Ox

Is getting a contract extension. My POV, if he is out for long periods of the season through injury, I think come next summer, he should be sold

 

3 more months of these sort of threads.

 

I suppose it would be "sentimental" if we gave him an extension while still injured - like Arsenal did with Cazorla (I think) - but he is apparently fit again.

Although he hasn't done anything to merit an extension, it is maybe a good idea if his current deal is running down. As long as he stays fit. Which he probably won't.

 

We need good homegrown talent in the Squad and Ox fits the bill. The value of the extention will anyway be repaid if he doesn't stay fit and we decide to sell. There are plenty of clubs taking the risk on these players. I mean, even WBA brought in Danny Sturridge to help them stay up.

 

Reckon he'll get less pay and more bonuses or something

 

Some professor of stats from MIT will have worked out whether it's throwing good money after bad and come up with the new terms. Emotions me arse.

 

Reckon he'll get less pay and more bonuses or something

 

Absolutely made up he's getting a contract extension and hopefully the lad will get back to the form he was in before he got injured. He was becoming one of my favourite players at that point and I see no reason why he can't get back there. I hope talk of reduced wages etc are bollocks. It seems some people have already put him into the perma-crock box when as far as I recall he's only really missed out on games due to the one massive injury, sustained while playing his heart out for us.

 

He's had more than 10 injuries since 2013, 5 of which have seen him out of contention for 40 days or more, and 4 of which have been serious enough to miss over 60 days of football.

He's the actual definition of injury-prone.

 

I think you're talking about southern softie injuries though. The lad's been acclimatised to the north for a couple of years now and he's been Kloppified.

 

Will be like a new singing etc.
That was a freak injury as was Gomez's. But yeah, let's all wet our pants because they are 'injury prone'.

 

There's no way I'd have given him a new contract.

 

Surprised he’s got a new contract.

He did well for a few months but we really need consistency long term from those positions.

 

Haha Bluebell and Red Ninja know they can start these threads with relative impunity during the close season.

 

Presumably we can infer from this that the club think he's recovered very well from that injury, which is great because it was really horrible.

I really like him, and on the form he was showing before I'd have him in my first XI.

 

Yes to all of this. I like Ox very much, but we need one more similar player – not Keita or Shaq or Lallana – to make sure we can always count on this kind of attacking threat in midfield. That's why I've been banging the Havertz/De Beek drum for some time – it's not just about those 2 players that I happen to like, but more importantly about upgrading creativity and goal threat in our midfield, which has been a problem at times last season. At a minimum, we'll need to start thinking about replacing Milner's goals and assists as he is getting older and possibly settling into a more utility/enforcer role.