I agree, we need to get him on a longer contract. He is a player we can build our rise around.
I've been banging on about this for months, his form won't have gone unnoticed by championship clubs & we should have tied him down on a long contract by now.
As a club we're rubbish at managing contracts. It's always "we'll wait until the summer" or " now isn't the time" as if we were Man City or Real Madrid, and players will be waiting for us to make an offer, and eternally grateful.
his progress and performances this season have been one of the few standouts/highlights .. sign him up for another 5 years .. also. his winning goal on Saturday shows the virtue of taking a pop from outside the area .. always tricky for a keeper when the ball is coming through a pack of players .. other Addicks players TAKE NOTE .. he is our P O t S .. thanks George
A big test for TS if a decent bid comes in. It’s one thing selling Burstow who was arguably overvalued by Chelsea (he’s not good enough to start for us even as a mid table side) compared to selling our POTY.
TS might think the money can be reinvested in a few signings and that they can find a good replacement by signing someone with similar stats.
Although I really don’t think he is replaceable at this level, every player has his price, especially when it allows you to invest in and strengthen the squad as a whole.
What do we think that realistic price is for Dobson?
A big test for TS if a decent bid comes in. It’s one thing selling Burstow who was arguably overvalued by Chelsea (he’s not good enough to start for us even as a mid table side) compared to selling our POTY.
TS might think the money can be reinvested in a few signings and that they can find a good replacement by signing someone with similar stats.
The fact that we, publicly, haven't spoken about extending his contract is both worrying and wrong but.....
Who is going to buy him that's in a position to make that kind of offer?
He will be 25 early next season so I am not sure if he is worth a punt that he could be "trained on".
Would he look as good (he obviously would still be good) if he wasn't playing with a couple of lilly livered show ponies and having to do the tackling of 3 men?
Maybe he would be more expansive, we have seen some runs from deep into the box, if he had a bit more freedom.
He is excelling in a very niche role, in a very average team. Most very average teams don't spend the sort of money I would hope it would take for us to sell him.
Most tackles won in the leagues! He will be a target for many. If we lost him we have no talisman left, unless there is more in Pearce. If anybody is worth an extended and generous contract (extension?) offer it is George Dobson. Indeed it would be a buying a season ticket convincer.
It was clear by January that he was a key part of the team AND a financial asset
In February after the window closed, we should have offered him a new 3.5 year deal (to June 2025). After all those are the sorts of deals we've given Chuks, Kirk and DJ
It was clear by January that he was a key part of the team AND a financial asset
In February after the window closed, we should have offered him a new 3.5 year deal (to June 2025). After all those are the sorts of deals we've given Chuks, Kirk and DJ
We don’t know that we haven’t offered anything or at least started discussions. He might not be in a rush to sign knowing he can go on a free in just over a years time.
He’s definitely our best player at this point. But I’m not that concerned about losing him. Ask me again this time next year if we’re still mid table fodder and I might have a different answer for you.
Although I really don’t think he is replaceable at this level, every player has his price, especially when it allows you to invest in and strengthen the squad as a whole.
What do we think that realistic price is for Dobson?
Our recruitment is shocking, we'd wank away what ever money we get.
Keeping him is massive when you have a largely disillusioned fan base.
He’s not just a tough tackling defensive midfielder, he has a good first touch, can pass the ball and never looks hurried in possession. Now we know he can shoot (and now he knows he can shoot) his value can only rise. Scary thought.
If he leaves this window I honestly think I will cry ! the bloke has been the one shining light this season and if he goes I think we can all accept that our current position is our level as it will show the club has no appetite to retain decent players
Burnley look like they are going down so is this where they sell Pope? It won't help his England ambitions playing in the Championship. if Gomez gets sold too, we could have the money to keep Dobson and bring some in.
A big test for TS if a decent bid comes in. It’s one thing selling Burstow who was arguably overvalued by Chelsea (he’s not good enough to start for us even as a mid table side) compared to selling our POTY.
TS might think the money can be reinvested in a few signings and that they can find a good replacement by signing someone with similar stats.
The way he scored that goal on Saturday is exactly what we need to do more of. I don't mean scoring 30 yard worldies (although a few more would be nice), more I mean we need to lose our hesitancy to shoot, pass, or cross when the opening appears.
When we're not pumping it long (which is not all the time like some would make out) our build up is a bit slow. That can be fine as it allows you to get bodies forwards and build pressure through possession, but it also allows teams to get set behind the ball. You can still open teams up by moving the ball patiently, but you have to be able to recognize the instant a gap appears and change tempo immediately to exploit that gap. I would say we have two players who understand that - Stockley is one (don't laugh, he will often try flicks or one touch switches in play to quickly exploit space, but his technique doesn't always match his brain) and Dobson who deosnt hang onto the ball unnecessarily and uses it much better than he is given credit for, but because he's so deep isn't often affecting play around the opposition's 18 yard box. He demonstrated it with that goal though - everyone wanted him to take a touch but he realized that there wasn't time for a touch and the ball was set well enough he didn't need to take a touch so he hit it before a defender could block or the keeper could set himself giving him a bigger target to hit and much higher odds of scoring.
I don't have stats, but intuitively it feels to me like we have a disproportionate amount of crosses and shots blocked because we fail to make the play early when the space is still there. Our general style of play is not too dissimilar to the way Bowyer played in terms of valuing quality of chance over quantity (Rotherham, for example, on the other hand, just chucked the ball into out box at every opportunity and hoped it'd work), but what we did with Bowyer's best team was up the tempo much better than we currently do. A classic example would be Purrington's goal at Wembley where we were seemingly going nowhere then a brief opening presented itself and we punished it ruthlessly with one touch passing.
