Grant Leadbitter

[The Scarlet Pimpernel]

If we sign Leadbitter where does that leave Thorne?

[RamLad1884]

1 minute ago, The Scarlet Pimpernel said:

If we sign Leadbitter where does that leave Thorne?

Probably on the treatment table 

[JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta]

I reckon the Huddlestone move could have been KO'd by his wage demands so we are making inroads in to other players in the position, hence the bids for James and reported interest in Leadbitter. I think Leadbitter is exactly the kind of player our traditionally 'soft' midfield could use to give it some bite.

[EulogyForEvolution]

2 minutes ago, The Scarlet Pimpernel said:

If we sign Leadbitter where does that leave Thorne?

Without the pressure of being our only defensive midfielder? 

If we only had one out and out striker at the club would we be questioning the signing of a backup/challenger for their position on the team sheet? I don't think so.

Thorne won't be able to play 40 games this season. I'm calling it now. So it would surely be better to have someone to put their foot on the ball and break up attacks when he isn't around.

I actually think they would play well together at the base of the midfield, with Butterfield or  Bryson playing off Martin, and Bradley on the left, but that's just me.

[RiddingsRam]

4 minutes ago, The Scarlet Pimpernel said:

If we sign Leadbitter where does that leave Thorne?

Playing next to him in a two . Two totally different players that would compliment each other. 

[JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta]

A 4-2-3-1 with Thorne and Leadbitter as the 2 would be bloody excellent.

[TroyDyer]

1 minute ago, JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta said:

I reckon the Huddlestone move could have been KO'd by his wage demands so we are making inroads in to other players in the position, hence the bids for James and reported interest in Leadbitter. I think Leadbitter is exactly the kind of player our traditionally 'soft' midfield could use to give it some bite.

Huddlestone still on the cards from what I was told yesterday. £2m. 

Leadbitter would be a great signing. A real leader. Something we have been distinctly lacking for some time. 

Huddlestone, Leadbitter and an (often injured) Thorne, for two positions, isn't overkill IMO. If GR goes for to holding in a 4-2-3-1 then those 3 plus Hanson makes 2 players for each position, with Hanson utility at RB aswell. 

[Sexydadbod]

2 minutes ago, JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta said:

I reckon the Huddlestone move could have been KO'd by his wage demands so we are making inroads in to other players in the position, hence the bids for James and reported interest in Leadbitter. I think Leadbitter is exactly the kind of player our traditionally 'soft' midfield could use to give it some bite.

James would be the ideal signing, wouldn't mind Leadbitter either.

Not fussed about Huddlestone because if he came he would be one of our higher earners, despite us not exactly needing him. Yes we do need a defensive mid, but not in the exact same mould as we already have in Thorne. 

[JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta]

I was hearing that he would be one of, if not the highest paid player at the club if he signed (could be rubbish but who knows?). Don't get me wrong it's not my money and if we can make it work then fine but if we can get the likes of James or Leadbitter without having to break the bank that would be a better option in my opinion.

[cheron85]

10 minutes ago, TroyDyer said:

Huddlestone still on the cards from what I was told yesterday. £2m. 

Leadbitter would be a great signing. A real leader. Something we have been distinctly lacking for some time. 

Huddlestone, Leadbitter and an (often injured) Thorne, for two positions, isn't overkill IMO. If GR goes for to holding in a 4-2-3-1 then those 3 plus Hanson makes 2 players for each position, with Hanson utility at RB aswell. 

But would leave Johnson, Butterfield and Brsyon without roles... And I think the key to a good push is going to be the mix of established players and new ones

On the basis we know that we've made around 10 queries for players (from what Rowett says) I would imagine we're after 1 midfielder - And it doesn't seem shocking that we'd make enquiries about any of these guys

[SFox1993]

21 minutes ago, The Scarlet Pimpernel said:

If we sign Leadbitter where does that leave Thorne?

Next to him....

[Stedcfc]

14 minutes ago, TroyDyer said:

Huddlestone still on the cards from what I was told yesterday. £2m. 

Leadbitter would be a great signing. A real leader. Something we have been distinctly lacking for some time. 

Huddlestone, Leadbitter and an (often injured) Thorne, for two positions, isn't overkill IMO. If GR goes for to holding in a 4-2-3-1 then those 3 plus Hanson makes 2 players for each position, with Hanson utility at RB aswell. 

