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Lucas Ness - (p4 - Joins Notts County)

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  • Keeping Ness and letting Hector go won't go well with some.
    Either I missed something (entirely possible) or you're being a bit of a scamp.

    Not sure which.
  • Isn't this a case of triggering the extra year to get a fee when he leaves in the summer...?
  • Isn't this a case of triggering the extra year to get a fee when he leaves in the summer...?
    I don't actually think he's worth anything. Who do you think would spend money on him? He had a good spell at Torquay United, but they are in the sixth tier.

    I think that he'll be given a pre-season under Jones and then shipped out on loan again when discovered he's not good enough.
  • If Jones has seen enough to keep him, that's fine by me.  Yes, he's looked shaky this season,  but last year we saw what he might deliver.  Less baffled by this than, say, giving Henry the longer contract.

    Worth a punt for another year I'd say, especially as he won't be a big earner
  • edited April 19
    Even if our owners want to "go for it" next season, our budget won't be infinite.  So cheap but dependable backup is not a bad idea.

    Assuming we play 3 at the back and assuming Jones, REG and Gillesphey will still be here then I suspect we go with 5 CBs and a kid.  
    If Mitchell is the kid, Ness an understudy then that allows one more. 

    So maybe him signing means we can move on Thomas and Hector and spend their combined wages on someone exceptional for our level to be our number one CB on the team sheet.  That would be great business to me.

    If we could move Jones and Gillesphey on for 2 better replacements then even better but that seems unlikely.
  • I think that ness is the “kid” and sixth defender.  You need that level depth at the position in a 352 but want someone on lower wages.  My guess is Mitchell will be loaned out again.  Given Mitchell really struggled in League two last year I doubt in is going to be in the first team mix in the short term
  • I think the significant thing is this is not an expensive option.
  • Around the time we played Man Utd in the Carabao cup Ness was the next best thing since sliced bread under Holden. He has fallen down the ranks since then. Maybe he needs a manager that will have faith in him......not sure that is Jones TBH but if he can go out on loan it may be beneficial.........
  • I think that ness is the “kid” and sixth defender.  You need that level depth at the position in a 352 but want someone on lower wages.  My guess is Mitchell will be loaned out again.  Given Mitchell really struggled in League two last year I doubt in is going to be in the first team mix in the short term
    Where has it been said that Zach "struggled" this season in L2 ? 

    My understanding is that once Garner left, last season's EFL L1 Apprentice of the Season  didn't fit into Cowley's system & was sidelined straight away. What a waste of a season for a well regarded young player ! 

    Sincerely hoping that Nathan gives him a deserved opportunity to show what he has to offer in the close season.
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  • Good news. He’s got something about him. Thought his best spell was under Holden.
  • Good news. He’s got something about him. Thought his best spell was under Holden.
    Fully agree. 

  • Feels like a weird fever dream that this time 12 months ago I thought we had a CB who we could build a defense around for years to come, injuries have obviously had an impact but he looks so many miles off that centre half tho broke through last season 
    His last few performances were pretty good. I think we should forget the games where he was coming back from injury and the whole team were playing badly. It's definitelyworth seeing how he performs over the next twelve months. He's still very young for a centre back.
  • Even if our owners want to "go for it" next season, our budget won't be infinite.  So cheap but dependable backup is not a bad idea.

    Assuming we play 3 at the back and assuming Jones, REG and Gillesphey will still be here then I suspect we go with 5 CBs and a kid.  
    If Mitchell is the kid, Ness an understudy then that allows one more. 

    So maybe him signing means we can move on Thomas and Hector and spend their combined wages on someone exceptional for our level to be our number one CB on the team sheet.  That would be great business to me.

    If we could move Jones and Gillesphey on for 2 better replacements then even better but that seems unlikely.
    Not sure about letting Hector go. Players Marks thread shows him very near the top of the rankings in most of his matches after his shaky start, That would depend on who was to replace him of course.
  • Jones seems to like Thomas, however he's played Hector, Jones, REG and Gillesphey. I'm not convinced he knows who his back three are, but i think we can all agree we need better and it's unlikely the answer is Ness. I'd be interested how does everyone rank our CBs?


  • NJ will probably give Ness a chance during pre-season to prove himself or let him go out on loan
  • It's possible that Ness is staying because he is an 'academy graduate' (sort of) and in the 8+8+8 model, while he's not very good, he can at least be one of the 8 on the edges of the first team squad
  • Keeping Ness and letting Hector go won't go well with some.
    I'll accept your humble apology now @aliwibble
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  • I think that ness is the “kid” and sixth defender.  You need that level depth at the position in a 352 but want someone on lower wages.  My guess is Mitchell will be loaned out again.  Given Mitchell really struggled in League two last year I doubt in is going to be in the first team mix in the short term

    clive said:
    Mitchell did not struggle. The new management brought in their own players so that there was no place in the team or on the bench for him.
  • Was excellent in many games before his injury last season, didn’t get anywhere near those levels again this season.

