Out of Contract 2022

[Zip]

Losing Joao and Swift at the same time would be devastating.

I do think Joao is the best striker we have had in my time following the club. I do think he’s better than Kitson. Less clinical but also able to score things that Kitson wouldn’t have scored.

If we do lose Joao, huge pressure on Ejaria, Meite and recruitment.

Yep. We also don’t know if Yaks will be able to return to the form he achieved prior to his serious injury.
We really cannot afford to lose Joao as well as Swift.

[leon]

Sell Joao. Get 2 hungry young strikers in for less overall wages.

[Mr Optimist]

Luke Freeman has been released by Sheff United. A possible low grade replacement for Swifty, at least for a year or two until we are out of our self made financial hole?

If he could stay fit and play regularly he could be a good replacement, still only 30.

[Snowflake Royal]

It's close between them. Both a bit injury prone. Both great scoring records.

Kitson did it in the PL. And was the more consistent, and I think smarter player. But Joao has done it in a worse performing team and has more moments of individual brilliance.

Currently Kitson, but if Joao manages another mainly full season hitting 18+, it becomes really close.

[SCIAG]

Losing Joao and Swift at the same time would be devastating.

I do think Joao is the best striker we have had in my time following the club. I do think he’s better than Kitson. Less clinical but also able to score things that Kitson wouldn’t have scored.

If we do lose Joao, huge pressure on Ejaria, Meite and recruitment.

I can’t agree. Kitson didn’t go missing for vast parts of games. He was involved in linking up play. And he smashed up West Ham. And he was ginger.

Kitson's link up play was good but I'd argue Joao's is better. Kitson admittedly never played with someone like Meite - guess Fozzy and Lita would be the closest - but the sorts of passes Joao puts into him are exquisite.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Kits also had another dimension to his game……chasing back and defending.
Many’s the time he was playing end to end (just to re-iterate that ‘link-up’ play)

One of our greatest imho

[Franchise FC]

My favourite ever player is Dave Kitson

Not going to lower myself to arguing whether anyone else is as good

[blythspartan]

For me Kitson’s whole game was a 7/8 out of 10 every week whereas Joao can be a 9/10 sometimes but too often a 4/5 out of 10.

Agree that Kitson was part of a better team and on his day Joao can be unplayable. If he was more consistent he’d be playing for a top half Premiership team. Would be interesting to see how he’d do at somewhere like Brentford or West Ham.

I’d be happy if he stays next season but if we can get a couple of decent strikers to replace him I wouldn’t grumble.

[From Despair To Where?]

Are forgetting that for two seasons prior to 05/06, Kitson was the one player who consistantly hauled our arses out of the fire. Are we honestly suggesting Owusu and Brooker were better than Ejaria and Meite?

Kitson worked his nuts off every game (except maybe at Old Trafford when he got sent off after 20 seconds)

[Snowflake Royal]

Are forgetting that for two seasons prior to 05/06, Kitson was the one player who consistantly hauled our arses out of the fire. Are we honestly suggesting Owusu and Brooker were better than Ejaria and Meite?

Kitson worked his nuts off every game (except maybe at Old Trafford when he got sent off after 20 seconds)

Owusu was a useful stop gap to transition. And he didn't exactly play much either.

The same time we had Owusu and Brooker we also had Forster, Goater, Salako, Hughes, Sidwell, Watson, Harper, Convey, Little and Ferdinand at different points.

Our worst finish whilst Kitson was with us was 9th in the Championship. So it's rather disingenuous to say he was the one player who lifted us.

He had quality around him the whole time.

And quite a lot of those players were more effective than Ejaria.

[From Despair To Where?]

Much as I like Joao, Kitson was a much better all round player. Steve Coppell's first 2 seasons were nothing to write home about, either. I remember us going AWOL from Christmas to March in 2004-05 and playing some really uninspiring football. A lot if it co-incided with Kitson being out injured.

The season before, we had some dreadful performances. The 3 3-0s in a row around Christmas, a 5-1 hammering at Rotherham...... again, Kitson was injured when we signed him and he took about 3 months to get fit.

I remember the attitude towards Coppell being very meh and particularly the explosion of angst and ire on here when we lost to Plymouth on the opening day of 05/06.

Convey really struggled his first season, Hughes the original HNA scapegoat, Ferdinand somewhat past it, Little, uninspiring during his original loan spell, Salako, a player accused of only playing when his contract was up, Goater, fcuk me, he got so many pelters for being a donkey and a waste of money, Murray, lazy flat track bully sent packing back to League 1 after 6 months. Even Sonko was regarded as a liability prior to 2005. Quick, long throw but a headless chicken with a 50p shaped foot.

Yeah, we had the nucleus of a good side prior to 2005 but a lot of players really stepped up in 2005/06, not least an unknown 21 year old from the League of Ireland who ran through brick walls for fun and showed precisely the sort of desire and workrate that Kitson did.

[Snowflake Royal]

You fit right in too FDTW

[From Despair To Where?]

At least I try to back up what I say rather than just blather self righteously.

[Loafer]

At least I try to back up what I say rather than just blather self righteously.

+1

I AGREE WITH YOU

[From Despair To Where?]

It's no bother, I'll take his reluctance to engage the point as a climb down.

[Snowflake Royal]

Not at all, but when you start going off on lengthy tangents and get snarky because someone disagreed with part of a post there's no point polluting the board with the back and forth.

Especially when we agree on the original point.

[South Coast Royal]

Much as I like Joao, Kitson was a much better all round player. Steve Coppell's first 2 seasons were nothing to write home about, either. I remember us going AWOL from Christmas to March in 2004-05 and playing some really uninspiring football. A lot if it co-incided with Kitson being out injured.

The season before, we had some dreadful performances. The 3 3-0s in a row around Christmas, a 5-1 hammering at Rotherham...... again, Kitson was injured when we signed him and he took about 3 months to get fit.

I remember the attitude towards Coppell being very meh and particularly the explosion of angst and ire on here when we lost to Plymouth on the opening day of 05/06.

Convey really struggled his first season, Hughes the original HNA scapegoat, Ferdinand somewhat past it, Little, uninspiring during his original loan spell, Salako, a player accused of only playing when his contract was up, Goater, fcuk me, he got so many pelters for being a donkey and a waste of money, Murray, lazy flat track bully sent packing back to League 1 after 6 months. Even Sonko was regarded as a liability prior to 2005. Quick, long throw but a headless chicken with a 50p shaped foot.

Yeah, we had the nucleus of a good side prior to 2005 but a lot of players really stepped up in 2005/06, not least an unknown 21 year old from the League of Ireland who ran through brick walls for fun and showed precisely the sort of desire and workrate that Kitson did.

A very good summary of that period (was it really 16 years ago?).
Kitson was so important to our side and really was a bargain signing.

[Hound]

Apparently offered swift a new 3 year deal and his representatives were ‘extremely impressed with Mark Bowen’s vision’ or something

Interesting. Also interesting JLow suddenly getting lots of positive Bowen stories

[Stranded]

Apparently offered swift a new 3 year deal and his representatives were ‘extremely impressed with Mark Bowen’s vision’ or something

Interesting. Also interesting JLow suddenly getting lots of positive Bowen stories

Offer considered "fair" based on the clubs situation.

Always take stories like this with a pinch of salt but positive sounds are always welcome.

Position remains the same for me, Swift staying would be an unexpected bonus but it musn't harm us in strengthening elsewhere.

[windermereROYAL]

So he will be 29 when OOC again if a accepts this deal, 8 years of his career playing for a largely struggling team wouldn`t be a legacy he would be proud of when he hangs up his boots.