Does this mean were selling Bryson, Butterfield and Johnsons then?! Can't see 2 more holding midfielders coming unless a couple of those were going.

[JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta]

5 minutes ago, Stedcfc said:

Does this mean were selling Bryson, Butterfield and Johnsons then?! Can't see 2 more holding midfielders coming unless a couple of those were going.

I think this is us having backup targets in case deals fall through as some inevitably will. I highly doubt we will sign three midfielders given the current size of the squad when Rowett says we need to trim it down. It will be one out of the three, not all three I think.

[VulcanRam]

33 minutes ago, Leicester Ram said:

Can we really not find anyone younger to do the job? We've sold off our two young stars and are looking to reinvest it in Grant Leadbitter? Really?

I know the Matty James transfer is a bit ambitious, same goes for Jota but there still have to be younger alternatives out there. We can't keep sinking money into 30+ year olds contracts, players who won't improve and we cant sell on.

And it's not that I don't value having veterans in the team but we have enough. Baird, Davies, Nugent, Keogh, Shackell, Pearce, Johnson, Bryson, Carson and Martin are all people you'd consider experienced Championship players, the majority of them have been promoted out of this league at some stage.

I really worry Rowett's throwing the kitchen sink at promotion this year at the expense of having a sustainable promotion push for three years. A team that improves and gets better if they don't make it that season. Right now we'd be a team that has to bring in 3/4 key players every season because our previous core have all aged out. We were still good in 14/15 because we kept our core and made improvements.

Giving Rowett the benefit of the doubt right now and obviously a lot of these rumours could just be coming from a list of 10/15 names but I'm unimpressed if we're going after older players after the spiel about younger, hungrier players.

We also haven't really addressed the lack of athleticism in the team, particularly in the middle of the park. Neither of Huddlestone or Leadbitter would do that.

This whole post is an overreaction to a link but I'm starting to worry he's Derby era Clement. Trendy young manager who speaks well in the press, wears a nice jumper and the football hipster bloggers love him but doesn't live up to the hype or do anything particularly revolutionary.

Possibly because he's seen every other manager sacked within a few weeks or months. If I was him, I wouldn't trust myself to build slowly, risk being 17th in November and still be in a job. Rightly or wrongly, that's the culture that's been created.

[MackworthRamIsGod]

I would be happy with any one of those three.

[jagerbob]

Agreed, infact id like two. I just dont trust Thorne to ever stay fit, and every time he is out for 6 months + at a time, his body is probably more f*cked than the time before.

[MackworthRamIsGod]

3 minutes ago, jagerbob said:

Agreed, infact id like two. I just dont trust Thorne to ever stay fit, and every time he is out for 6 months + at a time, his body is probably more f*cked than the time before.

He will stay fit.

We will release him at the end of the season when his contract runs out, he will sign for Middlesbrough and will have an injury free season scoring 10 goals, will win player of the season, will be sold to Everton for 62 million and will get his first England call up.

But all will be well cause we have got Jacob Butterfield!

[Stedcfc]

8 minutes ago, JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta said:

I think this is us having backup targets in case deals fall through as some inevitably will. I highly doubt we will sign three midfielders given the current size of the squad when Rowett says we need to trim it down. It will be one out of the three, not all three I think.

If we're sticking with a 4-2-3-1 2 of Thorne, Johnson, Bryson, Butterfield and Hanson are going to play in the 2. If we were to sign any more CDMs (never mind 3!) surely some of these players need to go to build this smaller squad we're trying to get to.

You could argue Bryson or Butterfield could play no 10 but I think its unlikely and it will be Vydra, Nugent or Ince's replacement filling this position. Also doubt Johnson could do the left wing job in a 4-2-3-1.

[YouRams]

55 minutes ago, Leicester Ram said:

Can we really not find anyone younger to do the job? We've sold off our two young stars and are looking to reinvest it in Grant Leadbitter? Really?

 

Based on our last two "younger" CDM signings, Julien De Sart and Omar Mascarell (jury still out whether he was decent or not) you'd say our scouting team cant.

[Leicester Ram]

2 minutes ago, YouRams said:

Based on our last two "younger" CDM signings, Julien De Sart and Omar Mascarell (jury still out whether he was decent or not) you'd say our scouting team cant.

That is a very good point.