Shinnie pre-contract | Vital Football

Shinnie pre-contract

Frustrating that we can’t get him now. But he’d be a very solid signing for next season, especially on a free.
 
I'd be pleased with that. I imagine if a pre contract agreed we will likely make low offer to take him now knowing it will literally be their only option to get any money. Preston did that with Louise Moult - Motherwell wanted over 500k to sell in the window but once he signed pre contract they let him go immediately for 200k or less.
 
Happy with signing of Shinnie on pre contract agreement, got LB sorted out now post Robinson and it may be worth seeing if there is the option to bring him here a bit earlier. Obv that depends on what fee Aberdeen would agree to. Im conscious of paying too much for a player we are going to get for free in the summer though plus Robinson is nearly fit again.

Either way whether its now or in the summer, happy at this signing and strategy we are employing. Id rather not splash out stupid money on players still with a year left on their contract at mid to upper end Championship clubs. Get our scouts around the likes of the SPL and League 1 looking for good value players. Maybe even in future look also at putting a scout in a foreign league where average salary is lower than Championship such as Belgian league and Danish/Swedish leagues. Decent quality leagues are those with potential of unearthing some gems on the cheap.
 
If we were to sign Fox this month would he go into the team right away considering he's 33 or are we to contine with Dunks and Cedric, just a thought
 
If we were to sign Fox this month would he go into the team right away considering he's 33 or are we to contine with Dunks and Cedric, just a thought

I dont think we'd sign him and i dont think he'd come if the plan wasn't for him to be a regular as he is at Forest. He may not go straight in if the deal gets done, but i suspect he would be in the starting 11 pretty quickly and stay there.

Another thing is he plays left hand side of 3 CB's so i wouldn't rule out seeing that down the line too.
 
I dont think we'd sign him and i dont think he'd come if the plan wasn't for him to be a regular as he is at Forest. He may not go straight in if the deal gets done, but i suspect he would be in the starting 11 pretty quickly and stay there.

Another thing is he plays left hand side of 3 CB's so i wouldn't rule out seeing that down the line too.

Yeah, I could see a switch to 3 at the back in certain games if Fox arrived, plus even if its not his main role these days, he can still fill in at LB so he is versatile and means if Robinson gets injured again we dont have to play Naismith at LB.

Its a risky signing but Fox would be cheap and is still versatile. Plus by going for him we can avoid having to pay extra for Shinnie now. I just feel uncomfortable about paying extra for a player we are about to sign n summer anyway. Plus Robinson is back from injury soon as well and you never know, he might have one of those play him when fit or get fined clauses in his deal too.

Based on all above, if Shinnie deal goes through i would rather leave him at Aberdeen until summer. Plus with Aberdeen still in race for SPL title and European football next season they might ask for stupid money to let him go now.
 
Yeah, I could see a switch to 3 at the back in certain games if Fox arrived, plus even if its not his main role these days, he can still fill in at LB so he is versatile and means if Robinson gets injured again we dont have to play Naismith at LB.

Its a risky signing but Fox would be cheap and is still versatile. Plus by going for him we can avoid having to pay extra for Shinnie now. I just feel uncomfortable about paying extra for a player we are about to sign n summer anyway. Plus Robinson is back from injury soon as well and you never know, he might have one of those play him when fit or get fined clauses in his deal too.

Based on all above, if Shinnie deal goes through i would rather leave him at Aberdeen until summer. Plus with Aberdeen still in race for SPL title and European football next season they might ask for stupid money to let him go now.
Kendrick appears to be pouring cold water on Shinnie deal on the local paper’s website...
 
Fox is crap, no better than what we have and the sort of signing a club with no ambition to progress in this league would make. Shinnie on the other hand is the kind of signing a club that does wish to progress in this league makes. So of course being Latics we’ll sign Fox and Shinnie will palm us off for Rangers.
 
Fox is crap, no better than what we have and the sort of signing a club with no ambition to progress in this league would make. Shinnie on the other hand is the kind of signing a club that does wish to progress in this league makes. So of course being Latics we’ll sign Fox and Shinnie will palm us off for Rangers.

Or - alternatively - it’s what we can afford. Nothing to do with ‘ambition’.

Which CBs of ‘Championship quality’ would you list then to Paul Cook that we could A) Afford and B) attract to join a club battling relegation?

Fox would be an inexpensive option who would provide experience and much-needed depth in a position of need. He’d probably be able to help our inexperienced CB tandem home their craft in this league, and could step in and do a job when needed.

Since the alternative is currently no one due to having only two fit CBs, we are hardly in a position to stare down the nose at a viable, realistic option all because of some entitled sense of ‘needing to progress’.

Fact of the matter is we’ve been relegated twice in a row from the Championship and lie near the bottom again, and we need all the help we can get, especially since we have a thin squad that is susceptible to crippling injury problems at any given time. Progression is all well and good, but for now surely the only priority is ensuring we remain in this division. We’re not an established club at this level, and until we prove we can stop up in this league for more than a season, we’ll have to make do with the players we’ve got because those elusive and coveted ‘Championship standard’ players certainly won’t see us as a favourable destination until then.

The fact that we could possibly be ‘too good’ for a veteran player who knows this league like the palm of his hand is the type of naivety that led to our demise in 2015 and 2017. Let’s not repeat those same mistakes this time around.
 
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Fox is crap, no better than what we have and the sort of signing a club with no ambition to progress in this league would make. Shinnie on the other hand is the kind of signing a club that does wish to progress in this league makes. So of course being Latics we’ll sign Fox and Shinnie will palm us off for Rangers.

Considering he hasn't played below Championship level for over 10 years (except for a short stint at Celtic, if that counts), plays in a position we are severely lacking back up to the point we don't even have one on the bench, still young enough to play who also played regularly (19 starts according to their site) for a Forest team that are top half of the table, who could also help mentor young Kipre, I don't think he would be a crap signing.

Is he better than what we have? I doubt it. But in terms of back up, experience and affordability, I think he might be a decent signing.
 
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We need a left back, we need a centre back and we need Championship experience. Fox ticks all those boxes. Is it a long term signing with sell on value? No. However short term it is something we need.
 
Assuming he'd be on the bench as 3rd choice CB, he's a step up from Bruce, so it makes sense.

The fact he can play as an emergency/replacement LB (whether in front of or behind Naismith), is an added bonus.
 
It would have to be at LB, because I very much doubt he'd start at CB.

That would actually be a shame for Naismith, who has undoubtedly improved over these last few weeks. Don't get me wrong, his defensive qualities are still below the required standard (I was going to say poor, but thought I'd give him the benefit of acknowledging the improvements), but he has definitely been showing more going forward.

As I say, a better bench warmer than Bruce.
 
He's the captain at Forest and plays every week, i imagine he's also on decent money there. If he comes he will be coming to play and he is more of a centre back than a left back these days.

At 32 he wont have the legs to get up and down like our full backs need to - so i cant see us buying him for left back at all. If he came in he'd likely go in at left back until Robinson is fit and but i strongly doubt he'd stay there after that.

Apparently first bid was rejected but we are going back.
 
Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes : "We’re well used to players being linked with clubs during the window but there’s nothing in the Shinnie going to Wigan story.