I rather hope Harper and Shunt leave now

[Terminal Boardom]

Bored of all the speculation now.

With.

Official.

+ 20,000 OTHERS!

[BR2]

Some of you might not miss Harps but I can promise you our two centre backs would !!

Whilst I would agree that his role within the team goes largely unnoticed by too many, he's had a number of poor patches in his time here when he's been dire but kept his place.

I wouldn't bank on the defence pining for him if he's replaced by someone who is equally energetic but also has the abilty to put in a decent tackle.

I hope he remembers to keep those arms down when he's boarding the plane to 'boro

"He's been dire but kept his place"-is that Hunt or Harper you are talking about?
"if he's replaced by someone who is equally energetic but also has the ability to put in a decent tackle"-sorry but we won't be able to get Sidwell back.

[Woodcote Royal]

All this talk of able replacements is just fine and dandy...but with the window closing on Sunday night...it doesn't give us much time and any potential club we would look to purchase from will see how desperate we are and no doubt add a few £££££'s onto the price we pay....

Also, realistically are there any replacements anyone can think of who fit the mould and are within the price range and the right sort of player etc....

Jay Tabb? Dan Harding?

Centre Mid!!!! jog on

Did we imagine the "Tabb can play anywhere in midfield observations when he joined?

So, for starters, we have Tabb and Karacan as potential replacements who couldn't even get on Tueday's bench plus Marek who made the 16.

[Alan Partridge]

Tabb is a central midfielder who can play out wide, not a winger.

[papereyes]

Given that we've just signed a left sided player (Dan, Dan Dan Dan, Dan Dan Dan, Dan Harding ... ) and a central midfielder, it suggests that the replacements are already in place.

So, no complaints, especially if we let Karacan have another run in the side.

Harding, predominantly a LB!
Tabb played on Left side of midfield for the ressies...hmmm...not so sure they are replacements or merely adding to the squad...

I've only read that Tabb can play in CM so I'm rather taking it on trust that he can.

If it is the case that he's not, then the club certainly need to get a replacement in - either get Marek fully up to speed, bring on Karacan a bit more or bring in a suitable player for a possible Premiership campaign next season.

But its the sort of move I think the club should be making - young-ish players with potential that put pressure on established players. So I can't really complain, can I?

[PardewsLoveChild]

I was saving this for a future podcast but sod it.Graeme Murty once said that if the team was a car and every player was a vital componant of that car,then Harps would be the engine oil,without it the car would splutter and break down,in other words,without it and it's fcuked .Would be gutted to see him go,some people on here just don't know what an influence this guy is,not just on a matchday but within the whole club,i for one would be gutted to see him go.But not to worry,we've got Gunnarsson

As for Hunt,just feck off now you arrogent little turd.................

Si.

[bcubed]

Tabb is a central midfielder who can play out wide, not a winger.

From a Coventry fan I know, Tabb is(was) comfortably their best player and runs the game for them - from central midfield

[Woodcote Royal]

Some of you might not miss Harps but I can promise you our two centre backs would !!

Whilst I would agree that his role within the team goes largely unnoticed by too many, he's had a number of poor patches in his time here when he's been dire but kept his place.

I wouldn't bank on the defence pining for him if he's replaced by someone who is equally energetic but also has the abilty to put in a decent tackle.

I hope he remembers to keep those arms down when he's boarding the plane to 'boro

"He's been dire but kept his place"-is that Hunt or Harper you are talking about?
"if he's replaced by someone who is equally energetic but also has the ability to put in a decent tackle"-sorry but we won't be able to get Sidwell back.

I see them both as replacable and Karacan as a Sidwell type player who has already performed welll for us in that role earlier this season.

I wouldn't disagree that Hunt has been poor at times but so has Harper and he's rarely been dropped in eight years.

Whilst I wouldn't be surprised to see further replacements, I think Karacan and Cisse could be just what we need.

[OLLIE KEARNS]

Some of you might not miss Harps but I can promise you our two centre backs would !!

Whilst I would agree that his role within the team goes largely unnoticed by too many, he's had a number of poor patches in his time here when he's been dire but kept his place.

I wouldn't bank on the defence pining for him if he's replaced by someone who is equally energetic but also has the abilty to put in a decent tackle.

I hope he remembers to keep those arms down when he's boarding the plane to 'boro

Just to go a bit deeper. Pearce had a great game the other night. Agree ? But did you see even one occasion when a Wolves CM player broke free to either run at him or get uncontested possession to knock a ball in behind him ? The point being that Pearce looked great because our CM pair (not just Harps) ensured that his main task on the night was to win headers. Somethimng he is top draw at.
The same would go for Ingi who is having a great season. Largely because his weak points aren't being exposed to any great degree. That's was a great team is all about.
The only two times I can recall CM going awol this season (Brum & Saints away) both resulted in goals with our two CB's all over the place. Hence the importance of the holding CM player.
Funny enough, I think him going wouldn't hurt us this season. But we don't have a player that can play that role at Prem level in our ranks. At least not yet (Cisse and Jem might get there one day).

