This season is the real test of Lawrence

[Spanish]

48 minutes ago, Ghost of Clough said:

There's plenty of P&S room to pay big money for a few players. The only question is if Mel has enough cash in his pockets to want to.

is there? aren't we still missing the details of the last accounts?

[Spanish]

2 hours ago, DontTrustTheDevilInside said:

Here is now a real chance for Lawrence to either prove he’s ‘that’ level of player or really get shown up.

what do we know about Tom?  He provides cover for the defence, he has a 1 good game in 5 (but that is normally a fantastic game) and he is a nasty player prone to stupid flashpoints.  It is frustrating because if he could raise his game to be more consistent then he could make the difference.  There has been no improvement over his time here and it is merely hope over experience to expect better from him.  His is a show pony the one that rises above the average that makes the difference between promotion and near miss.  Regrettably he is not good enough.  As @MuespachRamsaid we'll never get promoted with a side with Keo in it and I am beginning to fear that the same could be said about Tom.  Please Tom prove me wrong

[Tyler Durden]

Why heap the pressure on Lawrence in particular there are a number of players who have to step up this season not just Lawrence.

Saying that if a sensible offer came in for him then I'd sell him in a heartbeat, there's not much point having a player perpetually unavailable for selection due to picking up stupid reds card or accumulating yellows due to persistent petulant fouling. 

Let's be honest he hasn't progressed as a player in his time here which isn't just an accusation you can lay at his door though unfortunately.

 

[Ram Bam]

1 hour ago, Beetroot said:

I'd kick off big style if we sold Waghorn and kept Marriott. Big style. Proper big style. I'm kicking off small style just thinking about it.

For football reasons I'd agree but on the financial side it might not be the worst idea in the world.

 

In the last year of his contract and presumably on large wages, also signed for a hefty fee which depending on how we've amortised it down might still have the majority against him on the books. We've shown with Martin and Huddlestone we're not paying over the odds for players any more and if a new striker comes in he's effectively backup and I'd doubt we'd be able to match his current wage if we offer of an extension. Also worth noting that he'll be 31 by the end of this season, if we do extend by say 2 years he'll have little to no resale value at the end of it so we're committing to writing his book value off over the course of that contract. If someone offered £3 million and we could save his presumably £1 million + a year wages we'd take a little hit now as opposed to maybe £4-5 Million over the next couple of years, I think it'd give the club something to think about.

[Jourdan]

I think we have to remain realistic with Lawrence. He isn’t suddenly going to be as prolific as Harry Wilson.

But he is still pretty vital to us.

What I would like to see is him stepping up and taking responsibility as a ‘leader’ of the team and being more unselfish in the final third and being more disciplined overall.

For me, he is definitely still a key player for us and we definitely shouldn’t sell him.

In a game, he is one of the few players who is going to cause problems for defences.

His pace, movement and direct running will always commit and unsettle defenders.

We would only end up needing to replace him.

[Carl Sagan]

I think the thing for Lawrence is that he's always been able to walk back into the team when he's missed games for whatever reason. If Jozwiak and Ibe (and others) are firing, that won't now be the case There have always been some question marks over Tom's consistency and again that means he'll be on the bench if he doesn't perform. So it's a test for Lawrence, but it will also be good for him and us, as it's the chance to step it up and go to the next level.

Also, if we start playing the vibrant attacking football that it's beginning to look as if this squad might be capable of, every player wants to be part of that. It's infectious.

Full marks to Mel, full marks to Cocu, and an unexpected full marks to the recruitment team so far who are putting us in a strong position, despite giving our rivals a 6 point head start.

[brady1993]

1 minute ago, Carl Sagan said:

I think the thing for Lawrence is that he's always been able to walk back into the team when he's missed games for whatever reason. If Jozwiak and Ibe (and others) are firing, that won't now be the case There have always been some question marks over Tom's consistency and again that means he'll be on the bench if he doesn't perform. So it's a test for Lawrence, but it will also be good for him and us, as it's the chance to step it up and go to the next level.

Also, if we start playing the vibrant attacking football that it's beginning to look as if this squad might be capable of, every player wants to be part of that. It's infectious.

Full marks to Mel, full marks to Cocu, and an unexpected full marks to the recruitment team so far who are putting us in a strong position, despite giving our rivals a 6 point head start.

