[SOLD] Ben Wilmot

It is a shame to see him go but if he's not getting game time (now we're in the Prem again there will be fewer opportunities for him) the move will be good for him as he definitely is Champ standard. Who knows? He could shine and become a Prem player in the future.

 

For all the pelters Troost-Ekong gets for his harem-scarem passing, I can't remember one leading directly to a goal but for all the plaudits Wilmot gets, he did pass the ball straight to Mowatt for the 1-0 at Barnsley (cue someone immediately pointing out multiple goals that were T-E's fault!).

Seemed very clear as well that Troost-Ekong is currently a better defender and some of the posts on here saying that it was a disgrace Wilmot wasn't played more are a bit bizarre given our record and the centre back partnership that became established in the second half of the season. I don't remember any of our other centre backs getting ragdolled around like Wilmot did for the corner at Blackburn either.

 

Wilmot also got bullied by our much-maligned new signing Ashley Fletcher in the first game of the season.

 

Not surprising though given ex Man Utd Fletch's quality.

 

Of course realistically they're not going to feature next season, but long term it is almost certain that the club will ruin their development. Our coaching staff changes too frequently to effectively develop young players at the training ground, and our record of outwards domestic loans is absolutely abysmal in recent years. We would rather let talent rot in London Colney playing zero football than find decent EFL loans for them.

 

Yep, I'm fully expecting Hungbo to play U23 football all season which would be absolutely criminal. Pochettino as well, he might be absolutely crap but U23 football isn't going to do anything for his development. Get him out to Wealdstone if we have to, that's the only way he's going to learn.

 

Along with Success and Peñeranda I'd say Feltcher is one of the best young players in the world.

 

That freebie is starting to look like a helluva signing!!

 

We seem to have done really badly with most of our under 21 signings: Dahlberg, Quina, Wilmot, Sinclair, Success, Peñeranda. We've been a graveyard for them really, completely failed them as footballers and human beings. Richarlison and JP are the 2 big standouts and there's still hope for Ngakia. But for the rest it seems we have been doing something very wrong. It probably makes more sense to look for promising players in the 22-26 age range who are more likely to be first team ready. It's also quite disturbing that the 2 young players who have had the best break out seasons under Pozzbury (Richarlison and Vydra) both wanted to leave the club straight away. Makes me wonder what we are doing wrong.

 

Peñaranda was a succession of weird loans (which may not have even helped him develop as much as we'd have liked as we've discovered he's a dosser in the last few years). Success much of the same, Sinclair I think just was never a very good footballer. We did mess Dahlberg and Quina around by having them sit on the sidelines for so long and not sorting out good loans, though Dahlberg is a keeper and has so much time on his hands, and had a really good run of form last season in Sweden before his injury (does Quina have a future here? I'm not so sure, I feel he'll go the way of Wilmot to some Portuguese team). Wilmot at least had some degree of success in the first team, ditto Ngakia (who I still have hope for, although as he's possibly not quite up to Prem level now it could be awkward to get him a decent amount of games this season)

 

Yeah it was very unfair of us to give them such long contracts and pay them so well. They were all so upset they terminated their contract to get out of here. Oh wait...

 

By all accounts, he's got a great head on his shoulders. I hope he succeeds at Stoke. I think he has the mentality and the talent to establish himself as a club legend somewhere.

 

Stoke's in Portugal? No wonder Robbie Williams likes it so much there.

 

Pity he didn't use it to head the ball away a bit more then.

 

To be honest I never really understood the hype around Wilmot from some of our fans. He wasn't particularly good at anything. I felt he was too light weight in defence and not good enough in the air. I also think it's a bit of a myth that he was a good ball playing defender as I mostly remember him over hitting passes.

 

Some people are obsessed with us bringing through young British players rather than foreigners.

It is strange really, considering british players tend to be shyt and foreigners ace, but it is what it is.

The people with this obsession tend to be the myopic old terds among our fanbase.

 

I'd been pointing this out for 2 years at least, yet many on here hurled abuse at me for it claiming it must have been because I had some sort of agenda against him.

Our managers and the club seem to share a similar opinion though; or maybe they also just had some kind of unfair, biased agenda intended to hold him back?!

 

I was talking about their career development not their bank accounts.

 

Listening to the From the Rookery End podcast, and Adam Leventhal said that the Wilmot deal was worth £3m...interesting, because that's more than we've heard elsewhere!

 

I suppose it's ok money at the minute.

Still sad to see him go. May never break the top division; on the other hand could end up being a very tidy player.

Would much rather seen him out for another loan.

 

I suspect it's £1.5m now and another £1.5m to come if that is the case

 

That's the way of things I guess.

Certainly makes it harder for us to deals like Olise where it's all needed up front.

 

Blimey. Stoke have more dosh than we do then.

 

Loan fees from Etobo deal no doubt! £££

 

£500k, plus £500k if they win promotion next season, plus £2m if he captains the team to champions league glory within 3 years.