in someone with a bit of experience from a loan spell and knows what mens football is about.

SuperMario · 29/8/2024 4:58 pm

Brandon Forbes possibly off to Norwich

KdyArab · 29/8/2024 5:56 pm

SuperMario wrote:
Brandon Forbes possibly off to Norwich

Deal agreed apparently

Arab87 · 29/8/2024 6:06 pm

KdyArab wrote:
SuperMario wrote:
Brandon Forbes possibly off to Norwich

Deal agreed apparently

£300k plus 20% sell on clause and add ons.

JerryDungle · 29/8/2024 6:12 pm

Really disappointed with that, he’s the player I’ve been most excited coming out our academy in a long time. Feared it though as soon he scored that free kick and it being shown everywhere on social media.

Gone are the days where a Stuart Armstrong or a Johnny Russell comes through and plays 100-150 games for you before getting their moves. They’d both have been gone after about 5 in this day and age.

Tek · 29/8/2024 6:34 pm

Really quite gutted with this one.

Forbes is the first youngster i've seen in quite a long time that made me sit-up from his debut and think 'hey, we have a player here'.

Found it odd that he hadn't played since his sensational debut and now it is starting to make sense. Wouldn't surprise me if this has been in the offing for weeks and Adegboyega on loan was some kind of sweetener.

It leads me to ask as i have previously. Why get excited about the Academy? It's clearly just for all intents and purposes a puppy farm and us Utd fans don't get the benefit of seeing the really good young players coming through. They are getting hawked about the network of agents and scouts obviously, and off before we even really see them kick a ball in tangerine.

JerryDungle · 29/8/2024 6:34 pm

The only real way you could mitigate this, and it will never ever happen, is for the home nation’s FA’s or maybe even UEFA to implement it across Europe, would be to put a salary cap on players under say 21. Maybe even do it like the MLS do and have 3/4 designated player spots where clubs can pay youngsters above that level and the rest are capped.

I used to scoff at the MLS, but I would implement their designated player rules and salary caps throughout all of football at every level in a heartbeat. It’s literally the only way to make football competitive again instead of the monopoly it has become.

Last edited by JerryDungle (29/8/2024 6:37 pm)

CCX2 2010 · 29/8/2024 6:59 pm

Shite, absolutely shite.

David_Blunkett · 29/8/2024 7:38 pm

Out of contract in the summer, possibly not interested in a deal, or maybe his head has been turned?

I don't see the point in the investment in the academy of this is the way it'll be, but at the same time i'm not arsed if someone who's only played about one game is shipped out to balance the books.

They've allowed Goodwin to bring in players, maybe the caveat was that he builds a first team, but had to accept any reasonable bids wouldn't be turned down.

Stillliving · 29/8/2024 8:20 pm

Was Forbes not only at UTD for about a year?
Was he is any other teams academy if so there the ones that should be pissed off by this.

Arabdownsouth · 29/8/2024 8:37 pm

We are,and always will be, a selling club. It's shit but it's the reality. If it means we now have a balanced and competitive first team squad then we have to accept some sacrifices along the way unfortunately.

Shakey Isles Arab · 29/8/2024 9:00 pm

Disappointed.
The laddie showed confidence, audacity and ability.
Ok we're a selling club but yet again we've short changed ourselves.
The only reasons I can see are that we're freeing up money for an imminent deal or else simple conservative thinking and money in the kitty.
In any event leaves us one less option at the front.

Edit- suppose Forbes away finally puts to bed any doubts about Kai's future.

Last edited by Shakey Isles Arab (29/8/2024 11:45 pm)

Beardy23 · 29/8/2024 9:14 pm

if he was only here for a year , does that mean we wouldn't have been due a development fee if he walked away in the summer?

Snacks94 · 29/8/2024 9:24 pm

Beardy23 wrote:
if he was only here for a year , does that mean we wouldn't have been due a development fee if he walked away in the summer?

We’d get something but not as much as a player who had been in our academy for years. If he had indicated he wouldn’t sign a new deal, sadly the club have probably done the right thing, as shite as it is to lose a promising talent.

Slotbadger · 29/8/2024 10:10 pm

I just don’t get why we keep accepting such pishy money for our young guys. It has been happening for at least 10 years now. As I understand it, if we offer him a new deal and he rejects it, we are entitled to compensation. It is usually about 300k. Maybe we wouldn’t get that for Forbes if he has only been with us for a year. But in general, why not keep them for the final year. Try and get something good out of them or let them rot, and then get the same money at the end of it. There is also a small chance of getting them to change their mind.

Morphman · 29/8/2024 10:35 pm

Mixed feelings in this.

On one side the obvious question of what's the point in a youth system if our best youth players get sold whilst barely making a first team appearance.

On the other hand, can't help but feel this is the club reimbursing themselves for the Rory Macleod move to Fulham falling through a couple years ago.

Kept him, in part due to fans, including myself, moaning about selling our best talent and the boy has gone on to hardly lay a glove on the first team and has lost all value.