CBX1985

I'm married to one (consultant anaesthetist) and... that isn't the panacea it appears. Consultants sign up for a number of blocks - a right they have had since the founding of the NHS. My wife works four 8 am to 8pm shifts per week. Twice a month she does an extra day which pretty much doubles her pay. However, due to the way tax/pension is deducted doing five days for the NHS actually results in lower pay than doing four over those hours. There needs to be a drastic uptick in earnings to justify doing anymore. I am an IFA and many of my clients are doctors. The above is the standard approach; some do a more balanced approach - but 4 and 1 give or take is the norm. Get rid of the private work, most will just not do the extra day.

Cheers - following this thread as can't watch game.

How much injury time is there in the Derby game?

We wouldn't be asking him to, in effect, work his notice if what you are saying is correct - easiest thing in the world would be to say "thanks, security will escort you to the door". We want him to stay until the summer. His salary is what we have offered. We have offered (probably insisted!) that he stay until EoS.

Real world point. How many times do we reach a point, in any job, where we want to move on - no difference for footballers than the rest of us. His contract is up in the summer and we'd get nothing. If he wants out at which point he'd have just left; as things stand, he is staying until end of the season (as he would have anyway), we get paid for him. BC get to know they have their man next year. Everyone is a winner - so yes this is a win for all sides. Footballers are employees and we'd drop them as quick as you like, so them wanting what's best for themselves seems perfectly fair enough.

They won't do that as his value would plummet - if we are going to be required to sell on his wishes, there would be no point bidding high. I don't think the club could fairly keep him if we miss out this year, so would happen organically.

Indeed. He is an accountant. If he is given a business plan that says cash injection here here and here, and there is no such injection - books will not balance. I have little opinion on Pearce, but I have been in positions where there is someone overrbearing that has "their own ideas", and in all conscience you should walk away but sometimes you think "I can dilute what they are doing by working with them rather than letting someone with fewer scruples be the go-to". I think there was an interview with Clowes where he said he thought Pearce had been honourable when everyone around him hadn't, or words to that effect.

I believe it was too late to arrange a loan back option or another suitable replacement (hat tip: post match reaction Dominic Dietrich on BBC RD post Lincoln). Being willing to sell because we can loan him back, or have time to buy someone else, is very different to being willing to sell. His value to us is greater and the urgency to 'go now' for him is reduced if he can go in a few short months.

I think the difference in money between the two divisions makes twisting the obvious choice here. I agree with you on the extra year. I think it makes it less likely, paradoxically, he stays until end of the season. No need for loan backs and the like which realistically will lower his price. I would make an agreement with him that he can leave with blessings, but stay until June.

He is worth more now to us than he was then. The new TV deal is much more generous and far far far more generous to Championship rather than League One teams. If we wouldn't sell in September, we sure as hell wouldn't now.

As @Carnero clearly put it: we don't know whether he has or not.

I see where you are coming from. If I were David Clowes I might take a slightly different tact. If we were not in a high play off spot we would probably be willing to sell him now - we would activate and paradoxically sell. The issue we have is we would want him to think the end of the season is not too far away, so why not give DCFC the time. If he has a longer contract, it might feel the carrot is being dangled which removes his incentive to stay. The fact the option has not been activated yet signifies to me that some horse-trading is ongoing. Stay until the end of the season with us and give your all, but we will not stand in your way if you want to leave in June (or, happily, sign a new better contract with us if you get us promoted.)

They would be after a licence to (make a) killing . It would scare the living daylights out of me.

I like the idea of going back to the 1997 season. The idea of watching Man Utd, Liverpool, Arsenal in meaningful games every week is appealing. But I hated the 2007/08 season with a passion and would rather the Championship to that. If we were in the running to go to EPL I'd be dead in favour, but where we are now - as it is a world away - I'm with you.

He would be looking at a long term push. We would probably look for two or three years in Championship to solidify. This strategy is all or nothing; it is exactly Mel's thinking. If you go up, it is inspired. It would have been inspired had Mel succeeded. But he didn't. We are where we are because he didn't. The play off final: had we won that, Mel would probably be up their with Pickering as a great owner. It is nicer having a club that will definitely exist to that lottery.

He's the best type - an alchemist.

Yep - 6th to 5th.

As someone put it well on here earlier: he is paid for his assists not to score goals. Must have been concerned he'd be docked wages 🙂

Score, not result... Let's not tempt fate 🙂