Dobson's understanding of that concept that less is more is what makes him stand out to me, far more than his, admittedly impressive, tackling stats.
Although I really don’t think he is replaceable at this level, every player has his price, especially when it allows you to invest in and strengthen the squad as a whole.
What do we think that realistic price is for Dobson?
It was clear by January that he was a key part of the team AND a financial asset
In February after the window closed, we should have offered him a new 3.5 year deal (to June 2025). After all those are the sorts of deals we've given Chuks, Kirk and DJ
We don’t know that we haven’t offered anything or at least started discussions. He might not be in a rush to sign knowing he can go on a free in just over a years time.
That's why you don't leave it so long to offer something. If we had offered him an extension and pay rise in January/February, 6 months he joined us, I'd be amazed if he would have turned it down
A few games into the season many fans derided both Dobson and Clare (who has also shown his qualities and while playing out of position) and were cited as prime examples of the shambolic recruitment.
Now some are worried Dobson isn't on a long enough contract and we might lose him.
Premature evaluation perhaps
Personally, I hope Dobson and Clare are two of our midfield trio next season with JFC and we buy three tall, mobile centre halves, (I think Famewo will be one) a wing back/winger or two and a Karlan Grant style striker.
Who those other five/six players are I don't know but I think Steve Gallen, who has worked wonders when left alone to do his job, does.
Not sure Deje, Bakrin, Ness, Kanu and the rest of the brilliant U18s are ready yet but Henry might.
I fear a lot of the U23s will move on along with Kirk and Davison.
And there are the older players like Watson, Souare and Gunter who won't be renewed if at all possible. I hope that includes Matthews.
Pearce has made a case to be retained but the squad cap of 21 or 22 means the old custom of keeping a senior player for coaching and the odd game just isn't viable or is a big risk.
A few games into the season many fans derided both Dobson and Clare (who has also shown his qualities and while playing out of position) and were cited as prime examples of the shambolic recruitment.
Now some are worried Dobson isn't on a long enough contract and we might lose him.
Premature evaluation perhaps
Personally, I hope Dobson and Clare are two of our midfield trio next season with JFC and we buy three tall, mobile centre halves, (I think Famewo will be one) a wing back/winger or two and a Karlan Grant style striker.
Who those other five/six players are I don't know but I think Steve Gallen, who has worked wonders when left alone to do his job, does.
Not sure Deje, Bakrin, Ness, Kanu and the rest of the brilliant U18s are ready yet but Henry might.
I fear a lot of the U23s will move on along with Kirk and Davison.
And there are the older players like Watson, Souare and Gunter who won't be renewed if at all possible. I hope that includes Matthews.
Pearce has made a case to be retained but the squad cap of 21 or 22 means the old custom of keeping a senior player for coaching and the odd game just isn't viable or is a big risk.
The issue isn't that we'll lose Dobson in the summer, the issue is that he'll only have a year left on his contract, and that rarely works out well, often leading to either a January sale or losing the player for nothing.
Clubs do their own scouting of course, but winning a club's POTY award does grab attention, would we have been so excited to sign Gilbey without his POTY awards at MKD?
Comments
TS might think the money can be reinvested in a few signings and that they can find a good replacement by signing someone with similar stats.
What do we think that realistic price is for Dobson?
Who is going to buy him that's in a position to make that kind of offer?
He will be 25 early next season so I am not sure if he is worth a punt that he could be "trained on".
Would he look as good (he obviously would still be good) if he wasn't playing with a couple of lilly livered show ponies and having to do the tackling of 3 men?
Maybe he would be more expansive, we have seen some runs from deep into the box, if he had a bit more freedom.
He is excelling in a very niche role, in a very average team. Most very average teams don't spend the sort of money I would hope it would take for us to sell him.
He will be a target for many.
If we lost him we have no talisman left, unless there is more in Pearce.
If anybody is worth an extended and generous contract (extension?) offer it is George Dobson.
Indeed it would be a buying a season ticket convincer.
In February after the window closed, we should have offered him a new 3.5 year deal (to June 2025). After all those are the sorts of deals we've given Chuks, Kirk and DJ
whether he signs whatever he's offered is another thing entirely !
Now some are worried Dobson isn't on a long enough contract and we might lose him.
Premature evaluation perhaps
Personally, I hope Dobson and Clare are two of our midfield trio next season with JFC and we buy three tall, mobile centre halves, (I think Famewo will be one) a wing back/winger or two and a Karlan Grant style striker.
Who those other five/six players are I don't know but I think Steve Gallen, who has worked wonders when left alone to do his job, does.
Not sure Deje, Bakrin, Ness, Kanu and the rest of the brilliant U18s are ready yet but Henry might.
I fear a lot of the U23s will move on along with Kirk and Davison.
And there are the older players like Watson, Souare and Gunter who won't be renewed if at all possible. I hope that includes Matthews.
Pearce has made a case to be retained but the squad cap of 21 or 22 means the old custom of keeping a senior player for coaching and the odd game just isn't viable or is a big risk.
Clubs do their own scouting of course, but winning a club's POTY award does grab attention, would we have been so excited to sign Gilbey without his POTY awards at MKD?