Dillon Phillips (Cardiff sending him on loan to Belgium p36)

LargeAddick said:

Who else has a year left? I don’t expect to see them playing either then. Good job Bowyer didn’t feel the same when we all knew Bauer was leaving.

Amos, Williams and JFC all exercised the year extension in their contracts, so those 3 for starters. 

It's a good job we didn't drop every player that had a year left on their contract because we wouldn't have any left to play! 

The fact that Phillips and Amos are relatively closely matched in terms of ability works in our favour. But LB didn't do that with Taylor in January because he was too valuable to us. And Taylor then rewarded us by refusing to honour his contract.

But trust works both ways. If it wasn't for Phillips we would have been relegated weeks before the end of the season. If Amos gets injured in the next week or so and Phillips is still here will LB turn to him? If Phillips then refuses to play will we sack him? Or perhaps sue him?

It's almost as if we're punishing Phillips for the likes of Grant and Taylor walking away for nothing. But one thing that is certain is that if Phillips had any inclination whatsoever to stay and see how things pan out he won't now be doing so. We have, effectively, escalated his exit and this also sends a clear message to any other decent players in a similar position.

If and when we get some stability we need to look at why and how the likes of Brentford are so successful in the transfer market- Watkins will follow Maupay (£20m), Egan (£4m), Mepham (£12m), Yennaris (£5m), Jota (£6m), Hogan (£9m) and Gray (£9m) plus others making total sales of over £80m in the last five seasons - and yet they still remained in contention for promotion to the PL.

At present though the danger is that we're going to end up with players who aren't good enough but at least they'll be desperate to sign a new contract. And that is not the recipe for success.

MattF said:

Assume he's still training if he's been told he'll be warming the bench 

Thanks. 
In theory, is he unemployed at the moment (apologies if he's still under contract, I'm still trying to work out tomorrows permutations).

I can see why Dills wouldn’t sign a new contract as he’s better than L1 and signing benefits us a selling club but not him as a departing player.

I can also see why Bows has made this choice as a wantaway player in the GK position is not ideal. You want your back 5 to be as settled as possible, and playing Dills runs the risk of getting a few games in and losing him. That time would allow Amos to bed in better with the back line.

I think we’ve all figured selling Dills to fund a team is likely to happen. Bows’ moves make it more likely he’ll be sold but also that we’ll get a better fee for him when it happens. He said in the article “if he won’t sign he’ll be sold” so this looks like a strategy with that in mind.

A real shame we couldn’t have gotten that extra point needed to stay in the championship as I’d have loved to see Dills develop more as our player. But we knew relegation would likely cause a few losses like this. I’m really hoping we don’t go down this route with Doughty, but sadly I can see it happening exactly the same...

In an ideal world we'd sign Dillon to a lucrative contract then loan him to a Championship club paying his wages, so that he can stay in the Championship, we don't pay his wages and we can have him back if/when we get promoted...

Bowyer gave him the chance; many wouldn’t have.  I am not saying DP should have blond loyalty but I think he and his agent are playing a dangerous game 

Torn on this one. No player is duty bound to sign contract extensions and refusing to do so hardly seems like a punishable offence.  Dillon is the one squad member who is 100% playing a league below his ability this season and so has every right to be nervous about extending terms with a club who currently look set for a middling season in L1.

Equally, Amos's extension doesn't strike me as some selfless act of loyalty. He's a 30 year old keeper, with zero appearances to his name last season, in a transfer market flooded with more players than usual, and (at the time) an impending salary cap. He has - quite rightly - protected his own interests here. He's hardly jumped on a grenade by "signing for Charlton at their worst" as MM put it....

The only reason I'm torn is that you have to trust that Bowyer knows the situation far better than any of us and ultimately knows what he's doing. Hopefully his quarrel is with the agent rather than the player.

wmcf123 said:

Bowyer gave him the chance; many wouldn’t have.  I am not saying DP should have blond loyalty but I think he and his agent are playing a dangerous game 

Sort of, but it's also worth remembering that Dillon was on the cusp of walking out a couple of seasons ago due to lack of opportunities. Bowyer brought Jed Steer in over him, and the only reason Dillon got in was because Steer was recalled to Villa after Nyland got injured. Bowyer put Dillon in, but wanted to sign Chris Maxwell on loan and was planning on putting him in ahead of Dillon. The only reason that didn't happen was because Dillon performed well enough when he played to not be dropped. I remember at the time that there was a lot of frustration on this board at Bowyer's apparent lack of faith in Dillon, and a lot of worry that it was going to cost us a decent homegrown keeper. It worked out well for us in the end but I don't doubt that Dillon will remember that he wasn't exactly nurtured into the first team through support from Bowyer

100% behind Bowyer on this one .
Agents are lining there own pockets at the expense of there clients . Things have to change .

Redrobo said:

Dropping Phillips is sensible as Amos has not played for a long time, and needs to get some game time playing alongside the defence. Bows has to assume he is leaving and sort out the team for next season. One player will not and should not get in the way of that.

If no one has met our price when the window shuts that would be a different matter. It is also not beyond the possibility that Phillips signs when and if we get PS in as a new owner with ambition and joins the ride. Two good GKs so hopefully both here for next season and beyond.

You are telling me Patrick Swayze is putting in a bid now? Ffs when will this madness end.

pretty sure Dillon will understand LB's point of view.

still hopeful that he'll be here when the window shuts and get onto TS's journey and sign a new contract looking at the great squad we will have assembled to smash the league!

RedChaser said:

Dillon surely could have a release clause in say a two year contact if say we we didn't get promoted immediately or an offer of x£ is received, no?

Presumably his agent wants a pay day now.