jimmy snels said:
so just to answer my question, do you think that pierce dobben and smith are of the same quality of import that we have previously used our deals to sign?
I think they are, yes - in the context of this year's team. I don't think we have signed them to do the same jobs as the players you mentioned.
Mark Smith was not signed as a No.1 D, and certainly not as an offensive D.
None of them are Starting net minders.
None of them are the Batman
Probably the most direct comparison one could draw is Pelle to Pierce. Jon had an exceptional year by his own standards and ours. Jeff is scoring goals but not exciting people in the same way Pelle did.
I really don't think you are allowing for the market or the budget either. You use a Uni deal in two ways:
1) To lower the wages of a top guy that you may not have been able to otherwise afford as there is a financial offset or contra if you like.
2) To lower the wage of a less impactful player to a level that you could not have afforded with your remaining budget once you have signed your top earners.
The makeup of a team is organic. Some posters seem to see the players like the limbs of a body. I more tend to think they are the internal organs and the roster is the body as a whole (insert Tylor Michel = Heart / Gerad = Guts line here).
In order to have a healthy body you need to consider the entire makeup of the team when you are building your little Frankensteins monster.
Hindsight is 20/20 and you have the benefit of 3 months of watching the guys to analyse their play. G and Franny have to try and build this physiology and chemistry whilst never having seen some of the guys play or knowing who they will fit with already proven quantities like Max or Richie. They did this on a limited budget, with incredibly limited time (this year). Now, G and Franny may be itching to pull the trigger for all we know but they are too honourable to say this in public of course.
We know that even if they did want to make a change they cannot afford to, so our opinions are academic anyway.
It's an interesting debate and I can totally see your point. Year on year we may not have done as well as before to some, however knowing the environment and budget the guys had, I think we made very good signings.