[iwastherein68]

Our hierarchical structure does surely not allow for Kyle Bartley to be contracted to the club for the same period as Pieters? Oh silly me, give Kyle another year extension. Job done!

[Blowee]

I'm okay with this. He performed well last season and its only a one year deal. We will need cover and he will probably play a significant number of games as first choice. I just worry about the average age of our squad and felt it was an issue towards the end of the season when a number of our players looked jaded. Unfortunately, O'Shea leaving and Pieters re-signing increases the average age again. If we lose Molumby too we really are going to be Dad's Army again!

[smethwickw]

Ask yourselves this. If he hadn't played for us last season would you be happy to sign him now at his age? Don't forget we have Martin Kelly still at the club.

[gazberg]

Ask yourselves this. If he hadn't played for us last season would you be happy to sign him now at his age? Don't forget we have Martin Kelly still at the club.

Kin'ell i forgot we had Kelly. Got 6 possible CB's here now even after DOS gone. Brilliant.

[wba_1996]

Proper Albion signing this is. Not quite good enough at 34 years old so we decide to give him a year extension. Argue all you want but it’s why we get worse every year.

[baggiejohn]

Proper Albion signing this is. Not quite good enough at 34 years old so we decide to give him a year extension. Argue all you want but it’s why we get worse every year.

It's not a contract extension, it's a new contract.

[baggiejohn]

Ask yourselves this. If he hadn't played for us last season would you be happy to sign him now at his age? Don't forget we have Martin Kelly still at the club.

Probably not, but the reason he was considered, was because he did a job for us last season.

We've still got the cost of Martin Kelly's wages, but didn't he get an acl injury while on loan at Wigan? Suspect we may be able to insure against that.

[baggiejohn]

At 35 he's not going to maintain his form or improve. It's a one way street from here. Not a knock on him personally but he can't beat father time.


A lot of people seem to think he's on a cheap wage, any reason why? I imagine him to be on around 10k pw minimum.

Interested in your comment about wages.

I tend to use £20k per week as a benchmark for Championship players.
If we had an average wage of £10k per week, with a squad of 32 players, we'd have a wage bill of £16 million a year & it's 3 times that.

On that basis £10k per week isn't expensive.

[gazberg]

Interested in your comment about wages.

I tend to use £20k per week as a benchmark for Championship players.
If we had an average wage of £10k per week, with a squad of 32 players, we'd have a wage bill of £16 million a year & it's 3 times that.

On that basis £10k per week isn't expensive.

It's not cheap either.

[baggie82]

Confirmed.

https://www.wba.co.uk/news/erik-pieters-signs-new-one-year-contract

Great news; manager obviously sees it the way I see it. A few posters criticising Pieters
 for struggling towards the end of the season yet by that point he was injured, playing half-fit and full of pain killers. Those with their glass half empty also seemed to have overlooked the incredible run of clean sheets we put together at home that dragged us from bottom to a play-off chase. Pieters played big roll in all of that and common sense to give him another year; he is a model pro and an important player, especially now Dara has departed.

[Standaman]

I think Kelly's injury is long term and we will be lucky (??) to see him back before Christmas. I don't think the sales have finished.  Again the questions will only be answered when the window closes and we see a competitive line up from Carlos.

Today we sold our best defender one of the few players we had who was an age where they might improve and signed another short term fix. It pretty much encapsulates the last decade of decline.

Yet I have pretty much stopped worrying about the team we put out on the pitch everything is now revolves around financial survival.

[baggiejohn]

I think Kelly's injury is long term and we will be lucky (??) to see him back before Christmas. I don't think the sales have finished. Again the questions will only be answered when the window closes and we see a competitive line up from Carlos.

Today we sold our best defender one of the few players we had who was an age where they might improve and signed another short term fix. It pretty much encapsulates the last decade of decline.

Yet I have pretty much stopped worrying about the team we put out on the pitch everything is now revolves around financial survival.

Think you're right.

It depends on how much money we need to generate, if it's a significant sum, we may well see a high profile sale.
One high profile player leaving, will leave a smaller hole in the squad, & would be easier for Corberan to manage.

[mulliganstired]

I think Kelly's injury is long term and we will be lucky (??) to see him back before Christmas. I don't think the sales have finished.  Again the questions will only be answered when the window closes and we see a competitive line up from Carlos.

Today we sold our best defender one of the few players we had who was an age where they might improve and signed another short term fix. It pretty much encapsulates the last decade of decline.

Yet I have pretty much stopped worrying about the team we put out on the pitch everything is now revolves around financial survival.

The last sentence sums up our predicament; we have to stay in the champ or we risk being the next Bolton/Portsmouth.  If we can be close to the play offs next spring, that's a result.

[Mo]

I think Kelly's injury is long term and we will be lucky (??) to see him back before Christmas. I don't think the sales have finished.  Again the questions will only be answered when the window closes and we see a competitive line up from Carlos.

Today we sold our best defender one of the few players we had who was an age where they might improve and signed another short term fix. It pretty much encapsulates the last decade of decline.

Yet I have pretty much stopped worrying about the team we put out on the pitch everything is now revolves around financial survival.

I said this to a work colleague for me now it is about preservation of the football club so there is still a club in the short and long term .

[Baggie79]

This is probably a cost saving exercise, As he can play CB, LB and DMF it might save us signing three backup players for the cost of one. Is he good enough to start, I am not sure but is he good enough for shart term cover I would suggest that he is.

[paulosull]

So that’s five centre half’s at club, can see either Taylor or Cedric on move in this window. Pieters obviously signed for his versatility to cover Townsend at left back.

[DevonInStripes]

Whatever his age and injuries , he still made himself available for virtually the entire time he was with us . Remind me how many matches did Bartley start ? Enough said I think . I have no issue with Erik getting a new contract .

[SmethDan]

Whatever his age and injuries , he still made himself available for virtually the entire time he was with us . Remind me how many matches did Bartley start ? Enough said I think . I have no issue with Erik getting a new contract .

There's a thought. Pieters and Bartley as a centre half pairing only another year older. I think they'd need to be sat quite deep with a lot of protection. Very deep, with trenches and barbed wire in front of them. Throw in a couple of machine gun nests.

[gazberg]

Just posted on his Instagram that it was "good to be back home" last night.

Hopefully his home can help us out with his wages because we are broke.

[liverbaggie]

May i wish Eriks wife the best of luck with her battle against aggressive breast cancer, this must be affecting him in his personal and proffessional life, my best regards.

[KYA]

May i wish Eriks wife the best of luck with her battle against aggressive breast cancer, this must be affecting him in his personal and proffessional life, my best regards.

First I've heard of this, nice sentments liverbaggie.

[gazberg]

Best wishes to Mrs Pieters for a swift and full recovery hopefully

[Sted1990]

He has our full support, lets show him next game.

[SmethDan]

All of the very best to the Pieter's family, their friends, loved ones and anyone else going through trauma. Take care everyone.

[SmethDan]

All things considered I think Erik put a decent performance in last night. Won four headers, our joint highest along with Furlong followed by Kipre and Yokuslu on three each. Nathaniel Phillips of Cardiff won most headers overall for Cardiff with five. Also covered Townsend well on a couple of occasions. Anyone heard anything about how Mrs. Pieters is doing?