[Franchise FC]

All this talk of able replacements is just fine and dandy...but with the window closing on Sunday night...it doesn't give us much time and any potential club we would look to purchase from will see how desperate we are and no doubt add a few £££££'s onto the price we pay....

Also, realistically are there any replacements anyone can think of who fit the mould and are within the price range and the right sort of player etc....

Bloody hell - they've brought forward the close of the transfer window - that'll put a bit of pressure on those trying to tie up deals.

[papereyes]

But we don't have a player that can play that role at a consistent Prem level in our ranks.

We don't at the moment, tbh. (I added the consistent part)

It's something we could do with acquiring or bringing through now or in the summer even if Harper didn't go this winter.

[Row Z Royal]

LOLZ Turns8 was at this all day yesterday on the old e-mails.

[Agent Balti]

But not to worry,we've got Gunnarsson

Cheap shot. You pick our 'worst' central midfielder (no disrespect to Gunnar), but avoid Tabb, Karacan, Matejovsky? Whilst neither are in the exact mould of Harper, the team has to evolve.

[Hoop Blah]

I'll be sad to see Harper go, if he does.

He's been such a key figure in all that we've achieved in the Pardew and Coppell era's and it's a shame that so many people don't appreciate the selfless work he puts in week-in week-out. I also imagine that he's a key voice and character in the dressing room and out on the pitch and he sums up our hard work ethic and never say die hard work and spirit.

In Karacan we have a pretty similar player, but Harpers drive and experience will be invaluable during the run in and I hope we don't miss him as much as I expect we might.

Hunt can go, not too fussed about that one as he's over rated and is seriously getting on my tits over the last few months.

[Woodcote Royal]

Some of you might not miss Harps but I can promise you our two centre backs would !!

Whilst I would agree that his role within the team goes largely unnoticed by too many, he's had a number of poor patches in his time here when he's been dire but kept his place.

I wouldn't bank on the defence pining for him if he's replaced by someone who is equally energetic but also has the abilty to put in a decent tackle.

I hope he remembers to keep those arms down when he's boarding the plane to 'boro

Just to go a bit deeper. Pearce had a great game the other night. Agree ? But did you see even one occasion when a Wolves CM player broke free to either run at him or get uncontested possession to knock a ball in behind him ? The point being that Pearce looked great because our CM pair (not just Harps) ensured that his main task on the night was to win headers. Somethimng he is top draw at.
The same would go for Ingi who is having a great season. Largely because his weak points aren't being exposed to any great degree. That's was a great team is all about.
The only two times I can recall CM going awol this season (Brum & Saints away) both resulted in goals with our two CB's all over the place. Hence the importance of the holding CM player.
Funny enough, I think him going wouldn't hurt us this season. But we don't have a player that can play that role at Prem level in our ranks. At least not yet (Cisse and Jem might get there one day).

Our vulnerablility in this area has just as much to do with neither cente back have any pace.

Having Bikey back and Coppell selecting him would go a long way to solving this problem.

PS. Let get to the Prem before deciding what we need.

[Sun Tzu]

PS. Let get to the Prem before deciding what we need.

Agreed wholeheartedly....

It's too early to be forgetting there is promotion to win and doing that requires a very different approach to staying up in the Premiership.

[OLLIE KEARNS]

So Harper going, changing our style of play and playing centre backs because they have pace is going to facilitate us getting to the Prem ???
I think it might be best if we keep on as we are for now personally

[Big Ern]

Whether they stay or go is out any of the supporters hands so we will just have to wait and see what happens.

Personally I don´t see the benefit of selling a first team regular when we are looking good for promotion, we will not improve if they depart, and the best case scenario is we will remain the same. With the financial rewards of the Premiership, I think this would be a big risk for the club to take as they are potentially gambling automatic promotion and a 60million windfall of SKy TV money for the sake of a few million up front and the rest paid on installments.

What worries me most is that I have no confidence in the club to spend money replacing these players and we will have to put up with the " I am happy with what I have got¨ from SC. We are nopt privy to the conversations between player and the clubs, but if I was confident we would spend the money to replace, then I would not have so much of a problem.

[Woodcote Royal]

So Harper going, changing our style of play and playing centre backs because they have pace is going to facilitate us getting to the Prem ???
I think it might be best if we keep on as we are for now personally

Whereas I prefer the way we hammered Wolves 0-3 without Harper but with both Karacan and Bikey as opposed to the backs to the wall performance I saw for much of Tuesday night.

For someone whom seems pre-occupied with Premiership survival, we will have no chance without some pace in central defence. Pick one able slow coach by all means but the pre-injury Sonko was vital to our successfull promotion and subsequent 8th place finish despite obvious shortcomings in other areas of his game.

Look no further than the following season's mauling at Fratton Park (with Bikey twiddling his thumbs on the bench) to see where our relegation really began....................especially when every member of that defence kept his place for the next match

[Sun Tzu]

What worries me most is that I have no confidence in the club to spend money replacing these players.

Why not ?

We've replaced almost every other player we've sold....