    Personally think we triggered the extension to ensure we get a fee this summer as compensation isn’t always the best option nor with his age, it might not be an option for too much longer.
  • Sage said:
    Was excellent in many games before his injury last season, didn’t get anywhere near those levels again this season.

    Personally think we triggered the extension to ensure we get a fee this summer as compensation isn’t always the best option nor with his age, it might not be an option for too much longer.
    Not sure there is going to be much of a fee or compensation. 

    A large sell on fee ala Eleware maybe.

    But if the extension was only trigged to get a fee why announce it far ahead of the retain and released list?
  • Sage said:
    Was excellent in many games before his injury last season, didn’t get anywhere near those levels again this season.

    Personally think we triggered the extension to ensure we get a fee this summer as compensation isn’t always the best option nor with his age, it might not be an option for too much longer.
    Not sure there is going to be much of a fee or compensation. 

    A large sell on fee ala Eleware maybe.

    But if the extension was only trigged to get a fee why announce it far ahead of the retain and released list?
    Potentially to get him in other clubs' thinking for their transfer window? Announcing the extension early and then touting Ness around a bit might allow teams to consider him as an option when they put their lists together. 
    Alternatively and probably more likely a lot of work has been done with budget and targets and Jones has decided that he's got the scope to replace two CBs but not three. We've got four now with Ness who will occupy the 6th slot and probably (hopefully) not be called upon and we can bring in two top CBs to play alongside Lloyd or REG. Ness can't be on much, we trigger his extension without needing to negotiate a payrise, pay for two proper CBs and then ideally have a top 6 season and release Ness at the end of it when we look to progress again. Equally it could be that Jones is going to see if he can improve Ness this season
  • Sage said:
    Was excellent in many games before his injury last season, didn’t get anywhere near those levels again this season.

    Personally think we triggered the extension to ensure we get a fee this summer as compensation isn’t always the best option nor with his age, it might not be an option for too much longer.
    Not sure there is going to be much of a fee or compensation. 

    A large sell on fee ala Eleware maybe.

    But if the extension was only trigged to get a fee why announce it far ahead of the retain and released list?
    Potentially to get him in other clubs' thinking for their transfer window? Announcing the extension early and then touting Ness around a bit might allow teams to consider him as an option when they put their lists together. 
    Alternatively and probably more likely a lot of work has been done with budget and targets and Jones has decided that he's got the scope to replace two CBs but not three. We've got four now with Ness who will occupy the 6th slot and probably (hopefully) not be called upon and we can bring in two top CBs to play alongside Lloyd or REG. Ness can't be on much, we trigger his extension without needing to negotiate a payrise, pay for two proper CBs and then ideally have a top 6 season and release Ness at the end of it when we look to progress again. Equally it could be that Jones is going to see if he can improve Ness this season
    How I see it generally plus we could either loan him out till January to League One/Two and see how he does or a short term National League loan too. He’s young, he never really came through the academy route and he has shown he has potential.

    Nowhere near as strange as having Aaron Henry under contract for another season.
  • The other possibility is that Jones rates Ness.
  • The other possibility is that Jones rates Ness.
    It's possible, though you'd think if that were the case we'd try and tie him down to a longer deal before activating his extension like we're doing with Small. I guess we'll see, I'm hopeful with a summer off and his second season over we might see the Ness of last season more this the one we got in this one.
  • The other possibility is that Jones rates Ness.
    Then why only give him 45 mins at the end of the season?

    I think ness was retained to get a small fee and a sell on clause 
  • The other possibility is that Jones rates Ness.
    Then why only give him 45 mins at the end of the season?

    I think ness was retained to get a small fee and a sell on clause 
    By the same logic why consistantly play two players, Hector and Thomas, he was about to release?
  • The other possibility is that Jones rates Ness.
    Then why only give him 45 mins at the end of the season?

    I think ness was retained to get a small fee and a sell on clause 
    By the same logic why consistantly play two players, Hector and Thomas, he was about to release

    Personally felt he was giving chances to Hector and Thomas to change his mind. I'm sure he said somewhere that some tough conversations had to be made, and reckon he was referencing Thomas, probably the most difficult one of all having polled 3rd in player of the year.

    Maybe he was already impressed with Ness that he didn't need to play him to decide if he was wanted for next season.
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