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Delighted with this news. After there was silence on the deadline day last week I feared the worst, but it's official now. Think this was the most important of the 3 really, and if he can avoid injuries and keep up his form from last year that's one CB position cleared. Wouldn't surprise me to see him given the captains armband if Manse isn't on the pitch at times either.

Good stuff Aaron.

Quite right, Nick,with your headline.

Downes has AGREED a new two year deal, but not signed it quite yet. No doubt that he will, but it's poor journalism on the part of the BBC to state in the headline that he has SIGNED a new deal and then quotes Alan Knill saying that in actual fact he hasn't SIGNED it yet!!!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22958492?

I always remember Mike Bateson saying that Jo Kuffour had agreed a new deal on the OS .... only for the fans to find out a day or two later that he was actually signing for Brentford!

He impressed enough last season to warrant a two year deal. Good for him and us, so a win-win here I think.

great signing, deserves 2 year deal

He deserves a two-year deal, but for ****'s sake Torquay, extend it next summer. I don't want to see yet another talented guy leave for nothing on the promise of a few quid more in his pocket because no one thought to tie him in to a deal. Seeing Rene (useless, but saleable) and Saah (brilliant and saleable) leaving for bugger all this summer for the sake of nothing more than half a crown makes me very sad indeed.

Matt.

Happy with this, one of our, if not the best player last season. Be happier when signed on the dotted line

A two year deal makes sense for all parties really. Its an average contract duration at this level for a player of that level of experience. It also reflects the mutual loyalty between the two parties. Remember Downes came to us when nobody else was prepared to offer him more than 6-months due to his injury record. We took a gamble, and I think he appreciated that and has repaid us by signing this deal. Gives us much needed stability in a defensive unit where 3 of the 5 will effectively be brand new (I'm including Cruise in that as he didn't get much game time last season).

ferrarilover wrote:He deserves a two-year deal, but for f**k's sake Torquay, extend it next summer. I don't want to see yet another talented guy leave for nothing on the promise of a few quid more in his pocket because no one thought to tie him in to a deal. Seeing Rene (useless, but saleable) and Saah (brilliant and saleable) leaving for bugger all this summer for the sake of nothing more than half a crown makes me very sad indeed.

Matt.

Realistically, Matt, Downes isn't going to be saleable. Yes it's annoying when we lose players for free, but I can also see why we offer contracts on a 1/2 year basis. If we were to give him a 3 year deal then he has a recurrence of his injury which keeps him out for a year then we're screwed aren't we. I doubt the club can even afford to offer 3 year contracts. I remember being so surprised when Buckle started dishing them out when he came in.

With Downer, it's not so much that I want money for him, it's that I want to keep him and not lose him on the basis that Cheltenham or Rovers will pay silly money. Brian Saah isn't leaving to further his career, nor is he leaving to be closer to London (how bored are we of hearing that old chestnut, eh Mr Carayol), he is leaving because he thinks he can earn more money elsewhere. That's fine, it's the nature of the job, but I'd rather that he wasn't able to do that and TUFC kept hold of one of the best defenders in the division. If these clubs want to take our talent, that's fine, but they're going to have to pay us for them, then we'll see just how much these clubs REALLY want to sign our players. It's win/win for the club, we either keep a good player, or we get a fee for a good player, simples. Do we honestly believe that Rene would be attracting anywhere near as much interest as he is if he came with a £100,000 price tag? Of course he wouldn't. Dross like York wouldn't be in for him and we wouldn't be losing an asset to a rival (quite how much of an asset he really is is a matter of some contention) for a bag of fresh air. Why is it that Jack Midson and Constable are never available on a free? Why aren't we signing other clubs top scorers for nothing?
Get them tied down, never allow a player to have less than a year left on his deal. If he refuses to sign an extension, then sell him and buy someone else. I'm getting really bored with Torquay being taken for a ride in the transfer market and I'd like it to stop (please, Mr Candy).

Matt.

Are you saying that we should have sold rene back in january as he didn't sign his contact back then? That would have really gone down well! The same with saah.

Is the official site tempting fate by saying he has agreed a new deal but has not yet signed it. Some celebrations might be a bit premature.

There's no accounting for freak seasons like the last one, but ostensibly, yeah, he was out the door last summer if he didn't sign an extension. He now walks away to the highest bidder and we get nothing. Meanwhile, Burton are free to value Billy Kee at one million Pounds Sterling, safe in the knowledge that he either stays with them, or he goes and Burton have more money than God Himself. We see the same with Gareth Bale, who, realistically, is worth about £15,000,000, but Spurs can value him at £100,000,000 on the same basis.

Matt.

We are not the only club in these situations. Burton have lost their top scorer Calvin Zola to Aberdeen whom they offered a new deal but he did not sign so he goes to Scotland and Burton get nothing. The way of modern football in the Bosman age.
Simples ..a shame some don't understand how the system works.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22959271

:Oops: :Oops:

ferrarilover wrote:There's no accounting for freak seasons like the last one, but ostensibly, yeah, he was out the door last summer if he didn't sign an extension. He now walks away to the highest bidder and we get nothing. Meanwhile, Burton are free to value Billy Kee at one million Pounds Sterling, safe in the knowledge that he either stays with them, or he goes and Burton have more money than God Himself. We see the same with Gareth Bale, who, realistically, is worth about £15,000,000, but Spurs can value him at £100,000,000 on the same basis.

Matt.

This was exactly the point I was trying to make in my 'Contracts' thread, although I mistaking used some bad examples to show my point.
Two years contracts are fine but for our best players we should be looking to renew them 12 months before they expire.

Oh and good news re Downes, cracking player. Here's hoping to another injury free season...

northyorkshiregull wrote:Are you saying that we should have sold rene back in january as he didn't sign his contact back then? That would have really gone down well! The same with saah.

With the position we were in it would have been suicide. Had we been midtable with nothing to play for it probably would have made sense although it's tougher to do at our level because only a handful of clubs a) have nothing to play for in the first place to be in that position to sell and b) have any money.

Was important one of the 2 centre backs signed on, honestly I think we've got the weaker of the two but that's what happens when you are Torquay United. Your best players leave, every year.