Steven Taylor (now retired)

[JH]

Two things that worry me:

 

- The length of the contract

 

- The wages he is likely to be on

 

Not to mention the fact that I think he's the third best CB in the squad.

[Guest]

I don't think he'd be on a contract that we can't afford.

[Dr Venkman]

Two things that worry me:

 

- The length of the contract

 

- The wages he is likely to be on

 

Not to mention the fact that I think he's the third best CB in the squad.

 

exactly, i can't see any way he's signed it under that pretence though. it's very very worrying because collocini for one is half the player with the wrong type of player next to him. williamson and collocini complement each other well, taylor's just so un-convincing. average in the air, average at reading the game, usually the defensive equivalent of smith, getting caught out of position and spending most of his time sliding around on his arse.

[Beezeri]

Good news. Decent defender, saves us having to buy someone.

 

We can't afford to buy as long as we have those high earning players on our wagebill anyway! Today to get rid of these over 50K a week players it's pretty much the only option wait their contract expire as they won't take a paycut even if it's possible to sell them. Would you really believe that Williamson(pretty much the same standard player than Taylor) is on a contract like 1/3 of Taylor's one? That's bad business IMO

[J7]

Why is everyone getting 5 and a half year contracts?

[JH]

I don't think he'd be on a contract that we can't afford.

 

But there's a fine line between what we can afford and what he's actually worth. He should be on wages similar to Williamson, but I'll bet he's on almost double.

[bowlingcrofty]

We'd have got max £1.5m for him given that he would have been out of contract. It stuns me that anyone can think this is anything other than good news - we don't lose him for nowt (or next to nowt) and if we decide to flog, the buyer will have to pay a premium...

[Beezeri]

I don't think he'd be on a contract that we can't afford.

 

Probably true just because of our high attendance...but it won't help Ashley to make any money of the club which he's clearly after.

[Guest]

The 5 and a half years is so the contract doesn't end mid season.

[JH]

The 5 and a half years is so the contract doesn't end mid season.

 

What's the five for then?

[Guest]

So we've got them long term and have a good value if we decide to sell?

[Superior Acuña]

Good news. Decent defender, saves us having to buy someone.

 

We can't afford to buy as long as we have those high earning players on our wagebill anyway! Today to get rid of these over 50K a week players it's pretty much the only option wait their contract expire as they won't take a paycut even if it's possible to sell them. Would you really believe that Williamson(pretty much the same standard player than Taylor) is on a contract like 1/3 of Taylor's one? That's bad business IMO

 

Do we know that? Seems very unlikely the Ashley regime would be willing to pay over the top wages when they're so reluctant to splash out.

[JH]

Good news. Decent defender, saves us having to buy someone.

 

We can't afford to buy as long as we have those high earning players on our wagebill anyway! Today to get rid of these over 50K a week players it's pretty much the only option wait their contract expire as they won't take a paycut even if it's possible to sell them. Would you really believe that Williamson(pretty much the same standard player than Taylor) is on a contract like 1/3 of Taylor's one? That's bad business IMO

 

Do we know that? Seems very unlikely the Ashley regime would be willing to pay over the top wages when they're so reluctant to splash out.

 

It also seems unlikely that Taylor would refuse to sign a contract, and then a couple of months down the line suddenly decide he wants to sign it.

[Dokko]

Great news. Valuable asset tied to the club for some period.

 

I was told he'd sign in the New Year, not far off my info was.

 

 

[Hughesy]

Good news.

[Wil]

Think it's good news. Can't see how we would replace him for the money Ashley is likely to release. Pardew clearly rates him, and I'd expect him to be his first choice. He kind of showed his hand with his selection yesterday. For me, Taylor does offer a physicality neither Colocinni or Williamson have, which helps us not being bullied in games like we were against Bolton, for example.

[LesPaul]

Now, sell him for a decent price.

[Guest toonlass]

Pleased he has signed. Would have been crazy to lose him for peanuts in January or nothing in the summer. He definitely has a part to play in our squad.

[TheGuv]

Now, sell him for a decent price.

 

2012 imo

[Unbelievable]

Pretty happy with this. He's no world beater but good enough for where we are now and I can't really see us attracting a much better player, especially considering we have other priorities. Let's hope he can improve and if not, we are at least guaranteed a decent fee when we decide to sell him a few years down the line.

[Dave]

^what he said.

 

Good news.

[Tsunami]

He'd clearly signed or was going to sign by the way he went to the corner of the Gallowgate and pumped himself up at the warm up

[Beren]

Ambivalent.

 

Good business decision/housekeeping.

 

Pardew's comments intimate he's first choice, and from what I've seen of the four defenders, Williamson and Colo are the best - they also have a sound partnership/understanding with one another.

[Disco]

5 and a half years? FFS.

[Ketsbaia]

Great news as we can get some good coin for the lad. I fear Pardew will persist with him over Willo, but at least he's not terrible and its certainly better to have him around than not.

 

Sell him in the summer, use that money to get Ben Arfa and find a modest priced CB.