This is the key bit for me. Sometimes players have dips in form and sometimes they aren't effective in games both of which are doubly true wingers. The lack of attacking depth was one of the major reasons why our playoff push last season died and why've started poorly this season. By having options we can rotate according to the situation and actually have the ability to change games if they are going against us.

[sage]

3 hours ago, Marriott Ram99 said:

Personally think we have that money without selling any more players after selling Bogle and Lowe, think it's more about wages and making sure we don't sign anyone too risky. Wouldnt sell Marriott for 2mill that is pittance, give him this season with creative players around him and if he doesn't do much then don't renew his contract. 

Presuming he is on 18-20k a week, this season of Marriott would then cost us £3m. If we sign a better CF Marriott is a bench and cover player. Bearing in mind the government news today can we really lost £3m in one year on cover and bench?  

[sage]

3 hours ago, Ghost of Clough said:

There's plenty of P&S room to pay big money for a few players. The only question is if Mel has enough cash in his pockets to want to.

Also take into account, today's news about fans not coming back. 

[jono]

5 hours ago, Srg said:

Think how crap we've been without him has already proven how much we need him.

There are lots of irritating things about Tom but he has at this level the ability to be hugely unpredictable, and therefore dangerous. Lawrence on song is a real asset. Catalyst.. we need one. 

[CBRammette]

I am looking forward to seeing Tom playing with more attacking options around him. He really needs to sort out the discipline but perhaps not being able to get back in starting line up may do it. As a fan I always hope for our players to step up for us and think this may be his season (but said that last year too??) 

[David]

5 hours ago, sage said:

if a £6/7m CF becomes available who would be a game changer and we can get £5m for Lawrence or £2m for Marriott to seal the deal, would you do it?

Would come down to finances and FFP, I’m sure Cocu would prefer to keep Lawrence though out of anyone as we’ve been struggling to cover those positions 

[sage]

1 minute ago, David said:

Would come down to finances and FFP, I’m sure Cocu would prefer to keep Lawrence though out of anyone as we’ve been struggling to cover those positions 

It depends how much we need to raise. He may settle for Davis at say £2m but if we are paying much more than that I would imagine someone will have to go.   

[oomarkwright]

Lazy and frustrating as he is, we have missed him and need to see that controlled aggression and drive again. He was unplay at times when he tried. Need more of the 45 at Huddersfield. 

[Yani P]

Lazy? 

Might level a few things at him but lazy wouldnt be one. He is our best player when fit and on it - hopefully the influx of additional talent will actually help him in his game as there will be threats all over the pitch not just him.

[Rampage]

4 hours ago, superzak said:

Have you seen the Suarez story on the transfer section on sky sports. Next to it is a Ram symbol...aye aye lol

Vydra could be worth s punt.

[CornwallRam]

6 minutes ago, Rampage said:

Vydra could be worth s punt.

Davis

Jozwiak Vydra Ibe

Call me old fashioned but I think that might just work. In fact with Waghorn, Lawrence and Sibley on the bench ready to test out tired defenders after 60 minutes, it might work very well. With Trialist, Duncan and Whitaker available to cover any gaps, we look pretty strong without Marriott. I could easily see him being sold for a couple of million to make FFP really safe. I suppose we could sell Lawrence, but he suits the formation and the way, I think, that Cocu wants to play. 

[RamNut]

7 hours ago, sage said:

if a £6/7m CF becomes available who would be a game changer and we can get £5m for Lawrence...

?

Trick question?

 

[Millenniumram]

There’s certainly a lot more competition for his place now, which is definitely a good thing. For too long we’ve been very thin on the ground in terms of quality wingers, meaning whoever’s been starting has been pretty much guaranteed a starting place. That lack of pressure is never conducive to consistently good performances. We’ve been crying out for that extra quality and depth in wide areas for a while now, and it looks like we’ve finally got it. Whoever has the starting roles now will know there’s someone else waiting on the bench ready to take their place - that pressure should mean we see much better performances from all our wide attackers, including Lawrence. 

To be fair, I think Lawrence improved quite significantly last season, but he’s going to have to really step up his consistency if he’s going to keep his place this season. Personally I reckon we’re more likely to see him in the number 10 position when everyone is fit.

[David]

3 hours ago, sage said:

It depends how much we need to raise. He may settle for Davis at say £2m but if we are paying much more than that I would imagine someone will have to go.   

Do we need to raise money though, that’s the question, doesn’t sound like we do now